Don't Bite the Hand That Feeds You!

We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. [And] by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain...(Ephesians 2:10, 1Corinthians 15:10)

Continuing from yesterday regarding blessings, another thought came up as I was reading the other night, one which knits itself into the fabric of who God is and what He does. In the book Radical by David Platt the author asks the question: What is the message of Christianity? The amazing answer is: It's not about me! What a novel concept! It's not all about the fact that Jesus loves me. Somewhere within the recesses of my mind and spirit I knew this. But it bears explanation....

Oh, He does love us and He did die because He loves all mankind. But it goes much deeper than that. If He died because He loves us, the message is all about us. There we go again...thinking only of ourselves. He created us for His glory. I mentioned yesterday we all think too highly of ourselves and "it's all about us and our stuff." It just isn't. And that shows how sinful and in need of a Savior we are...that we might be blessed with His wisdom and understanding in things of this nature.

So, the true message of Christianity is, as Platt explains, that He loves me so that I might make him--his ways, his salvation, his glory and his greatness--known among all nations. Now God is the object of our faith, and Christianity centers around Him. We are not the end of the Gospel. God is...He saves us for the sake of His holy name.

It's about what God has done in us. How He has called us unto Himself. Jesus blessed me by saving me, which is great, but you'll notice He did the work, not me. My salvation was not something I deserved. But the fact that He could enter into my life and bring about changes brings glory to Him. It's about His power, His Spirit, His transformation in me. (Oh, but let me say, He's certainly not done with me.)

Now it is my turn to do a favor for someone else that they might receive the same blessing.  Our goal, then, is to pass this information on...until all nations have heard the Good News. Each person who receives Christ brings just a bit more glory to Him. It shows His power in the lives of all people, His sovereignty. But He needs His believers, those whom He has called and changed, to plant the seeds that He might water them and bring them to new life.

As I continued to read the chapter I kept hanging on to the thoughts so many people have...Doesn't it seem that God is a bit self-centered? Is it all about Him? And don't you know, Platt answered the question with another question: Whom else would we have Him exalt? There is no one greater than He. It begins and ends with Him as Creator God.

Our Bible study on Hebrews this past week brought up a very similar idea. It was what I mentioned yesterday regarding oaths. God covenanted with us; He initiated it. His oaths to us cannot be taken away because He cannot lie. Because He is the Beginning and the End, there is none greater than He. Hebrews 6:13-14  shows us this: For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, "Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you." 

It's all about God. It's not about us. Some may believe what they want about God being self-centered, with a Master/slave mentality, but when you realize the greater blessings He has in store for anyone willing to take Him in, He's pretty hard to refuse. When all He allows is there for our good so that we might see that He has been in the midst of us protecting, providing and loving on us, we see there is no one greater than He. Don't bite the hand that feeds you! 

He made us in His image. He gives according to His grace and mercy. He wants only to fully bless us with His Spirit, His peace, His wisdom, His strength, His love, His compassion. Glorify God, who calls Himself I AM. He alone has so much to offer. He offers Himself to you.

Ephesians 3:14-19 - For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,  from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height; to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.