TRUE WEALTH

The nations of the world are in a constant state of unrest because of the unsettled state of the currency of one nation or another. Fortunes are made or lost according to the whims of buyers and sellers in the stock markets. In order to try to lend a little stability to their riches, men have invested in precious metals, jewels, art and real estate. The value of gold or silver can decline. Jewels and art can be stolen. Changing economic conditions can cause real estate to plummet. In every thing he does, man can be frustrated. If none of the possible things happen to cause his investments to lose value and he gains great wealth, then death can take him unawares and until it does he worries constantly that something MIGHT go wrong.

This is the vanity of riches as described by Solomon.
Prov 23:5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.

It would be easy to fill pages with scripture dealing with the vanity of worldly wealth, but more profitable to spend time thinking of the permanent riches available to God's people.

The fluctuations of wall street can have no effect upon these riches. No thief can ever break through and steal them. Every day that passes and every event of the world only make these riches more precious than they were the day before.

Since these are divine riches they are not measured in terms of dollars and cents.
Eph 3:8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

How can we possibly place a value upon the salvation of a soul? How can we enter into the balance sheet, the value of the price paid for it?
Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
1 Pet 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1 Pet 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

The value of an item is determined by the asking price and what the buyer is willing to pay.
Mark 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Mark 8:37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

The Psalmist expressed it another way;
Psa 49:6 They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;
Psa 49:7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:
Psa 49:8 (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)
Even the legendary wealth of the world's richest king could never redeem one lost soul. In fact, all the pooled wealth of all ages added to the wealth of the universe could not pay the price.

BUT THE PRICE WAS PAID!
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
No one but God could pay the price. Though man was morally bankrupt and spiritually dead, God was willing to pay the awful price. So, he sent his Son to die for the redemption of man. Thus, salvation is the first of our great eternal treasures..

Call it the new birth, redemption, salvation or whatever you wish. It is not a bauble which can be stolen away nor a perishible that fades with the using. It is eternal life!
Col 2:2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
Col 2:3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
These treasures of wisdom and knowledge belong to God's children but, sad to say, not all of them are benefitting from their family riches. It is as though they had built their house in a field of diamonds, yet live in poverty, because they are not aware of the treasure around them.
Mat 13:52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.
The treasures are there but one needs to know what to look for and where to look.

Consider the priceless treasure of eternal hope and assurance.
Rom 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Hope has impelled man to build civilizations, make inventions and seek new things. It has even prompted him to look toward the stars, yet all of these will result only in a possible improvement in his tomorrows ,while hope for eternity which is found only in Christ, lies largely ignored.

Consider the value of such a treasure of hope. The merchant's hope of profit can be dashed in the marketplace. The hope of rulers for a larger kingdom often falls on the battlefield. The hope of earthly companionship can be ended by the cold hand of death, but the eternal hope which is ours as children of the living God, cannot be affected by any of these, nor by all the powers of a vengeful hell.
Heb 6:18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
Heb 6:19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
Heb 6:20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

Earth's fleeting hope may change the course of a person for a little time, but the eternal riches of this hope can change our course for all eternity.

Then we examine the precious jewel of friendship. Friends are indeed a treasure, and we can be terribly lonely without them. They too are but temporary in this changing world. We move apart, lives change, death comes between, and sad to say, sometimes they turn against us. We have a great treasure in one great friend;
Prov 18:24 A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Others might be repelled by our shortcomings, but here is one who can understand our infirmities.
Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
While others are helpless to assist us, here is one who sits at the right hand of the throne of God! Talk about 'friends in high places'! here is one who can't be topped!

This friend has made us this promise;
Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
He has the power to keep this promise for;
Rom 6:9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

Would you like Him to be your friend?
John 15:14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

Salvation is free, without works of any kind, but here Jesus speaks of friendship and there is a price.
Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

It is impossible for Him to alter his walk and so, if there is to be friendship, we must walk with him his way.
The choice is ours and it MUST be made.

AWAY VILE HAND!

Shall I turn again and take the hand
of the fiend who drove the nails,
and have the hand tthat plicked his beard
laid in friendship on my shoulder?

When the devil and his crowd assails
the cross, where will I stand?
Beside the saints who never feared?
Or with men whose hatred smoulders?

To turn my back on Him, my Lord,
and bow to sin's dread reign,
is but to join the ones who mocked,
and lift the sponge with bitter gall

that adds new sorrow to His pain.
He died for sin's vast, captive horde,
that heaven's gate might be unlocked.
AWAY VILE HAND! He loved me more than all.

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The wonderful thing about giving up the world's friendship is, that like everything else He asks us to forsake, we are much better off without it anyway!

Another great treasure that is mine and also belongs to every other child of God, is the promise and asssurance of a glorified body.
David expressed it this way:
Psa 73:24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
Paul echoed the victory cry in behalf of us all.
Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

All the drugs, medical cures and scientific advances have blessed the human race and are counted as great treasures. These cannot compare with the wonderful jewel which is ours through Jesus Christ. We are promised, not a few more years of wretched existence in a patched up body, but eternity in a body like our glorified savior's.

In all the scientific journals and medical publications, there are no words to be found to compare with the declaration of Paul .
1 Cor 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1 Cor 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1 Cor 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
1 Cor 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
1 Cor 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
1 Cor 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our treasures in Christ are many times more than these ,but these are some that can give us rejoicing every day. They cannot be had outside of Christ