Blog Archives

Lowell's Notes - 2 Corinthians 9:1-9

2/19/2026

"Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sow bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver!" (II Corinthians 9:6-7)

In last week's lesson (on II Corinthians 8:16-24, the apostle Paul wrote how Titus, "his friend and beloved partner in ministry," had the same "earnestness in his heart" for the Corinthians, and for their participation in the collection of funds for the poverty-stricken saints in the church of Jerusalem, as he had; and that he went to Corinth "of his own accord," along with two other "brothers," commissioned by the churches, so that the collection process would not be "discredited by anyone but seen as honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord but also in the sight of man"! And Paul challenged the Corinthians to now finish the collection process and "show the proof of their love and of his reason for boasting about them" to the Macedoniana believers!

And that set the scene for last night's lesson (on II Corinthians 9:1-9), where Paul writes that "it was superfluous for him to write to them about their giving since he knew of their readiness to give," and how had already responded to his call for the collection (as recorded in I Corinthians 16:1-4), which he had "boasted about to the Macedonian, and which stirred them up to give as well"! But then, contrary to his words, he proceeded to remind them again (in this passage) about it--just to assure that their promise, and readiness, would actually result in their following through of giving! Bt he also "thought it was necessary to urge the brethren (including the one appointed by the churches) to go ahead and arrange the bountiful gift and have it all ready" before he got there! Thus preventing any "covetousness," or recalcitrance on their part in holding back on what they had promised! He didn't want to be embarrassed--and for them to put to shame--after all his boasting about them--if he came to Corinth and found that the funds hadn't yet been collected, or they were found unprepared, or perhaps no longer as entirely willing to give!

And so it sounds like the apostle Paul, by his writing, was putting a little bit of pressure on the Corinthians ahead of time, and not too sure that they would actually follow through on giving what they had promised, without a little conjuring on his part! Constable notes that "the subtle pressure that Paul put on his readers, which comes through especially forcefully in this section, raises a question as to his method of motivating his readers! Was he making it impossible for them to give from proper motives by stressing motivating factors too strongly? In other words, was he manipulating them into giving? Evidently Paul realized that the Corinthians might not follow through on their commitment unless they wanted to do so very strongly! After all, they had procrastinated for a year (according to 8:10)"!

Constable further notes that "apparently Paul didn't see anything wrong or unspiritual about asking people to give! He didn't tell them how much to give, but did expect them to keep their promise! He also notes that the word "motivation" is often confused with the word "manipulation," but that motivation occurs "when you persuade someone to do what is in their own best interest," while manipulation is persuading someone to do something that is primarily for their own benefit"! Godly giving is seen as being in the best interest of both the giver and the receiver!

Paul uses the analogy of a farmer, in verse 6, to inspire generous giving! "He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully!' And then goes on in verse 7 to give a basic principle for Christian giving--that "each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver"!

And Paul ends with two of the greatest verses in the all the Bible about "God's grace"! And here it is: "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; as it is written, 'He scattered abroad, and He gave to the poor, His righteousness endures forever!" Wow!

"God is able!" According to His power! He has all power! Jeremiah 32:17 says, "Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heaven and the earth by Your great power and Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for You!" And "He is able to make all grace abound to you...!" Wow! The "grace" of God! Abounding! MacArthur calls it "grand"! And "immense"! And "staggering"! Beginning with the grace that provides salvation and eternal life! "For by grace are we saved, through faith, and that not of ourselves! It is a gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9)! Amazing grace!

But that's just the start! James 4:6 says, "He gives grace to humble!" Romans 5:20 adds, that "...where sin increased, grace abounded all the more...and that it would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord!" And II Corinthians 12:9 says that "His grace is sufficient for us..."! Adequate! Enough! And Hebrews 4:10 challenges us to "come boldly to the throne of grace, that we might obtain mercy to help in time of need!

O the grace of God! Grand! Immense! Staggering!

And it brings to mind some beautiful old Christian hymns of the faith which we can gratefully, and joyfully, sing (to ourselves!)!

