the reality is that, whether we acknowledge our wealth or not, being rich is a serious disadvantage spiritually. As William Wilberforce once said, "prosperity hardens the heart."
When talking to a wealthy person who wanted to go to heaven (and doesn't that describe most of us?), Jesus said, "'sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.' When he (the rich man) heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, 'How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God'" (Luke 18:22-24). He says it's as hard as a camel to go through the eye of a needle-in other words, impossible. But then Jesus offers hopeful words: "What is impossible with man is possible with God" (v.27).
In the very next chapter, as Jesus enters Jericho, we see exactly how the impossible becomes possible with God. There, the wealthy tax collector Zacchaeus gives half of his money to the poor and pays everyone back four times what he has defrauded them. And Jesus declares, "Today salvation has come to this house" (Luke 19:9).
The impossible happened that day- a rich man received salvation!
(excerpt from the book CRAZY LOVE by Francis Chan)
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