Topic: The Authority of Stewardship [Tony Evans Ministry 18 December 2019]

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In His Presence: You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free (John 8:32).

How do you know if you are being a good steward? There is only one way to know—read God’s Word. Deuteronomy 8:3 says: “Man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.” We show our love for God by obeying Him, being a steward who manages things on His terms.

Human ownership must be governed by God. That’s why when God made Adam, the first thing He did was give him instruction: “The Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day you eat from it you will surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17). God gives instruction to protect us, and following His instruction provides His results.

When you first consider stewardship, you might think it has too many limitations. But let me assure you that the limitations of stewardship are always for the enjoyment of it. God doesn’t give us commands to stifle our stewardship, but rather to expand it. We shouldn’t think that God’s ways are negative—we can’t do this or that—because the negative exists to enhance the positive.

So many people think God’s commands restrict their freedom. But freedom in the biblical sense never means just doing what you want. Freedom in the Bible is the power to do what you ought to do. How do we get that kind of freedom? Jesus told us the truth sets us free, and the absolute standard of truth is God’s Word.

One Minute Please

The authority of stewardship is none other than the Word of God.