II Corinthians 9
Corinthian church causes other to giveverses 1-2
For as touching the ministering to the saints
it is superfluous for me to write to you
For I know the forwardness of your mind
for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia
that Achaia was ready a year ago
AND your zeal has provoked very many
Christians should give willinglyverses 3-5
YET have I sent the brethren lest our boasting of you
should be in vain in this behalf – that – as I said
you may be ready
lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me
and find you unprepared
we (that we say not – you) should be ashamed in this
same confident boasting
THEREFORE I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren
that they would go before to you
and make up beforehand your bounty
whereof you had notice before – that the same might be ready
as a matter of bounty – and not as of covetousness
Christians should give generouslyverses 6-10
But this I say – He which sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly
and he which sows bountifully shall reap also bountifully
Every man according as he purposes in his heart – SO let him give
not grudgingly – or of necessity
for God loves a cheerful giver
AND God is able to make all grace abound toward you – that you
always have all sufficiency in all things
may abound to every good work
(as it is written – He has dispersed abroad
he has given to the poor
his righteousness remains for ever
NOW he that ministers seed to the sower
BOTH minister bread for your food
and multiply your seed sown
and increase the fruits of your righteousness)
Gifts cause thankfulness toward Godverses 11-12
Being enriched in everything to all bountifulness
which causes through us thanksgiving to God
FOR the administration of this service not only supplies
the want of the saints but is abundant also
by may thanksgiving to God
Gifts cause others to glorify Godverses 13-15
WHILES by the experiment of this ministration
they glorify God for your professed subjection
to the gospel of Christ
and for your liberal distribution to them
and to all men
And by their prayer for you while long after you
for the exceeding grace of God in you
THANKS be to God FOR HIS unspeakable gift
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 2 For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many. (4288 “forwardness of mind” [prothumia] means eagerness, readiness, inclination, willingness, zeal, resoluteness, or goodwill)
DEVOTION: Genuine compliments are good between believers. We need to not be those who are given to flattery. Too many in our world are telling people what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear.
Paul was making a statement regarding the church in Corinth that he genuinely believed. He was proud of the members of the church. He had worked with them. He had sent Titus to help them. He was confident but he also wanted to be correct in his view.
Some people have a lot of zeal to do the LORD’S work but never get around to doing what they say they will do. Others do what they say they will do.
These individuals are the types that cause others to want to serve the LORD. Paul was impressed with those who kept their commitment to the LORD. He bragged about them.
We need to be those types of individuals who cause others to want to serve the LORD. We need to be set a standard that others can look up too but also not be individuals who want to be full of personal pride. Our motivation is to bring glory to God and say that to everyone who starts to glorify you instead of the LORD.
The leadership in the church should be those who honor those who have their priorities right. There should be services in our churches that give recognition to those who serve the LORD to motivate others to do the same.
There should never be respect of persons in our churches. So that means that we should honor all those who serve the LORD and not just the special members in the congregation. People know the difference.
Be the type of Christian that works without wanting praise but accept it if it is offered to you but not get discouraged if it is not.
CHALLENGE: The LORD knows what is going on in all of HIS churches.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 6 But this I say, He which sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which sows bountifully shall reap also bountifully. (2129 “bountifully” [eulogia] means a present given as a sign of gracious kindness to promote the livelihood of the recipient, especially with a giver characterized by joyful generosity, large amount, abundant amount, generous gift, or blessing called down)
DEVOTION: We have all the story of the father in the car with the children returning home from church. He was complaining about the music. He was complaining about the preacher preaching too long. The son in the back seat of the car said to his dad “What do you expect for a dollar!”
That is true many times with people who want the LORD to bless them but they don’t have a thankful attitude toward the LORD to the point where they are willing to give God a thank offering each Sunday that would help the work of the LORD move forward.
Many individuals have written and stated that the LORD is not blessing them the way they think HE should. I ask a few questions of them. One of the questions is about their giving to the LORD. Some say they don’t have enough money to give to the LORD. They have too many bills to pay.
