Grace As the Foundation of Giving

Transcript

GR 1817
10/18/2015
Grace Is the Foundation of Giving
2 Corinthians 8:7-9
Gil Rugh

Let me direct your attention to 2 Corinthians 8. The Spirit of God directs Paul in the writing of this letter and as you might expect writing a letter to a church that he can't have personal contact on a regular basis, he includes a variety of subjects. And the subject that he is addressing now is a collection of money that he is making with the intention of taking it to the church in Jerusalem. And we noted it is important to keep in mind the context of what this offering is about. That doesn't mean that there aren't other passages that indicate responsibilities and obligations we have in our giving and we'll just touch on some of those. The principles used here to guide in giving will be applicable in most all of our situations where we give as believers. But Paul is so fully involved and committed to this offering, this collection because of a theological as well as a material reason. The churches he is collecting money from are Gentile churches, people in Gentile parts of the world, Gentiles who have come to trust Christ. The church in Jerusalem is primarily Jewish. Being in Jerusalem it is where the church began in Acts 2 and it is comprised of Jews undergoing great persecution and suffering and there would be significant poverty in the church there. Paul sees this as an opportunity for the Gentiles to express their love and appreciation for the Jews and their Jewish heritage.

Remember we talked about, looked at passages as Paul, a Jew who is the apostle carrying the Gospel to the Gentiles, was concerned not to allow the Jews to turn the church into a Jewish church. He is also concerned that the Gentiles not fail to appreciate the fact that their benefits in Christ have come out of a Jewish background. We looked in Romans 11 where they have become partakers of the rich root of the olive tree, the covenant God made with Abraham where He promised in you all nations of the earth will be blessed.

Just back up to Romans 15 for a quick review, just before the letters to the Corinthians. In Romans 15 and just to plug away in your mind it will become significant as we move into our study today, Paul wrote the letter to the Romans from Corinth when he arrived there sometime after writing the second letter to the Corinthians. When he writes 2 Corinthians, he is in Macedonia, the northern part of Greece. He will later then travel down to Corinth. He'll spend three months there according to Acts 20. And during that three-month stay he writes the letter to the Romans.

And here he tells them he anticipates going to Spain, and he hopes to stop in Rome on his way to Spain. But his intention now is to leave Corinth and go to Jerusalem. So he says in Romans 15:25, “But now I am going to Jerusalem, serving the saints.” That serving the saints is taking the offering that was collected for the poor Jews in Jerusalem, Jewish believers, back to them. “For Macedonia and Achaia,” Macedonia the northern province of Greece, Achaia the southern province, “have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. Yes they were pleased to do so and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things.” Paul says it is only fitting the Gentiles would want to help the Jewish believers in their time of physical need because these Gentile believers have received the benefits that have come to them out of the Jewish background.

Come over to Ephesians 2, another passage where Paul stresses this. We have books like Galatians where he battles against the Jewish influence turning the church into a Jewish church. Here he is expressing to Gentile churches the benefit they have received from the Jews. Ephesians 2:11, “Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh were called the uncircumcision by the circumcision which is performed in the flesh by human hands.” The contrast - physical circumcision was the sign of God's covenant with Abraham. So the Gentiles were called the uncircumcision, they are outside and excluded from the benefits of that covenant. “Remember at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel.” Christ is the anointed One, He is the Jewish Messiah. “From the commonwealth of Israel, strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” And then “in Christ we were brought near” and we have become beneficiaries as the work of God, now, is joining Jew and Gentile into one body. That does not replace Israel. Romans 11 talks about this, the Gentiles have been grafted in during this time when God brings salvation blessing to Gentiles. That will conclude when God returns to His program with the nation Israel and the nation will experience His salvation.

So come back to 2 Corinthians 8. That's the historical context. This is a tangible way for the believing Gentiles to express their love, their gratitude and the grace of God in their lives, as we will see, by this financial offering to help the needy believers in the church at Jerusalem. Remember to be a Jew in Jerusalem and become a Christian, your life could quickly be turned to misery. Your family is done with you, you could be fired from your job. Romans weren't interested in justice in that area. They are fine as long as you don't disrupt the empire. So Jews could quickly be reduced to poverty, lose a job, be cut off from family, and now struggle to get by. You have added things going on. There is a famine that comes in the days of Claudius, which always impacts the poor more than the well-to-do, those kinds of disasters. But at any rate Paul is taking the collection.

