Unlocking Spiritual Riches: Embracing the Cross for Ultimate Reality
2 Kings 7-8; 1 Corinthians 1; Psalm 143
You aren’t poor. In fact, you have everything you need! You live in the realm of more than enough.
It’s true!
You are the inheritor of all things good! You are dearly loved and valued, cherished above even the angels and seraphim. You are a co-heir with Christ. Just think of that!! Selah.
Don’t you know you have been invited to sit with Jesus? And not just in any chair, but we are seated with Him where He is, enthroned high above all powers and principalities. Do we know who we are? Do we know who He is?
1 Corinthians 1:4 “I am always thanking my God for you because he has given you such free and open access to his grace through your union with Jesus, the Messiah.”
Your relationship with Jesus changes everything. You have been invited into union with the Man who reconciled and is reconciling all things in heaven and on earth. You know The Man. You have access to all the grace there is!
1 Corinthians 1:5 “In him, you have been made extravagantly rich in every way. You have been endowed with a wealth of inspired utterance and the riches that come from your intimate knowledge of him.”
To know Jesus is to know the Father, and to know the Father is eternal life itself. We have it all. We have it all! This is ultimate reality. Not your circumstances, not your bank account. No! Ultimate reality is found only in relation, only in relationship, to the Son of Man, our Jesus.
1 Corinthians 1:6-7 “For the reality of the truth of Christ is seen among you and strengthened through your experience of him. So now you aren’t lacking any spiritual gift as you eagerly await the unveiling of the Lord Jesus, the Anointed One.”
You have access to it all. Open your eyes. Look at the One who has finished the work, the author and perfecter of our faith. Don’t spend your time looking at the problem. The problem isn’t really a problem at all; it’s the means by which we will see our God move in victory on our behalf.
I used to be a glass-half-empty girl. I didn’t want to be, but I was. I focused too much on the problem or the issue. But something is happening to me. Something is shifting in me these days, and I don’t want it to stop. I want to live with my eyes open to Jesus. And so, I’m making time to be with Him, like never before. Alone time.
He is my portion. Being with Him is my prize. And He’s yours too. And I know that this choosing won’t be taken away from me. I could give it away, but it can’t be taken. And so, every day I’m choosing Him. Not ministry. Him.
And He’s just so, so good. He’s beautiful. He’s shockingly lowly.
For many years, I preached about coming through the door of the cross. I wanted to get people into the resurrection life. I wanted to get them through it. But more and more, as I consider the beauty, the epic story, of a God who became flesh and gave all, I am undone by it all like never before. Our God gave all. And there’s no way through, but only in!
The cross is not something we get through. I’m sorry I ever preached that. I was wrong. We don’t get through; we enter in. We are invited into the same story. We are co-crucified with Him. This isn’t a theology lesson; it’s an invitation. And with my very limited understanding, I am saying yes.
1 Corinthians 1:8-9 “He will keep you steady and strong to the very end, making your character mature so that you will be found innocent on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is forever faithful and can be trusted to do this in you, for he has invited you to co-share the life of his Son, Jesus, the Anointed One, our King!”
As a co-sharer, I say yes! Yes to union. Yes to grace. Yes to the cross.
Deepening Faith: Reflective Journal Prompts
- Reflecting on Spiritual Wealth: Considering the passage from 1 Corinthians 1:4-5, journal about the ways in which you have experienced being “extravagantly rich” in your faith. How has your union with Jesus enriched your life beyond material wealth?
- Understanding Ultimate Reality: Reflect on the statement, “Ultimate reality is found only in relation, only in relationship, to the Son of Man, our Jesus.” How does this perspective shift your view of current circumstances or challenges you’re facing?
- The Invitation to Behold: Inspired by the concept of beholding in spiritual sight, write about a moment when you felt your spiritual eyes were opened to see God’s presence in a situation. How did this revelation affect your faith and actions?
- Choosing Jesus Daily: Discuss the idea of choosing Jesus daily over ministry or any other pursuit. What practical steps can you take to ensure your relationship with Him remains your top priority? How can you cultivate “alone time” with Jesus in your daily routine?
- Entering In, Not Getting Through: Reflect on the notion that “The cross is not something we get through; we enter in.” How does embracing this invitation to be co-crucified with Christ challenge or comfort you? Journal about your response to this invitation and what “saying yes” looks like in your life.
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