AS WE SOW SO SHALL WE ALSO REAP

PROCLAMATION

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.  Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”  2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Corinth.  In this chapter Paul is continuing the topic he began in the previous chapter, requesting a generous gift from the believers in Corinth to help the believers in Macedonia. (2 Corinthians 9:1-5)  He tells them that they will be rewarded in the same manner as they give.  He tells them that God will bless them abundantly and that for helping the poor, their righteousness will endure forever. (2 Corinthians 9:8-9)  He also says that God will increase what they have and enrich them in every way so that they can continue to be generous in the future. (2 Corinthians 9:10-11)

 

APPLICATION

As believers, we are encouraged to give to and to help the less fortunate.  The Bible says we will be blessed for doing so. (Proverbs 22:9)  Here Paul quotes The Old Testament when he tells them, “They have scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.” (Psalm 112:9)  Jesus said that as we treat the least of His people, He will take it as if we have done it to Him. (Matthew 25:35-45)  Jesus also said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35)  If you want more of something, try giving others more of what it is that you want.  That applies to smiles, love, and money.  The Bible teaches us that as we give, so shall we receive. (Luke 6:38)  Remember, when a seed is planted, and it grows, it does not just bring forth another seed, but it produces many seeds, sometimes thirty, sixty, or even a hundred seeds. (Matthew 13:8 and 13:23)  Think about a kernel of corn, when it is planted it produces a plant with several ears of corn, each of which has more than sixty kernels of corn on them.  There are two important points here.  First, we will reap the same thing that we sowed.  Secondly, we will get back more of what we sowed than we gave out.  The Lord God can bless us abundantly with all that we need and even with more than we need. (2 Corinthians 9:8)

CHRIST BECAME POOR SO THAT WE MIGHT BECOME RICH

PROCLAMATION

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.”  2 Corinthians 8:9 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Corinth.  In order to help the generous believers in Macedonia, who are undergoing a severe trial, Paul is requesting a generous gift from the believers in Corinth. (2 Corinthians 8:1-3)  Since the believers in Corinth excelled in everything, including faith, speech, knowledge, earnestness, and love, Paul is asking them to excel in the grace of giving. (2 Corinthians 8:7)  He reminded them that The Lord Jesus, The Christ, was rich but became poor for their sake, so that they through His poverty might become rich.  Paul encouraged them to match their willingness to help with following through and actually helping by giving according to their means. (2 Corinthians 8:11-12)  He urged them to share so that none of the believers would do without.  Then he quoted from the Old Testament scriptures (Exodus 16:18) to support his request. (2 Corinthians 8:13-15)  He ended by saying that he was sending Titus to them to collect the offering from them. (2 Corinthians 8:22-24)

 

APPLICATION

The Bible teaches us that we should help those who are in need.  Those of us who have should share with those who have not.  It is better to give than to receive. (Amos 20:35)  When we help those who are in need, we are actually lending to The Lord and He will repay us for helping them. (Proverbs 19:17)  When we are generous and provide a blessing to others, we will also be blessed. (Proverbs 11:25)  Remember what Christ did for us.  He left the splendor of heaven, put on human flesh, became poor, was rejected, was crucified, died, was buried, and rose from the dead for us.

 

LET US RID OURSELVES OF EVERYTHING THAT CONTAMINATES US

PROCLAMATION

“Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”  2 Corinthians 7:1 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Corinth.  The promises which Paul is referring to are: 1. that God will receive us if we obey Him; 2. that He will be a Father to us; and 3. we will be His sons and daughters. (2 Corinthians 6:17-18)  Paul says that since we have these promises from God, we should purify our body and spirit of everything that contaminates us, out of reverence to Him.

 

APPLICATION

We should encourage one another to engage in holiness of heart and life and not in the sinfulness of the flesh or evilness of spirit.  We need to lead a clean life if we want God to treat us as His children.  We have been cleansed by the blood of Christ, but we contaminate our heart and mind daily with our sinful thoughts, words, and actions.  That is why we need to pray, confess, and ask to be forgiven daily in order to be cleansed from our sins and unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)  We also need to turn from our sinful ways. (2 Chronicles 7:14)  We cannot clean up our heart, mind, or spirit, by ourselves.  Only God can do that for us. (Psalm 51:10) However, He will only do it if we pray and ask Him.

 

DO NOT BE YOKED TO UNBELIEVERS

PROCLAMATION

“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.  For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?  Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?  … Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?  What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?  For we are the temple of The Living God.  As God has said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.’”  2 Corinthians 6:14-16 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Corinth.  Paul begins this chapter with a discussion of all the hardships that he has had to endure. (2 Corinthians 6:3-10)  Afterwards he makes it clear that he has opened his heart to them, but they have not done to same to him. (2 Corinthians 6:11-13)  Then he tells them that they should not be unequally yoked to unbelievers.  This statement is not addressed to believers who are already married to unbelievers, which he had addressed earlier. (1 Corinthians 7:14)  This message is addressed to those believers who are hanging out with, or in relationships with, or partnering with, or planning to marry unbelievers.  He tells them that The Lord says, “Come out from them and be separate.” (2 Corinthians 6:17-18) 

