I speak not by
commandment,
but I am testing the
sincerity
of your faith by the
diligence of others.
For you know the
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that though He was
rich, yet for your sakes
He became poor, that
you through His
poverty might become
rich.
2 Corinthians: 8: 9
Paul was
ensuring that what he had taught had taken hold of the Corinthians and this he
did by a test of their sincerity and of their faith; and he did this by
the diligence of others. What does this
mean? Once again we take a look at what
the Greek word meant when a Greek person heard the words spoken.Often
when we translate into English we have a problem for languages change even in the slightest
degree over the years. We must fully understand what that Greek person heard and
what the Holy Spirit had Paul write.
The Greek word, σπουδής, is in the genitive, therefore we use the
English word "of" showing that this word that we translate diligence
means to be of earnestness, to be earnest, to apply earnestness, therefore to
be diligent. And then Paul states that
they are not without the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and of His grace
and by His grace God became man incarnate in the flesh whereby He had left what
He had before as simply the Wisdom of God and can be counted as rich took on
this human flesh and became poor.
Why? That through His poverty
you might become rich! That riches does
not mean material wealth: it means eternal life, to be saved from your sins so
that eternal life can be eternally yours in this by the grace of God and not by
your own works: "Therefore, if anyone
is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all
things have become new. Now all things
are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has
given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ
reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and
has committed to us the word reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 8: 17 -- 19). Are you getting the point? God has reconciled you to Himself through
Jesus Christ and it does not stop right there: no, we have been given the
ministry of reconciliation: "Now
then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us:
we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin
for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2
Corinthians 8: 20 -- 21). Far too
often, experience holds a higher priority in our Christianity than the fact
that we are ambassadors of Christ who have been reconciled by Jesus Christ and
not by any experience or by anything we've done in this life. And if we are tested, and should be, we are to
be found diligent, earnestly exercising what God has commanded us to do and
that is to spread the gospel and that gospel is the gospel of
reconciliation. Unfortunately,
Christianity has fallen prey to the ideology and Christianity of liberal
Christians for at one point in time here in the United States the Gallup poll
and the Pew poll showed that more than 80% of the population affirmative belief
in God. A recent poll by Harris
Interactive Poll showed a significant drop over the four years past from 82%
down to 74%. Even though there are many
in the Christian churches exercising some experiential Christianity and
speaking of the love of God in a "sloppy agape" manner, feeding
pablum for the congregation rather than speaking about what God demands of us
and that is to be His ambassador, His witness. What is found from these polls
that there has been an increase in personal and independent view of spiritual
ideology and this is especially among young adults. This shows that the current culture that preaches that one must
be autonomous has crept into the church. found is that their
earnestness is not in harmony with Scripture.
How has this cultural ideology influence many Christians? One such thing is there has been an increase
of over 10%, from 42% to 47% and a belief in the Darwinian system of natural
selection. Yes, there seems to be a
sense whereby people believe in an omnipotent and omniscient Being, and this
Being is being seen through philosophy and empty deceit, that is, according to
the traditions of men, the principles of this world, and not according to
Christ (Colossians 2: 8). The Holy
Spirit inspired this to be written so we have not be unaware that this would
occur or could occur and has occurred.
Here is a very sad points that must be addressed: many of our churches
have, in one way or another, failed to connect the foundational of 40 and power
of the Creator with the bi-curious acts of Jesus Christ our Savior. Yes the atonement is talked in many
churches, and the resurrection is celebrated, this by holding communion, but,
and this is a very important but -- -- -- the miracles of Jesus Christ
demonstrating the miraculous ability as creator and God and how that affects
salvation is so often in So elated in a mysterious way in the love of God. How is this done it is glossed over as a
dogmatic necessity but rarely praised and honor as the reason that salvation ever
occurred. Brothers and sisters, God
does not take this critical point lightly.
Remember this: at the end of the age when Jesus Christ returns on the
last day, and not before, God will judge every one. I do not say this to raise fear in you, rather to excites
you, to encourage you, to live diligently and earnestly as God has
commanded and that is we must declare who Jesus is as well as what He did upon
the cross. Make this your goal for this
is the goal set before us, that in everything we do or say we do it for the
glory of God and not for our own entertainment, for our own religiosity, no,
for God who is our Savior and your Savior keeps you in His hands for
eternity. Yes, as I have said before, to be a Christian takes courage and
resolve.
I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
and find
out knowledge and discretion.
The fear of the LORD is to hate evil;
pride and
arrogance and the evil way
and the perverse mouth I hate.
I love
those who love me,
and those who seek me diligently will find me.
Riches and
honor are with me.
enduring riches and righteousness.
Proverbs
8:12 -- 13; 17 -- 18
You are the possession of God
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