Paul brings out the fact that if we sow to the LORD’S work sparingly we are reap what we have sown. If we give more than we think we can HE will honor our giving. God blesses in many ways besides money.
Too often we find some preachers stating that if you give “this amount of money” the LORD will bless you tenfold. The problem is if you are giving to get you will not get what you think you should get. God doesn’t promise you a hundred dollars if you give ten to HIM. HE promises to bless you if you give with the right attitude.
CHALLENGE: These blessings will come in many different forms. Wait for them expectantly.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 7 Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver. (318 “necessity” [anagke] means constraint, distress, must needs, needful, custom, response to pressure, by force, complete obligation or imposed by circumstances or law)
DEVOTION: Paul continues in this passage to instruct the Corinthian church regarding collecting an offering for the Jerusalem church. He tells them that men are coming from the Macedonian area to pick up the money. He informs them that because of their willingness to give, it excited the Christians in Macedonia to give also. He was bragging on them. He was happy for them as they set the example for others to follow.
However, he also was warning them in the letter that they needed to make sure that they had the collection ready. Otherwise, people would be disappointed. Paul likes to boast on his children in the LORD.
He even gives the illustration about how to give. He states that a farmer only receives back what he puts into the ground. If a farmer only plants a few seeds, he will only get a small crop. If a farmer plants a lot of seeds, he will get an abundant crop. This illustration is used to instruct the Christians in Corinth to give as much as they can to this offering.
He also tells them that because of their offering there will be blessings. The one blessing is to the church at Jerusalem because their needs will be met. The other blessing is that the LORD will receive glory from the giving of the saints. Finally, the church at Corinth will be blessed because of the testimony of their faithfulness to God.
Now this verse gives some instruction regarding attitude regarding giving. Giving is a personal matter between the individual and God. Giving comes from the heart. Giving is supposed to be done with thanksgiving. Giving is to be done with a cheerful attitude.
Many times in the act of giving we are doing it out of duty or because others are watching. Sometimes giving is just done for a tax write off. Sometimes it is to get our own way in the church. If the motive is wrong in the giving, it should not be given. If we don’t really want to give to say “thank you” to God for our salvation and all of HIS blessings in our life than our giving is wrong.
God wants HIS children to give bountifully. HE desires us to show our love to HIM, so that, HE can show HIS love to us more abundantly. HE rewards faithful servants. Giving is part of being a faithful servant. Not because it is a duty but because it is a joy.
CHALLENGE: Give out of love for what God has provided in Christ Jesus. Give will all your heart. Remember it is a thank offering to HIM.
: 15 Thanks be to God for HIS unspeakable gift. (411 “unspeakable” [anekdiegetos] means defying expression or description, indescribable, beyond words, unutterable, beyond all praise, ineffable, or too wonderful for words)
DEVOTION: Paul is reminding the believers at Corinth that they were given such a wonderful gift by God that it is so hard to put it into words. What was the gift? It was the gift of eternal life in heaven. It was the give of an abundant life while they were living in this world. It was the fact that they have a source of strength to help them face whatever comes their way each day.
We have these same gifts available to us each day. Sometimes we are not too thankful for them. We should be thankful because we have an inner joy that only the LORD can give to us each day.
If someone gives us something we really want and can enjoy we would say “thank you” many times to them. We would remember that gift for the rest of our life. When we grow up and see the person who gave us such a gift we would again say “thank you.”
This should happen when we think of the LORD. This should happen when we give our money to the LORD. Paul is talking about taking an offering to help the people of Jerusalem. They need help. These Christians were giving help. Some gave their gifts with a thankful heart. It should have been all of them.
Are you thankful to the LORD to the point that when you put your offering in the offering plate you are thanking the LORD for the privilege of giving HIM something?
CHALLENGE: We can never out give God!!
