WHY GIVE?
Tonight I want to write an article about giving. Why give? The reason why I want to write this article is because Jesus wants us to give, or sacrifice. A lawyer asked Jesus what he should do, give, or sacrifice to gain eternal life? And Jesus answered and said to him, "What is written in the law? What is your reading [of it]?" Jesus asked the lawyer what does the law say, and what was his understanding from reading the law ?
So he answered and said, "`You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and `your neighbor as yourself.'" And He said to him, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live." Luke 10:25-28. I want to ask my readers how can we love the Lord with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind? The only way we can do this all is when we give all of ourselves to Him as He had given all of Himself to us on the cross. Partial giving to Him won’t work! He wants total obedience from us! And how do we love our neighbor as ourselves? We treat them the same way as we would want them to treat us - the Golden Rule.
Jesus said to the lawyer, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live." "Do this" implies work. If the lawyer doesn’t do what Jesus had told Him to do, he will not get eternal life. In other words, eternal life must be earned through work, and not faith! Adam and Eve lost eternal life because of no work. Lucifer and billions of his angels lost eternal life because of no work. Billions who perished during the big flood have never worked to get eternal life. God killed them all. Even the men and women of great faith described in Matthew 7:21-23 were denied eternal life. Jesus called them lawlessness practitioners. They have not earned eternal life. They have lived in sin. They have not followed the law. They have not worked to earn eternal life. How can we earn eternal life? Through total obedience Bro. By doing what He wants us do for Him. Jesus said, "do this and you will live." Do not think that we can earn eternal life through partial obedience, or no obedience, unless a stroke has totally disabled us in bed, or we are in comatose. Satan wants us to believe that faith alone without following the law can save us. That is nonsense! If you want to go to heaven through partial obedience, choose another religion. Jesus Himself totally obeyed His Father all the way until He was crucified on the cross.
So he answered and said, "`You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and `your neighbor as yourself.'" And He said to him, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live." Luke 10:25-28. I want to ask my readers how can we love the Lord with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind? The only way we can do this all is when we give all of ourselves to Him as He had given all of Himself to us on the cross. Partial giving to Him won’t work! He wants total obedience from us! And how do we love our neighbor as ourselves? We treat them the same way as we would want them to treat us - the Golden Rule.
Jesus said to the lawyer, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live." "Do this" implies work. If the lawyer doesn’t do what Jesus had told Him to do, he will not get eternal life. In other words, eternal life must be earned through work, and not faith! Adam and Eve lost eternal life because of no work. Lucifer and billions of his angels lost eternal life because of no work. Billions who perished during the big flood have never worked to get eternal life. God killed them all. Even the men and women of great faith described in Matthew 7:21-23 were denied eternal life. Jesus called them lawlessness practitioners. They have not earned eternal life. They have lived in sin. They have not followed the law. They have not worked to earn eternal life. How can we earn eternal life? Through total obedience Bro. By doing what He wants us do for Him. Jesus said, "do this and you will live." Do not think that we can earn eternal life through partial obedience, or no obedience, unless a stroke has totally disabled us in bed, or we are in comatose. Satan wants us to believe that faith alone without following the law can save us. That is nonsense! If you want to go to heaven through partial obedience, choose another religion. Jesus Himself totally obeyed His Father all the way until He was crucified on the cross.
Jesus said, "And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Matthew 19:24. Why do you think it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God? Satan wants to make sure that no rich man enters the kingdom of God. The path that a rich man travels each day is full of obstacles and stumbling blocks. Sooner or later the rich man will stumble over his obstacles, and unless God has mercy upon him, or her, he or she will be lost forever. It is not only difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, but it is also difficult or impossible for anyone who is not totally obedient to God to enter the kingdom of God.
Jesus said, "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.” Matthew 6:19-21.
Readers, I want to ask you a question. Have we started to lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven? Why? Because Jesus said where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. How do we do that? Read Luke 10:25-28. When we die all the wealth that we have accumulated on earth during our lifetime will stay on earth. We can take none of them with us. But if we have accumulated our wealth and treasures in heaven, God will keep them there for us to enjoy, forever. How do we lay up treasures in heaven? Jesus says love our neighbor as ourselves. Help people who ask for help. Help people who cannot help themselves. God bless.
Jesus said, "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.” Matthew 6:19-21.
Readers, I want to ask you a question. Have we started to lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven? Why? Because Jesus said where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. How do we do that? Read Luke 10:25-28. When we die all the wealth that we have accumulated on earth during our lifetime will stay on earth. We can take none of them with us. But if we have accumulated our wealth and treasures in heaven, God will keep them there for us to enjoy, forever. How do we lay up treasures in heaven? Jesus says love our neighbor as ourselves. Help people who ask for help. Help people who cannot help themselves. God bless.
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