12.13

The Comprehensive, Freely Giving Plan of God "He who did not spare 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)"

By the free gift of God's grace, ministry is given to us. "I became a minister according
to the gift of the grace of God given to me" (Ephesians 3:7). By His grace at work in us,
our ministry can be marked with courage and selflessness. "None of these things move me;
nor do I count my life dear to myself" (Acts 20:24). This pattern of grace fits the entire
plan of God, because His plan is a comprehensive, freely giving plan.

As we have seen, give is the language of grace. Note the extent to which God desires to
give to us. He wants to "freely give us all things." Everything that God considers as
needful for fullness of life, He freely makes available by His grace. The Scriptures
repeatedly speak in such comprehensive terms. "His divine power has given to us all things
that pertain to life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3a). All that it takes to live as God
intends, and to grow in godliness as He desires, has already been given to us in Christ.
As we get to know the Lord more and more, all that He has given us in Christ is
progressively brought into our experience: "through the knowledge of Him who called us by
glory and virtue" (2 Peter 1:3b).

The death of Christ is our assurance of having the comprehensive dimensions of God's grace
fully available to us: "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us
all." Jesus is the Father's deeply loved Son. Through a prophet of old, the Father
proclaimed this divine love. "Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My
soul delights!" (Isaiah 42:1). When the Son was on this earth, the Father declared His
loving delight from heaven. "And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, 'This is My
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased'" (Matthew 3:17). Jesus is consistently revealed as
the object of the Father's love: "The Father loves the Son, the Son of His love" (John
3:35 and Colossians 1:13). The magnitude of the Father's love for His Son is behind His
love gift to us. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" (John
3:16). Our loving and generous Father has not held back from us the sacrificial gift of
His beloved Son, who died for our sins. Now, if He did not hold back His most prized
treasure (His own beloved Son), there is no way that the Father will hold back any lesser
gift from us. "How shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"

"Loving Father, I praise You for Your great love, in giving Your beloved Son to die for my
sins. I thank You for the assurance this brings that everything else that I need will be
freely given with Him!"