La gracia de Dios y nuestras finanzas - Gracia para estos tiempos, Pt. 5

The Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me. Therefore, go around the world teaching and preaching the gospel to all creatures, to the end of the earth. En Contacto, the biblical teaching ministry of Dr. Charles Stanley. Today on En Contacto, the grace of God and our finances. According to the Bible, what strong desire that motivates millions of people every day, if it is fulfilled, will bring the following consequences. And I will read the consequences of this strong desire. In total, there are eight. Listen to this. And I will give you the verse at the end. First, it would tempt them all to fall into sin. The temptation would lead them to a trap. Perhaps they could be dominated by absurd desires. They would be dominated by evil desires that would ruin their character. That could lead them to moral ruin, and in the end, destroy them. It would make them deviate from their faith, and it could cause them a lot of pain that would hurt their soul. What kind of desire would make all of this happen? In fact, it is a desire that motivates millions of people. Do you know what it is? The desire to be rich. The desire to be rich. 1 Timothy chapter 6, verses 9 and 10. It lists the things that are a danger to those whose desire in life is to become rich. There is nothing wrong with being rich,

because there are very pious people who are rich. Very generous people who are rich. And there is nothing in the Bible that says that God complies in poverty, or in keeping us all poor. The problem is a matter of balance. And it is that one thing is to be rich and to trust God, and another very different thing is to be rich and that wealth is his God. We are not talking about the fact that wealth is a sin. We are talking about the fact that when wealth is out of control and is not in tune with the word of God, then there will be problems. And so, what we say in this passage is just this. That here are 8 dangers for those whose driving desire in life is to be rich. Well, what does that have to do with the grace of God? Well, the Bible says that by being saved by grace, we live by grace. In fact, if that is true, there is not a single area of our life in which grace does not have an overwhelming effect. And it is true in our finances as in every and every area of our life. The title of this message is, The Grace of God and Our Finances. And join me in 2 Corinthians chapter 8. And in this chapter, there are two chapters here in which Paul spends almost the entire chapter dealing with this issue of giving to the poor that there was in Jerusalem, there in Judea, where there were difficulties and adversity. And in this biblical passage in 2 Corinthians, it exposes us to some basic principles, but it also explains to us what it means to be, that God smiles at us when we give. Let's start in verse 6.

Well, but I say this, he who sows little shall also reap little, and he who sows generously, generously shall also reap. Each one of you, as he proposed in his heart, not out of sadness or out of need, because God loves the giver, the joyous, and God is mighty to make you abound with all grace, so that having always in all things all that is sufficient, you abound for all good works, as it is written in the Psalms, He gave, gave to the poor, his righteousness remains forever. And he who gives seed to the one who sows, and bread to the one who eats, he will provide and multiply your seedbed, and he will increase the fruits of your righteousness, that you may be enriched in all things, for all liberality, which produces by means of us the action of thanksgiving to God. Well, let's see this in the light of two things. The first, the first part is that God, that God, look, God's plan is to honor our finances, I will use this phrase, honor our finances, favor our finances, bless our finances, get involved in our finances. God has a plan and also a purpose. I will talk to you about those two things.

First, his plan to honor our finances. And if God honors finances, it means that he will provide support and will favor his finances. So, something very evident in this passage is this, which is God's desire to bless and honor his children in his finances. Look at these verses. First, he gives us the pattern in verse 6 about planting and harvesting. Then he says that he loves the giver and how do we give? To give, I must have something to give. Who will give me what I will give? God gives me what I must give. So, if God wants me to be a happy giver, God must provide me with something to give. And that is what he proposes and wants to do. He says in verse 8 that God can make all grace abound forever to have enough in all and to abound for all good works. And not only here. Please join me in Proverbs chapter 3 for a moment. In Proverbs chapter 3, notice what it says here. And if a farmer in those days read this seriously, he would be jumping with joy. And what is true of farmers is therefore true in all professions, all work. Listen to what it says in Proverbs 3, verse 9. Honor Jehovah with your goods and with the first of all your fruits, but I have no goods. Well, the goods are whatever you have. When we speak of wealth, we speak of everything that God has given us. It says, Honor Jehovah with your goods and with the first of all your fruits, and your barns will be full abundantly, and your barns will overflow with must.

