GOD IS GENEROUS
“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32
Of all the attributes that make up the glorious nature of God, none is more obvious and undeniable than this: God is generous. He is the greatest Giver. Think of the leaves on the trees, the fish in the seas, the birds in the air, the sands along the ocean floor, and the stars in the sky. Count them if you can. God is not miserly. He feeds the creatures of all the earth. “The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing” (Psalm 145:15, 16).
Our text reminds us of the greatest demonstration of God’s generosity. He “spared not his own Son.” God is so giving that He did not withhold His own Son. The Lord did not give something that was meaningless, but He gave His greatest treasure that we might have forgiveness of sins and eternal life. God did not give His Son to die for us because it was easy or painless. He gave Jesus to be sacrificed for your sins and mine because it is His nature to give. It is His nature to sacrifice. That is the way God is. Paul used this reality to encourage the Roman Christians. If God is so loving and generous that He gave His Son for our redemption, “how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” We will never have a need more profound than our need of forgiveness and reconciliation. If God gave so much to bring us to Himself, we have every reason to believe that God will continue to provide what we need. He will give us peace, joy, wisdom, purpose, etc.
We are confronted and challenged with our individual responsibility in light of the nature of God. If God is so generous, should we not likewise be known for our generosity? It is inconceivable that the children of the great and giving God would be stingy in their personal lives. Some of the people in the Bible that are especially remembered and commended are individuals with outstanding generosity. The poor widow who gave her two mites was recognized for her great giving. The woman who poured the alabaster box of ointment on Jesus’ head will forever be remembered for her giving. The Macedonian churches served as examples of the kind of generosity that should be found in the Lord’s churches. Like our Father, it is in our nature to give.