Beloved, I am glad to share with you today the above theme from 2 Co 8:1-2 and following. Indeed, “the abundance of their joy” could accompany “a great trial of affliction” and their “deep poverty” could be changed into “the richness of their liberality”. What we would easily call a charge, they called a grace. May God grant us this same happy consecration to our Lord, whom we have the privilege of being able to serve by serving His people! What was the love of the Macedonians next to the supreme example of “our Lord Jesus Christ”? They had not chosen their own deep poverty(2 Co 8:1-6). But He the Heir of all things” (Heb 1:1-4) deigned to be impoverished by his heavenly glories, to be born in a stable, to be here on earth “the Poor,” the one who did not have a place wherehe could dare his head (Ps 40:12-18; Ps 41:1-4; Luke 9:57-62). What for? To enrich us with these same glories and make us his co-heirs. Adorable mystery of grace.
The Corinthians had not fully implemented their happy desire to help the congregations. The apostle wrote to them that wanting was good, but what to do was even better. Often unfortunately, our good intentions… remain intentions: this Bible to offer, this visit to a sick person, this little service that presented itself… God prepares good works before us (Eph 2:8-10). But we need Him to want and do it (2 Co 8:11, 12). It is He who produces in us both according to His good pleasure (Phil 2:12-13), but the discrepancy between the movement of the heart and that of the hand comes from our negligence. For Paul’s concern was to be guarded not only from all fraud, but even from any appearance of evil before men. And God makes grace abound for them, so that they can abound for every good work. He honors the saints who have used their possessions for Him; it increases “the fruits of their righteousness”, the fruits which are the consequence of a just and faithful march, so that they can spread them outside with complete liberality and without any restriction.
The first of the consequences is found in v. 6: “He who sows shabbily will also reap shabbily, and he who sows liberally will also harvest liberally.” For ifwe keep for ourselves, as if they were ours, the goods that God has placed in our hands, we do not sow at all, or we sow shabbily. To put aside all or part of its superfluous is to sow chichement. To accumulate the goods that God makes available to us is to divert them from the purpose for which God has placed them in our hands. He who sows shabbily cannot expect abundant blessings, even as to the things of the earth. For a prudent steward is the one who makes extensive use of the goods he considers, not to be his, but to his Master.
A second consequence of fidelity in the pecuniary service, reads in v. 7: “Let everyone do as he has proposed it to himself in his heart, not with regret, or by compulsion, for God loves him who gives joyfully”. Notice this word:“God loves.” Not that he does not love all his children, but where the joyful desire to serve the Lord in these goods of the earth meets, one is loved by God. The Lord said to his disciples: If you obey,the Father will love you; but here we find: God loves you, if you give. To the extent that we joyfully employ the things of this world for the service of the One who entrusted them to us, we have in our souls a special enjoyment of God’s love and approval.
A third consequence is seen in vs. 8-11: “But God is powerful to make all grace abound towards you, so that always having in all things all that is enough, you abound for every good work, according to which it is written: “He has poured out, he has given to the poor, his righteousness remains eternally. Now he who provides seed to the sower and bread to eat, will provide and multiply your seed, and increase the fruits of your righteousness, being in any case enriched for a whole liberality, which produces by us thanksgiving to God”. Here, God makes grace abound for them, so that they can abound for every good work. He honors the saints who have used their possessions for Him; it increases “the fruits of their righteousness”, the fruits which are the consequence of a just and faithful march, so that they can spread them outside with complete liberality and without any restriction.
A fourth consequence is mentioned: “The administration of this office … abounds in many thanksgivings to God; since, by their experience of this service, they glorify God for the submission which you profession to the gospel of Christ, and for the liberality of your gifts to them and to all”. It is certainly not little that thanksgiving continually goes up to God about us from the bottom of the hearts of all the saints who have been rescued by us! They give thanks here for two things: first for the profession of their brothers and sisters to be subject to the gospel of Christ, a profession whose reality is proven by their dedication, and second for the liberality of their gifts, which are not addressed only to the needy in this special circumstance, but constantly flow to all.
