Our Spiritual Richness

I want to look a little deeper into the fact that we as receptive beings the revelation of Christ Jesus and His being given for our reception to keep us in GOD's plan and purposes. This to my understanding is what was lacking in the many denominations and churches that I have visited over my short lifetime. Especially in those who simply rely on the literalness of the word. Why or what is the reason of this short coming, the simplest answer is because they all lacked faith, and that means they lacked GOD's Spirit within them. Now for Pastor Hoekstra's writing as it pertains to our being receptive of GOD and His working within by His Spirit.


"The Comprehensive, Freely Giving Plan of God"
By Pastor Hoekstra


"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 so comprehensive, because it is a freely giving plan. Freely give to those who humbly and wholeheartedly seek for it.

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" (2Peter 1:3). 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 continue to get to know the Lord, 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" (2Peter 1:3). 

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 directly 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 persistently 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? "


"God Freely Giving, Man Humbly Receiving"
By Pastor Hoekstra

"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? . . . What do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you glory as if you had not received it?" (Romans 8:32 and 1Corinthians 4:7)


"The LORD's plan for rescuing and transforming lives by His grace is established by the Son of GOD being given for us as a sacrifice for our sins: "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all." This gift of GOD's Son assures us that GOD will also give us with Christ everything we need. "How shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? " GOD's giving is to be coupled with man's receiving. As GOD is freely giving to man, He wants man to be humbly receiving from Him. 

Every blessing that we have is received from GOD. "What do you have that you did not receive? " There is no other source from which we can receive true spiritual benefits than the LORD above. "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven" (John 3:27). The joy of having Jesus dwelling in our heart-lives as the children (sons) of GOD becomes true in our receiving Him. "As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12). The fact that we are now reconciled to GOD and are no longer His enemies is based upon us receiving the gift of reconciliation. "We also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation" (Romans 5:11). The privilege of serving the LORD for ministry is a gift of grace to be received: "the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24). The spiritual gifts that we need for enablement in our ministries is another blessing received from the LORD. "As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another" (1Peter 4:10). 

From initial redemption through salvation our growth and service, all that is needed must be received from the LORD. This is an encouraging reality. Yet, it is also a humbling truth. It leaves no room for us to glory in ourselves. "Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you glory as if you had not received it?"