Wealthy Enough to Give Radically?

St Nicholas, the man behind the tradition of Christmas giving, was described as "wealthy by inheritance and radical in generosity." What if that described every Christian? The Bible begins with a gift. God tells humanity, "I have given you every seed-bearing plant…" (Genesis 1:29). God gives first, and He gives abundantly. And that rhythm continues throughout Scripture. He gives Israel a land. He gives the world His Son. Jesus gives forgiveness, healing, peace and hope. He gives us His Spirit. And ultimately, "the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23) God is the Great Gift Giver. Which means those who belong to Christ are extraordinarily wealthy. We have received forgiveness, reconciliation, adoption, grace, peace, hope, the Holy Spirit and an eternal inheritance that "can never perish, spoil or fade." (1 Peter 1:4) We are wealthy by inheritance. And that should make us radical in generosity. Jesus said: "Freely you have received; freely give." (Matthew 10:8) Generosity isn't about how much money you have. It begins with recognising how much you have already received. God gives first. We respond second. So perhaps the question isn't, "Can I afford to be radically generous?" Perhaps the real question is: Do I actually believe I am as rich in Christ as the Bible says I am? (Craig B). Open Bible – bit.ly/Gen1v29, bit.ly/rom6v23, bit.ly/1pe1v4, bit.ly/Mat10v8