"Marvelous grace of our loving Lord; grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt; yonder on Calvary's mount outpoured, there where the blood of the Lamb was spilt! (And then the chorus!) Grace, grace, God's grace, grace that will pardon and cleanse within! Grace, grace, God's grace, grace that is greater than all our sin!" (On to the second verse!) "Dark is the stain that we cannot hide; what can avail to wash it away? Look! There is flowing a crimson tide; whiter than snow you may be today!" (The chorus and then the third verse!) Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace, freely bestowed on all who believe, all who are longing to see His face, will you this moment His grace receive!" (And the chorus again!)

Then there's, "He giveth more grace when the burdens are greater; He sendeth more strength when the labors increase! To added affliction He addeth His mercy; to multiplied trials, His multiplied peace! (And the chorus) "His love has no limit; His grace has no measure; His power has no boundary known unto men! For out of His infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!" (Then verse two!) "When we have exhausted our store of endurance, when our strength has failed ere the day is half done, when we reach the end of our hoarded resources, our Father's full giving is only begun!" (And the chorus!)

Then this one that I love so much! "Wonderful grace of Jesus, greater than all my sin--How shall my tongue describe it? Where shall His praise begin? Taking away my burden, setting my spirit free; for the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me!" (And then the chorus!) "Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus, deeper than the mightly rolling sea; higher than the mountain, sparkling like a foundain, all sufficient grace for even me! Broader than the hope of my transgressions, greater far than all sin and shame! O magnify the precious name of Jesus! Praise His name! (Then the second verse!) Wonderful grace of Jesus, reaching to all the lost; by it I have been pardoned, saved to the uttermost! Chains have been torn asunder, giving me liberty, for the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me! (Can't leave out verse three!) "Wonderful grace of Jesus, reaching the most defiled, by its transforming power making us God's dear child! Purchasing peace and heaven for all eternity; and the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me! (And the Chorus!)

And, of course, "Amazing grace!" You know the words! Sing it!

Wow! "God is able to make all grace abound to us!" Grand! Immense! Staggering!

May His grace abound to you all this week!

"Til we meeeeet, til we meet...! God be with you, til we meet again!"

Lowell

0 Comments

2 Corinthians 8:16-24

2/19/2026

0 Comments

"But thanks be to God who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care I have for you!" (II Corinthians 8:16)

In last week's lesson, on II Corinthians 8:8-15, we saw how the apostle Paul was continuing to pursue his mission of raising funds for the poverty-stricken saints in the church of Jerusalem; and he wrote that he wasn't "commanding" the Corinthians to do this, but hoping that they would do it voluntarily, with the same love and "earnestness" that the believers in the Macedonian churches had exhibited! But he also realized that the greatest motivation for their giving was not just to be like the Macedonian believers but to exemplify Christ's giving for them! (His "indescribable" gift!) And so he gave them (and us!) perhaps the greatest and most profound "doctrinal treasure" in all the Bible (in verse 9), about the marvelous and wonderful grace of our Lord Jesus Christ--a verse (Constable notes) "tucked away in this very pragmatic section of Scripture about giving"! "For you know (he wrote) the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor that you through His proverty might become rich!" Describing how Christ left His heavenly throne when He came to die for us--descending from the riches of heaven to poverty in this world so that believers might ascend from poverty to riches, in this life and beyond!

And so, in our lesson last night (on II Corinthians 8:16-24), Paul urged the Corinthians to finish doing what he had earlier called them to do, in I Corinthians 16:1-4, and what Titus had challenged them to do as well, and what they had promised to do, by completing the collection!

In verse 12, he set forth the standard for giving which is based "not on what someone doesn't have but on what he (or she) does have"! And he goes on to write (in verse 13) that it "is not for the ease of others and for their affliction, but by way of equality"! Making reference to Exodus 16:18 to illustrate that "financial fairness is not a new idea--describing how "the Israelites gathered manna that God so graciously supplied for their daily food, so that no matter how much they gathered, nobody had more or less than they needed to live on"!