He has talked in the first six verses about the activity of the Macedonian churches. Remember the Macedonian churches are in northern Greece—Philippi, Thessalonica and Berea. Ministered to by Paul, Paul wrote letters to the church at Philippi and the church at Thessalonica that we have in our New Testament. They have given and they have given generously out of their poverty. Verse 2, “They had deep poverty.” We noted that word poverty in and of itself means extreme poverty. And then you add the word deep, that bottom-of-the-barrel poverty, down-to-the-depths poverty. But they gave generously and “they gave of their own accord,” verse 3. And they strongly begged Paul for the privilege of giving. That word grace is dominant, remember, it is used more times in chapter 8 than any other single chapter in the Bible. Used seven times in chapter 8 and three more times in connection with the offering in chapter 9. Paul sees this as intricately related and tied to God's grace. So “they begged us,” verse 4, “for the favor or grace of participation.” This would be an evidence of grace that they would fellowship in this offering.

So he tells the Corinthians about what the Macedonians have done, then in verse 6 he says Titus is going to come to make sure all the proper arrangements have been made. Paul's intention was this collection, remember he wrote about it in his first letter to the Corinthians, 1 Corinthians 16. They would bring what they want to give on the first day of the week. The intention would be the collection would be complete by the time Paul arrived. He is writing to encourage them and remind them of the importance of following through on that commitment. In verse 6, “We urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning,” he's been involved with this collection from the beginning, “he would also complete in you,” you'll note, “this gracious work,” this grace work. Again this is a work of God's grace in their lives. It's going to be important, he'll pick up with basically the same expression at the end of verse 7, “see that you abound in this gracious work,” this grace work, this work of grace also. So this is how Paul sees this offering. And he's going to challenge the Corinthians, this is an opportunity for you to demonstrate God's grace at work in your lives, manifested again.

So in verse 7 we pick up, he's going to encourage them to follow through, be generous in their giving. He's going to correct any misunderstanding in this section as well. He is not giving commands as an apostle, telling them this is something they must do. But the kind of pressure that is applied will make them want to do it because you can't really demonstrate and manifest God's overflowing grace in your life if you don't do it. But it's your decision to do it. But you must understand the importance of it.

So in verse 7, “Just as you abound in everything.” Then skip to the end of the verse, “See that you abound in this grace work also.” So Paul compliments them as we've noticed in this letter. And the Spirit is directing Paul to say this is how God would have us look at things. The Corinthians aren't a perfect church. In fact when we think of the Corinthians we usually think of trouble, right? But Paul talks here about the Corinthians abounding, overflowing in God's grace in their lives. But there is an area where they have an opportunity to show this grace. We think sometimes when you read this you could say if we didn't know the Spirit is inspiring Paul, he could be being disingenuous, he is pouring it on, he is flattering them. I mean, do you really think they are abounding in grace and everything? The “everything” is qualified as we will see, he is talking about in spiritual gifts, in the exercise of those gifts. And it's not mere flattery. It's the Spirit of God directing him. He appreciates the evidence of God's grace and the manifestation of that grace in the areas. He is going to mention some. But he is concerned that that grace be overflowing in another area of their lives as well. And we've talked about an analogy with our children and they do well in an area. Maybe their report card at school, they come back and they have good grades. You compliment them on that. But that doesn't mean that it's all right that they didn't do well in another course. Kids think it should balance, we all know that. I thought my Dad should understand a good grade in this class offset a bad grade in this class. He hadn't matured to that state yet to appreciate the logic of that argument. And it's not true. You compliment your child because “you did well and you did what you should do.” But there is a problem here. You should be doing well in this area as well.

So that's what is going on with God's children. God compliments them and encourages them, but at the same time they are reminded that there is room for growth. And you have an opportunity here to manifest the grace in an area that will compliment and demonstrate God's overflowing grace in your lives. “Just as you abound in everything, in faith, utterance, knowledge, earnestness, love, abound in this work also.”

