“Freely Ye Have Received, Freely Give”
By F. D. STARR
From the beginning of human history, our benevolent Heavenly Father has demonstrated to us his rich liberality in every way. In the garden of Eden he manifested his interest in our delight and welfare by bidding our first parents enjoy free access to the trees of the garden, the tree of life not excepted. His kind permission is thus expressed: “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it.” The Lord God had made to grow out of the ground every tree that is good for food. It would not be possible to enumerate all of the many varieties of delicious fruits that the Lord provided for man’s use, withholding from him only one, and that the very fruit that would not be good for him to eat. The fact that access to the tree of life was freely allowed is of itself sufficient to arouse an unbounded love, admiration, and astonishment. All these fruits were given as freely as the fragrant air and the pure, life-giving water; and when man failed to appreciate the superior advantages bestowed upon him, and fell in transgression and bondage,— “In His boundless love and mercy
He the ransom freely gave.” “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely,” is the sentiment by which the Father expresses “the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” And justification comes just as freely as his love. “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” “Ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, . . . but with the precious blood of Christ.” Though costing so much, yet this redemption is freely provided; and not only this, but with Christ he will “also freely give us all things.” What bliss to “know the things that are freely given to us of God.” But, as if all this were not enough, we hear the same voice in the close of the book of Revelation as in the beginning of Genesis, inviting us to partake freely of the bountiful provision that has been made. “I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.” “And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” What now is our part to perform in this benevolent plan, after being so freely favored of Heaven? It is simply this, to give in the same manner as we have received. “Freely ye have received, freely give.” What have we received? Yea, rather, what have we not received? “What hast thou that thou didst not receive?” There is nothing we have, or ever did have, or ever will have, that we did not receive, whether ability, strength, intellect, money, or whatever it may be; we received all, and consequently nothing is to be exempt from the list of talents we hold in readiness to release whenever the Giver may call for them. “Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required.” What has the bountiful Benefactor particularly specified as demanded of us? How moderate the proportion designated. “All the tithe . . . is the Lord’s: it is holy unto the Lord.” Promptly will every loyal heart respond: “Of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.” An amount so meager can scarcely satisfy the grateful soul that realizes how much it has received. Gladly will the call for offerings as well as tithes be heeded. Such an appreciative mind will not come under the curse that is pronounced against the covetous person who withholds more than is meet. “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me.” But, says one, Do you think a poor man ought to pay tithe, a man who can scarcely provide for his own family? God says, “Prove me now herewith, . . . if I will not . . . pour you out a blessing.” “The poor are not excluded from the privilege of giving. They, as well as the wealthy, may act a part in this work.” “The promises of Jesus will as surely be realized by the liberal poor man, who has but little to offer but who gives that little freely, as by the wealthy man who gives of his abundance. The poor man makes a sacrifice of his little, which he really feels. He really denies himself of some things that he needs for his own comfort.” “God, who created man and provided him with all the blessings he enjoys, knew what was for his best good. And through his blessing he made their nine tenths worth more to them than the entire amount without his blessing.” Surely the poor man wants God’s blessing on his family and on his business. The Lord loves the poor man, and has chosen him to be rich in faith and an heir of his promised kingdom. Then let him, and let us all scrupulously practise this system, which shows how much we appreciate what we have received.