Stewardship is . . . God giving Spiritual gifts.

Stewardship begins and ends with God. God is the prime mover. God gives, we are given to (or we receive). God gives, God moves us to respond. God gives and moves us to give praise and glory to His Holy, Precious, name.

Dr. Martin Luther said it best in his explanation to the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed:

I believe that I cannot by my own reason our strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian Church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true.

It the Holy Spirit who brings us to (gives us) faith, strengthens us in our faith and keeps us in our faith until we reach our home in heaven. At our Baptism the Holy Spirit creates faith in our hearts. Throughout our lives the Holy Spirit works through the means of grace (the Word and Sacraments - Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper) to strengthen us in our faith. And it is the Holy Spirit who keeps us in faith until we reach heaven.

We are given (receive) God’s gifts through His means. Through worship and Bible class, as we read our Bibles, as we hear God’s Word read on Sunday morning and any other way we are given God’s Word; as we remember our Baptism, and partake of Christ’s true Body and Blood, in, with, and under the Bread and Wine, in His Holy Supper, the Lord fills us with His spiritual gifts.

2 of 52 © Rev. Ronald A. Bogs