Come back to Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, 1 Corinthians 1, Paul's previous letter to the Corinthians. And you'll see the connection to what Paul is writing in the second letter. He's writing “to the church of God which is at Corinth,” verse 2, “they've been sanctified in Christ Jesus.” They are saints by calling. Verse 4, “I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus.” Now another example, just jump over to chapter 3 before we continue. Note what he writes them in 1 Corinthians 3:1, “And brethren, I could not speak to you as spiritual men but as the men of flesh, infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food. You were not able to receive it, indeed you are not yet able. You are still fleshly, jealousy and strife are among you.” Doesn't mean you are fleshly, you are acting like a church that doesn't have the Spirit of God. But back here in 1 Corinthians 1:4, “I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God.” Well, which is it? It is both. These are God's children, this is the church of God which has been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints, holy ones by calling. And Paul gives thanks to God for the grace that has brought them salvation and thus gifted and enabled them to function as the body of Christ in that place.

Note how he goes on. “That in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge.” Those two words are going to be used in our passage in 2 Corinthians 8, they are two of the words used in verse 7. So remember those. He's talking about spiritual gifts. “Even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you so that you are not lacking in any gift.” The word gift, we get the word charismatic from it. Charis is the Greek word for gift, charismatic gift is a gift of grace. So “I thank God,” verse 4, “for the grace of God given you.” You are not lacking in any grace gift. This is the realm he is talking about. Doesn't mean they are perfect in every way, but the grace of God is fully manifest as the gifts God has given them as a church are in operation. They are exercising the gift. A spiritual gift is an enablement given a person when they place their faith in Christ, the Spirit of God takes up residence within them. Paul will expand on that in 1 Corinthians 12-14. It demonstrates the Spirit's presence, it enables a person to function and contribute to the body of Christ. This local church, Corinth, had all the spiritual gifts necessary for them to function in a way that pleased God. And Paul said those gifts were operating in abundance in a clear way to demonstrate God's grace. That's what happens as we function, each part. That analogy is with the physical body, as Paul will develop in 1 Corinthians 13. And each part of the physical body has a role to play and every part is important because it is when every part functions just as it should that the body can function completely. I could have a stroke and not be able to use this arm anymore, it could be inoperative. The body would still function, but it wouldn't function with the effectiveness I can have when I can have the use of both. So to the extent spiritual gifts are not exercised, the body is hindered from as fully demonstrating God's grace and work in maturing us. The Corinthians are a great testimony of people using their gifts, the body functioning together.

So come back to 2 Corinthians 8. We are going to see these are gifts that he talks about, “they abound in everything,” and the “everything” is in the context of the gifts he is going to mention and activities related to the gifts. The first he mentions is faith. “You abound in everything, in faith.” That's probably not saving faith here because he is talking about those manifestations of grace in the activity of the church. To be sure God's grace brought His salvation, which includes their saving faith, but here it seems it's in the context of exercising the gift.

Come back to Romans 12, look at verse 6. And remember Paul wrote this letter from the city of Corinth. So you can see the connection, he talks about the gifts in 1 Corinthians 1, he talks about the gifts again in the section we are in, in 2 Corinthians, and then he writes from Corinth to tell the Romans about spiritual gifts. Verse 6, “Since we have gifts that differ, according to the grace given us.” The special enablement to function as an effective part of the body of Christ in a local church are given to us as God bestows His grace on us. Each of us is to exercise them accordingly. “If prophecy,” now he is going to start mentioning gifts, prophecy was one of the gifts, “according to the proportion of his faith.” Evidently is connected with the exercising of this gift, part of having it would be the faith to trust God in using it. Part of the gift of God's grace. And they will be various degrees. I teach. I have to function according to the proportion of faith and someone else might have a greater, stronger, more powerful gift than I have. I have to function according to the proportion of faith that God has given me, exercising fully and trusting Him to use my gift to the fullest. That still may not mean that someone else will have the gift in a greater way than I do and be used in greater ways than I am. That's true of each of our gifts, and there is a personal dimension that we have to realize. I have to use my gift to the fullest of what God has given me. And connected with that is the faith to trust God. You all know, Lord, I can't do anything in and of myself, but I am trusting you to use me, believing God will use me as I function here. So faith is connected to the gift and the exercising of the gift.

