Friday, February 16
Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning. (Ephesians 3:8-9)
If you doubt the love of God, it is because you don't know it. You don't doubt what you know. What Jesus did for us on the cross is more than what we can ever comprehend. Christ died and resurrected to make available for us endless treasures, with Himself being the chief treasure.
When I read these words by Paul, I could feel the excitement in Paul's heart. Paul was excited to show and explain to people the endless treasures available to us in Christ. He was chosen to do this. To reveal or unveil what was kept secret from the beginning of creation. Paul was excited. No wonder he saw it as a privilege. I think preaching is among the greatest calling in the world. To be chosen and given the task of revealing God's plan to the world is indeed a great privilege.
Now I must make something clear here. Like I said few days ago, when we hear things like these in the Bible, our minds mostly drift to material things, things of this world. Prosperity gospel tells us that Christ died to give us this world and the things in them. While the Gospel of Christ tells us that He died to give us the world to come. I have heard preachers say that it will be a great sadness to go to heaven and realize all the material things you should have enjoyed here on earth. That's total nonsense. When you go to heaven, all your experiences on earth will be dwarfed by the things you'll see there.
The endless treasures available in Christ are more spiritual than material or physical. There's nothing Christian to desire to be rich or wealthy. You don't have to be a Christian to want that. So if "endless treasures available for us in Christ" means having all the good material things in this world as long as we believe Christ have given them to us, then we need to examine ourselves to know who's really our God.
Doing the Word
See God as your greatest treasure.
Prayer
Dear Father, help me see the Gospel for what it is and not what people make it look like. In Jesus' name, Amen.