It is his way of saying that God wants to honor his children and those who are willing to obey his principles. And so, what it says in this passage, initially, is that God wants to do it, then he can do it. Look at what it says. It says, in this particular passage, in verse 8, that God is powerful for what? Listen to this. Powerful to make all grace, that is, all favor, there are no limits for the favor of God. Powerful is God to make all grace, listen carefully, abound, means to overflow, to abound. Look at these words. Always, not sometimes, all is enough, not a little. In everything, not a few things. Have abundance, not a little. Abound for all good works. Here is a God who seems to be on our side to honor our finances. And then it says, not only that, but he is powerful. God in his omnipotence, look, God in his omnipotence can take his financial situation, no matter what it is, and if you obey his principles, God will honor, will favor his finances. He says he is powerful for what? For all grace to abound the finances. Well, when we put into practice his principle, which we will talk about in a moment, and we practice it, it says that several things will happen. Verse 8 says that we will have enough.

We will have enough. And not only that, it says, but we will have to give. This refers to saying, in this verse that I indicate, abound for all good works, that is, the good works of giving and helping the needy. You will have enough to give, it says, not only that, all the other areas of your life will be enriched. Look at this, please, in verse 11. So that you are enriched in everything for all liberalism. It says that God will not limit his blessing only to the financial. He will also bless and enrich it in other ways. He wants, he is powerful, and says, and when I accept the principle, this is what I will do. What is our part? Our part is very simple. And what it says here is that two things form our part, our actions and our attitude. What are our actions here? Well, join me in verse 6. But I say this, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows generously, generously will also reap. Listen carefully. I don't know how God could make this simpler. And you see, the truth is that we believe that in certain areas. However, out of absolute disbelief, we refuse to practice it in the other areas. For example, an employer hires you, and you do a good job. If you do a good job,

the employer should reward you generously if you do a good job. On the other hand, the worker also has the responsibility to do a good job. You see, the principle of sowing and reaping is not limited to money. It has to do with each area of our life. If you want to have friends, what should you do? If you want to have friends, what should you do? But not everything. One has friends when one surrenders without hesitation and is friendly. And what happens? People with more friends are the most friendly. If you want to be loved, you must give love. If it is, look, love is never unilateral. If you really want people to love you, you must surrender with love. Do you want to progress in life? Then do what is necessary. Be diligent at work. Listen, this principle absolutely, absolutely eradicates the idea of laziness, indolence, meekness, and avarice. Listen carefully. If you want to harvest a lot, you must sow in that way. So the idea of sowing and harvesting is our part. Look, God says, this is my part. He says, I want to honor your finances. I can do it. And if you allow me, I will do this. Listen to what he says. He says, each one of them as he proposed in his heart. Not with sadness or out of necessity, because God loves the happy giver. He loves, listen, if he loves the happy giver, he is anxious to honor that giver.

What we must overcome is disbelief or thinking, this applies to my particular situation. So our part is to practice the principle. And then you must also have the right attitude. And what is that attitude? God says that the right attitude is to be a happy giver. Because you see, grace not only implies receiving from God. Grace also implies my offering to God, back and forth. This is how God operates. This is how God wants to supply our needs. He must supply them. Look, how many have received something in a package that came directly from heaven? Anyone? No. Perhaps he has received many things, but all through someone. God blessed him through someone. Perhaps it was a job, or some goods, or a gift, but it came through someone. And what he says is, this is how God operates. He operates through someone. And then he says, sow and reap with joy, give with joy, and what happens? God, in turn, blesses us. This is the first part. And then what is the purpose of God honoring our finances? That is to say, what does God have in mind when he blesses someone's finances? What does he have in mind? Well, it's certainly not just to make us prosperous. But two things will happen, he says in this passage, when we all here begin to practice the principle and allow God to honor finances. In the first place, he says that he will supply our needs. In what he says in this verse, he says, To make you abound with all grace, so that having always in all things all that is sufficient,

