I’m starting a new StoryChanger podcast series on 1 Corinthians. Join us for 5 mins a day, Mon-Fri, as we change our stories with God’s story. The first episode is How can I defeat imposter syndrome? (1 Corinthians 1:1-3)
INTRODUCTION
How does giving to others benefit me? Or to put it another way, What do I get when I give to others? Is that a bad question. It sounds awful, doesn’t it? What kind of Christian would ask that question? Christians shouldn’t give to get. We should give without ever asking, or even thinking, about any benefit that we night get from giving. Right?
Wrong! In 2 Corinthians 8:10-15, Paul motivates Christian giving by listing the benefits to the givers. And in this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you (10). Ideally we should give without a thought about what we might get back in return. However, God knows our weakness and is willing to motivate us to give to others by what we get from giving to others. So, we’re not only allowed to ask the question, What do I get when I give to others? God also answers us.
BACKGROUND
In 2 Corinthians, Paul is teaching us how to get strength through weakness and how to strengthen the weak. In chapter 8, he’s been teaching us how to strengthen the financially weak.
How do I start to grow in giving?
1. GIVING ASSURES OUR HEARTS (10-12)
(10) And in this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. (11) So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. (12) For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.
Our hearts desire to give
There can be doing without desiring to do. We can do things we don’t really want to do. For example, our parents ask us to tidy our rooms or do our homework, and we do it, but we have no desire to do it. “Our heart is not in it,” we might say.
The Corinthians not only gave, they wanted to give. It was ‘work’ that they really wanted to do. They were blessed not only with doing but with desiring to do. Their hearts really were in it.
Our hearts are ready to give
We can desire to give but not be ready to give. We can want to do something but not yet. We delay, we procrastinate, we put off, we find other things to do first.
The Corinthians, though, not only wanted to give, they were ready to give. They were primed, prepared, and ready to give. In fact so great was their passion to give and their preparedness to give that Paul said the amount they gave was not that important. For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have (12). God wasn’t looking for how much they gave but at how much they wanted to give and were ready to give. Willingness increased the value of their gift.
CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY
Thank God if you desire to give and are ready to give. These are rare finds in the human heart and an evidence that God has worked in our hearts. It’s not natural or normal to want to give what we have to others, especially to strangers that we will never meet.
Ask God for more desire more than more dollars. God is not counting our dollars and cents as much as our desire and readiness. God does not ask “How much are you giving?” but “How much do you want to give?” We may not be able to give any more money but we can give with more desire and readiness. Often, the more we desire to give the more God will give us to give.
GOD DELIGHTS IN DESIRES MORE THAN DOLLARS
So all that matters is the desire? No, desires must be backed up with actions.
2. GIVING BOOSTS OUR WITNESS (10-11)
(10) This benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. (11) So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have.
We start our giving
The Corinthians not only started to desire, they started to do. They desired and then they did. A year earlier their desires had translated into doing, their aims had become action.
We continue our giving
It’s easy to start giving but not so easy to continue giving. Even non-Christians can give to the needy in response to emotional appeals. But it usually doesn’t last. Christian giving continues when others’ emotional responses give up and give way. This difference between Christian and non-Christian giving was behind Paul’s argument here. Many start giving but Christians continue giving when the emotions have faded.
We complete our giving
Christians not only start giving, and continue giving, they complete giving. They make commitments and keep them. When the feelings fade, the finances don’t. When obstacles arise, Christians get up and over them rather than give up before them. When circumstances change the desire and readiness don’t. Less income may mean less giving for a time and giving over a longer time until they complete their commitment.
CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY
Give to witness. The Church’s giving is a large part of the Church’s witness. It’s a witness to the community of the givers and especially to the community of the receivers.
Give until needs are met. When the media, the NGO’s, and the celebrities have moved on to the next tear-jerking disaster, the Christian community stays, continues, and completes the work even with less resources.
GIVING MONEY IS PART OF GOING ON MISSION
What if I give and then end up needy myself? We’ll enjoy being receivers from other givers.
3. GIVING UNITES OUR FAMILY (13-15)
(13) For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness (14) your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. (15) As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.”
Our abundance supplies others’ needs
God could arrange things so that all believers and churches get what they need directly from him. Then, no person would need another person and no church would need any other church. We would all exist in our own individual and independent silos. Instead, he’s distributed resources unevenly so that churches need other churches and believers need other churches. He calls believers and the church to even things out so that each has enough, just as he did directly with the manna in the wilderness (Ex. 16:18).
