TWO KINDS OF RECEIVING

Wednesday 19 February

And [yet] although my physical condition was [such] a trial to you, you did not regard it with contempt, or scorn and loathe and reject me; but you RECEIVED (dechomai) me as an angel of God, [even] as Christ Jesus [Himself]!

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one RECEIVES (lambano) the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.

When it comes to reading the Word, you always have to bear in mind that there could be different meanings in English to the original Hebrew or Greek. The other thing to consider is if there is more than one word in the particular language that the original text was written in. Take our two opening scriptures as a prime example.

There are two words that describe receive and are actually very different in nature. Dechomai is passive in the way it receives and Lambano is very active.

The best way to describe the difference is ‘dechomai’ is like someone hands you a gift. You have done nothing to earn it, nevertheless it was offered to you and you ‘dechomaied’ it. A way to describe dechomai would be a joyful and welcome acceptance that has no other action to it than a passive receiving. We see this kind of receiving evident in a person’s willingness to take the the package of salvation that has been offered to them in Christ.

As awesome as this kind of receiving is as far as salvation is concerned, it can colour our perception on receiving and make us believe that everything that we ‘get from God’ is going to happen in the same manner. This is why we must study not just read God’s Word to understand its true meaning.

Once we are in Christ, our receiving mode must be ‘switched over’ from dechomai to lambano. Have you ever heard the Latin phrase Carpe Diem? It is translated as seize the day. This is a good way to think about lambano. Just as dechomai was passive, lambano is the exact opposite. It means to take hold of and to make your own. If you don’t have this aggressive style approach when it comes to receiving in the Kingdom, you won’t possess what rightfully belongs to you in Christ.

If you’re waiting for something to fall out the sky and into your hands, you are going to be disappointed. Lambano doesn’t sit back or wait and see what happens. Lambano says I am taking hold of my health, my finances, everything that concerns me in Jesus name.

It will take determination and courage to take what belongs to you. Don’t think Satan will be applauding you for it. He will do whatever he can to try to stop you from enjoying your inheritance but the Lambano kind of receiving doesn’t take no for an answer.

Maybe you have been passive in your receiving up to now, it’s time to start seizing what is yours. That’s exactly the reason why you should have the confidence to take possession of everything that belongs to you in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:16 tells us something:

‘Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.’

Question: What belongs to God? Everything! So what are you able to actively make yours? Everything. Joint heirs means everything that belongs to Jesus belongs to us. This is mind blowing! God never exaggerates. If we continue to lambano our way through life, we will realise that it’s always been up to us to manifest our inheritance.

No one is coming to save you. Jesus already did! No one can do your lambanoing for you. It’s all on you. Stop waiting for it and start taking it in Jesus name!

APPLICATION

Make a decision that you will take hold of everything that is rightfully yours as a child of God by adopting the mindset of a victor not a victim.