And so, as we delved into last night's lesson (on verses 16-24), we found that the apostle Paul wasn't through teaching about giving, and he picks it up by writing about how his "friend and beloved partner in ministry," Titus, had the same "earnestness" in his heart for them, and for this cause, as he had, and that he had gone to the Corinthians of his own accord (voluntarily!) for the collection! But he didn't go alone but was accompanied by "a brother" (verse 18 says) who "was appointed by the churches to travel with them for this gracious work"--a brother whose fame in the things of the gospel had spread through all the churches"! And so it was being "administered by them (like a finance committee) for the glory of the Lord Himself to show their readiness, taking precaution that so that no one would discredit their administration of this generous gift"! Because it was important to Paul (verse 21 says) that "the administration of this mission be seen as honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men"! (Barclay writes: "It's interesting that the same Paul who could write like a lyric poet and think like a theologian could, when it was necessary, act with the meticulous accuracy nnd care of a chartened accountant!"

Paul wanted to take all the safeguards available to avoid all suspicions, and any criticism or accusations of offense, and so sent with them yet another bother, a third brother who Paul said (in verse 22) was "often tested and found diligent"! MacArthur writes that Paul, "anticipating his enemies' attack on him, took the precautions of involving a godly preacher who would accompany Titus and the other brothers so that no one would discredit them in administering the Corinthians generous gift"! And so, a band of brothers which Paul called "messengers of the churches," and a "glory to Christ"! Constable writes that the two brothers who accompanied Titus were "apostles" in the sense that they were commissioned and sent by the church--but not "apostle of Christ," according to Scripture, because "they were not "eye-witnesses of the resurrection of Christ, or commissioned by Him directly" (a requirement noted in II Peter 1:17, and elsewhere in Scripture)! Proverbs 27:17 says "Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another!"

MacArthur notes that the greatest of all commendations for someone is to be characterized as one "bringing glory to Christ," and that "those who live to bring glory to Christ would never bring shame to His name, or to HIs church"!

Paul ends this passage in verse 24 with an appeal to the Corinthian believers: "Therefore openly before the churches, show them the proof of your love and of our reason for boasting about you!" By giving generously back to the Lord what He so graciously has given to them! (And to us!)

MacArthur notes that a loving church is a generous church and that the Corinthians' generous love would validate Paul's boasting about the working of the Lord in the lives of its members! G. Campbell Morgan writes, "It is the business of the Christian Community to do its business in such a way that men of the world have no cause to suspect anything contrary to its affairs!"

And in the spirit of giving, let us all "give of our best to the Master...Clad in salvation's full armor, join in the battle for truth!"

But, guess what? The apostle Paul's still not done with his teaching about giving!

May God be with you, til we meet again!

Lowell

0 Comments

2 Corinthians 8:8-15

2/19/2026

0 Comments

"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich!" (II Corinthians 8:9)

In last week's lesson, on II Corinthians 8:1-7, the apostle Paul, after having his relationship with the Corinthians re-affirmed (based on the report he received from Titus), re-asserted the mission which was on his heart and which he had earlier initiated with them and with the other churches he had founded--that of raising funds to deal with poverty-stricken saints in the church of Jerusalem! And he did this by making known to them "how the grace of God had motivated believers in the churches of Macedonia to give to this cause. They manifested God's grace to others by their giving, just as God had manifested his grace to them!

He writes how, "in the midst of an ordeal of severe tribulation, their abundance of joy and their depth of poverty together overflowed in the wealth of their liberality"! And that "according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord--not out of compulsion, or manipulation, or intimidation, but voluntarily"! And "even begged him, with much urging, for the favor of participating in the support of the saints"! Believing that God would take care of all their needs, as He had promised! (Constable notes that "their poverty no more impeded their generosity than their tribulation diminished their joy"!)

Paul writes, in verse 5, that they "gave far more than expected"--and that it came about after "first giving themselves to the Lord (as living sacrifices) and to us by the will of the Lord"!

