Jesus Revealed in Doctrine THEY SHALL BE MINE
And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Mal. 3:17.
One of the charges that Satan has hurled against God down through the ages is that God is selfish. Satan wanted what God had, and when it was not given to him, he accused God of being self-centered and stingy. At first glance, it might appear that Satan has a point. Look at Haggai 2:8. God says that the silver and the gold are His. Look at Psalm 50:10-12. God says, "For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof." Sounds rather possessive, doesn't I? But the charge of Satan was answered at the cross. Calvary proved that God is not selfish but willing to spend and be spent. There is self-sacrifice with God.
But the reason that God says He owns it all is because He does! He is the One who created it all, including us. We are only creatures. The earth is His. But there is one thing that is not His. We are not all His. He has given us freedom of choice, and the only way that He can say that we are His is if we choose to be His. There is a promise concerning this found in our text today. "And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels." There comes a day when the ones that God wants more than anything else--who are of more value to Him than animals or gold or the thousand hills--become His. He has all the rest of it. But there is a group of people who are going to be His, as well. Are you one of them today? Have you made that choice?
When we consider the subject of stewardship, we are not talking merely about dollars and cents. The most precious gift that we can bring to the Lord is not our money, but ourselves. Without the gift of a loving heart, the gift of simply money is worthless. God already has all the silver and the gold--it is His to begin with. And while the heart that loves cannot but bring gifts as well, the first and primary gift that we must bring to Him is the gift of ourselves. True stewardship begins in choosing to belong to the Lord ourselves, in loving and serving Him.
And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Mal. 3:17.
One of the charges that Satan has hurled against God down through the ages is that God is selfish. Satan wanted what God had, and when it was not given to him, he accused God of being self-centered and stingy. At first glance, it might appear that Satan has a point. Look at Haggai 2:8. God says that the silver and the gold are His. Look at Psalm 50:10-12. God says, "For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof." Sounds rather possessive, doesn't I? But the charge of Satan was answered at the cross. Calvary proved that God is not selfish but willing to spend and be spent. There is self-sacrifice with God.
But the reason that God says He owns it all is because He does! He is the One who created it all, including us. We are only creatures. The earth is His. But there is one thing that is not His. We are not all His. He has given us freedom of choice, and the only way that He can say that we are His is if we choose to be His. There is a promise concerning this found in our text today. "And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels." There comes a day when the ones that God wants more than anything else--who are of more value to Him than animals or gold or the thousand hills--become His. He has all the rest of it. But there is a group of people who are going to be His, as well. Are you one of them today? Have you made that choice?
When we consider the subject of stewardship, we are not talking merely about dollars and cents. The most precious gift that we can bring to the Lord is not our money, but ourselves. Without the gift of a loving heart, the gift of simply money is worthless. God already has all the silver and the gold--it is His to begin with. And while the heart that loves cannot but bring gifts as well, the first and primary gift that we must bring to Him is the gift of ourselves. True stewardship begins in choosing to belong to the Lord ourselves, in loving and serving Him.
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