GOD REVEALED PART 3. THE GIVING GOD
Our revelation of God reflects in our relationship with Him. You can only worship who you know. Here lies the essence of this series. In the part one of the series, we saw that Jesus reveals God. Anything you cannot see in Jesus you cannot see in God. In Christ, we have the certainty of the Character of God. In the part two, we see that anything evil cannot be seen in God. God is only seen in goodness. He is a good God. For proper understanding of this series Click here to read PART ONE and PART TWO if you have not read it.
Part of God’s goodness is that God is a giving God. He is a God that always gives. Always, all the time, all the days, He gives.
James 1
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
The scripture above reveals the Character of God. If you lack wisdom in context of teaching temptation, let Him ask God. Notice the descriptions of the God you are to ask. You have to know the God you are asking. If not, you be directing the request to a wrong God.
He is the God that gives to all liberally. The word liberally (haplōs) means bountifully, simply, frankly, sincerely. God’s nature is to give to all.
Notice the next phrase, He upbraideth not. This is a word we must know the meaning. To upbraid is to reproach, to revile, to find fault. Now the scripture says GOD doesn’t upbraid. He doesn’t find fault in His giving. He doesn’t find reason why He will not give.
Jesus exemplifies this character of God. Everyone who asked of Him received. Even after Jesus’ resurrection, despite that His disciples denied Him, He still cooked them meal in John 21 without making reference to their denial of Him . That is the God we serve there. Peter in Matthew 14:28-31 when he was about to drown as a result of his doubt, called upon Jesus and he was delivered. Look at the story of the storm in Mark 4:38-4, Jesus rebuked the storm before correcting them. Notice He has already told them let’s go to the other side. But, they never took note of the word. He was sleeping, they were worried in unbelief. Jesus didn’t say let me teach you a lesson so that next time you will not doubt. Instead, He came to their aid. That is the God we serve. Never forget Jesus reveals God. Any idea of God we cannot see in Christ cannot be God. We have established that with copious Biblical illustrations in part one of this series.
But man of God, you said God is a giving God as revealed in Christ, what of the Syrophenician woman from Greek, didn’t Jesus refuse her? Let’s see what really happened.
Matthew 15
22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast itto dogs.
27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. (Compare)
28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
Corroborated in
Mark 7
26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. note note
27 But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.
28 And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs. (Compare)
29 And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.
30 And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.
You must first realise that Jesus earthly ministry was to the Jews. He consistently says that. Even here in Matthew 15.24. The woman came as a Jew. She greeted the way Jews would and was placing her request as a Jew. “Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil” Jesus never refused her directly. Rather, He made her realise where she belongs. That she is a Gentile. This is done in parabolic form. Not taking the children’s meat to dogs. The woman still made her request but now as a Gentile that she is . She received her answer. Jesus ministered under the law, the law sees gentiles as “dogs”. Unworthy of inheritance in God. Regardless of this Jesus still healed her daughter because He doesn’t find fault. He doesn’t find reason not to give. That is the God we serve.
Reading through the old testament books of the Bible, we see that they paint various picture of God. This picture must be subject to what we see in Christ, the image of God. God is a giving God. He doesn’t find reason why He should not give. This is why He is not man.
Many times people come to God with entitlement mentality. They come base on their qualifications and lifestyle. God is not moved by those. God gives to the good and bad. He is so loving that He does not upbraid, He doesn’t find reasons why He should not give. Have you noticed that, many times when a sinner receives Jesus, let’s say an armed robber or prostitute, some folks will expect that such a person will not give birth, or will not get answers, or will suffer. That is not true. God doesn’t find reason why He should not give. It is only the devil that does that. Many people have been asking a God that look like the devil. It is one thing to ask, is another thing to be sure of who you are asking from. Now let’s examine James 1 again.
James 1
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
Notice it says when you ask, you must ask in faith, not wavering. You must be convinced of the person you are asking from. Notice verse 7 says let that man not think he will receive anything from God. Not that God will not give to the person, but the person will not receive. Observe. Everybody believes GOD CAN DO IT. That is God has the ability to do it. But where doubt comes is if God WILL DO IT. Maybe due to the person lifestyle or other reasons. But you must realise that GOD DOESN’T FIND REASON NOT TO GIVE. It is so bad that even dead men; men not in Christ ask from God and receive answers. ANY MAN CAN GET ANSWERS FROM GOD. He doesn’t find reason to say no. This is the God we serve. He gives to all men without finding fault.
He gives, yes God gives
He gives without checking your character
He gives always
God’s nature is to GIVE
GOD IS THE DEFINITION OF LIBERALITY.
By OBIAZIKWOR EMEKE MODESTY
www.emekemodesty.com
JOIN US in this campaign
PLEASE SHARE.
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS?
KINDLY ASK YOUR QUESTIONS Using the comment button below .
BY EMEKE MODESTY OBIAZIKWOR
www.emekemodesty.com
GOSPEL AND MIRACLE CAMPAIGN (GAMC) : Bringing people to the knowledge of Christ via the Gospel of Christ with the supernatural by Campaigning for the gospel of Jesus and setting people on fire to do the same .
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS CAMPAIGN
Kindly visit
http://bit.ly/GAMCinfo
Email: gospelandmiraclecampaign@gmail.com