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. Pro 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 tim 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 worlds 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 perishable 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
tommorrows while hope for eternity which is found only in Christ lies
largely ignored. Consider the value of such a treasure of hope. The
merchants 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.

Earths
fleeting hope may change the course of a person for a little tim, 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; Pro 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 that plucked 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 smolders?

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.

fcc

The
wonderful thing about giving up the worlds 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 assurance of a glorified body. 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 saviors'.

In
all the scientific journals and medical publications, there are no
words to be found to compare with the declaration of Paul .1 Car
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
Car 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this
mortal must put on immortality.

1
Car 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
Car 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy
victory?

1
Car 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the
law.

1
Car 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