Living Proof of Grace in a Self-Serving World
Nehemiah 5:14–19
The final movement of Nehemiah 5 shifts from confrontation to example. After exposing injustice and calling for repentance, Nehemiah quietly presents his own life as a contrast. For twelve years as governor, he refuses to exploit his position. He does not tax the people heavily. He absorbs personal cost. He feeds others at his own expense.
Why? Nehemiah tells us plainly: “Because of the fear of God.”
Nehemiah’s generosity is not an attempt to earn God’s favour. It flows from a life lived before God’s face. Grace reshapes not only what we confess, but how we live. Where the nobles measured how much they could take, Nehemiah measured how much he could give.
This is not hero worship. Nehemiah is not the saviour of the story. His life points beyond itself to a greater reality: when the gospel takes root, generosity becomes normal. Integrity becomes visible. Leadership becomes service.
In a world driven by self-interest, sacrificial generosity stands out. It restores trust. It heals division. It strengthens witness. And it reflects the heart of Christ Himself — who did not exploit His position, but gave Himself for others.
Nehemiah 5 calls us to ask searching questions. How do we use what God has entrusted to us? Do we burden others or bless them? Do our lives provide visible evidence that grace has taken hold?
The gospel does not merely forgive us; it transforms us. And when it does, our lives become living proof that grace is real.