Stop in 1 Corinthians 12. Faith is mentioned as a gift here in verse 9, “To another faith by the same Spirit,” talking about the different gifts. Verse 7 says, “Each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” We've been through the study of gifts, spiritual gifts are given not for your personal benefit, but for the benefit of others. My gift is not to benefit me, it's to benefit you. And that's true of all the gifts as we exercise them. And then he mentions the gift of faith. Verse 9, “To another faith by the same Spirit.” And as a separate gift that may be a gift that enables a person to function in a greater way, trusting God. Could be in leadership and decisions that have to be made. Then as was drawn to my attention in the previous hour, the followers also need the gift of faith to trust God in the decision that the leaders who were trusting God, made. Faith is present. And some people have greater faith. Some people seem to be able to trust God in the most unnerving of situations. The gift of faith at any rate connected to the spiritual gifts and the functioning and exercising of the gift.

1 Corinthians 13:2 says, “If I have all faith so as to remove mountains and don't have love, I am nothing.” So there that gift of faith may be in the context, too, of exercising special supernatural gifts that were necessary before the completion of the New Testament.

Come back to 2 Corinthians 8. He's not doing a development of the doctrine of spiritual gifts, but he is driving home what he already has taught them in the first letter. “You abound in faith, in utterance.” That word utterance was translated speech, I believe, in 1 Corinthians 1:5, so same word. We are familiar with it—logo, logos, “in the beginning was the Word and the Word . . .” That's the word. So you abound in utterance, in word, in speech. That would relate to speaking gifts—teaching, exhortation, gifts like that. You abound in that. The next word, “knowledge.” That was also used in 1 Corinthians 1:5, 7, connected to the gifts. Same word, knowledge. I take it in this context and in the New Testament knowledge seems to relate primarily to the receiving of revelation. It's mentioned in Romans 12:8 also as a spiritual gift. That special knowledge would have been necessary before the New Testament is completed. I mean, we are learning by studying 2 Corinthians, but the Corinthian church didn't have it until Paul wrote it. How would they make certain decisions and understand? And evidently maybe through dreams, visions and those ways of communicating or just the insight that God would give to enable. It would be a gift necessary to the knowledge necessary for recording Scripture as God made revelation. They abounded in the gifts. We know the Corinthian church had the supernatural gifts which were a result and testimony of Paul's apostleship, as he mentions at the end of his letter.

So knowledge. Earnestness, interesting to mention that in the context of the gift, but it can be like faith. Sometimes it can be a gift from God used in the context of other gifts. Earnestness, zeal, enthusiasm. They abounded. The Corinthians were enthusiastic, zealous about their service, the exercising of their gifts.

Come back to Romans 12, look at verses 6-7 as you lead into it. You exercise your gift, we read verse 6, “according to the proportion of his faith.” And then “if service, in serving and in his teaching.” In other words your prime area where you pour yourself into will be in the area of your gift. That doesn't mean you don't do other things, we all do; that doesn't mean we shouldn't show the mercy of God to someone because we don't have the gift of showing mercy. But the person who has that as their gift, that will be the area where God uses them most fully.

Come down to verse 11, “Not lagging behind in diligence,” still in Romans 12, “fervent in spirit.” Fervent, earnest, enthusiastic. This is just not something we do because it has to be done, and it's a testimony to the Corinthians, they abounded in zeal and earnestness. Sometimes they got a little off track, Paul had to correct in 1 Corinthians 12-14, the exercise of their gifts. But this is a positive. We just don't come together Sunday morning, we should, and they need somebody to do it so I guess I'll do it, but my heart's not in it. Our heart ought to be in it. God's grace will use me, will use you. We don't just drag ourselves along and be glad when it's over. I stop and think, God, you are using me to demonstrate your grace, using me to help mature this body to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, using me to do something that is of eternal significance and importance. I ought to pour my life into it. The enthusiasm for the ballgame should be nothing about the passion, enthusiasm, zeal we have for the service for our Lord. Don't feel you have to express it the same way by jumping up and screaming here, but we come from the heart. I think often what happens, churches just wind down and we're plodding along. We sing about the work of God and He never fails and He never fails us and He calls us and gifts us to serve Him. I don't know, I don't feel like it. I need to get apart, stir my heart—Lord, your grace is great. Your grace has taken over my life and cleansed me, made me new and gifted me. The Corinthians are a testimony of that zeal in their serving the Lord.

