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James 1:9-10
9 [de] Let [kauchaomai] the brother [adelphos] of low degree [tapeinos] rejoice [kauchaomai] in [en] that he [autos] is exalted [hupsos]:
10 But [de] the rich [plousios], in [en] that he [autos] is made low [tapeinosis]: because [hoti] as [hos] the flower [anthos] of the grass [chortos] he shall pass away [parerchomai]. KJV-Interlinear
9 But let the brother of humble circumstances glory in his high position; 10 and let the rich man glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. NASB
In life, there is the rich man and there is the poor man. But life has two components to it, the temporal or carnal side, and the spiritual side.
Both of these sides have a rich element as well as a poor element. But which is the better of the two?
In the carnal world, prosperity and wealth come only in the form of things like money, property, even in things such as entertainment. But the down side of these things is that they are temporary at their very best. When a person dies, all of them vanish from his possession. Even circumstances in life can take them away, as in disasters.
In the spiritual side, prosperity and wealth, even happiness in every possible structure, are formed as a part of the soul. These things are spiritual and therefore eternal in nature. Once you possess them, they can never be taken away. Death has no power over the content of the soul, therefore death cannot take anything (in your soul), away from you.
But the advantage of the spiritual side of life, is that it always overflows into the temporal or physical side. That cannot be said of the reverse. Things of the carnal side cannot overflow into the spiritual side.
Spiritual prosperity and blessing always affect the physical side of life. And their affect takes effect regardless of your situation in life.
You can be as poor as a church mouse, but rich in doctrine and be far better off than the wealthiest billionaire. Because remember, your wealth in doctrine will extend into eternity and that will convert into phenomenal wealth forever. The billionaire will only have his money in this life and then he will die and have nothing.
Unless of course, he is a spiritually mature believer. Then that would be the best of both worlds.
Unfortunately most wealthy types, lack Bible doctrine and spiritual growth. Likewise most non-wealthy types lack Bible doctrine as well.
The worse possible situation that a person can be in, is to live in utter poverty now, reject Christ and not be saved, and then ultimately go into the Lake of Fire. That is the quintessence of being a loser.
The best possible life is to be saved, be spiritually mature, and be a multi-billionaire, then in eternity be phenomenally wealthy to boot.
But most of us will not fit into that last category. The next best thing, is to be saved and advance to spiritual maturity. Then regardless of your life, your eternity will be beyond imagination.
The brother of glory, is the believer who has advanced to spiritual maturity. His high position is in Christ, and not necessarily in this world. His glory will continue on forever.
The rich man, is the one who glories in his earthly riches, whatever they may be, to the exclusion of God, Christ, or doctrine. They are for a time and then they will fade and die out, just as the grasses of the field in the Autumn of the year.
But unlike the grass, which may come back in the Spring, the Autumn is the death and final time for the person leaving this world. His earthly wealth does not come back to him in heaven, or anywhere else for that matter.