Others’ abundance supplies our needs
There always comes a time when givers become receivers and receivers become givers. That reciprocity is sometimes financial and often spiritual. For example, many wealthy countries and churches receive spiritual benefit and blessings from poorer churches in poor countries. We give money to them and they give us their prayers, teaching, examples, faithfulness, songs, etc. This unites rich and poor churches, Jewish and Gentile believers, Western and Eastern believers, etc.
CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY
God unites his people through giving. This is more about equity than equality. It’s not enforced social justice through excessive taxation or confiscation that only embitters and divides our society further. Rather, it’s spiritual justice through the Gospel. It’s freewill giving from free grace motives. Pure communism and pure capitalism both destroy individuals and communities. But pure Christianity frees individuals, breaks down walls, reconciles divided people, and builds community through giving.
God unites his people through receiving. Look for opportunities to receive from others. This is one of the reasons why we show videos or have reports during the collection time in our services. It’s our way of receiving spiritually from those we give to financially. We’re all givers and all receivers so that we’re all united.
GIVE AND RECEIVE TO SHARE AND UNITE
SUMMARY
A NEW CHAPTER
Gospel: The Gospel is about receiving alone, but that receiving is never alone. We are saved by receiving, but we prove our salvation by giving. We are saved by faith without works, but we are assured by works out of faith.
Jesus: Christ was motivated to give for the same reasons. His giving assured his heart, boosted his witness, and united his family. He was not only willing to give but to receive as well. He met needs and had his needs met.
Prayer: Fair God, you have been more than fair to me, therefore help me to be more than fair to others.
Church: When we set budgets, we keep them, we meet them, we desire and we do.
Monday: Assure your faith with the desire to give and by keeping your Sunday commitments and promises.
Heaven: In heaven we will fully and forever see how much we gave and its results, and how much we received and its results.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What benefits have you had from giving?
2. In what ways has this message increased your assurance of faith?
3. How can you increase the value of your giving without increasing your giving?
4. How have you seen giving help your mission or the church’s mission?
5. What’s the difference between social justice and the spiritual justice in this passage?
6. How have you received spiritually from those you’ve supported financially?
INTRODUCTION
What do you think when you hear these words: ‘submission,’ ‘obedience,’ ‘respect,’ and ‘authority’? Maybe the following words come to mind: ‘abuse,’ ‘pain,’ ‘bullying,’ ‘humiliation,’ ‘weakness,’ and so on. Probably the last word that comes to mind is ‘pleasure.’ I have a huge task on my hands today to convince you of the pleasure of submission, obedience, respect, and honoring of authority. How can we find pleasure in submission?
BACKGROUND
The fifth commandment is often seen as the hinge commandment. The first four commandments direct us in how to find pleasure in loving God. The fifth commandment begins a pivot towards how to find pleasure in loving our neighbor. But, it’s not a full 180 degree turn because we are honoring and submitting to God when we honor and submit to the authorities he has set over us.
Why are submission and obedience so often associated with pain rather than pleasure? Because it often lacks the vital foundation of equality.
1. WE FIND PLEASURE IN OUR EQUAL IDENTITY
When we turn to our historic Reformed catechisms and their summaries of the biblical teaching in this commandment, we find one missing word and two potentially misleading words. Let’s investigate.
Q. Who are meant by father and mother in the fifth commandment?
A. ‘Father and mother’ mean not only natural parents, but all superiors in age and gifts; and those whom God has put in authority over us, whether in family, church, workplace, or state.
Q. Why are superiors called Father and Mother?
A. Superiors are called Father and Mother, to teach them to treat inferiors with love and tenderness and to teach inferiors to cheerfully perform their duties.
Did you spot the missing word? It’s equality. There is no mention of the essential equality of every human being. We are equally made in the image of God with equal value, worth, dignity, and identity. In this sense, the richest are equal to the poorest, the mightiest are equal to the weakest, the beautiful are equal to the ugly, the old are equal to the young, the educated are equal to the uneducated. Whatever side of any relationship we find ourselves in—parents or children, employers or employees, teachers or students, husbands or wives, governor or governed, pastor or sheep, abortion doctor or baby in the womb—we are all equal in our personhood, equally valuable, equally worthy of respect, equal in our essential identity as God’s image bearers.
