Giving makes you Godlike and Christlike.
Acts 2:43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. 2:44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 2:45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
The Bible days saints were Godlike and Christlike in liberality.
Acts 4:34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, 4:35 And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. 4:36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, 4:37 Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Our Father in heaven and Jesus Christ our Lord exemplifies in giving. It is their habitat. Listen
God’s exemplary giving lifestyle
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Psalms 145:9 The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.
Psalms 145:15 The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. 145:16 Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
Psalms 104:27 These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season. 104:28 That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.
Psalms 136:25 Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psalms 147:9 He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.
Job 38:41 Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.
Psalms 107:9 For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Christ’s exemplary giving lifestyle
John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 10:15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Romans 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
These attributes of our Father in heaven and Jesus Christ our Lord, made it mandatory for you too to be liberal in lifestyle.
Exhortation to love one another and be liberal.
1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
1 John 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 3:17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
James 2:15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 2:16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
Psalms 41:1 Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. 41:2 The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. 41:3 The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.
Deuteronomy 15:7 If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: 15:8 But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth. 15:9 Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee. 15:10 Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto. 15:11 For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.
Proverbs 14:21 He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.
Proverbs 19:17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.
When you are liberal there are rewards and when you are not, there are recompense.
Rewards for liberality.
Psalms 112:9 He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour.
Proverbs 11:24 There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. 11:25 The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
Hebrews 6:10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
Matthew 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 25:35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 25:36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 25:37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 25:38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 25:39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Recompense for not helping the needy.
Matthew 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 25:42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 25:43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 25:44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 25:45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
May the good Lord help you to be wise unto salvation in Jesus name.
Let us pray.
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