We finally find one last consequence of fidelity in this service: “the supplications they make for you”. What a privilege for the faithful servant to be thus the object of the supplications of the saints towards him and of how many dangers, perhaps faults, he will be preserved, because the intercession of the saints, revived by his liberality, continually ascends for him before the throne of grace! The apostle ends with these words: “Thank God for his inexpressible gift” (2—8:15). We have seen the greatest measure of grace towards us in the fact that Christ was poor, that by his poverty we may be enriched; here we see the greatest measure of God’s liberality towards us. What is this inexpressible gift? This is the person of Christ himself.
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped together for your better understanding.
- The Grace of God:
-Granted freely Ps 84:12 For Jehovah God is a sun and a shield, Jehovah gives grace and glory, He does not deny any good to those who walk in integrity. Acts 11:23 When he arrived, and saw God’s grace, he rejoiced in it, and he exhorted them all to remain with a firm heart attached to the Lord. Acts 13:43, and at the end of the assembly many Jews and pious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke with them, and exhorted them to remain attached to God’s grace.
-Give men the power to serve 1 Co 3:10 According to the grace of God given to me, I laid the foundation as a wise architect, and another built on it. But let everyone be careful about how they build on it. 1 Co 15:10 By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me has not been in vain; far from it, I have worked more than all of them, not me, but the grace of God who is with me.
-Makes men capable of leading a simple life 2 Co 1:12 For what makes our glory is this witness of our conscience, that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially towards you, with holiness and purity before God, not with carnal wisdom, but with the grace of God.
-May lose its effectiveness 2 Co 6:1 Since we work with God, we exhort you not to receive God’s grace in vain. Gal 2:21 I do not reject God’s grace; for if righteousness is obtained by law, then Christ died in vain. Eph 3:7 of which I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was granted to me by the effectiveness of his power. He 2:9 But he who has been lowered for a little time below the angels, Jesus, we see him crowned with glory and honor because of the death he suffered, so that, by the grace of God, he may suffer death for all. John 4:6 He grants, on the contrary, a more excellent grace; that is why Scripture says: God resists the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.
-Is not granted for selfish use 1 P 4:10 As good dispensers of the various graces of God, let each of you put at the service of others the gift he has received,
-Promised to the humble 1 Heart 5:5 Likely, you who are young, be submissive to the elders. And all of you, in your mutual relations, clothe yourselves in humility; for God resists the proud, but he thanks the humble.
- Rejoicing in tribulations, examples:
-Famine Ha 3:17-18 For the fig tree will not bloom, The vine will not produce anything, The fruit of the olive tree will be lacking, The fields will not give food; The sheep will disappear from the pasture, and there will be no more oxen in the stables.18 However, I want to rejoice in the Lord, I want to rejoice in the God of my salvation.
-Persecution Acts 5:41 The apostles withdrew from before the Sanhedrin, joyful that they had been judged worthy of suffering outrages for the name of Jesus.
-Imprisonment Acts 16:23, 25 After they had been charged with blows, they threw them into prison, recommending to the jailer to keep them surely. 25 In the middle of the night, Paul and Silas prayed and sang the praises of God, and the prisoners heard them.
Poverty 2 Co 6:10 as saddened, and we are always joyful; as poor, and we enrich many; as having nothing, and we possess all things.
-Loss of property He 10:34 Indeed, you have had compassion for the prisoners, and you have gladly accepted the removal of your possessions, knowing that you have better goods that always last.
-Harsh trials 1 Pet 4:12-13 Beloved, do not be surprised, as by a strange thing that happens to you, by the furnace that is in your midst to test you.13 Rejoice, on the contrary, in the part you have in the sufferings of Christ, that you may also be in joy and joy when his glory appears.
