"The rich man may have to ransom his life, but a poor man gets no threats." Proverbs 13:8

Believers, remember what our Lord Jesus did as He walked with the two despondent disciples (Cleopas and his companion) on the road to Emmaus on the day of His ressurection-

“And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." Luke 24:27.

The New Testament has not been written at the time. As believers, the way to read the Scriptures (Old Testament) is by expounding in ALL the Scriptures the things concerning Christ. Now consider Proverbs 13:8-

"The rich man may have to ransom his life, but a poor man gets no threats."

"Rich" here is not limited to material wealth. It can be in the form of any capital, "good opinion from God" or spiritual wealth that a person who professes Christ (Grace-personified) but is still trying to be righteous through the Law aka "neither cold nor hot" thinks he has accumulated in heaven from his obedience to the Law and "doing good things" aka self-righteousnesses, just like the church in Laodicea who thought they were rich in works of the law and righteousnesses that proceed from their obedience to the law. See Christ’s counsel to the church which still exists today in the form of beliefs that churchgoers hold in their hearts regarding how they are saved- Revelation 3:

15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold (invigorating, refreshing) nor hot (healing, therapeutic); I wish that you were cold or hot.16 So because you are lukewarm (spiritually useless), and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth [rejecting you with disgust]. 17 Because you say, “I am rich, and have prospered and grown wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked [without hope and in great need], 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold that has been heated red hot and refined by fire so that you may become truly rich; and white clothes [representing righteousness] to clothe yourself so that the shame of your nakedness will not be seen; and healing salve to put on your eyes so that you may see.”

This church was not lacking in works/deeds. They depended on their law-keeping and works of righteousness done by human effort (arm of flesh) to make them godly. These were their "riches." Like the church in Laodicea, many churchgoers today also see themselves as being able to do works that will improve their standing before God and make Him see them as godly or good. But such righteous works that churchgoers think they need to do by their own power in order to be considered as living a godly life are not acceptable to God. Isaiah 64:6 says of how God sees them and their doers:

"We are all like one who is unclean, all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in Your sight."

Notice THREE things that Christ counseled the works-filled church in Laodicea to BUY from Him:

ONE - "Gold that has been heated red hot and refined by fire so that you may become truly rich;"

This is is a picture of absolute godliness - all perfection and no impurities whatsoever. Christ is godliness-personified. Romans 3:20 shows us that there is absolutely nothing that man can do by his own power to be godly (be like God the Righteous.) Beloved of God, God Himself made the Way for us to be godly (be like God) and it is through the suffering of our Saviour Jesus Christ alone- no additives. Isaiah prophesied of His suffering for us in Isaiah 53. See the effect of His sacrifice for us in Isaiah 53:11-

"After He has suffered, He will see the light of life. And He will be satisfied. My godly servant will make many people godly because of what He will accomplish. He will be punished for their sins."

The church in Laodicea was rich in works of the law that they depended on to make them godly. They saw themselves as "rich" by their "menstrual rag" works and did not see their great need for the gift of godliness that Christ suffered and died that we might have- as do many churchgoers today who believe in striving to attain godliness by their own human effort at obedience. Christ saw this church as "wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked [without hope and in great need],"

TWO - Christ told this church to BUY from Him "white clothes [representing righteousness] to clothe yourself so that the shame of your nakedness will not be seen;"

No amount of obedience to the Law, good works or seed sowing can make a person righteous in God's sight - "For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the Law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are." Romans 3:20.

Recall that the Old Testament accounts are types and shadows of Jesus Christ (the Tree of Life) and our salvation in Him. See the forbidden fruit as a picture of the Law that many churchgoers are trying to keep in order to be godly (be like God) in Romans 7:8-12. Just as eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil only made Adam and Eve see that they were naked, doing what the Law commands (human effort at obedience in whatever form) to make one godly (be like God) will only make the doer see how sinful (devoid of white clothes of righteousness) he is...and kill like the tree.