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Writeverse 1
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Prayer for graceverse 14
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Writeverse 1
As it is written [Psalm 112: 9]verse 9
As it is written [Is. 55:10]verse 10
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Godverses 7, 8, 11-15
God loves a cheerful giververse 7
Cause grace to aboundverse 8
Ministers seedverse 10
Increase fruit of righteousnessverse 10
Thanksgiving to Godverse 11
Thanksgiving unto Godverse 12
Glorify Godverse 13
Exceeding grace of Godverse 14
Unspeakable giftverse 15
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Christverse 13
Gospel of Christverse 13
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Macedoniaverses 2, 4
Achaiaverse 2
Purposes in heartverse 7
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Boasting in vainverse 3
Unpreparedverse 4
Covetousnessverse 5
Sow sparinglyverse 6
Give grudginglyverse 7
Giving of necessityverse 7
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Saintsverses 1, 12
Forwardness of your mindverse 2
Zealverse 2
Boastingverses 2-4
Ready to giveverses 3, 5
Exhort fellow believersverse 5
Sow bountifullyverses 5, 6, 11
Lovedverse 7
Cheerful giververse 7
Graceverses 8, 14
All sufficiency in all thingsverse 8
Abound in good workverse 8
Giving to poorverse 9
Righteousnessverses 9, 10
Ministerverse 10
Fruitverse 10
Enrichedverse 11
Thanksgiving verses 11, 12, 15
Glorify Godverse 13
Subjection to the gospel of Christverse 13
Prayerverse 14
Unspeakable giftverse 15
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Church (New Testament people of God)
Ministering to the saintsverse 1
Brethrenverses 3, 5
Exhort the brethrenverse 5
Giving: purpose in your heartverse 7
Gospel of Christverse 13
Liberal distributionverse 13
Last Things (Future Events)
Righteousness remains foreververse 9
DONATIONS:
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QUOTES regarding passage
10, 11 In v. 6 Paul observed that the person who sows sparingly will reap a meager harvest. Now he develops the imagery of sowing and reaping to reinforce the point that generosity pays handsome dividends. He argues from God’s bounty in nature to his even greater liberality in grace. The crops of the generous person are always full and his harvests rich. If God supplies man with the seed needed to produce a harvest of grain, and thus food (cf. Isa 55:10), he certainly will supply and multiply all the resources (“your store of seed”) needed to produce a full harvest of good deeds (“your righteousness”; cf. Hos 10:12, LXX).
Verse 11 a restates v. 8, though this is not to say, as some do, that vv. 9, 10 are parenthetical. God continues to enrich the benevolent person so that he can go on enriching others by his generosity (cf. 1:4). The greater the giving, the greater the enrichment. The greater the enrichment, the greater the resources to give. Paul then adds a statement (v. 11b) that he will develop in vv. 12–15. The Jerusalem saints, as the grateful recipients of the Corinthians’ liberal gift administered by Paul and his colleagues, would express their thanks to God, the source of all good gifts (cf. James 1:17). Liberality is thus seen to be truly a eulogia (v. 8), a gracious act that prompts thanksgiving to God. (Harris, M. J. (1976). 2 Corinthians. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans through Galatians (Vol. 10, p. 377). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
10. Ministereth (ἐπιχορηγῶν). Rev., supplieth. See on add, 2 Pet. 1:5.
Both minister bread, etc. Construe bread with supplieth, as Rev., supplieth seed to the sower and bread for food.
Minister and multiply (χορηγήσαι καὶ πληθύναι). The correct reading is the future, χορηγήσει καὶ πληθυνεῖ shall supply and multiply.
The fruits (τὰ γενήματα). Lit., what has been begotten or born. Used of men, Matt. 3:7, A. V., generation, Rev., offspring. Elsewhere of fruits, as fruit of the vine, Mark 14:25.
11. Liberality (ἁπλοτήτα). Better singleness or simplicity of heart. See on Rom. 12:8. (Vincent, M. R. (1887). Word studies in the New Testament (Vol. 3, p. 335). New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.)
