Monday, July 20, 2009

FREELY RECEIVED

Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. (Mat 10:8).
Freely you have received , freely you give. We normally quote this portion of scripture when we want to take offerings in church. Even though it may apply to offerings, Jesus wasn’t talking about offerings’ in this verse. He was talking about healing the sick and demonstrating God’s power.

Jesus said that the ability to heal the sick and demonstrate God’s power is FREELY RECEIVED and should be FREELY GIVEN.

It’s because we don’t know that the power to do miracles is freely received that’s why we “backslide” when a big man of God fall’s. We don’t seem to understand why such a “great man of God” would have sin in His life. Nobody does miracles because He’s a great man of God. Those who do miracles do it because God is a great God of grace!
That man of God is not doing miracles because he paid the price; he is doing it because Jesus paid the price! These great men are human just like you, if you doubt me ask their wives! Don’t get me wrong. I’m not writing this to glorify imperfection; I’m writing it because of you, because of me. God can use you. He can use us in spite of our imperfections.

I wish this next point would dawn on us in church. The demonstration of God’s power should be freely given. Nowadays, we are giving offerings to receive everything from God. “If you want to be healed, so a seed”, “if you want a job, sow a seed”, “if you want a wife, sow a seed”, Jesus didn’t minister like this. He didn’t tell blind Bartimaeus to sow any seed, did he? Miracle ability is received freely and should be demonstrated freely. My God is not for sale.

He 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? (Rom 8:32).
Freely given us ALL THINGS. How many things? ALL THINGS. In Christ, ALL THINGS ARE FREE. Christianity is the revelation of the free things that God has given to us in Christ. There are no price tags on God’s gifts. If God’s best gift, Jesus is free, He won’t charge for lesser gifts. If you sell what doesn’t belong to you, you are a thief. Let’s not make God’s house a den of thieves.

Freely we have received. Let’s give freely. Thanks.

2 comments:

Stanley Wong said...

Amen! When we give, more will be given back to us (Luke 6:38) BUT we don't give so that more will be given back to us. We give because we love. (1 Cor 13:1-3)

Chinedu said...

Yes Stanley. The New Teatament teaches giving and receiving not giving to receive. There is a big difference in the two.
Love is our motivation for giving.