9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
Christ had everything. He is God, after all. Nothing was outside of His purview. He had all power. He gave it all up for a season in order to bring us into right relationship with God. We had nothing, having given it all up as a result of sin. Our accounts were overdrawn and reconciliation day was approaching. Imagine Bill Gates getting my bank account and me getting his. Would I deserve the billions that he has? No, they are his money. I didn’t earn it, he did. Imagine him giving up all his money, every last cent. Imagine him freely selling all his houses and possessions. That is what Jesus did. He gave it all up. Of course Jesus had much more to set aside than Bill Gates. For a season Jesus gave up his right to act as God, to use His innate abilities as the second person in the Trinity. He set it all aside and became human. He added something to Himself which He did not possess previously. He added a human nature to His divine being. And He did this so that He could come and die in our place. He did it in order to satisfy His own need for justice. In the process we have the possibility of sharing His inheritance. We get the riches of heaven. We share His holiness and righteousness. Our relationship with God can be restored. Now that is fantastic. It is as though all the wealth of the world, of the universe, is placed at our disposal to use as we see fit to display the greatness of God. None of it is ours outright, but we get credit for it. We get Jesus’ righteousness put in our account. So today, when you make a purchase, realize that you are making that purchase on Jesus’ tab. Everything we have is because of His riches, His generosity, His love. We deserved judgment and punishment, but we got reconciliation and blessing instead.
The Arnold Journey 