Supplieth (ἐπιχορηγων [epichorēgōn]). Late Koiné compound verb from ἐπι [epi] and χορηγεω [chorēgeō], just below (1 Peter 4:11). Χορηγος [Chorēgos] is old word for leader of a chorus (χορος, ἡγεομαι [choros, hēgeomai]) or chorus-leader. The verb means to furnish a chorus at one’s own expense, then to supply in general. N. T. examples of ἐπιχορηγεω [epichorēgeō] are 2 Cor. 9:10; Gal. 3:15; Col. 2:19; 2 Peter 1:5. Shall multiply (πληθυνει [plēthunei]). Future active indicative of πληθυνω [plēthunō], old verb from πληθυς [plēthus], fulness. Cf. Acts 6:1. Fruits (γενηματα [genēmata]). Correct reading (from γινομαι [ginomai], to become) and not γεννηματα [gennēmata] (from γενναω [gennaō], to beget). This spelling is supported by LXX where Thackeray shows that γενηματα [genēmata] in LXX refers to vegetables and γεννηματα [gennēmata] to animals. The papyri support this distinction (Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary).
2 Corinthians 9:11
Enriched (πλουτιζομενοι [ploutizomenoi]). Present passive participle of πλουτιζω [ploutizō] for which see on 1 Cor. 1:5; 2 Cor. 6:10 only other N. T. examples. Liberality (ἁπλοτητα [haplotēta]). See on 8:2. Anacoluthon with nominative participle too far from περισσευητε [perisseuēte] for agreement. More like the independent use of the participle. (Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (2 Co 9:10–11). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.)
9:9–10. The abounding grace mentioned in verse 8 refers to more than provision for one’s needs of the moment. Charity reaps an eternal reward (cf. Prov. 19:17; Matt. 25:40). A person who “fears the Lord” (Ps. 112:1) and gives gifts to the poor (from Ps. 112:9, which Paul quoted) will be vindicated on the last day (cf. Matt. 6:1). Practical righteousness endures forever not only through the deeds but in the doer as he is progressively transformed into Christlikeness (2 Cor. 3:18). Ultimately a believer’s reward is the culmination of the process (Phil. 3:14, 21). The One who supplies what is needed is God alone (Phil. 2:13). God (who supplies seed … and bread) enlarges the harvest (rewards or blessings) that results from righteous, generous living. The riches of righteousness are inestimable (cf. 6:10). (Lowery, D. K. (1985). 2 Corinthians. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 575). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
The principle of immediacy: we reap even while we are sowing (vv. 8–11). The farmer has to wait for his harvest, but the believer who practices grace giving begins to reap the harvest immediately. To be sure, there are long-range benefits from our giving, but there are also immediate blessings.
To begin with, we start to share God’s abundant grace (2 Cor. 9:8). The “universals” in this verse are staggering: all grace; always; all sufficiency; every good work. This does not mean that God makes every Christian wealthy in material things; but it does mean that the Christian who practices grace giving will always have what he needs when he needs it. Furthermore, the grace of God enriches him morally and spiritually so that he grows in Christian character. In his walk and his work, he depends wholly on the sufficiency of God.
It is disturbing to see how many Christians today are totally dependent on others for their spiritual resources. Preachers cannot get sermons unless they borrow them from a book or a cassette. Church officers are bewildered about what to do with a problem unless they phone two or three well-known preachers for advice. Far too many church members have to consult with the pastor once a week or they fall apart spiritually.
The word sufficiency means “adequate resources within” (see Phil. 4:11). Through Jesus Christ, we can have the adequacy to meet the demands of life. As Christians, we do need to help and encourage one another; but we must not depend on one another. Our dependence must be on the Lord. He alone can give us that “well of water” in the heart that makes us sufficient for life (John 4:14).
We not only share God’s grace, but we also share His righteousness (2 Cor. 9:9). Paul quoted Psalm 112:9 to prove his point. That psalm describes the righteous man who has no fears because his heart is sincere and obedient to the Lord. Paul did not suggest that we earn righteousness by our giving, because the only way to get righteousness is by faith in Jesus Christ. However, if our hearts are right, our giving will be used by God to make our characters righteous. Grace giving builds Christian character.