In the absence of this word ‘equality,’ can you now see the misleading words (at least in our cultural context)? ‘Superiors’ and ‘inferiors.’ Without the explicit foundation of an equality in identity, these words about our roles can become words about our identity. If we start viewing ourselves as essentially superior we will look down on and abuse those we have authority over. If we view ourselves as essentially inferior, we will become a passive doormat for people to walk all over us while resenting anyone who has authority over us.
When we begin with the foundation of equality in our identity (who we are) we can then safely build on that the different functions and roles (what we do) which place us in higher or lower levels of authority.
Despite the missing and potentially misleading words, the catechisms do include words that imply equal identity and dignity. Those in authority are required:
n addition to these requirements, they are forbidden:
The Catechisms also teach that “superiors are called Father and Mother, to teach them to treat inferiors with love and tenderness.” The parent/child relationship is the first and most important relationship and shapes all others. It’s where we learn to submit to authority and how to wield authority. The family, not the State, is the basic building block in society. As the power of the one rises, the other falls, which is why Statists are so determined to destroy the family.
CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY
Find pleasure in the essential equality of all. This essential equality in identity is a beautiful relationship-transforming truth which will prevent all abuses and distortions of functional submission.
Fight the pain of abusive authority. Without the word ‘equality’ or without a true biblical understanding of ‘inferior’ and ‘superior’ (not who we are but what we do), we will see terrible pain inflicted by authorities upon those they have power over. This is a disgusting misrepresentation of biblical truth often portrayed as biblical fidelity. Let’s fight against that wherever it is found: spiritual abuse, domestic abuse, child abuse, economic abuse, political abuse, and so on.
Functional inequality must be anchored in essential equality.
OK, I understand how I can get pleasure in equal identity. But how is there any pleasure in unequal roles?
2. WE FIND PLEASURE IN OUR UNEQUAL ROLES
There are pains that come from our unequal roles. Those in authority have the pain of multiple responsibilities, heavy burdens, constant problems, hard questions, tough decisions, providing paychecks, etc. Those under authority have the pain of lack of control, lack of power, lack of choice, lack of self-will, lack of autonomy. However, there are more pleasures than pains in God’s ordering of society with a functional inequality. Let’s look at what’s required of in these unequal roles and then notice at the different pleasures that result.
Different Roles
What does the fifth commandment require?
What’s involved in preserving the honor of superiors and performing the duties to them?
What’s forbidden?
Different Pleasures
Just in case we might think that this all sounds like a misery rather than a pleasure, God attaches a promise to this command, the first command with a a promise. He must have anticipated the challenges independent, freedom-loving Americans would have with this commandment. The reason annexed to the fifth commandment is a promise of long life and prosperity (as far as it shall serve for God’s glory and their own good) to all such as keep this commandment. This isn’t just about quantity of life but also quality of life. And it’s true generally, but not without exceptions.
CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY
Obey God by obeying God’s authorities. Obedience to human authority reflects our obedience to God’s authority. This is part of our devotion to God, one of the ways we love God.
Find pleasure in honoring authority. We can find happiness not only in the consequences of obedience but in the obedience itself. We are doing it for the Lord, as if the Lord was the authority in our marriage, home, workplace, nation.
God-centered obedience brings God-centered pleasure
A NEW CHAPTER
Gospel: Submit to Jesus Christ as Lord. Don’t just call him Lord but serve & obey him as Lord. Becoming a Christian is coming under God’s authority.
Jesus: Jesus obeyed this command perfectly both as a superior and an inferior in his relationships with his parents, siblings, teachers, employers, disciples, government, etc. Knowing his God-given identity he submitted to serve others (Jn. 13:3-5).
Church: Let’s model this in our church. Call to pastors, elders, deacons, and other leaders to use authority well, and let us all submit to godly leadership with joy for joy.
Identity: No matter how high you rise or low you fall remember your equal identity with higher-uppers and lower-downers. The Christian can further expand upon the dignity of their identity: I am forgiven, I am loved by God, I am a child of God, etc.
Monday: Look for opportunities to obey this command in your roles and relationships in your family, your workplace, the nation. And notice the fourfold pleasure that results.
