Musings 42

Hebrews 11:26 considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.

It is easy to admire Moses for his giving up all the riches of Egypt by considering that the reproach of Christ was greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt. That was good for him in that time, we might think, but now is a different day and I want all the things I can get. We can also think that we have the spiritual riches of Christ now and that we simply long to have some of the things of this world, though some would say God is glorified in us when we have plenty of riches.

Without going into any or all of the arguments in a direct way, yet we can say that we are called to deny self, take up the cross, and follow Christ. We are not to do this because we earn merit or anything like that, but simply because we are to follow Christ. Involved in the motives in doing so, however, is that all spiritual blessings are found in one and only one location or place, and that is in Christ. There are no spiritual blessings in any other place and regardless of how we try or work, there are no spiritual blessings to be found but in Christ. We cannot find one spiritual blessing in our so-called “free-will” or anywhere else in us, but instead they are all in Christ. We cannot find one spiritual blessing in any other human being or any group of human beings, but each and every spiritual blessing is found in Christ and only in Christ. All blessings found in Christ can only come by grace and come by a free and glorious grace at that.

Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”

Why does God save sinners to begin with? “So that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:7). The riches of grace cannot be seen as anything but a spiritual blessing when those blessings are found in Christ. The riches of His grace are said to be a “surpassing riches.” In Ephesians 3:19 the same word in the Greek is used for that which surpasses knowledge and so the riches of His grace are beyond our ability to comprehend them though we can admire from a great distance and even taste something of His glory in that grace. As Moses looked to a far greater riches and reward found in Christ to that of the wealthy Egyptian nation, so believers are to view Christ as exceeding the whole world in terms of riches and wealth. Christ Himself should be seen as the riches and Christ Himself should be the focus and object of our greatest desires and love.

Ephesians 3:8 is a glorious verse in that it shows that Paul saw that preaching Christ was a grace given to him, but it was grace to preach “the unfathomable riches of Christ.” The riches of Christ are beyond what the mind can plumb the depths of. The riches of Christ are beyond what any human being can even begin to find out how deep and wide they are. The riches of Christ are what people in heaven will be enraptured over for all eternity. For all eternity those in heaven will behold the glories and riches of Christ and the grace that is found in Christ and is the reason sinners are saved by Christ. For all eternity the unfathomable riches of Christ will be the delight of the souls for all in heaven and for all eternity people will dive to as deep as they can go only to find out that the glory of those riches are so great that they will never be able to dive to the bottom of them.

For all eternity those in heaven who were the worst of sinners on earth will delight themselves in thinking of how the grace of God saved sinners for no reason other than to manifest the riches and glories of Christ. People there will wonder how they could ever have been blinded to the treasures found in Christ and of how they could have ever thought if His grace was enough to cover their sins. It is in the presence of Christ that saved sinners will know what Moses knew (though perhaps ever so slightly) about the fact that reproaches for Christ were far better than a world of riches. In that place there will be oceans of love that cannot be emptied that are full of the love, kindness, mercy, and glory of God.

Since it is true that in heaven there are such treasures and that saved sinners have treasures in heaven, it should be clear that those treasures are worth far more than the riches of the whole world. How saved sinners should flee from sin in order to pursue a greater knowledge and experience of Christ here and for eternity. Even in this life we are to give up seeking the world and its treasures to seek Christ and His glory. It is like giving up a small clump of dirt for riches untold.

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