BE RICH IN GOODNESS

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.

1 Timothy 6:18

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

A common theme we have seen in this sixth chapter of 1 Timothy is the call to not fall in love with money or the possessions it can provide. We have reinforced this exhortation from Paul with the very words of Jesus as He commanded others to store up treasures in Heaven rather than on earth, loving God more than money because a person can’t serve two masters (Matthew 6:19-21, 24).

Instead of money, which Paul proclaims is the “root of all kinds of evil” (v.10), Timothy and the Ephesian Christians were encouraged to “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness” while fighting “the good fight of the faith” and taking “hold of the eternal life” to which they were called (Vv. 11-12). Placing focus on fruits of the Spirit instead of the materialism of the world and the ways of the flesh, they could ensure that they would be living their lives in a way that would be pleasing to God as they honored Him while serving others.

With all this in mind, we turn to today’s scripture verse found toward the end of Paul’s first letter to Timothy. It serves to accentuate the expectation of service the Lord places on all Christian believers. Look again at these words here:

Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. v.18

When a Jesus disciple strives for righteousness and godliness, while showing love and gentleness to others as they endure in faith, they are responding obediently to the call of God’s word so that His will can be achieved.

What is that will?

Well, in our scripture verse for today, we find that it is for believers to “do good” and “be rich in good deeds” while being “generous and willing to share”. Everyone has time, talent, and/or talent to give up for the service of the Lord and others. These are gifts from God who expects that we will employ them to carry out the good deeds He desires for us to do.

The Lord doesn’t want us to hold back in doing this. Rather, He encourages us to be generous and always willing to share what He has given with others. Just as He gives in abundance, so too does He expect that we will follow His lead.

Need another passage from the Bible that amplifies the verse at the center of this message. Consider this from chapter 9 of Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians:

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. Vv. 6-8, 10-13

Here we learn that no one has an excuse for not being generous with their time, talent, and/or treasure. For God has and will enrich us “in every way” so that we might be “generous on every occasion” calling us to give to others. He expects us to reap generously with what He provides, “not reluctantly or under compulsion” but rather willingly and gladly “for God loves a cheerful giver” who will “abound in every good work” out of the abundance He supplies.

Note what happens when Christians choose to comply with God’s call to be rich in goodness. For the scriptures tell us that the service performed not only meets “the needs of the Lord’s people” but results in an overflow of thankful expressions to God. When blessed by charity and a believer’s testimony that it is the Lord who made it possible, for what we have comes from Him and not ourselves, the receiver of goodness “will praise God”, not only for His provision but for His generosity reflected by the good deeds of those who follow Him.

Friends, during this week and every week to come, let us answer the call of God and be rich in the goodness we extend to others, conscientiously and intentionally giving our time, talent, and/or treasure to make a Kingdom difference in the way we serve our Lord and others.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.