God made it all. God owns it all. This is a simple biblical truth we have often forgotten. Yet, it is one of the most important in understanding the relationship that exists between God and man.
In Genesis chapter one, we are told, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” In Exodus 19:5-6, the Lord said to Moses, “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” In Psalm 50, we read, “For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine.” And in his first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul echoes the Psalmist in Chapter 10, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.”
God has never relinquished ownership of His creation. When man fell, God immediately put into place a plan of salvation. “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Gal. 4:4-5). Christ came into the world to save the world. He kept the law perfectly in the place of everyone. He suffered, died and rose from the dead. Now, God has “...seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church” (Eph. 1:20-22).
God truly owns and cares for his creation. He is the Proprietor. He gives us blessings for our needs, for our use, for our enjoyment and to do good to others.
By grace, for Christ’s sake, we are God’s people. Through Word and Sacrament, the Spirit nourishes and strengthens us in faith and life. As God’s people, we live lives of good works. This includes the use of our money to glorify God and serve our neighbor. By the power of the Gospel, we are able to do this freely, generously and joyfully.
In Genesis chapter one, we are told, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” In Exodus 19:5-6, the Lord said to Moses, “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” In Psalm 50, we read, “For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine.” And in his first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul echoes the Psalmist in Chapter 10, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.”
God has never relinquished ownership of His creation. When man fell, God immediately put into place a plan of salvation. “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Gal. 4:4-5). Christ came into the world to save the world. He kept the law perfectly in the place of everyone. He suffered, died and rose from the dead. Now, God has “...seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church” (Eph. 1:20-22).
God truly owns and cares for his creation. He is the Proprietor. He gives us blessings for our needs, for our use, for our enjoyment and to do good to others.
By grace, for Christ’s sake, we are God’s people. Through Word and Sacrament, the Spirit nourishes and strengthens us in faith and life. As God’s people, we live lives of good works. This includes the use of our money to glorify God and serve our neighbor. By the power of the Gospel, we are able to do this freely, generously and joyfully.
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