How Christ's Poverty Can Be Our Riches (2 Corinthians 8:9)

 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. (2 Corinthians 8:9).

The poverty of Jesus is for our redemption from the curse of the law. Under the law people were subjected to the high priest, who demanded from them excessively, leaving a heavy burden of debt with them. 

The apostle Paul describes Jesus as a man of Grace, hence he was rich, but for our sake he became poor. He did that so he can connect us to Grace. Without Grace we would be under the curse of the law. The foundation is cursed by sin. Even in Psalm 11: 1 says that if the foundation be destroyed what can the righteous do?...

Sin brings poverty. Poverty makes hopeless. Christ came to deal with sin, the reason why many are living under the curse of the law. 

What's poverty?

From my point of view, poverty is described as living under the curse of the adamic nature- the falling man. A state of falling from grace to grass is poverty. Poverty is a fall, and a continuous fall. The adamic nature is the reason for generational poverty. For generations are falling into poverty or debt. Poverty is like a pit someone foolishly gets into and then he's trapped. 

The adamic nature is stratified by John in 1 John 2:15 into three (3) aspects: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. 

As they say, 'pride is before a fall.' For poverty is a fall or a misfortune. Pride brought the tower of Babel down to its kneels. Pride has made a lot of great men and women poor. 

The lust of the flesh represents sexual immorality, drinking and vanities to please the desire of your soul. The flesh is our own soul (our reflection). When all you do is to please your soul as the rich fool in Luke 12:16-22, you would always come to poverty. 

The lust of the eyes represents covetousness. Lust is a word that describes greed. Your eyes are deceptive. 

There are different types of poverty. 

The Different Type Of Poverty

1. Material poverty. 

This is the lack of the necessary things of life on earth. It's actually the lack of money.

2. Spiritual poverty.

This is the lack of sensitivity or knowledge. The Bible says in Hosea 4:6 that my people are destroyed because of the lack of knowledge. It is a state where one is foolish. Narban was foolish though he was rich materially. God said to the rich man according to Luke 12:20, "You fool". When Jesus used the word 'fool', he always reflects on being poor spiritually. Foolishness is spiritual poverty.

What's Riches?

Riches from my own perspective is being above the curse of the law. If you look at our society today, those who are on top are more unlikely to suffer material poverty. So it is spiritually too. Being at the top reflects power. Jesus came down to this world (that's the poverty he went through), so we can be raised to the top as sons and daughters of God. 

Being under the curse of the law won't attract any blessing to your life. Being a follower of a pastor won't attract any blessing to your life, but being a follower of Jesus. For Jesus said in John 14:6 that he is the way the truth and the life. 

Jesus came to the earth to connect us to Grace. Grace is the life of heaven where everything is provided by the power of God. Is not that we should wait for God to give us the food or money we need. It's that we should know that he has provided it and be at the right place or do the right thing we need to do to access it- that is working under Grace. You can't be stealing or being idle and claim Grace. That's disgrace!

How Christ Poverty Can Be Our Riches

1. Christ Poverty brought Grace to us. 

His grace is sufficient for us as in 2 Corinthians 12: 9. When we acknowledge his presence in our life and obey his commandments he is able to provide all that we ask for or imagine by our faith. Grace works by faith in Ephesians 2: 8.

2. Christ Poverty redeemed us from the curse of the law.

Galatians 3: 13-14 states that Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. The bible did not state that tithing has redeemed us from the curse of the law. It means we are free to prosper. There's nothing holding us anymore except we chose not to. It means we have the right to prosper. We have the license to prosper by God's spirit. 

3. Christ Poverty made us joint heir with Him. 

We are family with Jesus and such entails being a partaker of the divine inheritance of the Abraham. This implies that people from afar would bring their wealth to worship the grace of God in our life. The three wise men from the East brought gold, frankincense and myrrh to worship Jesus when he was born.

How Wealth is Made

You can read one of my post were I discussed on 3 keys of riches: Biblical prosperity, three keys of Riches.

1. Worship.

And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it (Revelation 21:23-24).

Places of worship attracts wealth, because worship draws the heart and soul of man to God. And when the heart and soul is captured ones wealth is captured as well. In same Revelation in chapter 17, it showed us a great whore: a woman one scarlet. That explains too but us that  that harlot is being worshipped sexually so she attracted the wealth of Kings and great men. But this is a negative aspect. 

2. Wisdom.

Solomon's wisdom attracted great Kings and queen to him, who brought their gold and treasure to offer to him. They saw how he spoke like God. Wisdom makes you look like God. So you pull the heart and soul of me. 

Jabez became an honorable man, because he was mighty man of valour (1 Chronicles 4:9-10). Your strength in conquering your adversary or taking control of leadership can attract wealth too. Cowards are always poor. People are attracted to a fearless person like David who brought down the great enemy of Israel Goliath.

4. Work.

Hard work do pay in the days ahead. You can gather wealth from your work as in the life of Jacob while he took care of the flock of his uncle Laban. Don't despise little beginning.

Conclusion

God wants you to be rich but don't be greedy. If we are followers of Jesus, then we are Abraham children and an heir to the promised wealth. Christ Poverty is not for us to be poor, but for us to be rich. Thank you for reading.