God Gives Good Gifts

[Sue J Love]

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:7-11 ESV)

These are Jesus’ words to his disciples, his followers. So we cannot take these words and twist them any which way that we want. We have to consider the source, and to whom the words are given, and the relationship that Jesus had with his disciples, and the things that he taught them as a general rule. For this must be in agreement with his other teachings, and the teachings of his New Testament apostles, and it cannot be opposed to or opposite of his or their teachings regarding what God gifts, and to whom.

So, he was not telling them that they could ask for anything that they wanted and that he would give it to them. So, what was he teaching them? Verse 11 gives us a pretty good idea of what Jesus meant. Jesus was speaking of “good” gifts, but “good” as defined by God and not by human flesh. He is not going to give us what is bad for us. He is not going to give us what our sinful passions crave. He is not going to respond to requests that are against his will and his purpose for our lives (see James 4:1-10).

So what good gifts does God give to us who are his by faith in him? And are there stipulations (conditions) he sets forth for us in order for us to receive those gifts?

“He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.” (Romans 2:6-11 ESV)

“For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:20-23 ESV)

“So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Romans 8:12-14 ESV)

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:26-28 ESV)

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:27-30 ESV)

So, what “good gifts” are mentioned just in these few passages of Scripture? Eternal life with God. Glory and honor and peace. Sanctification and eternal life with Jesus Christ, our Lord. Life in/with God. We are children of God. The Spirit helps us in our weakness. The Spirit intercedes for us. All things work together for good. Eternal life with God. Jesus knows us. We will never perish. No one can snatch us out of the hands of God. Sounds good, right?

But all these “good things” of God have conditions. They all have very specific people to whom they are promised. Not everyone can claim these “good things” for themselves, not even all who profess to believe in Jesus Christ. For these “good things” (and many more) have conditions.

They are for “those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality” and for “everyone who does good.” And for you who “have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God.” They are for those who are putting “to death the deeds of the body” and who are being “led by the Spirit of God.” For “the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” And the saints are those who are living holy lives, separate from the world, because they are being conformed to the likeness of Christ.

And it is for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose, for whom all things work together for good. And those who love God are those who obey God, for if we do not obey him, we do not love him. We don’t even know him. And God’s purpose for us is that we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in walks of surrender and in obedience to his commands. And his promise of eternal life, that we will never perish, and that we can’t be snatched out of his hands, is for his sheep who listen to him, who adhere his words, and who obey his commands, in practice.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]

My Sheep

An Original Work / June 24, 2012
Based off John 10:1-30 NIV

My sheep hear me. They know me.
They listen to my voice and obey.
I call them and lead them.
They know my voice, so they follow me.
They will never follow strangers.
They will run away from them.
The voice of a stranger they know not;
They do not follow him.

So, I tell you the truth that
I am the gate, so you enter in.
Whoever does enter
Will find forgiveness and will be saved.
Nonetheless whoever enters
Not by the gate; other way,
He is the thief and a robber.
Listen not, the sheep to him.

Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,
Who laid his own life down for the sheep.
I know them. They know me.
They will live with me eternally.
The thief only comes to steal and
Kill and to destroy the church.
I have come to give you life that
You may have it to the full…

They know my voice, so they follow me.

An Original Work / January 22, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

 

[Garee]

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:7-11 ESV)

These are Jesus’ words to his disciples, his followers. So we cannot take these words and twist them any which way that we want. We have to consider the source, and to whom the words are given, and the relationship that Jesus had with his disciples, and the things that he taught them as a general rule. For this must be in agreement with his other teachings, and the teachings of his New Testament apostles, and it cannot be opposed to or opposite of his or their teachings regarding what God gifts, and to whom.

So, he was not telling them that they could ask for anything that they wanted and that he would give it to them. So, what was he teaching them? Verse 11 gives us a pretty good idea of what Jesus meant. Jesus was speaking of “good” gifts, but “good” as defined by God and not by human flesh. He is not going to give us what is bad for us. He is not going to give us what our sinful passions crave. He is not going to respond to requests that are against his will and his purpose for our lives (see James 4:1-10).

So what good gifts does God give to us who are his by faith in him? And are there stipulations (conditions) he sets forth for us in order for us to receive those gifts?

