HOW TO GET RICH WITHOUT TRYING

288 - HOW TO GET RICH WITHOUT TRYING
February 28, 1965
Pastor Henry F Kulp

Romans 8: 14 - 17 In the 14th vs. we read, For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the Sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself bearers witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 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.

How wonderful to know that we are the sons of God. How many say that we are the sons of God because God is the Father of everyone and we are all brothers, and therefore sons of God. 

Two men came to a preacher one night and they said--You admit, do you not, that we are all descended from Adam? Certainly, replied the preacher, and you admit that Adam was created by God? They continued. Again, the preacher agreed. Well, then, said these two men with an air of triumph, does that not prove that we are all the sons of God? The preacher pointed to a communion table that was in front of the church and said--Who made that communion table? They looked at it and replied--the carpenter—Well, do you call that table the son of the carpenter, or the child of the carpenter? Certainly not, they replied. So the preacher, said, Why not? Because it does not have the life of the carpenter in it, one of them replied. Then with great directness the preacher said, Do you have the life of God in you? And I am not talking about physical life, I am talking about the spiritual life of God. And, of course, they had no answer--the only way you can be a son of God, is to have the life of God in you. It is not just a matter that you have been created by God, and that God created Adam, and we have all descended from Adam--it is a matter to be the son of God, you must have the life of God in you.

1/  II Peter 1: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.  

He tells us that by these, speaking of what we are promised, ye might be partakers of His divine nature. We have a divine nature. We are the sons of God because we have the life of God in us.

2/  And now as sons of God we have received the spirit of adoption. We told you the word, adoption is not the word we normally think of, rather one who is an adult son--it is son-placing. We haven’t received the adoption as yet, but rather, we have received the Spirit of adoption. This is speaking of the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Godhead, Who comes to dwell in our bodies, and He is the One Who leads us, and then is the One who is the Spirit of Adoption. 

We told you last week that the Spirit of adoption was a Hebrew father when he had his son--he placed him as a youth under tutors and governors, he was under disciple, under restrictions until he became a man, and then he was declared to be a man, to be an adult, and one of these days this is going to happen to us at the rapture of the church--when the church is caught up to be with God, when our bodies are changed, we will then have the adoption, Vs. 23 tells us this very clearly, but we are assured that we will go through this time of son-placing. 

And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

3/  Then notice another thing in Vs. 15. Ye have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry “Abba, Father.” 

The word, Abba, is an interesting word--it is a word of real intimacy. It is a term of affection. Let us notice it as it is used elsewhere in the Bible. Mark 14: 36 And He said, Abba Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. 

This must be a very remarkable word, and deep in meaning for Jesus Christ to use it in the Garden of Gethsemane. I believe the Garden of Gethsemane is a place that we really don’t understand. Jesus Christ was there at His wit’s end, as a Man. He went through terrible agony as He faced being made sin. Great sweat-drops of blood came out of His body in agony. He trembled--notice the 33rd Vs. And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; He was sore amazed--He was affrighted. He was petrified with fear, so at this very moment, He uses the word, Abba--a word of affection, and a word of intimacy.

4/  Then notice, Galatians 4: 6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son Into our hearts crying, Abba, Father. 

These are the only three mentions in the New Testament of this word. And so it is a word of affection, a word of intimacy, and it is like saying, Precious Lord, or Dear Lord.

5/  Ephesians 1: 5 tells us, Having predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 

There again is that same word, adoption, and it should be adult sons--or son placing —  and this tells us about predestination the meaning of it — having predestined us. Beforehand ordained from all eternity, that we would one day be grown sons in the family and at the same time, able to say, Abba Father, as His only Son prayed. So predestination is that we right now have the Spirit of adoption which guarantees us that we will one day be counted as full-grown sons and have bodies like the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. And also, that we are able to cry, “Abba, Father”. 

Then notice, Romans 8: 16 The Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 

So many people ask me, Do I really have to know — is it important that I know for sure that I am a child of God? Yes, God says so — He believes it is important for you to know. How does His witness bear witness with our spirit that we are the children of God — the answer is not hard to find — I John 5: 9 - 13 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: (notice) for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. It is the same thing we have in Romans 8: 16. He has testified of His Son. 

Notice, if you don’t believe that you are saved after trusting Christ, then actually, you don’t believe God. Look at the 11th vs. And this is the record that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 

So you see, it is the will of God that you know that you are saved. As a matter of fact you can’t do any personal work until you know that you are saved. How can you go up and ask someone, are you saved? If you don’t know whether you are — Don’t make God a liar.

6/  Let us notice in I John 5: 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater, for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. 

We pick up the telephone and call the airport, and we ask what time there will be a plane for Philadelphia, and we receive an answer and begin to make our plans according to the information we have just been given. But do we know the person who has given us the information on this plane? No? Perhaps we have never seen him nor head his voice before. Yet, we believe him and act upon his word. We can multiply this incident a thousand times a month. 

We believe notices that we read in the newspaper. A certain market says that they are going to sell meat at so much a pound, and we go out and buy on the strength of that notice. We believe labels on bottles, and many women follow receipts on packages. All this in spite of the fact that every once in a while we have been given wrong information. But we continue to trust the information that is given to us. Remember, the airport employee could have made a mistake. He could have been confused for a second and given us the time of an evening plane instead of a morning plane. Or he could have given the information on a plane that was not going to Philadelphia at all. Or, there might be a printer’s error in the newspaper announcement. Nevertheless we are going on, continuing to believe men and acting on the information they give us. 

