30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 16 19-31 Released from self cetredness 07 Abounding in God’s grace of giving
📖 Luke 16:19-31
10May2020 - *Abounding in God’s grace of giving* - _Luke 16:19-31_ - Bible reading: _II Corinthians 8:1-5_
We have seen that it was the problem of self-centeredness that led the rich man to Hades. We then understood that the root of the issue of self-centeredness was the love of money.
God has given all of us a small window of opportunity, as we live here on earth, _(very relevant with the current crisis)_ with the material resources that He has placed in our hands. He is testing every one of us to see if we will handle the material resources in God’s way by trusting Him and not be self-centred. The Lord is telling us that money has within it the power to trap us. Money is not just a neutral medium of exchange. The danger with money is that it can knock out our trust in God if we desire after it and have not learnt to bless others with the money that God has placed in our hands. Realising that our time here on earth is very short, may we, with much urgency, seek the lesson of the *grace of giving*
Why should we learn the grace of giving? _I Timothy 6:17-19 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. (18) Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, (19) storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life._ Please note that Paul is asking Timothy to *command the rich*… this shows the urgency of the matter for if they do not learn this lesson, they will end up like the rich man in our narrative.
Our sharing of our material resources is the way we build our treasures in heaven. _Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; (20) but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. (21) For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also._
God is calling us to be people who hold the material and financial resources that God has given us, with an open but wise hand. This is the reason why we need to be filled with the grace of giving. We must seek God’s grace abundantly, to be people, who bless others around us. _II Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work._ When we, abounding in God’s grace, release resources to meet the needs of people around us, we will never lack, rather we will have all sufficiency in all things, having an abundance to share.
We see an example of this truth experienced in the life of the churches of Macedonia. _II Corinthians 8:1-5 Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia:_ These churches were abounding in God’s grace. This is what made them be those who gave.
_(2) that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality._ How can anybody give in this manner, when they themselves are going through a trial of affliction and deep poverty? Humanly not possible but with God’s grace it is possible for the grace of God is His enablement for us.
_(3) For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, (4) imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. (5) And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God._ They did not give hesitatingly and grudgingly but implored Paul and his team, with much urgency, to receive the gift that they had prepared for the saints at Jerusalem.
*Thought to ponder*
Friends, our time here on earth is very short. Can we commit ourselves to be those who share our resources with people, beginning with those at our gates?
_(Please study II Corinthians chapters 8 & 9 on the grace of giving)_