- The duty of charity
-the order of Moses Dt 15:12-14 If one of your Hebrew brethren, man or woman, sells himself to you, he will serve you six years; but in the seventh year you will send him free from your home.13 And when you send him free from your home, you will not send him back empty;14 you will give him gifts from your cattle menu, of your area, of your press, of what you will have by the blessing of Jehovah, your God. Ne 8:10 They said to them, Go, eat fatty meats and drink sweet liquors, and send portions to those who have nothing prepared, for this day is dedicated to our Lord; do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord will be your strength.
-the counsel of the wise man Pr 25:21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; If he is thirsty, give him water to drink. Ec 11:1 Cast your bread on the face of the waters, for in time thou shating shall find it again;
-the words of the prophet Isa 58. 7 Share your bread with the hungry, and bring into your house the unfortunate without asylum; If you see a naked man, cover him, and do not turn away from your fellow man.
Christ’s commandments Mt 5:42 Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. Lk 12:33 Sell what you have, and give it as alms. Make yourself purses that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where the thief does not approach, and where the ringworm does not destroy.
Paul’s exhortation Acts 20:35 I have shown you in every way that it is by working in this way that one must sustain the weak, and remember the words of the Lord, who himself said: There is more happiness in giving than in receiving. Rom 12:13 Provide for the needs of the Saints. Exercise hospitality. Gal 6:10 So, while we have the opportunity, let us do good to all, and especially to brothers and sisters in the faith. 1 Tim 6:18 Recommend that they do good, be rich in good works, have generosity, be generous; Heb 13:16 And do not forget beneficence and gift, for it is in such sacrifices that God delights.
- Wise advice, examples
Ex 18:19 Now listen to my voice; I will give you counsel, and may God be with you! Be the people’s interpreter to God, and carry affairs before God. 1 Kings 12:7 And this is what they said to Him: If today you render service to this people, if you yield to them, and if you respond to them with benevolent words, they will forever be your servants. Dn 4:24 This is the explanation, O king, this is the decree of the Most High, which will be fulfilled on my lord the king. Mt 27:19 While he was sitting on the court, his wife made him say: Let there be nothing between you and this righteous; for today I have suffered much in a dream because of him. Acts 5:35 Then He said to them, “Israelite men, beware of what you are going to do toward these people. Rev 3:18 I advise you to buy from me gold tested by fire, that you may become rich, and white clothes, that you may be clothed and that the shame of your nakedness may not appear, and eye drops to anoint your eyes, that you may see.
From all the above, we remember that by these exhortations to be given according to their power, the Apostle Paul commends the Corinthians to the rich goodness of God who could make them abound in all things, so that they would be able to multiply their good works, being enriched for all liberality, so as to produce in others, by means of the services of the apostle in this regard, thanksgiving to God. For, he adds, the happy effect of your practical charity, exercised in the name of Christ, not only supplemented the needs of the saints, by his administration of the collection made in Corinth, but also abounds in thanksgiving to God: for those who enjoyed this offering blessed God that their benefactors had been led to confess the name of Christ and to act with this practical liberality towards them and towards all. This thought stimulated them to pray with an ardent desire for those who provided for their needs, because of the grace of God manifested in them. Thus, the bonds of eternal charity were strengthened on both sides, and the glory returned to God. Thanks be to God, says the apostle, for his ineffable gift. For whatever the fruits of grace, it is in what God has given that we have the proof and power of that grace. Our prayers sustain you all in your efforts to receive the fruits of God’s grace.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite every person who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me the following prayer:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I admit to having sinned against you and ask your forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as Lord and personal Savior. I recognize that you died on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me every day to the eternal life that you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal yourself to me and strengthen my heart and faith, so that your light may be shining in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus for accepting me into your divine family, so that I may also contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby watering point to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All adoration, power and glory are yours, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to respond to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you tomorrow on “giving spontaneously with joy.”
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.