“He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.” (Romans 2:6-11 ESV)

“For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:20-23 ESV)

“So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Romans 8:12-14 ESV)

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:26-28 ESV)

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:27-30 ESV)

So, what “good gifts” are mentioned just in these few passages of Scripture? Eternal life with God. Glory and honor and peace. Sanctification and eternal life with Jesus Christ, our Lord. Life in/with God. We are children of God. The Spirit helps us in our weakness. The Spirit intercedes for us. All things work together for good. Eternal life with God. Jesus knows us. We will never perish. No one can snatch us out of the hands of God. Sounds good, right?

But all these “good things” of God have conditions. They all have very specific people to whom they are promised. Not everyone can claim these “good things” for themselves, not even all who profess to believe in Jesus Christ. For these “good things” (and many more) have conditions.

They are for “those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality” and for “everyone who does good.” And for you who “have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God.” They are for those who are putting “to death the deeds of the body” and who are being “led by the Spirit of God.” For “the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” And the saints are those who are living holy lives, separate from the world, because they are being conformed to the likeness of Christ.

And it is for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose, for whom all things work together for good. And those who love God are those who obey God, for if we do not obey him, we do not love him. We don’t even know him. And God’s purpose for us is that we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in walks of surrender and in obedience to his commands. And his promise of eternal life, that we will never perish, and that we can’t be snatched out of his hands, is for his sheep who listen to him, who adhere his words, and who obey his commands, in practice.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]

My Sheep

An Original Work / June 24, 2012
Based off John 10:1-30 NIV

My sheep hear me. They know me.
They listen to my voice and obey.
I call them and lead them.
They know my voice, so they follow me.
They will never follow strangers.
They will run away from them.
The voice of a stranger they know not;
They do not follow him.

So, I tell you the truth that
I am the gate, so you enter in.
Whoever does enter
Will find forgiveness and will be saved.
Nonetheless whoever enters
Not by the gate; other way,
He is the thief and a robber.
Listen not, the sheep to him.

Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,
Who laid his own life down for the sheep.
I know them. They know me.
They will live with me eternally.
The thief only comes to steal and
Kill and to destroy the church.
I have come to give you life that
You may have it to the full…

They know my voice, so they follow me.

An Original Work / January 22, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Thanks A blessing

Great way of presenting God alone is the one golden good teaching master as Lord. Jesus the Son of man denied he was the good one and gave glory to the unseen holy father. (Matthew 19:16.)

Christ from the beginning defined the word good as the seal of his faithful approval after each demonstration ending day six with. . it was very good

Interesting when building the garden city Eden to represent the bride of Christ the church. Gold the only rudiment of this corrupted creation as good represent faith the revealing of the unseen etenal things .Called the golden measure immeasurable understanding .

Genisis 2:8-12And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.;And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four ; The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;
;And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone.

Revelation 21:15-17And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, (literal) that is, of the angel.

Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. (Power)


Deuteronomy 31:25-27 That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying,Take this book of the law, and put it in the side (hiding that inside) of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.;For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the Lord; and how much more after my death?

The golden measure of Christ's faithful powerful understanding.

Yoked with him our spiritual burden can be lighter. . if when hearing his voice as it is written, we do not harden our born-again hearts.

 

[Sue J Love]

Thanks A blessing

Great way of presenting God alone is the one golden good teaching master as Lord. Jesus the Son of man denied he was the good one and gave glory to the unseen holy father. (Matthew 19:16.)

Christ from the beginning defined the word good as the seal of his faithful approval after each demonstration ending day six with. . it was very good

Interesting when building the garden city Eden to represent the bride of Christ the church. Gold the only rudiment of this corrupted creation as good represent faith the revealing of the unseen etenal things .Called the golden measure immeasurable understanding .

Genisis 2:8-12And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.;And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four ; The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;
;And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone.

Revelation 21:15-17And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, (literal) that is, of the angel.

Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. (Power)


Deuteronomy 31:25-27 That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying,Take this book of the law, and put it in the side (hiding that inside) of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.;For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the Lord; and how much more after my death?

The golden measure of Christ's faithful powerful understanding.

Yoked with him our spiritual burden can be lighter. . if when hearing his voice as it is written, we do not harden our born-again hearts.

Garee, thank you for your kind and thoughtful response and for sharing with me your thoughts on this subject. Yes, it is important that we define this word "good" in light of the goodness of God and how he defines "good."