MacArthur summed up last week's passage this way: "It revealed that giving is motivated by God's grace, trancends difficult circumstances, is given with joy, not hindered by poverty, generous, proportionate, sacrificial, voluntary, a privilege, an act of worship, in submission to pastors, in concert with Christian virtues, and evidence of love!"

And as we got into last night's lesson (on verses 8-15), we found that the apostle Paul was not through with giving instructions on giving! And we wondered why he was devoting so much of his time and energy to raising funds for this cause?

He certainly knew that it had nothing to do with gaining salvation and acceptance from God for what he did! He even wrote to Titus (in Titus 3:5) that "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior...!" And he wrote to the Ephesians (in Ephesians 2:8-9) that it's "by grace that we are saved, through faith, and that not of ourselves, but a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast!"

But Paul also knew that there was one thing he could do! And that was to "manifest" the same grace of God to others that had been so graciously manifested on him, and to become a little more like Him! And I'm sure he would have loved to sing Thomas Chisholm's great hymn, "O to Be LIke HIm" (although it hadn't yet been written): "O to be like Thee! Blessed Redeemer, this is my longing and prayer; gladly I'll forfeit all of life's treasures, Jesus Thy perfect likeness to wear!" And then the refrain, "O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art! Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness; stamp Thine own image deep on my heart!"

Constable notes that "it was undoubtedly Paul's love for his needy Jewish brethren that motivated him! But also that because he knew this gift would honor Jesus Christ, and that it would provide a visual demontration of the equality that existed between the Gentile and Jewish Christians, and dispel Jewish suspicions of Christianity and of Paul's mission to the Gentiles" Moreover, it illustrated the spiritual indebtedness that the Gentiles owed to their Jewish brethren and, for Paul personally, was a way that he could in some way compensate in part for his earlier persecution of the Jewish Christians!"

Ephesians 2:12-22 captures this thought beautifully: "Remember that you (speaking of Gentile believers) were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenant of promise, having no hope nad without God in the world! But now, in Christ Jesus, you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ! For He Himself is our peace who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by having put to death the enmity!" Wow!

Paul wrote in verse 8 that he hoped "the earnestness of others" (the Macedonian believers) would motivate the Corinthians to prove the sincerity of their love as well by their giving!

And then the great verse 9! "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich!" Speaking of this verse--Constable writes that "tucked away in this very pragmatic section of Scripture about giving is a profound doctrinal treasure! Its truth is not couched in technical theological language; its words are not complex or confusing! And though its message may be grasped in one reading, the truth it contains may not be fully comprehended throughout eternity! It describes Christ's descent from riches to poverty so that believers might ascend from poverty to riches!"

The theme here, Constable notes, "is about collecting money for the saints in the church of Jerusalem, and he used the example of the Macedonians who gave so generously and sacrificially; but as the apostle thought about the reality of love that manifests itself in sacrificial giving, his mind was irresistibly drawn to the greatest example of such love and sacrifice the world has ever known--the Lord Jesus Christ! Unlike the rich of this world, who rarely if ever impoverish themselves by their giving, He--the worthy One--became poor to make unworthy ones, like us, rich!" Wow! (Makes us want to sing: "Thou didn't leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown, when Thou camest to earth for me; but in Bethlehem's home was there found no room, for Thou holy nativity...Heaven's arches rang when the angels sang, proclaiming Thy royal degree; but of lowly birth didst Thou come to earth, in great humility; O come to my heart, Lord Jesus! There is room in my heart for Thee!")

And so, in verse 11, the apostle Paul urges the Corinthians to finish doing what Titus had challenged them to do "a year ago," and what they had promised to do, and desired to do, "by completing the collection now"! (MacArthsur writes that a desire to give, even a sincere readiness to do so, is not meaningful if it never results in actual giving!, and that there's a wide gap between wanting to do something and making it happen!) And os his plea!

And the standard by which God would judge their contribution, according to verse 12, was "not how much they gave, but how much they gave in relation to what they had"! God is most concerned with the heart attitude of the giver, and Jesus observed how the poor widow (in Mark 21:41-44) "gave more than all the contributors to the treasury, for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of poverty, put in all she owned"!

