GENEROSITY flows in the veins of a regenerated spirit. Receivers of the gift of salvation or eternal life by grace through faith respond by thanksgiving and gratitude. The Gospel of Christ or the Grace of God presents God as a giving God Who is worshipped for Who He is and not to entice Him to do something.
God is all knowing, therefore, not reactionary. He gave Himself up in Jesus Christ before humanity even thought of the need of a Saviour. Jesus says in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." We're beneficiaries of the gift of God.
Christianity is, therefore, a receiving Faith. It's unearned, undeserved, unmerited and humanly unattainable favour of God the Father. Redemption was mooted ahead of time. We read Revelation 13:8, "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." That's why we are full of joy called the joy of salvation.
Preachers of the Gospel of Christ which is the Grace of God are often accused of promoting stinginess among believers. The argument is that Grace preachers don't tie giving with the so called blessing of the Lord. You know that line that says that you need to sow money or financial and material things in order to harvest. This column has taught exhaustively that Salvation or Christianity is God's gift to humanity.
Before humanity asked for a Saviour, God blessed us with Him. Previously we quoted
Acts 3:26, "Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities." The blessing of forgiveness of sins came without us giving anything. We cannot buy the blessing but we are already blessed according to Ephesians 1:3, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:"
If salvation was free why think we that, we have to pay for other things in the Christian walk? Romans 8:32 elucidates, 'He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" Some may ask, since God can give me a car/s, job, house/s, spouse and other human needs without me parting with money, why should I give to the Gospel of Christ? Receivers of the Gospel of Christ receive the Spirit of God Who is generous. You know that going to church doesn't mean that one is born again.
The Gospel of Christ doesn't inspire stinginess but cheerful giving. 2 Corinthians 9:7, Amplified, tells us, "Let each one [give] as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, "prompt to do it") giver [whose heart is in his giving]." We don't frogmarch receivers of the Grace of God into giving. We simply teach.
- Grace tidings: Run your race
- Counting on God’s power within you.
- Sunday word: Press on
- Of grace and generosity
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A perversion or a mixture of law and Grace leads to entitlement. Comers have a sense of entitlement. Let's see how they gave without being threatened in the Old Testament. We read 1 Chronicles 29:9, "Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy."
I don't know how you would explain from the Bible if you ask someone to sow for their marriage and they are hit by divorce or death of a spouse. You probably know when someone fell sick and were told that they "ate" God's money in tithes that's why the hedge of protection was removed. No no.
God is good all the time, all the time God is good. James 1:13, puts it this, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:" God is not the author of sickness and disease. If it were so then there would not be divine healing.
There's no evil in God. 1 John 1:5, tells us, "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." God is always willing to do good. He is not looking for an opportunity to strike us with evil. We don't keep Him happy with money or material bait.
Before I close, let me state where we get what we give to God. The Bible will speak for itself. We read 1 Chronicles 29:14, New King James, "But who am I, and who are my people, That we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from You, And [a] of Your own we have given You."
He's so generous that we respond to the Gospel of Christ or the Grace of God with generous hearts and minds. We give with understanding. Now unto him who is able to keep you from falling and present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. Grace and peace be multiplied to you through knowledge.
