God's Generosity
To us who believe, every drop of God’s wrath was poured out on Christ so that every spiritual blessing might be poured out on us.
"The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:15-17).
There is a world of theology embedded in these few verses, but one observation may be easy to miss. Notice how God's default setting is to bless— you may surely eat of every tree. He only gives humanity one prohibition: not eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This observation tells us something about God’s generosity of God. He didn't create a world of bare-minimal joy. His life and love are bountiful and broad. Creation itself is the overflow of His own superabounding inner life of joy. God had every right to give us 10,000 prohibitions with only one token of kindness, but He did the complete opposite— He gave humanity far more than we needed to survive. He gave us 10,000 ways to enjoy Him and flourish under His rule. He only gave us one prohibition, and even that was for the sake of our joy in Him.
Dear believer, the Lord is not a stingy God. He’s no miser, seeking ways to frustrate our joy. God is generous. He is the Lord of joy. He is gracious and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. The evidence of this superabounding goodness is most evident in the gift of His Son because when God gave us His Son, He gave us His all. In Christ, we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. What greater gift could God give? To us who believe, every drop of God’s wrath was poured out on Christ so that every spiritual blessing might be poured out on us. Surely now, goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives! God is good!
This Sunday At Immanuel
Sunday Morning…
SUNDAY WORSHIP: Join us for our 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. HOLY COMMUNION services as Pastor Sam Allberry begins a new series in the book of James.
Sunday Seminars…
9 AM: Student Seminar led by Vince Greenwald (grades 5-12) in the gymnasium
9 AM: Studying the Bible Together, led by Dr. Tom Cox, studying the book of Romans in the staff lounge
9 AM: Last Word: The Gospel of Christ in the Book of Revelation, led by Dr. Russell Moore in the cafe
10:45 AM: How to Talk About Jesus Without Being Weird, led by Dr. Gavin Ortlund in the cafe
On the Horizon…
Women’s Retreat Deadline: Over 100 women are signed up for our women's retreat with Jani Ortlund next weekend, Sept. 27-28. There are plenty more spots, and the sign-up deadline to jump in is Monday, September 23. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn and connect! Register for the women’s retreat here!
Men’s & Women’s Fellowship: Starting September 9th, men's and women’s fellowship kicks off at Immanuel! Every Monday from 7 pm to 8:30 pm, the women, led by Amy Cox, will gather in the cafe, and the men, led by Tony Shepherd, will gather in the gymnasium. We hope to see you there!