What We Can Give God -- Our Consent to Receive

Many preachers go on about what we can, or what we must give God.

Yet from the moment that man is born into the world, he has nothing to give, because he has nothing.

When Adam and Eve sinned against God, they died. First, God warned them:

"But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." (Genesis 2: 17)

Yet they did eat from the tree, with the following results:

"6When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.7Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings." (Genesis 3: 6-7)

The first man and woman died because they chose to be independent from God their source, and just as a plant which strips itself from the ground, so too man dies spiritually by taking himself out of God's control and care and instead attempt to control and care for himself.

A dead man has nothing to give, because he has nothing, not even control or care for anything.

Jesus dismissed any value in the abundance of people, places, and things which a man could boast in:

"For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16: 26)

and also

"13And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. 14And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? 15And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth." (Luke 12: 13-15)

Whatever we need, we need something deeper than more things, or all things.

Jesus offers Life:

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10: 10)

He is this Life:

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14: 6)

In fact, we are dead in our trespasses because of Adam:

"Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come." (Romans 5: 14)

and

"1And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:" (Ephesians 2: 1-2)

As men dead in oru trespasses, we cannot presume to give God anything, except a willingness to believe on Him and receive from Him all things:

"And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." (Acts 16: 31)

and also



"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10: 9)


In the Gospel of Luke, the three persons of God are manifested, showing how much God loves us, how much He does everything for us, who can do nothing for ourselves accept consent to receive:

"4What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 5And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing." (Luke 15: 4-5)

Then:

"Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? 9And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost." (Luke 15: 8-9)

And of course, the Parable of the Gracious Father (traditional known as the Prodigal Son), could not be more explicit that we have nothing to give, but everything to receive from God our Father:

"And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry." (Luke 15: 20-24)

We are poor in ourselves, lost, stranded, with no direction to go in. God finds us, saves us, promotes us, and blesses us indeed (1 Chronicles 4: 9-10; Ephesians 1: 3-6). Who are we to assume that we can give anything to God?

What we can give God through Christ -- that we consent to believe on Him and receive from Him.