"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
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
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