30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 16 1-13 God's Regents 10 Chosen by God
📖 Luke 16:1-13
29Mar2020 - *Chosen by God* - _Luke 16:1-13_ - Bible reading: _II Corinthians 11:23-27_
_Luke 16:11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?_
The love of money has serious consequences, yet God places money and material things into our hands to test us for our faithfulness in being His regents over His creation. He is preparing us for His eternal kingdom, where we will also reign with Him. We are to hold money and other material resources in responsible but open hands. Being faithful with unrighteous mammon is the test that all of us will need to pass in life so that we will grow and cultivate true riches, which is our faith in God.
We read about the man who went on a journey in _Matthew 25_. He put his servants to the test by giving them different amounts of money. God is also testing us to see, how we will measure up before Him when He returns. The ones whom He chooses and uses for His purposes are those who have held unrighteous mammon with responsible and open hands
God’s ways of selection are so very different from ours. Why does God choose the poor? _James 2:5 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?_ The poor have very little money to hold on to and they are more willing to share, whereas as a person accumulates more money, he becomes correspondingly tight-fisted and selfish.
Why was the poor widow favoured by God above the rich? _Luke 21:1-4 And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, (2) and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. (3) So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; (4) for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had."_ Her trust was in God and not in her money.
Why did God destroy Sodom? Yes, there was the wickedness of homosexuality but the root problem was elsewhere. It was their unfaithfulness with unrighteous mammon that led them to the sin of sodomy. _Ezekiel 16:49-50 Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. (50) And they were haughty and committed abomination before Me; therefore I took them away as I saw fit._
Why did God choose Paul? _Ephesians 3:8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,_ Paul’s life was that of sacrifice and of giving himself, totally for the body of Christ. _II Cor 4:8-12/ II Cor 11:23-27/ 2Ti 2:10 Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory._
Do you wish to be chosen by God to be used by Him for His purposes? Get prepared to hold all of your money with responsible but open hands. God will begin to use you for His cause.
*Thought to ponder*
“Lord, deep in my heart, I desire to be released from this grip of money so that I can hold it with responsible but open hands. Amen”