The Bounties Of God

 The Bounties Of God

"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man - the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." (1 Corinthians 2:9).

How often this passage is quoted only that far; how rarely are the words added, "But God has revealed them unto us by His Spirit" (verse 10). Why is this? Is it because so few of God's people search out and enjoy what the Spirit has revealed in the Word about those things which God has prepared for those who love Him? If we were more occupied with God's riches, than with our poverty; Christ's fullness, than our emptiness; the divine bounties, than our leanness - on what a different level of experience we would live!

We are much impressed by noting some of "the riches of His grace" (Ephesians 1:7). It is striking to note that our Christian life starts at a marriage feast; just as Christ's first miracle was wrought at one. The word to us is, "Come, for all things are now ready"; "Behold I have prepared My dinner; My oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready; come unto the marriage feast. Observe the "I have prepared," agreeing with "the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." (1 Corinthians 2:9). Notice the "are ready," confirming "God has revealed them unto us" (1 Corinthians 2:10). The creature contributes nothing; all is provided for him. Finally, weigh the "come unto the marriage feast." The figure is very blessed; it speaks of joy, festivity, feasting.

He spread the banquet, make me eat, Bid all my fears remove; Yes, o'er my guilty, rebel head He placed His banner - LOVE.

A beautiful type of the lavish manner in which God bestows His bounties upon His people is found in Genesis 9:3, "Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things." 

These blessings are based upon God's estimate of the value of Christ's sacrifice of Himself. The abiding worth of that sacrifice is immeasurable and illimitable; as immeasurable as the personal excellency of the Son, as illimitable as the Father's delight in Him. The nature and extent of those blessings, which accrue to God's elect on the ground of Christ's finished work, are intimated by the substantives and adjectives employed by the Holy Spirit when He describes the profuseness of the divine bounties already bestowed upon us, and which we shall enjoy forever!

Take first God's grace. Not only are we told of the "riches of His grace", and of the exceeding riches of His grace:, but also we read that it has "abounded unto many," and that we receive "abundance of grace," yes, that grace has super-abounded - the limitless wealth of divine grace flowing forth and multiplying itself in its objects. The foundation or moving cause of this is found in John 1. When the only begotten Son became flesh and tabernacled here for a season, it was as One who was "full of grace and truth." Because we have been made joint heirs with Him it is written, "And of His fullness have all we received and grace upon grace." (John 1:16).

Take again God's love. There has been neither reserve nor restraint in the outflow of His love for His people with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3).

Our present theme is inexhaustible. Our Lord came here that His people "might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).

Consider now His confidences. The Lord Jesus said to His disciples, "Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knows not what his Lord does. But I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you" (John 15:15). 

In such lavish measure God has blessed His people. What shall our response be to such divine munifleence? Surely it is that "the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many rebound to the glory of God" (2 Corinthians 4:15). Surely it is that we should "abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13). 

If God speaks so uniformly of the varied character of our blessing - as being so abundant it must be because He wants to impress our hearts with the exuberance of the bounties He has bestowed on us. The practical effect of this on our souls should cause us to "rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:11), to draw out all that is within us in true worship, to fit us for a closer and deeper fellowship with Him. "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:8).

~A. W. Pink~

(The End)