See that you also excel in this grace of giving. . . For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2 Corinthians 8:7,9<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.\u201d Do you? Grace is an amazing word. Its definitions is \u201cundeserved love.\u201d But another way to remember what grace means is to think of it as an acronym. Grace is \u201cGod\u2019s Riches At Christ\u2019s Expense.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can see God\u2019s grace most clearly in Christ. Today\u2019s Bible passage says that Jesus was rich, though that\u2019s a bit of an understatement. Jesus is the Son of God. He was so rich that he owned everything in the universe because he made it. He had heaven as his perfect home from all eternity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet he left that perfect home. He gave it up to become poor, which is another understatement. Jesus was born in a barn. And when he grew up, he lived as a wandering rabbi with no place to lay his head. He relied on the generosity of others to supply his daily needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The whole time, he was acting as your substitute. He lived a life of obedience to all of God\u2019s laws so that he could give you credit for it. Then, after thirty-three years of sin-free perfection, Jesus took all your sins, made them his own, and died for them on the cross.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why did he do it? Because he loved you and wanted you to enjoy all of God\u2019s riches at his expense. You couldn\u2019t afford them. You deserved hell, but Christ gives you heaven. You deserved wrath, but Christ shows you his love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s grace, and it begins and ends with the startling generosity of your Lord Jesus Christ. And if Jesus was willing to bankrupt himself to make you his own, doesn\u2019t that change the way you look at the grace of giving? You give not to earn God\u2019s favor but because you have already received the greatest gift in Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prayer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lord Jesus Christ, graciously help me to model my generosity after your own. Amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"