The Giver

God is a giver. Better yet, God is the giver. And when God gives, He goes all out. He doesn’t give a little of what He’s able to. He doesn’t give only some of what He’s willing to. No, when God decides to give, He goes big, because He is the giver. From the beginning of life to eternal life, God is the giver. In 1 Timothy 6:13, Paul refers to God as the one who “gives life to all things.” He could and can, because He’s the giver. Romans 6:23 declares that God has made available the free gift of eternal life. He did and has, because He is the giver. Since the universe was spoken into existence, no one has given more than God. And when the world comes to an end, no one will have given more than God; For God gives generously, graciously, mercifully, abundantly, compassionately, completely, consistently, and willingly. Because God is the giver, He can and does shower us with “every good and perfect gift” (James 1:17). Because God is the giver, He can and does supply every need of ours (Philippians 4:19). And, in order to meet the world’s greatest need - the need for a savior - the giver gave not just a piece, not a portion, not a section, not a sliver of the greatest gift ever given, but He gave all of His Son (John 3:16). He went big, because He is the giver. In Hebrews 10:12, Christ is referred to as the “single sacrifice for sins.” God didn’t just give His Son, He sacrificed His Son. A sacrifice, by nature, is not an easy thing to give. And yet God, being the giver, went all out and gave all to us and for us. As we contemplate, plan, and commit to how much we’re going to give back in 2020, let us consider what we’ve generously been given by God, the giver.


[Romans 8:31-32] This is the time of the year when our thoughts are centered on those who influence our lives the most and we are willing to sacrifice monetarily to express our love for them with a unique gift for each one. Jesus is unique. In fact, the phrase “only begotten Son” in the NKJV’s translation of John 3:16 could arguably be rendered “only Son” (ESV), meaning that Jesus was God’s unique Son. Yes, those who are Christians are sons and daughters of God, but Jesus is special. There’s no one else like Him. Jesus was both God and man. He was both king and servant. He was both a lion and a lamb. He was both the high priest and the sacrifice. No other religion has someone like Jesus. According to one fanciful but insightful story, a man became lost in his travels and wandered into a bed of quicksand. Confucius saw the man’s predicament and said, “It is evident that men should stay out of places such as this. “Next, Buddha observed the situation and said, "Let that man’s plight be a lesson to the rest of the world.” Then, Muhammad came by and said to the sinking man, “Alas, it is the will of God.” Finally, Jesus appeared. “Take my hand, brother,” He said, “and I will save you.” Indeed, of all the world’s religions that have ever existed, Christianity stands alone in having a loving Savior. Christianity is unique because of Jesus. Jesus’ uniqueness makes His church unique. He is the founder and foundation of a special assembly (Matthew 16:16-18; 1 Corinthians 3:11). Nowhere else will you find a body of people who serve a founder who gave His very life to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29; Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 John 2:2). No other group of people could say that their founder left heaven itself, came to earth, lived as a man, served mankind, suffered and died for mankind, before returning to His rightful place in heaven (Philippians 2:5-11). The church belongs to Jesus. The church worships Jesus. The church preaches Jesus. Indeed, the church’s identity is found in Jesus, and it is He who makes the church so distinctive.