We reap as we sow, and we share God’s miracle multiplication of what we give and do (2 Cor. 9:10). The farmer has to decide how much seed he will keep for food, and how much he will plant. If the harvest has been lean, there is less seed available both for eating and planting. But the Christian who believes in grace giving never has to worry about this decision: God supplies all that he needs. There is always spiritual and material “bread” for the eating and spiritual and material “seed” for the sowing.
Paul referred here to Isaiah 55:10–11, a passage that uses “seed” and “bread” to refer to both the Word of God and to the literal harvest in the field. There is no such thing as “secular” and “sacred” in the Christian life. The giving of money is just as spiritual an act as the singing of a hymn or the handing out of a Gospel tract. Money is seed. If we give it according to the principles of grace, it will multiply to the glory of God and meet many needs. If we use it in ways other than God desires, the harvest will be poor.
Finally, as we sow, we are enriched and we enrich others (2 Cor. 9:11). The farmer reaps immediate physical benefits as he works in his field, but he has to wait for the harvest. The Christian who is motivated by grace reaps the blessings of personal enrichment in his or her own life and character, and this enrichment benefits others. The final result is glory to God as others give thanks to Him. Paul was careful to point out that grace giving does not bring credit to us; it brings thanksgiving to God. We are but channels through whom God works to meet the needs of others.
But 2 Corinthians 9:11 teaches another truth: God enriches us so that we may give even more bountifully. One of the joys of grace giving is the joy of giving more and more. Everything we have—not just our income—belongs to God, is given to God, and is used by God to accomplish His work. We are enriched in everything because we share everything with Him and with others.
As a pastor, I have watched young Christians lay hold of these principles of grace giving and start to grow. It has been a great joy to see them trust God as their giving is motivated by grace. At the same time, I have seen other believers smile at these principles and gradually impoverish themselves. Some of them “prospered” financially, but their income was their downfall: it did not enrich them. They had their reward, but they lost their opportunities for spiritual enrichment.
Grace giving means that we really believe that God is the great giver, and we use our material and spiritual resources accordingly. You simply cannot outgive God! (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, pp. 661–662). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
9:10 Paul drew on Is 55:10 for additional OT support. The same God who is faithful to supply all His creatures’ physical needs and is kind to all people, is uniquely gracious to His children. He always fulfills His promise to replenish their generosity. harvest of your righteousness. God’s temporal and eternal blessings to the cheerful giver (cf. Hos 10:12). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (2 Co 9:10). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
Ver. 10. Now he that ministereth seed to the sower, and bread for your food, &c.] For so the words ought to be pointed and read, as is clear from Isa. 55:10 to which they refer; and are a periphrasis of God, who so blesses the seed that is cast into the earth, that it brings forth such an increase, as that there is a sufficiency of bread for food to the eater for the present year, and a sufficiency of seed to sow with again the next year; and that God, that does this every year, is able to minister to, or supply your present necessities; and to multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness; though some consider these as a wish or prayer of the apostle’s, that God would do all this for them. Some copies, and the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions, read all in the future tense, he will minister to you, or supply you, and will multiply your seed sown, and will increase the fruits of your righteousness; and so contain a promise of a divine blessing, encouraging to liberality with cheerfulness, by strengthening their faith in the providence of God; who as he multiplies, not the seed expended in the family, or sold at market, or as in the barn, or laid up for a better price, but the seed sown in the field, so he will multiply the substance of men; not what they lay out on themselves and families, or lay up in their coffers, but what they give away, or bestow on Christ’s poor: and all effects which follow acts of liberality, and which are here designed by fruits of righteousness, such as a good name among men, blessing, praise, thanksgiving, and prosperity in things temporal and spiritual, these God will abundantly increase; some of which are mentioned in the following verses. So alms with the Jews is not only called צדקה, righteousness, but seed sown. Thus Jarchi interprets Psal. 37:26 and his seed is blessed, he that זורע, sows righteousness or alms, its end shall be for a blessing, or in the end he shall be blessed; and the phrase, rain righteousness, in Hos. 10:12 is by the Septuagint rendered, γεννηματα δικαεοσυνης, fruits of righteousness, the same as here, from whence it seems to be taken.
