Thinking with grace rather than justice, part 22; Giving; John 15:18; Gal 6:6; 1Cor 9.

Title: Thinking with grace rather than justice, part 22; Giving; John 15:18; GAL 6:6; 1Cor 9.

 

Grace in giving:

 

Continued spiritual growth removes the fear associated by the sin nature with graceful giving as the agricultural analogy shows.

 

2 Cor 9:10

 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness;

 

Prov 11:24-25

There is one who scatters, yet increases all the more,

And there is one who withholds what is justly due, but it results only in want.

The generous man will be prosperous,

And he who waters will himself be watered.

 

GAL 6:7

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.

 

Luke 8:15

And the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.

 

1 Cor 3:2

I planted [gospel], Apollos watered [BD], but God was causing the growth [GHS].

 

1 John 3:17

But whoever has the world's goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?

 

The pastor must never make an issue out of money. He makes needs known, but if they are unfulfilled he continues to give the gospel and teach the doctrine without charge, 2Cor 11:7-9.

 

2 Cor 11:7 Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you without charge?

 

Gnostics and Judiazers were entering the church at Corinth (Rome’s largest port city) and teaching a false gospel and false doctrine and they were requesting money for it.

 

It’s interesting that a book can be offered for free and another book offered for .95 and a person will pay for an inferior product thinking it must be more valuable, for why else would they charge?

 

2 Cor 11:8 I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to serve you;

 

It’s perfectly ok for the pastor to talk about finances or the lack of, but he goes right on teaching doctrine.

 

2 Cor 11:9 and when I was present with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for when the brethren came from Macedonia, they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will continue to do so.

 

The pastor exchanges spiritual blessings to the congregation in return for material blessings from the congregation, GAL 6:6; Phil 1:5; 4:10-19; 1 Cor 9:11.

 

GAL 6:6 And let the one who is taught the word share all good things with him who teaches.

 

 “share” - koinwne,w[koinoneo - present active imperative] = to share with, to impart, and in this context - to share with another in his necessities by making them one’s own.

 

This word is used in the same context in the following verses:

 

Phil 4:15

And you yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I departed from Macedonia, no church shared [koinoneo] with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone;

 

2 Cor 8:4

begging us with much entreaty for the favor of participation [koinonia] in the support of the saints,

 

2 Cor 9:13

Because of the proof given by this ministry they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for the liberality of your contribution [koinonia] to them and to all,

 

HEB 13:16

And do not neglect doing good and sharing [koinonia]; for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

 

GAL 6:6 And let the one who is taught the word share all good things [not all things] with him who teaches.

 

Those who are in­structed in the Word, have the responsibility of making the teacher’s needs his own. That is, in the case of a God-called servant of the Lord who devotes his full time to the Lord’s work, those who regularly are recipients of his ministry are to make it their business to see that he is properly taken care of financially, so that he might be able to give of his best to the Lord’s work. [Kenneth Wuest]

 

GAL 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap [harvest analogy used again].

 

GAL 6:8 For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.

 

GAL 6:9 And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time [God's timing] we shall reap if we do not grow weary [return to a hording soul].

 

GAL 6:10 So then, while we have opportunity [no opportunity for this in heaven], let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

 

 

Phil 1:3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,

Phil 1:4 always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all,

 

Phil 1:5 in view of your participation [koinonia] in the gospel from the first day until now.

 

Having the same Greek word here but with a slightly different shade of meaning, namely, “joint participation.” But this is not companionship. The preposition eis [“in”] is a preposition of motion meaning into, to, or toward.

 

Therefore Paul is thanking God for their joint participation in the progress of the gospel, which was their financial support as he thanks them for at the close of the epistle.

 

Phil 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

 

This verse is quoted often and in context it becomes clearer as to the good work that was begun by God.

 

It is not the salvation work of God that is in view in verse 6, but the gracious attitude in giving that is begun and Paul is confident that in Philippi this attitude will mature even more.

 

Paul delicately shows his gratitude without mentioning the specific gift since it isn’t the gift itself that is important, but their gracious mental attitude.

 

This church, small at its beginning, but destined for greatness in the history of the Church, was begun by one woman, Lydia, a seller of  purple fabrics who turned positive towards doctrine after hearing Paul teach.

 

In Phil 1:5 in view of your participation [koinonia] in the gospel from the first day until now. Paul is silently pointing right to her and even being more endearing by not mentioning her name.

 

When Lydia hears the words of this letter and hears "from the first day" her memory is filled with that fateful day when Paul "coincidentally" came to teach where she was at the riverside following Sabbath rituals.

 

Acts 16:11 Therefore putting out to sea from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and on the day following to Neapolis;

 

Acts 16:12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony; and we were staying in this city for some days.

 

Acts 16:13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled.

 

Acts 16:14 And a certain woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.

 

Acts 16:15 And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay." And she prevailed upon us.

 

This indicates that Paul was resistant. Imagine if he hadn't stayed; would there be an epistle to the Philippians? Do you see the impact that one woman, one person can have, not only in the spiritual life of him or herself, but in others as well as in all of human history?

 

Paul speaks of the liberality of the Macedonian churches as the grace of giving (2 Cor. 8:1-7). It is a spiritual grace produced in the saint by the Holy Spirit.

 

Thus, the grace of giving is one of the necessary ingredients of Christian character, if that character is to be a com­plete or mature one.

 

God has a greater grace for those who are gracious. God is a liberal giver as is exemplified by the person and work of Jesus Christ. Yet God will not lavish greater grace on the selfish, conceited, and arrogant since they will only squander it on their selfish desires and become even more selfish and corrupt. If He did so He would in the end be hurting them.

 

Selfishnessself-absorption is a cruel prison for several reasons. First, you imprison yourself to yourself. Secondly, you never realize the fulfillment of your desires since materialism, status, approbation, nor any earthly thing can satisfy man’s eternal desire. Thirdly, it is a supreme waste of time. As you’re searching for what will not satiate your hunger, God’s blessings go by unseen and ignored.

 

It is God’s desire to free each one of us from this prison. The Corinthians were in this prison.