Paul goes on to write, in verses 13-14, that giving "is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality--at this present time your abundance being a supply of their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for your need, that there may be equality"! The idea being (MacArthur notes) that "in the body of Christ some believers who have more than they need should help those who have far less than they need--viewing Christians as being brothers and sisters in a large family"!" Constable writes that "it didn't make sense to Paul that some believers should lived on the verge of starvation while other lived in excess"!

And it was Paul who wrote in I Timothy 6:17-18, "Instuct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy!"

Paul ends this section by quoting from Exodus 16:18 to illustrate that financial fairness was not a new idea--describing how the Israelites were to gather the manna the Lord so graciously supplied for their daily food so that no matter how much was gathered, nobody had more or less than was needed to live on!

And so what did we learn about giving from this section of Scripture?

We can't outgive God, "who so loved that He gave us His Son..."!
"Give and it shall be given to you...!"
"God loves a cheerful giver!"
Giving is God's design for the advancement of His kingdom!
Giving is proof of our love for God, and others!
Giving is a privilege, and a way to "manifest the grace of God" so graciously manifested on us!
"It's more blessed give than to receive!"

May the grace of God be with you all! Til we meet again!

Lowell

0 Comments

Lowell's Notes - 2 Corinthians 8:1-7

2/19/2026

0 Comments

"But just as you all abound in everything, in faith and utterance and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also!" (II Corinthians 8:7)

In last week's lesson, on II Corinthians 7:12-16, the apostle Paul continued to look back and "mull over" the "severe letter" (the so-called "lost epistle") that he had written to the Corinthians, before writing his first epistle to them--a letter admonishing them for their sinful ways that he felt "made them sorrowful" to the point that it might have damaged his relationship with them! But, after learning from Titus, who hae carried the letter to them, that they had actually responded well to his instructions, expressed their love and longing for him, and realized that his letter had produced in them "a godly sorrow that led to repentance without regret," he had second thoughts about it, and was comforted when he saw that it all worked for something good in their lives!

And so, he began this passage by restating the reason for writing the letter in the first place! He "didn't write the letter for the sake of the offender" (the ringleader in the church who stirred up the trouble), "nor for the offender (speaking of himself), but that they might realize for themselves, in the sight of God, how much they cared for him"! And when they responded to him the way they did, it gave him, being the very humble and people-centered person that he was, great comfort!

And so now, with the relationship re-affirmed, he felt free to reassert with them the mission that he was pursuing with all the other churches--raising funds to meet the needs of the poor saints in the church of Jerusalem!

From its birth on the day of Pentecost, the Jerusalem church had to cope with the "extreme poverty" of its members, many of whom were Hellenistic Jews who had come to Jerusalem at the time of the Pentecost, were converted and chose to remain there, but with no place to stay, losing their jobs and being ostracized by their families because of their conversion to Christianity, and becoming the outcast of the Jewish society! And so the Jerusalem church made a noble effort to meet the needs of these people, and Paul endeavored to seek help from the Corinthian and other churches to help make that happen!

Paul had earlier made reference to this need in I Corinthians 16:1-4, where he wrote, "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also! On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come. When I arrive, whomever you may approve, I will send them with letters to carry your gifts to Jerusalem; and if it is fitting for me to go also, they will go with me!" That effort had apparently been held up, however, because of his falling out with the Corinthians, but now that the relationship had been restored, Paul took the occasion to reassert his call for them to give!

And so he picks it up in this passage, using the churches of Macedonia as examples of what it means to give! He "made it known to them that it was "the grace of God" that motivated the generosity of the Macedonian churches! Constable wrote that they "manifested the grace of God"! They gave help just as God gives help! Manifesting God's grace! (Interestingly, the word "grace" is used 10 times in chapters 8-9, more than in any other two chapters in the New Testament! And it refers to "God's enablement"! Adrian Rogers wrote that "God's grace gave them both the desire and the power to do the will of God"! God said to Paul, in II Corinthians 12:9, that "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness...! And it makes us want to sing, "Grace, grace, God's grace, grace that is greater than all our sin..." Or, "He giveth more grace when the burdens are greater, He sendeth more strength when the labors increase..."!)

