In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul urges the believers to give generously to a special offering being received to help those going through difficulty. Paul’s point is giving generously is a sign of our commitment to Jesus. So often, people tend to play the “we’re under grace not under Law” card when it comes to the area of financial giving. Paul reminded the believers in Corinth God had blessed them, and the reasonable response to that is generosity. It’s as natural for those who are blessed to give, as it is for those who are alive to breathe. The challenge is giving is a supernatural aspect of our lives. We are born as “takers”, and when Jesus takes over our lives, we become “givers”. While we all know folks who aren’t Jesus’ followers who are givers, they have learned or have a natural tendency toward generosity. Once we are born again, our “nature,” which is now a supernatural nature, is to give, to be generous, to share in the nature of our new family: God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Paul continues to speak about giving in 1 Corinthians 9. Here he points out the principle of sowing and reaping: those who sow generously reap generously, and those who sow sparingly reap sparingly. Paul also reminds us God loves a “cheerful” giver. Our motive for giving is to be the joy we have in our new natures, because we get to give, rather than giving because we have to give. Paul reminds us when we give God blesses us, and those who receive the blessings of our giving also celebrate us before God and pray for our blessing. The outcome of our generosity is blessing, because as Jesus reminded us in Acts 20, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
In 1 Corinthians 10-11, Paul defends his ministry. In these chapters, we see Paul’s ministry has been undermined in Corinth by a group of “super apostles,” who claim to have more authority than Paul. Paul reminds the Corinthians he did not come to them with eloquent speech but with the power of God. He reminds them the battle is spiritual and not merely carnal or fleshly. He reminds them of his sufferings on their behalf and on behalf of the gospel. The challenge to Paul’s authority was real, and he wanted the believers in Corinth to remember the sign of authority in the church isn’t how “great” we are, but how much we are willing to humble ourselves, to suffer, and to serve.
As we return to Matthew 24, Jesus tells His followers the signs of His return. While He hasn’t yet died and risen, Jesus offers testimony about what will happen in the future. He doesn’t tell us when He will return. He does tell us He will return. Throughout His testimony, Jesus reminds us how important it is for us to be ready. While many in these troubled times are spending their time scouring the pages of the prophetic books, Revelation, and passages such as Matthew 24, in Jesus’ own words, to determine when He will return, my goal as a leader in the Church is to tell those who don’t know Jesus about Him, and to prepare those who have trusted Him as Savior and Lord to be ready when He comes. After all, Jesus has entrusted us with the message of His salvation. He expects us to be multiplying it on the earth. That is the best way for us to be found faithful when He returns!