God does not give as the world gives (2)
John 14:27 (NKJV)
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
The scripture above reveals that we have the peace of Jesus because He gave it to us. Furthermore, the statement "....not as the world gives do I give to you" reveals how He has given us His peace. Beyond that, the bolded statement exposes God's pattern of giving to us generally - He gives to us not as the world gives.
To help us appreciate this, we need to firstly understand how the world gives. It is important to note that "the world" represents a system that is contrary to what God instituted in the beginning. The world was created when Adam sinned. John 1:10 tells us the world does not know God. So when we think about the world, we think about man with his flaws, weaknesses and his 'less-than God's-standard' way of doing things. However, if you are saved, then you are not of the world (John 15:19), you know God and are of God (1 John 4:4).
So, how does the world give?
In an earlier post, the first in this series, we saw one way the world gives; You have to work for it. In this post, I will address another one.
A Clause for Repayment
A lot of the time (not every time though), when the world gives to you, they expect you to repay. There's a common saying from where I come from "I give to you, you give to me; I do for you, you do for me". This perfectly typifies the world's way of giving. Sometimes you even have to pay more than you received (remember loans and interest rates), when the world takes advantage of the urgency, graveness or severity of your need and your desperation to address it.
But, God does not do "I give to you, you give to me". He does not expect you to repay, neither does He expect you to do anything to earn it. How could you ever repay what Jesus did? What could you give in return that will be commensurate to His sacrifice for you? You could never, ever repay Him. On our best days, and with the best we could ever offer Him, it won't still come close a payment for what He has done for us, not even remotely close. The life He has given us is a gift of Grace.
Moreover, God freely gives, no strings attached. You don't have to do nothing for it, you don't have to payback. He did what He did for us out of love. People who give out of love scarcely expects repayment. They may sometimes, and may demand it in some way, but God never expects or demands you to repay. He gives wholeheartedly and freely (Rom 8:32, I Cor 2:12). This is the case with us - Christians - because the price has been fully paid. Jesus paid it all for us, and His was an overpayment.
Therefore, friends, rest in the knowledge that God will load you with His benefits (Psa 68:19) and won't expect you to pay back. God bless you!
Prayer:
Father, I receive in the name of Jesus all you have given freely to me. Thank you for not expecting a dime back because I know I could never repay. All glory to your name. Amen!
The scripture above reveals that we have the peace of Jesus because He gave it to us. Furthermore, the statement "....not as the world gives do I give to you" reveals how He has given us His peace. Beyond that, the bolded statement exposes God's pattern of giving to us generally - He gives to us not as the world gives.
To help us appreciate this, we need to firstly understand how the world gives. It is important to note that "the world" represents a system that is contrary to what God instituted in the beginning. The world was created when Adam sinned. John 1:10 tells us the world does not know God. So when we think about the world, we think about man with his flaws, weaknesses and his 'less-than God's-standard' way of doing things. However, if you are saved, then you are not of the world (John 15:19), you know God and are of God (1 John 4:4).
So, how does the world give?
In an earlier post, the first in this series, we saw one way the world gives; You have to work for it. In this post, I will address another one.
A Clause for Repayment
A lot of the time (not every time though), when the world gives to you, they expect you to repay. There's a common saying from where I come from "I give to you, you give to me; I do for you, you do for me". This perfectly typifies the world's way of giving. Sometimes you even have to pay more than you received (remember loans and interest rates), when the world takes advantage of the urgency, graveness or severity of your need and your desperation to address it.
But, God does not do "I give to you, you give to me". He does not expect you to repay, neither does He expect you to do anything to earn it. How could you ever repay what Jesus did? What could you give in return that will be commensurate to His sacrifice for you? You could never, ever repay Him. On our best days, and with the best we could ever offer Him, it won't still come close a payment for what He has done for us, not even remotely close. The life He has given us is a gift of Grace.
Moreover, God freely gives, no strings attached. You don't have to do nothing for it, you don't have to payback. He did what He did for us out of love. People who give out of love scarcely expects repayment. They may sometimes, and may demand it in some way, but God never expects or demands you to repay. He gives wholeheartedly and freely (Rom 8:32, I Cor 2:12). This is the case with us - Christians - because the price has been fully paid. Jesus paid it all for us, and His was an overpayment.
Therefore, friends, rest in the knowledge that God will load you with His benefits (Psa 68:19) and won't expect you to pay back. God bless you!
Prayer:
Father, I receive in the name of Jesus all you have given freely to me. Thank you for not expecting a dime back because I know I could never repay. All glory to your name. Amen!
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