It says in 1 Corinthians 2:9 (NCV), “No one has ever seen this, and no one has ever heard about it. No one has ever imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” And then in verse 10, “But God has shown us these things through the Spirit.”
When we have come to faith in the living and true God, He writes the laws of the Spirit into our hearts and minds. When we obey these laws and do what He commands us to do, because we love Him, He comes to live in us (John 14:23). Then the Spirit will show us what God has prepared for us.
God gives us His Spirit when we obey Him, as is written in Acts 5:32. All those who are being led by this Spirit are children of God. This is the Holy Spirit, which will be the Spirit of the times during the Millennium and throughout all eternity. When this really becomes clear to us, not just as something we have as knowledge, then, just like Paul, we will see everything in this world as worthless compared to getting to know Christ (Philippians 3:8).
Jesus talks about “the true riches”
In Luke 16:10-13 (NLT) Jesus says something about “the true riches” that we should really keep in our hearts:
“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own? No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”
We need to be absolutely faithful and righteous in all things, big and small, for the rest of our life—at home and in the church, at work and during our free time, in the hidden as well as openly.
Jesus was referring to money and other earthly things, and most people are slaves to such things, but He is also referring to all the other areas of our lives. No one can serve two masters. This means that no one can serve God and at the same time want earthly riches. If you try to do this, your life will just be a big lie and your end will be as it’s written in Matthew 7:21-23 (NLT):
“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’”
True riches are the fruits of the Spirit
We serve only one Master, and we need to listen and have open ears so that we can hear what He wants to tell us in all situations. Then He can give us the true riches that are eternal and that are a true help for people. We get true riches by being faithful and never giving in when we are tempted to sin. Then we “die to sin”, and something new comes in its place - Jesus’ nature, or the fruit of the Spirit, becomes visible in us (2 Corinthians 4:10).
This new life that we get is not something we only imagine, but it’s something that those around me can see and experience (1 John 1:1-3). Instead of experiencing demands and selfishness from me, they will see glorious fruits such as mercy, goodness, joy, thankfulness, care, etc. All of these fruits are to God’s glory.
The fruits of the Spirit are the true riches that are of eternal value and are the true healing of the nations. These riches grow if we serve God alone and live our life before Him (Colossians 3:1). Then the Bible promises that we will grow in everything that is good, and be useful to God, always ready to do every good work (2 Timothy 2:21).