2 Corinthians 8
Today’s Passage: 2 Corinthians 8
Coming out of the Christmas season, we all have a clear understanding of the different kinds of gifts we may give and givers we may be/encounter. There are gifts given out of obligation to the cousin you never see and hardly know. There are gifts given in anticipation of the gift that we will receive in return, and there are unexpected gifts. The kind of gifts that express thought (or attempt to express thought). Ones that bring you to tears and ones that make you hide your confusion behind a soft smile.
We all know there is a difference between these gifts, but what are the things that distinguish an earnest, generous gift from an obligatory or selfish gift?
Generosity that flows from a heart deeply changed by the gospel is marked by the sting of sacrifice. It is a sacrifice of resources yes, but more importantly it is a sacrifice of yourself. It is giving that is rooted in submission to the Lord and submission to one another.
The Macedonian givers are marked by this sacrificial giving. They abundantly give when they are afflicted and in extreme poverty. They were motivated to not just give according to their means, but to go beyond.
The Macedonians were likely giving to the Christians in Jerusalem that Paul referenced in 1 Corinthians 16:1-4. They likely did not know the Christians in Jerusalem personally, but they recognized them as their brothers and sisters in Christ.
Only the power of the Holy Spirit could change our sinful, selfish hearts to care for a people we have never met. Only as brothers and sisters in Christ can we be deeply bound to someone we may not personally, deeply know.
This form of giving can only be described as an act of grace rooted in a clear understanding of Christ’s sacrifice on their behalf and a deep care for the church.
Grace is when we receive something that we do NOT deserve. Because of our sin, the only thing that WE deserve is separation from God and ultimately death. However, God has provided a solution for our sin by completing the most generous act in all of history.
“That though he [Jesus] was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty may become rich.”
The God of the universe became a man. He created all things and rightfully deserves all things, and yet He chose to come as a poor baby so that he could fully experience humanity, but he did so without sin. He humbled himself to the point of taking on our death, the poverty that we deserve.
He paid for our sin and rose from the dead over sin, and now He freely offers us the “immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us” (Ephesians 2:7).
The gift He offers is forgiveness of our sin and abundant life through Him.
Christ’s sacrificial generosity, motivates us to grow in this act of grace.
We are called to remind ourselves regularly of our poverty and need for Christ, and we are called to show God’s grace to others through sacrificially giving our time, money, resources, and skills - to give every part of ourselves - for the glory of God and the proclamation of the gospel.
What motivates you to give? How does your giving serve as a reminder of your need for grace? Does it?
Written By: Paulette Black
Coming out of the Christmas season, we all have a clear understanding of the different kinds of gifts we may give and givers we may be/encounter. There are gifts given out of obligation to the cousin you never see and hardly know. There are gifts given in anticipation of the gift that we will receive in return, and there are unexpected gifts. The kind of gifts that express thought (or attempt to express thought). Ones that bring you to tears and ones that make you hide your confusion behind a soft smile.
We all know there is a difference between these gifts, but what are the things that distinguish an earnest, generous gift from an obligatory or selfish gift?
Generosity that flows from a heart deeply changed by the gospel is marked by the sting of sacrifice. It is a sacrifice of resources yes, but more importantly it is a sacrifice of yourself. It is giving that is rooted in submission to the Lord and submission to one another.
The Macedonian givers are marked by this sacrificial giving. They abundantly give when they are afflicted and in extreme poverty. They were motivated to not just give according to their means, but to go beyond.
The Macedonians were likely giving to the Christians in Jerusalem that Paul referenced in 1 Corinthians 16:1-4. They likely did not know the Christians in Jerusalem personally, but they recognized them as their brothers and sisters in Christ.
Only the power of the Holy Spirit could change our sinful, selfish hearts to care for a people we have never met. Only as brothers and sisters in Christ can we be deeply bound to someone we may not personally, deeply know.
This form of giving can only be described as an act of grace rooted in a clear understanding of Christ’s sacrifice on their behalf and a deep care for the church.
Grace is when we receive something that we do NOT deserve. Because of our sin, the only thing that WE deserve is separation from God and ultimately death. However, God has provided a solution for our sin by completing the most generous act in all of history.
“That though he [Jesus] was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty may become rich.”
The God of the universe became a man. He created all things and rightfully deserves all things, and yet He chose to come as a poor baby so that he could fully experience humanity, but he did so without sin. He humbled himself to the point of taking on our death, the poverty that we deserve.
He paid for our sin and rose from the dead over sin, and now He freely offers us the “immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us” (Ephesians 2:7).
The gift He offers is forgiveness of our sin and abundant life through Him.
Christ’s sacrificial generosity, motivates us to grow in this act of grace.
We are called to remind ourselves regularly of our poverty and need for Christ, and we are called to show God’s grace to others through sacrificially giving our time, money, resources, and skills - to give every part of ourselves - for the glory of God and the proclamation of the gospel.
What motivates you to give? How does your giving serve as a reminder of your need for grace? Does it?
Written By: Paulette Black
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