9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
Such joy it is to know that as a child of God, you have been redeemed from lack. Our opening Scripture clearly shows how that Jesus took your poverty and gave you His prosperity. This is substitution. It will therefore be unjust for Jesus to have taken the believer’s poverty and yet the believer is not living out the riches which has been given to him. Jesus cannot take something from you, and you still have it on you. Far be it! Understand this, that while He was on earth, Jesus was not poor. He was a wealthy man who had twelve disciples, able-bodied men who had left all that they had to follow him, (Mark 1:17-18, Mark 10:28, Luke 18:28), who in turn had dependants as Scripture records of Peter’s mother-in-law, which meant He had a wife (Matthew 8:14), the mother of Zebedee’s children (Matthew 20:20) and even the poor He took care of, the fund from which Judas stole continually, being the treasurer (John 12:4-6). Even His cloth was not a cheap one that could be discarded, such that the soldiers had to cast lots among themselves for whose it would be (John 19:23-24). But on the cross, when Jesus became the sin of the world, He took our sin and its consequences, poverty being a part of that and then He, Jesus, became poor on that cross, that we through His poverty, might be rich. This is good news.
We have been set free from having ‘not enough’ or ‘just enough’, we have been translated into the realm of ‘more than enough’. Ephesians 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” We are blessed, not with some blessings, but with all spiritual blessings in Christ! You are blessed! Hallelujah! We are blessed, rich, prosperous; that’s who we are. Don’t let your present situation define you! You are blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. How then do you translate these blessings into physical blessings? 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 shows us the how: Giving. It says “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” Note that it is either you give sparingly or bountifully, not giving at all is not an option. This is the key to entering the abundance that God has prepared for you – Giving. As you give, and you keep giving, God will bless you and will keep blessing you. Beloved, this is the key required for translation of our spiritual blessings into physical blessings – liberality!
My Solid Front (Confession):
Heavenly Father, thank You for showing me the secret to prospering on earth. In the Name of Jesus Christ, I declare that I am blessed, and I am a cheerful giver. Amen!
Further Meditation:
2 Corinthians 9:6-11; Luke 6:38.