14But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee." (1 Chronicles 29: 23-25)
From God we give back to God.
Where did we come from? From God Himself:
"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." (Genesis 1: 26)
While the fishes came out of the water, and the animals came out of the ground, mankind came from God.
The idea that we can do anything of ourselves makes no sense whatsoever. Can a plant grow outside of the very ground where its seed was first laid?
"31Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: 32Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof." (Matthew 13: 31-32)
The seed of itself is nothing, and so are we in and of ourselves.
We give only because He has given to us:
"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." (John 3: 16)
We have no life of ourselves. We need life. Jesus reproached the religious leaders during His earthly ministry:
"And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." (John 5: 40)
Yet still, Jesus offered Himself to Israel:
"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10: 10)
When we receive Him, we receive all things with Him, too:
"31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32He 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?" (Romans 8: 31-32)
When we realize that we have nothing of ourselves and that apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15: 5), then we can receive this exhortation:
"Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give." (Matthew 10: 8)
"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." (Genesis 1: 26)
While the fishes came out of the water, and the animals came out of the ground, mankind came from God.
The idea that we can do anything of ourselves makes no sense whatsoever. Can a plant grow outside of the very ground where its seed was first laid?
"31Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: 32Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof." (Matthew 13: 31-32)
The seed of itself is nothing, and so are we in and of ourselves.
We give only because He has given to us:
"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." (John 3: 16)
We have no life of ourselves. We need life. Jesus reproached the religious leaders during His earthly ministry:
"And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." (John 5: 40)
Yet still, Jesus offered Himself to Israel:
"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10: 10)
When we receive Him, we receive all things with Him, too:
"31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32He 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?" (Romans 8: 31-32)
When we realize that we have nothing of ourselves and that apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15: 5), then we can receive this exhortation:
"Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give." (Matthew 10: 8)
No comments:
Post a Comment