Our purpose in life is to know and imitate the character of God Almighty. Jesus’ mission in coming to the earth was to reveal the nature of God and provide a way for us to be right with Him. The way we truly know God is through Christ, His only begotten Son. Jesus prayed before His disciples, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have GIVEN Me to do”. (Jn 17:3-4). Let us notice a few of the many aspects of God’s gracious GIVING.
- God GIVES To All
He created us in His image and sustains each of our lives – Gen 1:27). (God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshipped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He GIVES to all life, breath, and all things”. (Acts 17:24- 25). Christ wanted all men to know that God loves to GIVE to us. “Ask and it shall be GIVEN to you, seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you…If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven GIVE good things to those who ask HIM”! (Matt 7:7,11). But God GIVES us much greater gifts than those that pertain to this physical life and its necessities. Jesus sought to get people to open their eyes to these spiritual blessings. Talking to the Samaritan woman at the well, Christ told her, “If you knew the GIFT of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink’, you would have asked Him, and He would have GIVEN you living water.” (Jn 4:10).
- God Made It Clear To Moses and Israel That His Greatest GIFT To Man Was Mercy.“And the Lord passed before Moses and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord God, Merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping Mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty…” (Ex 34:6-7). God wants to be Merciful to us as sinful, but penitent people. “Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in Mercy”. (Micah 7:18).Our God is rich in Mercy (Eph 2:4) and that Mercy endures forever (Ps 136:1). God delights in GIVING and extending Mercy to His people. However, we need to make sure that God’s mercy is not taken for granted or becoming commonplace to us. “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who were once not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained Mercy, but now have obtained Mercy”. (I Pet 2:9- 10). We need to be proclaiming the praises of our God and our Savior rather than taking anything for granted. Remember these GIFTS came at a very high cost – The life of the only Son of God.
- The Great GIFT Of Mercy And Grace Points Directly To The Cross of Calvary.Mercy and forgiveness are free to us, but they were surely not free to the Father or the Son. Only through the blood of a crucified Savior do we enjoy His mercy and grace. This wonderful GIVING goes back to God’s great love for us. “For God SO LOVED the world.. (Jn 3:16). While this marvelous GIFT of mercy is available to all, Scriptures teach it is conditional. The prophet Daniel certainly realized this. “I prayed to the Lord my God and “ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly “ Week 10: Acts 17:31 Week 11: Mark 16:15,16 Week 12: John 2:11 confessed and said, ‘Alas. O Lord, the great and awesome God who keeps His covenant and mercy for those who love Him and keep His commandments. We have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly, and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances”. (Dan 9:4- 5). As Daniel prayed for Israel in the presence of all, he recognized that God showed mercy to all who were faithful to Him; but when this people sinned against their Creator, acknowledgment and repentance were required. That is the same way God takes care of our sins through Jesus’ cleansing blood today. Mercy is always available to us while we follow Him, but we must repent and return to Him when we fall. Him.
- The Merciful and Gracious GIFTS of God Should Change Us.
First, these GIFTS should make us humble, thankful, unselfish debtors. Reflecting on Calvary more than just every Sunday morning is a good start toward humility and thanksgiving. We should also delight in showing mercy and GIVING to others. I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to GIVE than to receive”. (Acts 20:35). GIVING should be at the heart of every child of God in every way – Sharing the Gospel, Helping Financially, Spending Time, Encouraging, Edifying, etc. Paul addresses the possibility of hardening our hearts against God’s GIFTS in Rom 2:4. “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance”. Finally, James reminds us what Mercy will mean for judgment. “For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment”. (Jas 2:13).“There shall be showers of blessing, this is the promise of love; There shall be seasons refreshing sent from the Savior above. Showers, showers of blessing, showers of blessing we need; Mercy drops round us are falling, but for the showers we plead.”
MAY WE ACCEPT GOD’S GRACIOUS GIFTS THANKFULLY AND MAY HIS ABUNDANT MERCY TRANSFORM OUR LIVES AS LONG AS WE LIVE!