The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe
"Freely Receive, Freely Give"
This week's memory verse addresses a vital truth regarding the life of devoted love toward Himself and others to which God calls born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ:
"As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God" (I Peter 4:10).
In order to fulfill this mandate to give as we have received, we must continually grow in the knowledge of how "the manifold grace of God" has been bestowed upon us. That is, we must understand in the mode and measure supplied through Lord Jesus Christ. First, the mode…
"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God" (I Corinthians 2:12).
Every breath and all other dispensations of God's provision forevermore bless the believer not as remuneration for services rendered, but as a gift freely given and freely received. "He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32). This includes the living of the Christian life. We trust and obey God to the degree we know and avail ourselves of God's ever-present working in us "both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). Indeed, the writer of Hebrews slammed the door shut on any other means of faithfulness to God, even as he threw open the gates of God's faithfulness in leading and enabling us: "Let us have grace, that we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear" (Hebrews 12:28). Yes, the mode of a faithfully giving life is the freely received "grace of life," that is, the life of Christ Himself, dwelling and walking in us (I Peter 3:7; II Corinthians 6:16).
The measure is equally wondrous in its promise of abounding and boundless power…
"Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding, abundantly above all we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end" (Ephesians 3:20-21).
Somewhere just now, a believer feels more weak and unable than any other. Life seems to have thrown him down, and he feels the discouragement of knowing such a fall should not have happened. However, in that sad brother or sister, the same power that created the universe and raised the Lord Jesus from the dead provides the mighty engine of grace, teeming with a power beyond all contemplation. Restoration lies just at hand, as does the enabling to continue and grow for the faithful believer. "Freely given" provision for every contingency serves as the measure that redeems returning prodigals, even as it empowers the faithful to give as they have received. ""Freely ye have received, freely give" (Matthew 10:8).
We must know and grow in our awareness and understanding of "freely given" in order to live lives that freely give. "Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (II Peter 3;18). Only thereby can we think, speak, act, and relate in the mode and measure that makes possible genuine devotion to God and others. The primary herald of God's grace in Christ, the Apostle Paul, knew this blessed wonder personally, and communicated it perpetually to all who would listen. Paul still speaks through his epistles, and we do well to heed his promise whereby we access God's "good hope through grace"…
"God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work."
(II Corinthians 9:8)
Weekly Memory Verse
As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."
(I Peter 4:10)
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