One way to apply the gospel to our giving is to look at the cross and see how generous and sacrificial God was in giving Jesus up for us and to look long enough so that the Holy Spirit transforms us by what we see in that gift to make us more generous and sacrificial with our finances.
That's one way we can apply the gospel to our giving. Let's call that a past tense application of the gospel. We are looking back at the good news of what Jesus did 2,000 years ago to apply that to our giving.
I want to suggest another way we can apply the gospel to our giving. Let's call this a future tense application of the gospel. In this case, we're looking forward to the good news of what Jesus will one day do to apply that to our giving.
But Jesus doesn't tell us not to store up treasure. He tells us to store it where it's going to last and bring us the most joy. He tells us to store up treasure where it's going to give us the most possible bang for our buck. And that's not by investing money anywhere here on earth. It's by investing money in heaven, which is what we do when we give generously and sacrificially to the work of the kingdom. But here's the catch: what we store in heaven we can't touch until the future. It's not simply a long-term investment; it's the longest-term possible investment. There's no stock or 401k plan that can match this investment strategy!
You see, Jesus doesn't just motivate us to give by pointing us backward to what He did for us 2,000 years ago on the cross. He motivates us to give by pointing us forward to what He will do for us in the future. He's going to reward us in heaven (He talks about this idea of a future reward all over the Sermon on the Mount).
And the reason this is an application of the gospel is because:
1) God is going to be the One who rewards us. He's calling us to trust in what He will one day do, not in what we do.
2) The only reason any of us is going to be in heaven is because of what Jesus has already done by dying to atone for our sins on the cross 2,000 years ago.
So as we reflect on the why of giving, may we be a people who not only look back to the good news of what Jesus has done for us; but may our giving also be empowered by the good news of what Jesus will one day do for us because He's promised to. And He who promised is faithful.
That's one way we can apply the gospel to our giving. Let's call that a past tense application of the gospel. We are looking back at the good news of what Jesus did 2,000 years ago to apply that to our giving.
I want to suggest another way we can apply the gospel to our giving. Let's call this a future tense application of the gospel. In this case, we're looking forward to the good news of what Jesus will one day do to apply that to our giving.
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.One of the reasons it's challenging to give sacrificially and generously of our finances is because the more we give, the less treasure we have to store up for ourselves. And storing up treasure is something that we're all hard-wired to do in some way, shape, or form. The question isn't whether we store up treasure, the question is where do we store it?
Matthew 6:19-21
But Jesus doesn't tell us not to store up treasure. He tells us to store it where it's going to last and bring us the most joy. He tells us to store up treasure where it's going to give us the most possible bang for our buck. And that's not by investing money anywhere here on earth. It's by investing money in heaven, which is what we do when we give generously and sacrificially to the work of the kingdom. But here's the catch: what we store in heaven we can't touch until the future. It's not simply a long-term investment; it's the longest-term possible investment. There's no stock or 401k plan that can match this investment strategy!
You see, Jesus doesn't just motivate us to give by pointing us backward to what He did for us 2,000 years ago on the cross. He motivates us to give by pointing us forward to what He will do for us in the future. He's going to reward us in heaven (He talks about this idea of a future reward all over the Sermon on the Mount).
And the reason this is an application of the gospel is because:
1) God is going to be the One who rewards us. He's calling us to trust in what He will one day do, not in what we do.
2) The only reason any of us is going to be in heaven is because of what Jesus has already done by dying to atone for our sins on the cross 2,000 years ago.
So as we reflect on the why of giving, may we be a people who not only look back to the good news of what Jesus has done for us; but may our giving also be empowered by the good news of what Jesus will one day do for us because He's promised to. And He who promised is faithful.
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