Then back in 2 Corinthians 8. Last he mentions his love. And we won't go back to 1 Corinthians 13, you are aware it is the love chapter. Where is it put? Between chapter 12 and chapter 14 where Paul is talking about the use and abuse of spiritual gifts. And then we start chapter 13, “if I have all the gifts and don't have love, I'm just making noise.” We do it out of love, the desire to do what is best for that other person. Romans 12:9-10 exhorts us to love and to show brotherly love, using both the words for love that we think of. It's to characterize us. And Paul says I inspired this in you. He's not taking credit for what only God can do, he's going to give the great example of grace in a moment in Christ, but he was an instrument God used. By Paul exercising his apostleship with unrestrained zeal and passion and commitment, it impacted lives. The Corinthians' salvation by the grace of God is connected to God using Paul and Paul pouring himself into the ministry that God had appointed him to. He inspired this love in you, you saw, they could see his love for them at great cost.

“Now abound in this work of grace also.” Do you know what he sees giving? Another manifestation of God's grace that ought to be overflowing in our lives. We get very touchy about giving, and act like it's a personal thing and we just don't like when we talk about money. We like when we talk about grace. Yes, grace is all right, I just don't like talking about money. Well Paul didn't know there was a difference. This is just another area of our lives enveloped by God's grace. All those spiritual gifts that you exercise in zeal and faith, and they overflow in your life, don't be lacking in this evidence and work of grace. Abound, overflow in this one also.

So now you're telling me I have to give. No, next verse. “I'm not speaking this as a command,” I'm not taking it out of the realm and you see there is pressure applied but it's the pressure of God's grace. Don't do it because I command you, I'm not as an apostle saying you have to give to this offering. But I am telling you if you don't give it will be a reflection of a lack of God's grace in your life. Well, that's pressure. Who said there is not pressure in our lives? Pressure is good. There is pressure on me to preach, there was pressure on me last night. Marilyn comes down to give me a kiss goodnight in my study and how is it going? Oh, fine. Another Saturday night, right? Yes. Goodnight, goodnight. And I'm feeling the pressure. Is that bad? Do you know what I would be doing if I didn't feel the pressure? Checking the results of the sporting events, I guess. I don't know. Pressure is good.

Here Paul is putting pressure, not giving command but helping us realize God's grace can overflow in your life in this area. So it's a challenge to the Corinthians. And let me elaborate that. This isn't a command, it's just a test. And there are two words for test, one is a word you would use when you are assuring they will pass. The word used here is one to see if you will pass. This is proving, testing through the earnestness of others the genuineness of your love. And love and grace go together as saw in verse 7. This work of grace abounded in love in their lives. So these become intricately connected. He is using the testimony of the Macedonians who have given so liberally as an opportunity for the love, manifestation of grace in the Corinthians in their giving.

Now they are not comparable, and he'll get into this, we won't get that far this time, but the Corinthians could make the Macedonian offering probably look like nothing because the Macedonians had to give out of poverty. So the amount given could be totally overwhelmed by the Corinthians. But Paul doesn't say it is a comparative thing like that, and he'll explain that. The reason to tell about the Macedonians is not so they could compare the amount, but so they could compare and manifest the demonstration of grace and love in a tangible way. And so the test will be, did God's grace manifest itself and overflow in liberality among the Corinthians as it did among the Macedonians. And he'll talk about the Macedonians give according to what they have, you have to give according to what you have. That will be the measure.

So it is a test. The zeal of the Macedonians shows grace at work in love. I guess now the test comes to your house and their zeal, earnestness will put to test. We think we shouldn't compare, but we do. And it's not bad. We need that kind of pressure. We talk about teachers, that teacher didn't seem prepared. You shouldn't say that, maybe that's all he wanted to do and he should be able to do what he wants to do. You say no, that's not right. If he's going to teach, he should prepare. But somehow in giving, well, if I feel a little bit of pressure I don't think . . . I don't know what has happened to our church, they are talking about giving. For Paul this is just part of God's grace at work in our lives. We should appreciate that. I'm glad God didn't just break up my life in little pieces and His grace is only for one area. Everything He makes me part of in the body is part of His work of grace. So it's a test of the genuineness of your love. And he said you already overflow in love, “we inspired this in you,” verse 7. But we are never done. It's an ongoing ministry, ongoing service.

