Financial Discipleship – the Bible on BribesSample

They say the way to someone’s soul is through the eyes. It is not a coincidence that once your eyes are clouded, so then is the heart, followed by the ability to discern what’s right and what’s wrong (Ecclesiastes 7:7).

Our Heavenly Father loves us so much that He sacrificed His Son for us to be able to receive eternal life. All of us, without exception. For He is just (2 Chronicles 19:7).

We were bought at a price. Our ultimate duty here on earth is to serve Him, to love Him, and to follow Him… with our hearts, simply because we desire to do so without coercion. He did not bribe us with anything for the cause. He did not bribe us to love Him.

Instead, He chose to give His Son… so that we could make the choice for ourselves: the choice to accept eternal life (Proverbs 15:27) and forever drink from the fountain (Isaiah 33:15-16).

God is pure and righteous. We cannot bargain with Him (Deuteronomy 10:17). May we follow the Father’s example. When we move for a cause, we won’t taint our words with the action of bribing others who are already unwilling, even if the cause is good. We won’t marry honesty with dishonesty. And may we serve freely. No stipulations. No conditions. No bribes. Because Jesus paid it all.

(excerpt taken from The Bible on Money, Compass-finances God's way, 2022)