At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:3-7
“All the righteous works we attempt cannot provide the rescue from our misery. God’s mercy alone is the agent of salvation. Paul’s words seem to drip with God’s great kindness. God saved us. God washed us. God rebirthed and renewed us. God poured out the Holy Spirit on us. God was generous with us. God gives us an inheritance. God gives us a hope of eternal life.
Because God’s kindness, cleansing, anointing, and inheritance met us in our broken and needy state, Christians continue God’s tradition of mercy. The connection to money comes here. Because we take on God’s character of extravagant mercy, we harness money’s power for that purpose. We support efforts to share God’s extravagant love with other needy and broken people.”
Mark Vincent in A Christian View of Money, Third Edition: Celebrating God’s Generosity (Eugene: Wipf & Stock, 1997) 47-48. Mark is both a personal friend and a capable scholar. If you have not read this book, it’s worth your time.
This marks my final post on the topic of inheritance and its connection to generosity, at least for now. About the time this meditation posts, Jenni and I will be boarding our flight back to Denver. You will have to wait until tomorrow to see my next theme.
Today’s biblical text celebrates the inheritance that the Apostle Paul passed on to Titus, which eventually made it to my parents and to me, so that I too would become an heir of the hope of eternal life.
Notice how Vincent puts money in its rightful place for Christ followers. Our role is to “continue God’s tradition” of harnessing the power of money to make known God’s extravagant mercy!
Still want to read more on this topic? For further reading linked to inheritance, check out the recent blog post I wrote entitled “Four Tips for Leaving a Legacy of Christian Generosity” and consider prayerfully putting some of the ideas therein into practice.