Riches and Righteousness by E. K. Slade

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 7, 1913

Riches and Righteousness

By E. K. Slade

Gospel Finance—No. 3

Riches and Righteousness

E. K. SLADE

By the fall, man was as much unfitted to possess true and lasting riches as he was for the society of heavenly beings or to occupy a place in the household of God. The Bible recognizes such a thing as wealth, or riches. It is made clear that it is possible for one to be rich and righteous at the same time. "Riches and honor are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness." Prov. 8:18. We have no desire to dwell upon the way of the world as to its getting, holding, and using riches, only in the way of comparison. We believe that the rewarded righteous will be permitted to enjoy real, concrete, and material things in the new earth. The perverted nature that enjoys possessions here, will, after the complete transformation is accomplished, differ greatly from the selfish nature, yet there will be experienced the joy of

possessing, not of the selfish sort known here, but the "fulness of joy" that can be known only in the perfect state.

The purpose of the gospel is to prepare mankind for true riches. "The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it." Prov. 10:22. The trouble with earthly riches is that there is added much sorrow with them. It is claimed that a great artist in the old country entered upon a search to find a face that would be a fitting expression of abject poverty and misery. He finally found the desired subject, and, much to his surprise, he learned that the possessor of the face that most fully revealed abject poverty and misery was the possessor of untold wealth. Paul speaks thus about the sorrow accompanying world wealth: "But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." 1 Tim. 6:9, 10. "Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries which shall come upon you." James 5:1. God is not pleased that any should suffer, and with his blessing riches will be possessed with no sorrow added.

To reach a more vital part of this question, we shall consider how true and lasting riches are to be acquired. The following text indicates that heavenly riches are not secured in the same way that earthly riches are: "There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches." Prov. 13:7. It would be hard to make a worldly financier believe that the proper way to acquire riches is to give to others all his wealth. The world's method is based upon love of self; the gospel way is based upon divine love. The former stands for individual and selfish ownership; the latter makes a commonwealth possible. The only way that a selfish man of the world can be safely admitted into a perfect commonwealth is to experience the gospel method of acquiring wealth, which is to give. There is a deep meaning to the words, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." The Saviour gives us this truth after having revealed to the world and the universe the truth he sought to teach by his own unselfish act. When he spoke those words, it was truthfully said of him, "The Son of man hath not where to lay his head." He gave up all. "Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." This text should be correctly understood. We are not to become rich alone through his poverty in the sense that he has given all that he had to us and for us, but we are to become rich "through his poverty," through following his steps, the example which we are to follow.

The laying up of treasures in heaven, becoming joint heirs with Christ, inheriting the earth and all things, can become real to us only as we come into possession of the righteous nature that is in harmony with the heavenly commonwealth, where each rejoices that all others are possessors with him. It brings us again to this thought: God is not in need of our possessions, neither is it a question of possession so much, but it is our own need, our unfitness for true riches; and the Lord purposes to have us pass through the experience here in handling earthly belongings that will develop in us a fitness for true riches hereafter.

The servants of God who took joyfully the spoiling of their goods, knowing in themselves that they had in heaven a better and an enduring substance, understood God's purpose in these earthly burdens and disappointments. There is something that gives confidence and real comfort in knowing that God is giving us the very best opportunities here for being made fit for a place in his great commonwealth. Through the gospel our financial burdens are designed to prepare us for the better and enduring riches to which no sorrow is to be added.

Mount Vernon, Ohio.