Our Lord God saw how hopeless our case was. Many churchgoers are yet to see this: even though they profess Christ, many are still being seduced into doing the seemingly good thing of eating of the Law (which gives the knowledge of good and evil) in order to "maintain their righteousness." No matter how little or how much of the Law one depends on, the letter kills- just like the tree. Because He loved us so, God sent His own Son to bear our sins, die our death and make us righteous IN HIS SIGHT (not man's sight)- Romans 5:9-

"And there is still much more to say of His unfailing love for us! For through the blood of Jesus we have heard the powerful declaration, “You are now righteous in My sight.” And because of the sacrifice of Jesus, you will never experience the wrath of God."

In terms of attaining right-standing with God, ONLY the blood of Jesus counts. ONLY after forsaking our own righteousnesses from human effort at obedience and receiving His gift of righteousness can we produce works that are pleasing to God. Add the arm of flesh aka human effort at obedience (law-keeping) to it and get cut off from Christ -

"For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's Grace." Galatians 5:4.

James 2:10 says: "For whosoever shall keep the whole Law yet stumble at one point he is guilty of all."

All have sinned. James 2:10 shows us that in terms of attaining right-standing (righteousness) before God, there is no difference between the world's vilest offender and the most humble and hardworking pastor who has been doing his best to be godly by human effort at obedience; such "good" works are "like a menstrual rag" in God's sight.

Only that gift of righteousness that proceeds from Christ's obedience will suffice for God the righteous to declare anyone righteous. We all need God's abundance of Grace and His gift of Righteousness that Christ counseled the church in Laodicea to BUY. All who freely receive are instantly made right with God, "even though we are guilty of many sins." See Romans 5:16-17:

"And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, Jesus Christ."

Only by receiving God's abundance of Grace and His gift of righteousness to us in Christ do we get to reign over sin and death.

Antichrist pastors try to muddle up Christ's message, describe His truth (God's word!) as "hypergrace" in a derisive manner and threaten churchgoers with God's wrath that His word says believers in Christ will NEVER experience because of the sacrifice of Jesus. Such CONTRADICT GOD'S WORD by saying that the true gospel (Grace) whose crux is "Righteousness by Faith" is just an excuse for children of Grace to go on sinning sprees. God's word says it is the Way to live in triumph over sin and death but these evil pastors put the cart before the horse and say "No. You have to keep the law and do good works in order to be righteous and escape hell."

Such try to add the letter (law) that kills aka human effort at attaining godliness to "balance" God's Grace who is Christ Himself! They know that this is how to keep churchgoers locked down under sin's dominion:

"For sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under Law but under Grace." Romans 6:14.

Believer, by Grace, let's jettison "riches" accumulated from doing (self)-righteous works and keeping the Law in order to notch up points of righteousness with God. Let's heed Christ's counsel and BUY "white clothes [representing righteousness] to clothe yourself so that the shame of your nakedness will not be seen;"

Right believing in Christ is the ROOT. Right living is the FRUIT. Righteousness is a GIFT of Grace.

THREE- Christ counseled the church in Laodicea to BUY from Him "healing salve to put on your eyes so that you may see.”

Our own wisdom and reasoning are like blindness when it comes to the things of God. For example, in man's reasoning, there is nothing wrong with trying to keep the Law (human effort at obedience) in order to please God. In fact, human effort/will-power at doing right is the foundation of what is being preached in many places of worship. In God's reckoning, this is the way to remain under the curse: Galatians 3:10-

"Anyone who tries to please God by obeying the Law is under a curse. The Scriptures say, “Everyone who doesn’t obey everything in the Law is under a curse.”"

In God's sight, dependence on human effort/will-power at doing good is Pride aka confidence in the flesh (human effort.) See what His word says about that non-existent good in man and the will-power that many churchgoers think they possess and can use to bring out this good in themselves as was Paul's experience in Romans 7:18-

For I know that nothing good lives within the flesh of my fallen humanity. The longings to do what is right are within me, but will-power is not enough to accomplish it."

