The Principles of Poverty

II Cor. 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.

1. Do you know the grace of God?

   1. Paul said the church at Corinth knew the grace of God.

   2. The only way a person can know the grace of God is to understand who God is, what He thinks about sin, and what He does to sinners.

   3. Many people believe that to have the grace of God means they can continue in sin. (As in, “I’m not under the law, but under grace.”)

   4. Romans 6 states this is not the case.

   5. Sin is missing the mark, or disobeying the commandments of God.

2. Christ was rich. (I’d say a person was pretty rich, if all he had to do was speak, and it was his! This is how Christ created the universe and everything in it!)

   2. Phil. 2:6 - Jesus Christ was in the form of God.

   3. Jesus Christ created the world and was in full possession of it all and all its inhabitants.

   4. Christ didn’t create the world because he was lonely, or because He needed anything.

   5. Rev. 4:11 - He created the world for His own good pleasure.

   6. It wasn’t that Christ was lacking pleasure, for He had plenty of pleasure.

   7. This text simply states that God created the world because He wanted to.

3. Christ became poor for our sakes.

   3. Phil. 2:7-8 - Christ left all his riches to become poor.

   4. He did this for our sakes, not for His sake.

   5. Christ would have been exactly the same if He had never left the riches of heaven t come to die for us.

4. We were poor.

   4. We are all lost without Christ.

   5. Ps. 14:2-3 - The Lord looked down from heaven.

   6. Rom. 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

   7. Rom. 3:10 - All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

   8. Our eternal home was hell, and there was nothing we could do not to go.

5. In Christ we shall be rich. Rom. 8:32 - He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

   5. We have eternal life.

   6. We didn’t deserve eternal life, but this is the only kind God gives.

   7. With eternal life, we also receive chastisement from God for the sins we commit after we are saved.

   8. We have the Holy Spirit.

   9. Eph. 1:13 - This is the earnest of our inheritance.

   10. Rom. 8:9 - If we don’t have the Holy Spirit, we are none of His.

   11. I John 2:27 - The Holy Spirit is our teacher, teaching things which no man can.

   12. Rom. 8:17 - And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

   13. Other gifts.

   14. James 1:17 - Every good gift and every perfect gift comes from God.

   15. Luke 11:12 - Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? God will always answer our prayers.

   16. Heb 4:16 - Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. God will readily hear our prayers.

6. We should take the riches we received in Christ, and give it to others, that they might not be poor, but be rich.

   6. Phil. 3:8 - Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

   7. Everything we have that belongs to us is nothing at all, everything that Christ gives us is the best of all.

   8. Christ always gives the best to those that leave the choice with Him.

   9. We keep what we give away because God gives us rewards.

   10. Matt. 10:8 - Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

   11. God has plenty of grace, and he will richly supply all our needs.

He owns the cattle on a thousand hills.