#22 The GIFTS of God

Arthur Pink et al.

(You will find it helpful to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)

Romans 8:32, "He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all--how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?"

God is the fountainhead of all goodness. Every breath we take, every drop of rain, every morsel of food, every kindness we taste, every joy we experience, every provision we receive--flow from His sovereign grace. He gives, not because He must, but because it pleases Him to do so. All that is good originates in Him, and apart from Him, there is no good at all.

He grants the gift of life and sustains it with breath. He bestows family, health, daily bread, and shelter. Yet these temporal blessings, however generous, pale in comparison to the spiritual riches which He lavishes upon His people in His beloved Son: election, redemption, regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification!

These gifts are never random. They are sovereignly appointed, wisely measured, and lovingly given. Sometimes God's gift is joy--and at other times His gift is sorrow. Sometimes it is abundance--and other times affliction. But always, they are suited to the eternal good of those who love Him. All His gifts serve His purpose--to conform us to the image of His darling Son, and to magnify the glory of His grace.

How then should we respond? With awe. With gratitude. With humble trust. "What do you have, that you did not receive?" 1 Corinthians 4:7. Everything we possess is a trust from God, to be used for His glory and the good of others. We are God's stewards, not owners of all the good things He has blessed us with.

He gives freely, fully, and forever. The gift of His Son is the fountain of every other gift. In Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge and salvation. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

In ourselves, we deserve nothing but Hell--yet in Christ, and by His grace, He has given us everything we could either need or desire--for time and eternity!

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