But Pride in the arm of flesh (human effort) that will fail says: "No, I can. God must be wrong. I still have some good in me. I can keep the law and curb sins by my own will-power and others should too."

Reminds one of pre-denial Peter who thought Jesus was wrong when He told Peter about his then upcoming denials. The reason why anyone can choose to not commit sin and seems to be doing a good job of keeping the law by his own will-power is because he has not been tempted beyond what he can bear.

Beloved of God, beware of those who try to make you feel that there are no works under Grace. Under Grace is where we get to do an abundance of good works that are pleasing to God. There are works of the Law done by the arm of flesh aka human effort (dead works- like a menstrual rag in God's sight) and works done by Grace through Faith. It is the MINDSET behind these works that make the difference. Is it your will-power (such can boast and look down on others for not doing) or is it Christ in you? For all the plenty works of faith that we who believe get to do in Christ, for all our (freely) receiving (freely) giving, Christ gets all the glory, even though the world recognizes our good works. None of that "I sowed my car and God gave me a jet" nonsense. Without Christ, we can do nothing. It's all about how you believe your works come about.

We BUY healing salve from Christ when we stop walking by sight (relying on what we think we know) and follow His word in Proverbs 3:

"5 Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.

6 In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths."

And with what do we BUY these blessings from God that make us truly rich, clothed and sighted in His Way? We see this in Isaiah's prophecy concerning God's invitation to all to enjoy the abundant life in Christ- Isaiah 55:1-

"Ho! Everyone who thirsts,

Come to the waters;

And you who have no money,

Come, buy and eat.

Yes, come, buy wine and milk

Without money and without price."

We buy from Christ perfectly heated and refined gold (Godliness,) white clothes (Righteousness) and healing salve for our eyes (Wisdom and Discernment) without price. It is free for all who believe. It is free for all who, by Grace, realise what man truly is of himself (apart from Christ) despite his many WORKS/DEEDS aka human effort at obedience, tithes, fasts and so on - "spiritually useless" and "wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked [without hope and in great need]," See Revelation 3 again:

15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold (invigorating, refreshing) nor hot (healing, therapeutic); I wish that you were cold or hot.16 So because you are lukewarm (spiritually useless), and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth [rejecting you with disgust]. 17 Because you say, “I am rich, and have prospered and grown wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked [without hope and in great need], 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold that has been heated red hot and refined by fire so that you may become truly rich; and white clothes [representing righteousness] to clothe yourself so that the shame of your nakedness will not be seen; and healing salve to put on your eyes so that you may see.'

With Christ, our heavenly Father gives us ALL things FREELY: Romans 8:32.

"He who did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"

The verse for discussion:) - Proverbs 13:8-

"The rich man may have to ransom his life, but a poor man gets no threats."

What does one do when his boast is in his own spiritually useless "riches" accumulated from doing deeds of the law and not those which God gives us freely with Christ? Believer, a poor man gets no threats. If you confess that you cannot drive, nobody will come and ask you to prove that you can drive or test your driving skills. Boasting in one's spiritually useless "riches" from works of the Law or human effort at obedience gives Satan the opportunity to sift a person like wheat. So what does one do in the day of trouble when what he has to save him is his "a menstrual rag" works of righteousness?

Beloved of God, only when we feel our own spiritual poverty and are utterly dependent on and trusting in Christ for the riches of His Grace do we stand. Christ says it all in Matthew 5:3-

“What wealth is offered to you when you feel your spiritual poverty! For there is no charge to enter the realm of heaven’s kingdom."

See the Amplified Version: "Blessed [spiritually prosperous, happy, to be admired] are the poor in spirit [those devoid of spiritual arrogance, those who regard themselves as insignificant], for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever]."

Beloved of God, even now, Christ is calling on you to freely receive the riches of His Grace. Only surrender your will to Him. Let go of all of those puny efforts at trying to be godly and let Him reign in you. Only then do we reign in life. Only then do we get to live in triumph over sin and death. Never trust yourself. Trust in Christ.

Right believing always produces right living.