Romans 11:35 “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?”
We cannot out give God. God is no man’s debtor. The Lord God does not give us the best because we are generous. Whatever we own and possess is God’s anyway. Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done (Proverbs 19:17). We don’t give to get but God treats our giving as a loan to Him which would be repaid at an interest rate that no bank can match. However, our selfless investment of time, talents and treasures into God’s kingdom is valuable to the Lord. Jesus said, And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life (Matthew 29:19). Those who give up power, possessions or people for the sake of Christ will receive a hundredfold on the earth and also inherit eternity.
When the bloodthirsty serial killer Saul, turned into a blood-bathed believer of Christ, he gave up everything. Paul was a prominent member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish judicial and administrative body. The members of the Sanhedrin were the religious experts who had a dynamic influence in the society and politics. Paul relinquished power and position for the sake of His Saviour Jesus Christ. “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors (Acts 22:3). Paul was willing to throw away his Oxford Cambridge and Harvard doctorates to become a preacher of the good news.
God’s 1st Best:
1. Power: Giving up power for the sake of Christ made him the most influential New Testament author and the most esteemed missionary of all times. He gave up his seat in the Sanhedrin and took a seat of humility in God’s Kingdom. If we let go of power to honour God we are sure to be promoted in the Kingdom of God.
2. Position: Gamaliel was considered to be a “Pharisee doctor” of the Jewish Law who could harmonize the law and influence the people with interpretations. Gamaliel was the most influential rabbi of his time. As Paul was emerging to be the successor of Gamaliel, the Lord God called him to preach the gospel. Paul gave up a position that looked attractive and profitable but God placed him in a pulpit that still preaches and transforms lives even today.
3. Politics: Paul was politically powerful. He was the wand behind the mob that stoned Stephen to death. The witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul (Acts 7:58). The obedience of Paul to give up politics made him the most influential spiritual leader. Paul could preach to the people on the streets as well as the kings on the throne.
God is not a debtor to anyone. We can never out-give God.
Philippians 3:8 “Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. ”
Prayer: Dearest Lord Jesus, give me the tenacity to give-up power, prominence and position to serve you. You are not a debtor to any man. Amen
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