Why The Poor Need Christ

A former friend of mine once said she couldn't understand why the gospel was preached only to the poor. Isaiah 61:1 (BBE) reads, "The spirit of the Lord is on me, because I am marked out by him to give good news to the poor; he has sent me to make the broken-hearted well, to say that the prisoners will be made free, and that those in chains will see the light again;" Then she realized the reason.

I can think of several reasons why the good news of salvation must be preached to empoverished souls. One is that they have little or nothing to lose. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:26 (BBE)about the humble sort of people God chose to save.  For you see God's design for you, my brothers, that he has not taken a great number of the wise after the flesh, not the strong, not the noble:"

But proud people feel they need no salvation. As James 4:6 (BBE) notes, "But he gives more grace. So that the Writings say, God is against the men of pride, but he gives grace to those who make themselves low before him."

Like the high and mighty, poor people sin. But we all are changed through the process of sanctification. As paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:11 (BBE) regarding those who Christ had changed from their wicked ways, "And such were some of you; but you have been washed, you have been made holy, you have been given righteousness in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God."

And since Jesus sanctified himself, we too are being set apart for the Lord. John 17:19 and 20 (BBE) quotes Jesus as praying, "And for them I make myself holy, so that they may be made truly holy. My prayer is not for them only, but for all who will have faith in me through their word;"

This sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in us helps us serve one another and our Lord. The goal in this process is described in Ephesians 4:13 (BBE), which continues,  Till we all come to the harmony of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to full growth, to the full measure of Christ:"

Our hope is in heaven where we someday will dwell. I'll be writing more on sanctification in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? Our time on earth is to prepare usfor God's abode. This is why we must study and obey God's holy Word.

On Thursday, I'll post about a man who met Christ and asked how he could obtain eternal life.