Rich in This World
1 Tim. 6:17
Yes, you are rich in this world. The bottom 5% of American income is richer than 68% of the world’s income. If you earn $10,000 per year, you are wealthier than 84% of the world population. If you earn $50,000 per year, you are in the top 1% of income of the world. Yes, we are rich in this world. Paul is telling Timothy to charge us with some very important instructions.
Don’t:
Be not Highminded
- [Gal.6:3] Thinking you are something when you are not, an elevated self-worth
- [Rom.12:16] Conceited, [Prov.18:11] your high wall!
- Take away all your stuff, and that is the real you! Not the things that you have, [Lk. 12:15-21]
Nor Trust in uncertain riches
- [Prov.23:5] they fly away
- [2 Cor.4:18] because they are temporal (they don’t last) and not eternal, you know not what tomorrow brings.
Do:
Trust in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy
- [Deu.8:17-18] God giveth thee power to get wealth
- [Rom. 8:31-32] freely give us all things
- [2 Cor.9:8 & 11] all sufficiency and bountifulness
- [Eph.3:20] He is very good at it; did you have need to pray today for food to eat?
Do Good, be rich in good works
- [Eph.2:10] We are created unto good works, and should walk in them
- [Rom.12:1-2] All God ask for is your reasonable service
- Very seldom will you ever do good works by accident, you must do them on purpose
- “rich in good works” means the same as if you were “rich in cash”, Do you have a big pile that can be seen? You ought to be rich in what you give, not in what you keep.
Be ready to distribute
- You must be prepared, [Eph.5:28] you can’t give something you don’t have. So, to be ready is to be financially prepared to give money, or physically ready to serve. (your time, self, and money)
- [Rom.12:13] named in a great list of duties, distributing to the necessity of the saints
Be willing to communicate (giving) [Phil.4:15]
- [2 Cor.8:3,12] You must be willing, first, or it will never happen
- [2 Cor.9:7] God loveth a cheerful giver
Lay up in store
- [James 5:1-3] Wrong things
- [Matt.19:21] treasure in heaven, [Matt.6:19-21] your heart is where your treasure is.
We are truly rich and should take heed to the charge that Paul spelled out to Timothy. We need to humble ourselves and not trust in our uncertain riches. We need to put our trust in the living God that gives us richly all things to enjoy.