the first thing that will happen is that he will supply the need. Look, if his need is not covered, I will ask him something. Has he put into practice the principle of sowing and reaping? Is he giving and trusting that God will multiply it? Here is the problem. You must observe this. This is how most people act. They say, God, here is my reserve. Oh, Heavenly Father, you know I have needs. And they pray that God will fill their reserve before the bills arrive. Under pressure, they live like this. Here is my reserve, God. I want your blessing. And sometimes you see it and it seems very small to you. And you think, these are not all my needs. Do you know what God is trying to make us do? Look at what God wants us to do. It is that we take that reserve and change it, that we turn it into a channel. The reserve may be shallow. A channel can measure kilometers. What God wants to do is honor our finances. But look, as long as we have the attitude of a reserve, God, this is for me, and I must prosper and strengthen my security, and Lord, you know how much I need, and God, my needs, I, I and my family, the things I want to do, and my goals and my purposes in life. And you know what God is waiting for? He is waiting for you to turn that small reserve into something big enough to fill a large amount. And as long as you continue to see it as mine, I limit what God can do. And for that reason, it says here, listen to this well, grace is, it says, and powerful is God to make you abound with all grace, in order that, having always in all things

everything enough, you abound for what? Not to have a small reserve, but to abound for all good work. Well, what is God's purpose in honoring our finances? It is to make you and me generous. That is the reason. And as we said before, if he is generous with his love, it will be returned to him. Generous with his time, God multiplies it. Generous with his friendship, he will have friends. Generous with his money, God will bless and honor his finances. It is for all areas of his life. And that is grace. Grace, look, grace is not just a word. Grace is a lifestyle. It is a way of living. It is living, look, it is living by faith. With the abundance of Almighty God. My forgiveness is the most important abundance. Forgiveness, cleanliness, justice, holiness, joy and peace in finances and relationships, whatever. God is willing to pour out his grace in every area of our life. And finances are just one of them. I will ask you something. If I asked a friend of yours to mention his name and told him, he is someone close to you or someone in your family. If I told him, do you consider this person a generous person? Would you say, well, or would you say, of course? Or would you say, generous? Is it a joke? No, it is not interesting that the stingy are so notorious. The generous, look, God says that he loves the generous. Why?

Because they act like Christ. When do we look more like him? When we surrender. Or give what we have, that is what he did. Christ was not looking for prosperity. Christ did not even have a reserve. That was him, he was a channel and he had a channel. And so we must be, not reserves, but channels. Give what we know, give what we have, give of ourselves. This is how God operates and this is how he wants us to act. Look, he said he predestined us to be conformed to his likeness. What was he like? He was a giver. And as a giver, look how the Father honored him. I want you to see that it has nothing to do with money. It has everything to do with an attitude. And the attitude is this, God says, when you give with that attitude, I will go through your channel so much that you will be blessed, everyone else will be blessed. And in addition to that, there will be many other characteristics that I will mention in a moment. I will ask you a question. Look at this. Does it have the value of being generous? Let's take something simple. Does it have the value of approaching someone with a smile and give them a handshake and say their name? Or will you say, I don't want to know him? Do you expect someone else to give you a hand? When was the last time you told someone and really felt, I really love you? Or did you say, I don't want to be sentimental?