And you know the Macedonians aren't the great example of God's grace, not the great example of grace to motivate us. And Paul now elevates it to an area that there is no comparison, but it is to have an impact. “You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.” And it's the grace that flows from Him that is working in the lives of believers, right? So let's talk about the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ which is foundational to everything, because without that grace you and I would be lost, children of the devil, slaves of the devil, doomed to an eternal hell. “You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich yet for your sake He became poor.” He was rich but for your sake He became poor. I mean, how can you even compare it? The riches that were Christ's, the eternal Son of God dwelling in the glories of heaven. Isaiah 6, the seraphim crying out holy, holy, holy. The train of His robe fills the temple, the Creator of all things. I mean, there is just no measure of the riches that were His, the glory that was His. Yet for your sake He became poor. There is our word again—destitute. Doesn't mean that His family didn't have enough to eat on earth, but what do you compare to? He came to this sin-cursed earth and even here He didn't live in a mansion. He said the Son of Man has no place to lay His head. He lived a humble, lowly life. That's what troubled the Jews, He can't be the Messiah of Israel. Born in Bethlehem, raised in Nazareth. I mean, the Messiah doesn't come from Bethlehem and nothing good can come out of Nazareth. And He just roams Palestine, teaching. What did He have? They divided His robe at the foot of the cross among the soldiers, they get to take those as benefits.

“He was rich, He became poor for your sake.” The love of God. “For God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son.” That love resulted in that self-sacrificing action. Why? So that He could acquire more. Some people have taught that you are so valuable that Christ died for you. The biblical view is that you are so worthless, it is unexplainable why Christ would die for you. You realize what we are, we could bring nothing to Him. What do I have that the eternal God who creates all things, who rules over all things, who possesses all things could get from me? Well, He got some personal fellowship. Oh, He needed that? The persons Father, Son and Holy Spirit had perfect harmony and union and fellowship among themselves. I, as a created being, bring something to Him? No. He did it because through His poverty, through His sacrifice, through His humbling Himself, becoming a servant, giving His life through faith in His finished work that required His leaving the glories of heaven and entering the poverty of humanity. He could bring to us the riches of heaven. Can it get any better than that? Any greater grace? Any greater sacrifice? Totally for our benefit.

You think of Philippians 2, turn over there, similar idea. Again it is given to impact our behavior. You know there is a balance. We talk about grace, some people don't understand this, they get it all twisted and mixed up and then they accuse us of having twisted and mixed it up. God's grace brings His salvation. With that saving grace brings the making new of a life and the enablement to live to honor Him. So you have in Philippians 2 instruction. “Make my,” verse 2, “joy complete, being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, in humility of mind regard one another more important than yourselves. Don't look out for your own personal interests but the interests of others.” What's the example? “Have this attitude in yourselves which was in Christ. He existed in the form of God, He didn't require equality with God a thing to be held on to. He emptied Himself, appeared as a man and went to the cross.” That's the ultimate sacrifice. Why?

Come to 1 Peter 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance, imperishable, undefiled, will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you who are protected by the power of God.” Does it get any better than that? By God's grace the salvation He provided in that grace now Christ who in grace gave up all to come to the poverty of this earth so that we poverty stricken might enter into the riches of His grace, the fullness of His salvation to the inheritance of eternal glory. Romans 8, “we have been made heirs and co-heirs with Christ.” Amazing. The things of this life are nothing and in Peter's second letter he ends by telling them don't get attached to the things of this life, don't be concerned about them. They are all going to be burned up. You concern yourself and commit yourself to living holy lives. Read the closing chapters of the book of Revelation, dwelling in a city whose gates are made of single pearls, the streets of gold, and on it goes. What do I have, what mansions on earth compare? He became poor, gave up riches so that we might become rich. That's the ultimate testimony of grace. It transforms the life. God does not save us to leave us where we are, He makes us new within so now we can live new lives.

