1 Chronicles 24:1-25:31; Ezekiel 22:1-31; John 8:12-30
And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God. 2 Corinthians 8:5
The Macedonian saints’ generosity stemmed from their consecration: They “first gave their own selves to the Lord”. Indeed, all true discipleship flows out of gratitude for Christ’s work on our behalf. Since He died for us, spiritual logic dictates that we present ourselves as living sacrifices to Him (Rom. 12:1). After giving our lives to Him, sharing our substance flows as a matter of course. All we are and have belong to God who bought us with His own blood (Acts 20:28). —Keith Keyser
Perish every fond ambition,
All I’ve sought or hoped or known;
Yet how rich is my condition;
God and heaven are still my own! —Henry Francis Lyte