‘Filthy Stinking Rich!’

...In every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you.
— 1 Corinthians 1:5,6

My dictionary says that the word “rich” means to have goods, property, and money in abundance; to have possession of abundant resource, material goods, and significant wealth; or to have more than enough to gratify one’s normal needs or desires.

Who wouldn’t enjoy being “rich” enough to satisfy his own needs and desires? Who wouldn’t like to have so much wealth that he could give large amounts of money and special gifts to family, friends, and loved ones? What person wouldn’t enjoy being able to financially help someone who has suffered due to difficult circumstances?

The dream of being “rich” has consumed human beings since the very beginning of man’s life on this earth. In fact, this insatiable desire and voracious appetite for wealth has driven both men and nations to lie, to steal, to fight, and even to murder and kill. However, if you are a child of God, you don’t have to lie, steal, fight, murder, or kill to be rich! You are already “rich” beyond your wildest imagination! Even though you may not have tapped into your riches yet, those resources are nonetheless at your disposal — and they will make you feel like you’re filthy stinking rich!

The apostle Paul told the Corinthians about these riches when he wrote, “...In every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you” (1 Corinthians 1:5,6). The word “enriched” is the Greek word plousios, which describes extreme or vast material wealth. In fact, the word plousios is where we get the term “plutocrat,” referring to a person who is so prosperous that he is unable to ascertain the full extent of his own wealth. Because his investments, his companies, and the percentage of interest he earns on his portfolio all grow so rapidly, it is impossible for his accountants and bookkeepers to keep track of how much wealth he actually possesses.

Can you imagine being so rich that no one can figure out how much you own or control? Well, that is the description of a “plutocrat” !

Now Paul uses this same word plousios in First Corinthians 1:5 when he says we are “enriched by him....” The Greek word for “by” in this verse is the word en; and in this verse, it can be translated either in him or by him. This conveys two very powerful truths to you and me:

1. The day we were born again and placed into Jesus Christ was the richest day of our lives. On that day, we literally became joint heirs with Jesus Christ, with a legal right to all the promises of God! Indeed, that was a rich day for all of us! In light of this, First Corinthians 1:5 could be interpreted, “...We were made rich the day we were placed into Him....”
2. But the Greek word en could also emphasize the point that just as we were enriched the day we got saved, this enrichment process continues throughout our lives as we walk with God. The verse could thus be interpreted, “...We are continually being enriched as a result of being in Him....”

Because the word plousios is used, this verse conveys the following idea:
“...You are invested with great spiritual riches because you are in Him, and that’s not all! The longer you remain in Him, you just keep getting blessed with more and more wealth that comes from being in Him.”

Of course, Paul is talking about spiritual riches, not worldly riches. As time progressed, the word plousios came to depict riches in a more general sense, including the riches of honor, wisdom, mercy, and so on. First Corinthians 1:5 uses the word plousios to happily proclaim that the Corinthian church was “enriched” with gifts of the Spirit, such as the gifts of utterance and knowledge: the word of knowledge, the word of wisdom, discerning of spirits, prophecy, tongues, and interpretation of tongues.

The church of Corinth was loaded with these kinds of spiritual gifts. In fact, these gifts were in such mighty manifestation in Corinth that Paul had to write and tell them how to administrate such a huge abundance of spiritual gifts (see 1 Corinthians chapters 12-14). It appears that the Corinthian believers had more of these gifts in manifestation than any other church of that time. In a real sense, they were extremely wealthy in spiritual manifestations that had come to them as a result of being in Christ.

The Corinthians had been enriched when they first came to Christ, becoming joint heirs with Jesus Christ and inheritors of the promises of God. But by remaining in Jesus, they were constantly made richer and richer as the gifts of the Spirit began to operate mightily among them.

In the same way, the gifts of the Spirit bring spiritual riches into our lives. In fact, the more these gifts operate, the richer we become spiritually!

So don’t settle for spiritual poverty. You have every right to expect an abundance of manifested promises, power, and spiritual gifts in your life. These spiritual riches are yours by virtue of your relationship with Jesus. The day you were placed in Him, they legally became yours! In God’s eyes, you are a spiritual plutocrat — so loaded with spiritual assets and treasures that you’ll never be able to fully explore or exhaust all of them in your lifetime!

Lord, I’m so glad You saved and delivered me from the life I used to lead. Thank You for making me a joint heir with Jesus and for allowing me to have access to the riches of Heaven! I ask You to forgive me for the times I’ve lived so far below what You provided for me. I sincerely ask You to help me explore the spiritual riches I possess. Help me to release those riches so my own life can be enriched and so You can use me to enrich the lives of people around me.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

I boldly declare that the day I was born again and placed into Jesus Christ was the richest day of my life. On that day, I literally became a joint heir with Jesus Christ and obtained the legal right to claim all the promises of God! From that day until now, I have been constantly enriched by His Presence in my life. I no longer have to settle for spiritual poverty, because I have every right to expect an abundance of manifested promises, power, and spiritual gifts in my life. I possess more spiritual treasure than I’ll ever be able to explore or fully exhaust!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

1. Do you see yourself as spiritually rich or spiritually poor?
2. What spiritual gifts operate in your life, and how have they enriched you and others?
3. Have you been hungering for and seeking God concerning the spiritual gifts He desires for you to operate in (1 Corinthians 14:1)?

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. . . Source: Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God's Word | Rick Renner