Come back to 1 John, this is as far as we are going in Corinthians if you are wondering. So come to 1 John, a couple of verses here, verses to end. 1 John 3, similar exhortation on a similar foundation. Verse 13, this is in the context of love and hate. “Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed out of death into life because we love the brethren.” We love believers, we didn't love them before, that love that is desirous of doing what is best for them. Verse 15, “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer.” Murderers don't have eternal life in them. Verse 16, “We know love by this,” here we go now to the great example. We're not saved by trying to follow the example of Christ, but Christ is the example. He exemplifies the grace that is to characterize our lives, He exemplifies the love that is to characterize us. “We know love by this, He laid down His life for us.” That's the same basic statement that Paul said was the culmination. “He was rich, He became poor that you through His poverty might become rich.” That whole cycle of His life from His birth to His death and bodily resurrection connected. We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren, not because we could bring redemption to them, but within our realm we can demonstrate the self-sacrificing love for a fellow believer that Christ demonstrated in a fullness and a depth that obviously is beyond me, like the grace that He demonstrated is of a greater breadth and depth than could ever be true of me. But He did save me that I might exemplify that character and characteristics. Like God telling His children, “you be holy for I am holy.” We say, “wow,” but that's the standard, that's the desire. And His grace is the enabling power.

What does the next verse, 1 John 3:17, “Whoever has this world's goods, sees his brother in need, closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.” And these would be verses that would have broader application than just the Jewish believers in Jerusalem. That's why I say we keep the historical context of what Paul is involved in this specific offering for. But that doesn't mean we wouldn't have responsibility to Gentile believers and so on, but Paul is corporately involving other churches in his concern for the church at Jerusalem.

We like to keep things within. I'm not saying we should be parading our giving in a wrong sense, but you know people I know who are generous givers are a motivation to me. They do challenge me. Just like people who manifest the grace of God in other areas of their life, they motivate me. That's part of God's plan, it's in His Word. The Macedonians were to motivate the Corinthians. And of course the example of Christ is the greatest of all.

Come over to James 2. We want to internalize this and we act like if you say you should do this, you are getting rules down. Reading someone writing, being critical of the approach we take. Well, what is the manifestation of the Spirit? Oh, devotion. Well, that's true, we ought to have devotion, but how do you measure devotion? That's another one of those intangibles like we like to keep love, that's just something in my heart. You can't see it, you don't know if I have it, you shouldn't try to judge me. But that's not how the Scripture handles love. Don't say you love a fellow believer if you see his need and you are unmoved to help him. It's the same with faith. James 2:16, verse 14 for the context, “What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but has no works. Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, one of you says to him, go in peace, be warm, be filled,” we might add, I'll pray for you, “you do not give him what is necessary, what use is it? Faith without works is dead.” Not saying you are saved by your works, but saving faith is an ongoing faith and we've received it by the grace of God, we manifest it by the grace of God, but that does not negate by effort my zeal, my enthusiasm for serving. But I recognize in that, don't you, that it is God's grace that has enabled me. Faith without works doesn't produce anything, that's like the demons have. You know if you question anybody's salvation, you have committed the unpardonable sin. There is no evidence of the Spirit's work in your life, no fruit of the Spirit, why do you say you are saved? If there is no demonstration of love for fellow believers, you hate believers . . . Murderer doesn't have eternal life in him, so why would I believe you are a child of God? It's the outworking of this. And Paul is not concerned that we “skinny” by. Remember he talked about overflow in this work of grace as well. How immeasurable was the action of Christ in grace in giving up the riches of heaven for the poverty of earth so we in poverty could become rich. The Macedonians an example.

We want the grace of God to flow through our lives in every area. Again, not saying we're going to start having people publish their giving because that wouldn't necessarily help. But I hope that we in every area of our lives strive that grace manifests itself in our lives in overflowing ways. I remember in the early years I had contact with more Roman Catholics, including some priests and nuns. I remember one Roman Catholic saying, our priest rebuked us. In the l970s we went through four building programs, and the people were giving. He rebuked his people, he said that church out on 84th Street, they are giving all the time and look at all they are doing. And our people aren't giving. That's a good testimony, right? We weren't giving to build buildings, we were giving to manifest the grace of God. That should be true in all we do, the way we relate to one another, the way we relate to others, and in every area of our service.

Let's pray together. Thank You, Lord, for every blessing. Lord, every time we come to Your Word we are reminded again and again of the greatness of Your grace, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that brought saving grace to us in our hopeless, poverty-stricken condition, lost and without hope in the world, destitute without realizing it. And yet that grace not only cleansed us, forgave us, made us new, but it is a grace that continues to work and envelop and control our lives, enables and empowers us. Lord, we are called to pour ourselves with all our zeal and earnestness in manifesting that grace in overflowing in all the areas of our service. May that characterize us individually and as a church. We pray in Christ's name, amen.