WHY DID GOD CHOOSE THE POOR OF THIS WORLD?

James 2:5: Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? 6: But ye have despised the poor.

The Spirit of God moved James to write the word "hearken" meaning that the following statement is a matter of great importance, worthy of the attention of every believer. It pleased God that the majority of those he chose to save in Christ Jesus be poor in temporal possessions. Why is that worthy of our attention?

One reason may be that a lack of temporal riches is an example of the natural spiritual condition of all those Christ redeemed. By disobeying God, our earthly father Adam, wasted all his spiritual substance thus leaving the family of mankind in the poverty of sin and spiritual death. Every elect child of God for whom Christ died is spiritually ungodly in the worst of all poverty outside of God's grace.

Yet, our heavenly Father chose to bestow the riches of faith freely upon sinners who are temporaly poor in this world to further manifest the riches of his super-abounding grace toward those so destitute in spiritual poverty that they possess no ability to produce anything of spiritual worth by their own works. The riches of God's promise become truly unsearchable when revealed in the hearts of sinners bankrupt of any righteousness whatsoever. Only a wretch living in the slums of sin truly understands that it was purely the choice of his sovereign King to reserve him a seat at his table in his kingdom for all eternity.