Look, we are so often inhibited and so self-centered that God blesses us and no one else can pass. God wants to honor his life. He wants his life to be a channel of blessing for others. When was the last time you gave something to someone? Why did you know he had an economic need and you gave it to him? He didn't give it much importance. He didn't go around telling it. He just gave it because he cared. Do you consider someone generous? Do you know what it says in this whole passage? There are two chapters here. God says, my purpose is not to prosper my children. My purpose is to make my children generous. And then what happens? Prosperity is the answer to that. When he gives, look, when he gives to others, he says that we will be enriched. There is no way to give without being blessed. But if I only give to be able to receive, if that is my only reason to give, I have the wrong purpose. Will he receive? There is no doubt. That is the principle. He says, say what we sow, we will reap. And he says that we will abound in this. The key word is generosity, right? Let's think about something. Take out your pencil and I will give you two lists of things that I would like you to think about your finances and your generosity. When God honors our finances, look, God will invade our finances with his power

and something will happen. And I think there are six results here in this passage. Six results will be obtained financially. Listen. The result of giving with grace, that is, this perspective. In the perspective of being generous, number one, God will enrich us in order to enrich others. Here it is. Verse 11. I will not read the verses again. I will give you two lists. Verse 11. He will enrich us in order to enrich others. That is the law of God. Number two. By giving with a spirit of grace, we supply the needs of others. We will be the channel. Number three. In verse 12. Number three. We will be more like Christ. By beginning to have a generous spirit and giving with grace, we will be like him. Number four. God will use us to motivate others to give. People would be surprised to hear their testimonies that what motivated them to start getting out of debt and start giving is what they heard or heard someone say about what was happening in their life. Their personal testimony to motivate others to give. Number five. He will unite the people of God. In verses 14 and 15 of this chapter, Paul speaks of, he says that they were so blessed

that they prayed for you because of the superabundant grace of God for what they had given. God simply unites them. Look, isn't it true that in a family where everyone is generous, there is a great feeling of unity? If there is one or more stingy people in a family, there is always a problem. There is always conflict. Don't step on that. It's mine. Don't come in here. This is mine. Don't do this or that. There is a conflict. And if he says, keep that. Take a little more of this. Sure. Okay. There is a wonderful spirit of unity. And well, one last thing. He glorifies God when we give with grace. God is glorified. He is exalted. And he wants to bless us. Well, how can I know if I am giving with grace? God, I thank you and praise you. Everything I have is no longer in this reserve. I put it on the channel. How will I know when I am giving with a spirit of grace and if I give for grace? If you take chapter 8 of this book. 2 Corinthians chapter 8. If you take chapter 8 and you search it, you will find this.

I would like to give you five statements that are a search of chapter 8. But it's about, look, it's about how you can know when you are really giving with grace. That is, it is simply the favor of God. It is the spirit of generosity. Listen to this. Number one. With enthusiasm. Third point. Give as Christ gave. That is what the message of the other week was about. To give as Christ gave, with sacrifice. That is the way to know that I am giving. I am giving with grace. I am going to give despite my circumstances. I am going to give with enthusiasm and I will be willing to give with sacrifice. The fourth point. I will give with goodwill. With generosity and joy. I want to do it. The fifth. I will do it by faith. God, I do not see the clear path, but I will do it because you told me to do so. And listen. There are no exceptions. You just have to decide if you want God to honor your finances or not. If I were single and in debt, before I left here, when I answered the invitation, I would say, God, do you hear me? Why do I want to tell you something? And I would make a commitment before I left this place, that from now on, I would invite God to intervene in my finances with grace.

And I would start with the first principle. I would start to sow. If I were newly married, I would pray with my wife and I would tell her, from now on, it is over. Grace will reign. will govern our hearts regarding finances. If he were a teenager, he would do the same. A college student doesn't have a lot of money. He's about to finish his studies and his parents can't give him much. Start practicing it. He's not that old or that young. Why? Because that principle is universal and it always works, all the time, with anyone and everyone. It's that simple. Now I'm going to ask you a question. Do you want the best for God? Do you want Him to honor your finances? Do you want to be free from debt? Do you want to receive the best from God? Do you want to be a blessing for many? Do you want to be a channel that can never measure the scope of that channel? Do you want to glorify God and exalt His Son? Do you want to be more like Christ? Do you want more enthusiasm and excitement in your life? Do you want more joy in your life and more joy? Do you want to enjoy, look, enjoy the spirit of generosity? That's what you enjoy. Well, everything will be yours

with one decision. Lord God, by faith, I will do it.