Now may He who
supplies seed to the sower,
and bread for food, supply and multiply the
seed
you have sown an
increase of fruits
of your
righteousness, while you are enriched
in everything for all
liberality, which causes
Thanksgiving through
us to God, while,
through the proof of
this ministry,
they glorify God for
the obedience
of your confession to
the Gospel of Christ,
and for your liberal
sharing with them
and all men, and by
their prayer for you,
who long for you
because of the exceeding
grace of God in
you. Thanks be to God
for His indescribable
gift!
2 Corinthians 9: 10
-- 15
Acts of
kindness given to those in need that has its foundation in your love to Christ are works that are accepted as works of righteousness and this benefit will
remain forever. God will not forget
what you are doing both the good and the bad.
God will bless your good and chastise for the bad. It is God who supplies the seed that the
sower needs even giving the necessity of bread for food, and He who has
supplied will multiply the seed that you have sown and will increase the fruits
of your righteousness. It begins with
God, and it ends with God. When God has
given you the seed to supply the needs not only for yourself but for others you
are to sow that seed and by sowing that seed you have increased the fruits of
your righteousness. This is not done so
that we will become righteous for our righteousness comes due to the fact of
our love for God and our willingness to be a worker for Him. As a child of God you are enriched in
everything Who has given to you liberally causing you to have Thanksgiving to
God and Thanksgiving to God for those he has placed to teach and guide
you. As leaders and teachers, pastors,
missionaries, a responsibility of administration is necessary so that there is
supplies given to the saints and by this supply many can give Thanksgiving to
God. What is the proof? It is your obedience, and obedience to Who
and Whom you say you are and who you are by your confession to the Gospel of
Jesus Christ and by this confession and obedience out of love for God you share
to others. This sharing is done
liberally and you pray intercessory prayers for others. You are being watched! You may not know who is watching but they
are watching. What will they see? Will they see the grace of God in you shown
in exceedingly manner? Paul finishes
this portion of his letter the end of chapter 9 by giving thanks to God for His
indescribable gift and the gift is Himself come in the flesh, the Son of God,
who by His sacrifice upon the cross for our debt, and has given to you eternal
life. What an indescribable gift!
A problem
may arise when one is so involved in service to God because often the glory
they are receiving is more for them than it is for Jesus Christ. A term not so often used in the church is
one that must be addressed, and that is sacramental Christianity. What is meant by this? The word Sacramental must be understood to
mean the real presence of Christ being conveyed through the actual elements of
speech and natural life of a Christian.
Paul said it this way: "But
God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by
whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world" (Galatians
6:14). Notice this; that Paul is
crucified to the world meaning that he no longer hold fast to the things of
this world. Is this true of you? Let's look at this from this point of view:
it is by the cross of Christ that you are saved from sin; and it is by the
cross of Christ that you are sanctified.
How can you be a sacramental disciple?
When you deliberately lay your self on the altar of the cross, and give
yourself over emphatically and entirely to be actually what you are potentially
in the sight of God and this is that you are a member of the body of
Christ. This requires that you deny
yourself, completely, unconsciously holding fast to the commands and will of
God giving yourself over completely to Jesus Christ. By this, you can be used as a sacrament to nourish others. So often we are so conscious, consciously
serving, consciously devoted to God; this is all immature, it is not a life
yet. Maturity is the life of a child
and a child is not conscious that he is a child,
and we should be so abandon to God that even the thought of being made broken
bread and poured out wine no longer makes for tears. How?
It is when you are consciously being used as broken bread and poured out
wine that you are no longer interested in your own martyrdom Yes, it is when you stop counting
consciously that is costing you something for when you are laid upon the altar
of the cross all consciousness of self is gone all consciousness of what you
are doing for God, or what God is doing through you is gone. No longer talk about "your experience
of sanctification" for you have been brought to the place where you now
understand what is meant by the words of Jesus Christ, "you shall be My
witnesses." Our sacramental
service is to stop looking out for some work for God unless you've been led by
God to do so, and that you maintain the attitude of a child towards God then He
will do what He likes with you. God
supplies, God increases the fruits of your effort and of your righteousness. Once you have entered that service, you can
enter no other. Live life, love God!
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:
"Whom
shall I send,
and who will go for us?"
Then I
said,
"Here am I!
Send me."
Isaiah 6:8
Go! God chose to
send you.
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