Paul was making reference to the churches in Phillipi, Thessalonica, and Berea which were located in the province of Macedonia, which was basically an impoverished province in the northern region of Greece, a province that had been ravished by many wars and even then was being plundered by Roman authority and commerce! And yet, verse 2 says, "that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their wealth of poverty they overflowed in the wealth of their liberality!" The Amplified Version puts it this way: "For in the midst of an ordeal of severe tribulation, their abundance of joy and their depth of poverty together have overflowed in a wealth of lavish generosity!"

MacArthur writes that "the Macedonian believers were rich in their single-minded, selfless generosity to God and to others"! Wow! And he further notes that three elements characterized their giving:

They gave "according to their ability"! Based on what they had, with no fixed amount, or percentage placed on it!
They gave "beyond their ability"! Giving sacrificially!
They gave "of their own accord"! Not out of compulsion, or manipulation, or intimidation! But voluntary! As they chose! Believing that God would take care of all their needs!

Philippians 5:19 says, "And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus!" God would give increase to the Philippians in proportion to His infinite resources!

George Sweeting wrote: For the Macedonian churches, giving was not a burden but a blessing! Not something to be avoided, but a privilege to be desired!" Reflecting what Paul noted in verse 4, how they even "begged him with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints"! And even more importantly (in verse 5) that "they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us, by the will of the Lord"! Reminding us of Romans 12:1, where Paul wrote, "Therefore, I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service..."! (Steve Cole notes that underlying the concept of Biblical giving is that you have submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ; and committed to furthering His work through His people"1 And MacArthur writes that "the supreme act of worship is not giving money, attending church, or singing hymns, but giving ones self!")

Plummer writes that "the abundance of joy is a strange thing to be found in much testing of affliction! But few things were more characteristic of the Corinthians in the Apostolic Age than their exuberant joy! This abiding and conspicuous effort of 'the good tidings' was one of the leading causes of the gospel's rapid success! It's missionary power was then--and is still, where it exists--very great! Those who witness great joy in people whose lives are full of trouble are led to think that such people are in possession of something which is well worth having!"

Constable write: "Their poverty no more impeded their generosity than their tribulation diminished their joy!"

The Corinthians were clearly imitators of Paul who had just written in 6:10, that "as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things"!

The Bible is filled with verses on giving! Here are just a few more:

The writer of Acts said (in 20:35) "...to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He himself said, 'It is better to give than to receive!
Jesus said to those who followed Him, in Luke 6:38, "Give, and it will be given to you! They will pour into your lap a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over! For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return!"
The writer of Acts wrote (in Acts 20:35) to "remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is better to give than to receive"!
II Corinthians 9:6-7 says, "Now this I say, 'he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver!
James 1:17 says, "Every good and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning!"
And David wrote, in II Samuel 24:24. "...For I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing!"

MacArthur sums up our lesson this way: "This passage reveals that giving is motivated by God's grace, transcends difficult circumstances, is with joy, not hindered by poverty, generous, proportionate, sacrificial, voluntary, a privilege, an act of worship, in submission to pastors, in concert with Christian virtues, and evidence of love!"

And it should be a natural response to God who has given to us His "indescribable gift"!

Makes you want to sing! "Give of the best to the Master...!"
'
Or maybe, "How can I give thanks for the things that You have done for me--things so undeserved yet you give to prove your love for me...!"

Or, how bout, "I surrender all... All to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all!"

May God be with you and give you an "abundance of joy" as your heart overflows in response to "the wealth of generosity" that He has bestowed on us, and that we have the privilege of sharing with others!

Til we meet again!

Lowell

0 Comments

Lowell's Notes - 2 Corinthians 9:1-9

2 Corinthians 8:16-24

2 Corinthians 8:8-15

Lowell's Notes - 2 Corinthians 8:1-7

Author

Archives

Categories