Two weekends ago we were blessed to be part of an inspiring and challenging 4-day seminar with Peter Daniels. Hearing the life story and message of this Christian billionaire (or multi-billionaire, according to some sources) was a divinely orchestrated encounter for many of us. Jesse and I received multiple confirmations of things the Lord had been speaking to us in previous months to bring necessary course corrections and help provoke us further out of our comfort zones into greater commitment zones (and out of failure zones into faith zones), so we can keep pressing toward reaching our full potential in Christ and accomplishing our life assignments.
Part of Mr. Daniels’ focus (regarding fulfilling our God-given dreams and visions) was on encouraging us to envision what it would be like to have limitless resources at our disposal. It was interesting to think about what all could be accomplished if we had no financial obstacles. I had never imagined what it might be like to be in the shoes of a multi-billionaire.
By the end of that week, I noticed the Lord was capitalizing on this line of thinking that had been awakened in order to continue reinforcing in our hearts and minds the truths of all He has made available to us through Jesus. He began speaking about the fact that we are already more than billionaires in Christ, with the limitless resources of the God of the universe at our disposal.
He reminded us of some words He’d given us a few months ago along these same lines ~ stating that in Christ we are spiritual plutocrats.
Paul says that in Christ we have been enriched in every way (I Cor 1:5). This word “enriched” is the Greek word ploutizō, which means “to make rich, enrich (which can refer to spiritual riches); to be richly furnished.” Rick Renner tells how the root of this word is where we get our word plutocrat, which describes someone who is so prosperous that it’s impossible for him to calculate and quantify the full extent of his wealth. This is our reality in Christ because we have been made joint heirs with Him in His inheritance.
(The mystery of Christ is this:) that the Gentiles are now to be fellow heirs [with the Jews], members of the same body and joint partakers [sharing] in the same divine promise in Christ through [their acceptance of] the glad tidings (the Gospel). Of this [Gospel] I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s free grace (undeserved favor) which was bestowed on me by the exercise (the working in all its effectiveness) of His power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints (God’s consecrated people), this grace (favor, privilege) was granted and graciously entrusted: to proclaim to the Gentiles the unending (boundless, fathomless, incalculable, and exhaustless) riches of Christ [wealth which no human being could have searched out]…. Ephesians 3:6-8
And if we are [His] children, then we are [His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His inheritance with Him]; only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory. [But what of that?] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time (this present life) are not worth being compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us and for us and conferred on us! Romans 8:17-18
Through Christ, we now have access to ALL of the promises and provision of God that enable us to operate in His divine power and participate in His divine nature. He does not want us to live at the mercy of the enemy and the fallen natural world. He has given us everything we need through His promises, power, and nature to live supernatural lives that overcome this world through Him.
For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to {everything we need for} life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue). By means of these He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly great promises, so that through them you may escape [by flight] from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption) that is in the world because of covetousness (lust and greed), and become sharers (partakers) of the divine nature. II Peter 1:3-4
For as many as are the promises of God, they all find their Yes in Him [Christ]. For this reason we also utter the Amen (so be it) to God through Him [in His Person and by His agency] to the glory of God. II Corinthians 1:20
Additionally, Paul prayed for us to have the revelation that the glorious riches of this inheritance is already IN US.
For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him, By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance IN the saints (His set-apart ones), And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength, Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His [own] right hand in the heavenly [places], Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and in this world, but also in the age and the world which are to come. And He has put all things under His feet and has appointed Him the universal and supreme Head of the church [a headship exercised throughout the church], Which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all [for in that body lives the full measure of Him Who makes everything complete, and Who fills everything everywhere with Himself]. Ephesians 1:17-23
This is so because of the miraculous reality of Christ Himself living in us:
To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27
Through these riches, He is able to meet all our needs:
And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever (through the endless eternities of the eternities). Amen (so be it). Philippians 4:19-20
to be continued… (Incalculable Wealth 1B here)