Prayer: Lord of all, help me to honor you by honoring those you have given as authorities.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What have been good experiences and bad experience of authority in your life?
2. Where do you have authority and how do you exhibit essential equality?
3. What can you do t stop abusive authority in your life and that of others?
4. Which of the ‘forbiddings’ and ‘requirings’ spoke most practically to you?
5. How would you explain the death of a godly young person?
6. How will this commandment increase pleasure in your life? The lives of those who have authority over you? And the lives of those who are under your authority?
INTRODUCTION
This evening we have the privilege of witnessing professions of faith in our congregation. It’s always a wonderful time in congregational life to see the fruition of many years of teaching and preaching by parents, grandparents, school-teachers, Sunday school teachers, catechism teachers, Youth Group leaders, and pastors. Professing faith is a massive step in the life of faith. But what comes next? Professing faith must be followed by proving faith. How do we prove our faith?
There are many ways to prove our faith to God, to ourselves, and to others, but the one Paul highlights in 2 Corinthians 8:8-9 is by giving to God and his cause from a particular motive.
BACKGROUND
The Corinthians excelled in many areas, but lacked in the area of giving. They got an ‘A+’ for faith, speech, knowledge and earnestness, but a ‘C’ for giving. Having used the example of the Macedonians’ giving to motivate greater Corinthian giving (1-7), he then turns to the ultimate example of Jesus’s Christ’s giving (8-9).
What’s the motive behind Christian giving?
1. JESUS WENT FROM RICHES TO RAGS (9)
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor (9)
Jesus was rich
When we think of riches, what do we think of?
The eternal Son of God lived a rich life before becoming a baby at Bethlehem. He didn’t ever become rich; he was eternally rich. There was never a time he wasn’t rich.
Jesus became poor
None was richer; none become poorer. Jesus exchanged his riches for rags.
Why would anyone do this? Why would anyone give up so much? Why would Jesus give up all that, give up everything until he had nothing, go from such riches to such rags? Paul answers “For your sake.” He did this for us, for our good, for our benefit.
CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY
Worship this astounding Savior. In 2010, Warren Buffett and Bill Gates announced the Giving Pledge. Those who sign up promise publicly to give away at least half their wealth, either during their lifetimes or in their wills. The aim, said Gates, was for those who had great wealth “to use their wealth to create good circumstances for other people.” A decade later, 11 of the 62 living signers who were billionaires in 2010 have seen their wealth decline because of ‘aggressive’ charitable giving or market changes. But the other 51 are earning money so fast they’re having a hard time giving it away. Jesus gave it all, Jesus gave his all, Jesus gave for all, Jesus changes all.
Read the Gospel through this lens. “For your sake.” There’s no other book that can be read with this lens. Every decision Jesus took to move from riches to rags was “for your sake.”
The richest God became
the poorest man.
What benefit do we get from Jesus going from riches to rags?
2. WE GO FROM RAGS TO RICHES (9)
…so that you by his poverty might become rich (9).
We were poor
As this verse predicts that we can become rich in Christ, it implies that without Christ we are not rich.
We are rich
Christ’s poverty was necessary to reach into our poverty and raise us up to his riches.
CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY
Motivate your giving by faith. The grace of Christ is the greatest motive to giving. If we know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we will give like the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. The more we understand his riches to rags and our rages to riches the more we will give our riches for those who are still in rags.
Prove your confession of faith. “I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine” (8). Giving by faith increases assurance of faith. Giving by faith proves your confession of faith.
Give your finance
to prove your faith
SUMMARY
A NEW CHAPTER
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. In what ways can we prove our faith to ourselves, others, and to God.
2. What are wrong motives or reasons for Christian giving?
3. Read a chapter of the Gospels through the lens of “for your sake.” What changed?
4. Which part of Christ’s riches were the hardest for him to give up?
5. Which part of your riches in Christ are the most valuable to you?
6. How should this passage affect Christian fundraising?
Our Christian lives and our mental health depend on our ability to reframe events and experiences.
Listen here.
Reading: Mark 4:35-41.
Visit thestorychanger.life for more resources on changing our story with God’s Story.
Jo helps us separate our identity from our roles.
Listen here.
Reading: John 13:3-5
Visit thestorychanger.life for more resources on changing our story with God’s Story.
Jo De Blois is Chief of Staff at Puritan Reformed Seminary.