The witness of God is greater. Why will we believe those whose throat is an open sepulchre and not believe God Who cannot lie? This continues to be an age-old mystery. Man will believe strangers, radio announcers, newspaper reports, printed labels, and at the same time he rejects the clear Word of God.

7/  The witness of the Holy Spirit is that which draws us to the Word of God…believing God and not calling Him a liar.

8/  Notice something else in this verse. The Holy Spirit does not bear witness to our spirits that we are the children of God, but He bears witness with our spirit. We must accept His witness that our spirit with the Holy Spirit comes to the conclusion that we are saved. We have passed from death unto life.

9/  Notice the 17th vs. 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. 

It follows that we are heirs of God. If we are children, then it follows that we are heirs of God. The inheritance is by grace, so we have titled our message—"How to Get Rich without Trying”. 

Let’s think of this matter of being an heir of God. How much does God have? If all the gold of earth were gathered together and presented to God, would He be any richer than He is now? Would He have any more than He has now? Gold, that is what men set their hearts on here? But would it make God any richer? Of course, not. He has everything and I’m an heir of God.

10/  But let’s notice what the Bible really says. It doesn’t just say that we are heirs of God, we are joint-heirs of Christ. 

In law there is a difference between an heir and a joint-heir. The distinction can be explained as follows: A man dies leaving a large farm to four heirs. The estate is divided evenly, and each heir received 25% of the whole. But if a man leaves a farm to four of his sons as joint-heirs, then each son owns the whole farm. Each one can say, the house is mine, the barns are mine, those fields are mine. In the human race, a division like this, or a procedure like this might be undesirable, because it is more than likely there would be disputes between the four sons. But in God’s providence, it is perfect for we shall be like the Lord Jesus Christ, and each will be seeking the good of others before his own good.

11/  Thus, when God tells us we are heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ, we are being informed that everything the Father has given to the Lord Jesus Christ has been given to us also. We share in all that is His.

12/  There is a wonderful verse I Corinthians 3: 21. Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; 

Let me ask you--how much is yours? All things are yours. In the 23rd vs. Paul tells you why this is true. But notice the 22nd vs.  Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; 

As a joint-heir of Jesus Christ, notice how wealthy you are. You are rich beyond your wildest dreams. He says Paul or Apollos or Cephas — these are the ministers of the Word of God. They were becoming enslaved by false and faulty admiration of human leaders failing to see that it was God Who provided the leaders for their profit and blessing, and instead they were enslaving themselves to a fanatical loyalty, and they missed the point that these men are for their blessing. 

Notice, the spiritual gifts that God has for the church right now. Ephesians 4: 11, 12 He gave some, apostles; some, prophets; some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. The building up of the body of Christ--they are for our benefit. They are ours.

13/  Or the world. Is the world mine? Yes, that is what God says. Then take the matter of life. When does life begin? It begins at Calvary, and we possess this life, it is ours right now. And death is ours as well. You say, death is yours? Yes, death can’t touch you unless God permits it, and then it is only for the better. 

Philippians 1: 21, 23 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.

Death, which is the wages of sin, is gone as far as we are concerned. We know it is absent from the body and present with the Lord. Then it says, things present. Everything present belongs to us. Don’t ask me to explain it, it is far beyond any use of the English language. I can’t comprehend it, but God says it is true, and I believe Him. Then He says, things to come, that is all of the future. So, we are joint-heirs with Christ. As a matter of fact, it staggers the imagination.

14/  Now, let’s take the matter of being joint-heirs with Christ. This is a very glorious thing, because the Lord Jesus Christ isn’t going to parcel out things to us. There are those who try to mix up the kingdom and the church, the Jew and the body of Christ. 

A while back we preached on the fact of the dividing of the Kingdom, for there are many people who like to take the parable, Luke 19: 11-19 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. And it came to pass, when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded thee servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.

That can’t be for the church - this isn’t what God has promised us. We are joint-heirs with Jesus Christ. He is not just going to have us as heirs, and parcel out five cities, ten cities, one city. Positively not. That belongs to Israel. Our inheritance with Christ will never be divided. We are joint-heirs with Him. Whatever is His is ours, and we hold it with Him. Remember, you have an inheritance in Christ, and it is sure, it is wonderful, it is definite, but it will only be held with Him. The Lord Jesus Christ, will never say - this is your inheritance, now you go and enjoy it. Oh, no, the Lord will say, this is ours, let us enjoy it - you enjoy it with Me. Remember, a joint-heirship can never be divided. Oh, that you might recognize this fact and appreciate it.

15/  Just on Friday, I read an article on which Cassius Clay, who is now the heavy-weight champion of the world, said, "As a black muslim, I am happy because Christianity keeps the black man down, and promises him things in the hereafter. That is a fairy tale. I don’t want to wait for any hereafter. I want it now--that is, right here."

There are many folks who have this same opinion. They want things right now--not tomorrow, not next week, but now. But praise God, in Christianity we know we have a future, and when we receive this adoption, we are going to be joint-heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ.

AMEN

Ref: 02/28/1965 / 288 - HOW TO GET RICH WITHOUT TRYING / June 15, 2020