Ver. 11. Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, &c.] These words may be connected with ver. 8 the 9th and 10th verses being included in a parenthesis; and the sense is, that God was not only able to give them a sufficiency, and would give them a sufficiency of temporal things, as food and raiment to their satisfaction, and contentment for themselves, but a fulness, an exuberancy, an overplus also; not for luxury and intemperance, but that having such an affluence in all the good things of life, they might at all times, and upon every occasion, exercise a bountiful disposition in relieving the poor: which causeth through us thanksgiving to God; not their riches and fulness, but their liberal distribution of them to the poor saints, to which they were stirred up by the apostles; who were thankful to God who had so well succeeded their exhortations and advice, and which was the cause of thanksgivings in others: and since therefore such beneficence tended to the glory of God, as giving of thanks makes for his glory, this then ought to be attended to, and diligently performed; and so it furnishes out a new argument to this good work, which is enlarged upon in the following verses. (Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 2, p. 817). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
Deuteronomy 5
Moses reviews the Ten Commandments with the children of Israel.
INSIGHT
David writes that the Law of the Lord is perfect, and in keeping it, there is great reward. Part of that great reward is spelled out in chapter 5. Moses says that if the children of Israel will keep God’s commandments, it will go well with them and with their sons forever! In addition, the Lord promises that they will live and that they may prolong their days in the land. (Quiet Walk)
THE WORK HAS BEEN DONE
It is finished. John 19:30
We need to be delivered from the power of the devil, we need death and the grave to be conquered—and our Lord Jesus Christ has done it all. And beyond all that, we need a new nature, because we need not only forgiveness of sins, but to be made fit to have communion and fellowship with God. We need to have a nature that can stand before God, for “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all”(1 John 1:5). And Christ has come and given Himself, His own nature, the eternal life of which he speaks in John 17:1-5. So here, looking at it all, He can say, “I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” (verse 4).
He has done everything that is necessary for man to be reconciled to God. Have you realized, my friends, that this work is finished? Have you realized that it is finished as far as you are concerned? You are asked whether you are a Christian, and you reply that you are hoping to be, but that you need to do this, that, and the other. No! Christ says, “I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” The work has been done, and what proves whether we are truly Christians or not is whether we know and realize that the work has been done and that we then rest, and rest only, upon the finished work of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If we see it all in Him and the work done and completed in Him, it means we are Christians.
The way for you to know God and to be reconciled to Him is wide-open in the Lord Jesus Christ and His perfect work on your behalf. If you have never entered in before, enter in now, rest upon the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ, and begin to rejoice, immediately, in your great salvation.
A Thought to Ponder: The way for you to know God, and to be reconciled to Him, is wide-open in the Lord Jesus Christ.
(From Saved in Eternity, pp. 105-106, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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The Futile Wrath of Man
“Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.” (Psalm 76:10)
One of the most amazing anomalies in human life is the oft-repeated testimony to God’s grace and power unwittingly rendered by men who would dethrone Him if they could. Biblical examples are numerous.
Joseph’s brothers hated him and sold him into slavery, but “God meant it unto good . . . to save much people alive” (Genesis 50:20). Haman tried to destroy the Jews in the days of Queen Esther; but instead their leader, Mordecai, was elevated to prime minister, and Haman was hanged upon his own gallows. Daniel’s enemies maneuvered him into the lions’ den, but these enemies themselves were later devoured by the animals, and King Darius decreed “that in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever” (Daniel 6:26).
In the awful hour of Satan and the powers of darkness, Jesus died on the cross, but “having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it” (Colossians 2:15). “Why did the heathen rage? . . . the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.” Their plans turned to frustration and rage because all they could do was “whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done” (Acts 4:25-26, 28).
Let men be ever so bitter against God and hateful to His people. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church, and the more His enemies rage, the more will God be glorified. The wrath of man can never prevail against the Lord. It will either be restrained in due season or will be turned into praise, for “we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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