 

APPLICATION

Believers should not socialize with unbelievers.  If the believer is not trying to tell the unbelievers about The Lord Jesus, The Christ, then what are they conversing about, and why are they fellowshipping?  Any activity with unbelievers is probably sinful.  It is even worse if the believer is worshiping with the unbeliever or being pulled away from Christ.  If we cannot pull them out of sin, we should not let them pull us down into it.  We should separate ourselves from as much sinful activity as is possible.  We may have to work with unbelievers, but we do not have to socialize with them.  We should not be courting them or partnering with them.  How can two people walk together unless they are in agreement? (Amos 3:3)  Being unequally yoked is not about two believers who disagree.  This is about not having a relationship with an unbeliever.  If what we are doing with unbelievers is not giving God glory, then we should not be doing it.

IN CHRIST WE BECOME A NEW CREATURE

PROCLAMATION

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come; the old has gone, the new is here.”  2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)  The King James Version (KJV) of The Bible for this verse reads: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Corinth.  Paul begins this chapter with a discussion of believers waiting for their new heavenly body. (2 Corinthians 5:1-5) He says that while they are present in the body, they are absent from The Lord, but he would rather be absent from the body and present with The Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:6-8)  He also tells them that we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ and receive that which is due us based upon what we did while we were in the body, whether what we did was good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10)  Then he states that if any man has accepted Christ, he is a new creature; the old things he used to be and do have passed away, and all things are now new.  This is because God has reconciled us onto Himself through Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17-19)  He ends the chapter by saying that we are ambassadors for Christ, who had no sin but became sin for us, so that we might become righteous in the sight of God. (2 Corinthians 5:20-21)

 

APPLICATION

We were totally sinful before we accepted Christ into our life.  We knew nothing but sin.  After we accepted Christ, we received The Holy Spirit of God which pushed our sinful nature aside and changed our life.  When we became a new creation, we identified our self with Christ and not with the world.  However, we did not lose our sinful worldly nature, and from time to time we struggle with letting it regain control of us. (Romans 7:19-21)  We do not lose our salvation when we sin, but we break our fellowship with Christ. (Psalm 51:12)  We have the capacity to do that which is right, but we have to choose to follow the right path. (Joshua 24:15)  He said whosoever will, let him come. (Revelation 22:17)  We must choose to live by new principles, exhibit new behavior, and speak different words.  We have been given a new heart and there should be some outward display of this. (Ezekiel 36:26)  We are new, and we should have new affections, new appetites, new behavior, new desires, new ideas, and a new outlook on life.

WE GET KNOCKED DOWN BUT NOT KNOCKED OUT

PROCLAMATION

“We are pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.  We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body."  2 Corinthians 4:8-10 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Corinth.  In this chapter Paul discusses his present physical weakness as compared to his spiritual strength through Christ.  He begins by saying that he does not distort The Word of God.  He presents it plainly. (2 Corinthians 4:1-2)  He says that those who do not understand it are unbelievers. (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)  It is the light of God which shines on believers and brings them out of darkness into knowledge. (2 Corinthians 4:6-7)  Then he tells them that believers are hard pressed but not crushed, perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not abandoned, and struck down but not destroyed because of The Christ within them.  He goes on to say that outwardly they may be wasting away but inwardly they are renewed each day, and that any momentary trouble they face is far outweighed by the eternal glory that awaits them. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

 

APPLICATION

Things may not be easy in this life for believers but if we hold on and keep the faith we will be rewarded in the end.  We may be beaten, abused, and mistreated, verbally or physically, but we will not be defeated.  In the end we will be victorious. (1 Corinthians 15:57)  The Christ within us is bigger, and stronger, and greater, and more powerful than anything that comes up against us. (1 John 4:4)  As we age our bodies may grow weaker physically, but internally our spirit is strengthened each day. 

 

THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD GIVES US FREEDOM

PROCLAMATION

“Now The Lord is The Spirit, and where The Spirit of The Lord is, there is freedom.”  2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Corinth.  Here Paul makes a bold statement and implies that The Holy Spirit is The Spirit of The Lord Jesus, The Christ.  This should not be so hard to accept since we are taught that God, The Father, and God, The Son, and God, The Holy Spirit are one. (1 John 5:7)  Jesus, The Christ, said, “I and My Father are one.” (John 10:30)  Therefore, The Holy Spirit of God is The Spirit of Christ.  Where The Spirit of The Lord is, there is freedom.

 

APPLICATION

The Bible says, “God is a Spirit; and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24)  Wherever The Holy Spirit of The Lord God is, there is freedom.  This is not freedom in the physical sense, even though that can also happen.  This is freedom in the spiritual sense.  Since The Holy Spirit dwells within all believers, we all get to enjoy this “freedom”; the freedom from spiritual blindness and darkness; the freedom from the bondage of sin and the captivity of Satan; and the freedom from the fear of hell, God’s wrath, and eternal damnation.  The more time we spend in His Holy Word, and the more often we exhibit the fruit of The Spirit, the more like Him we become.  As we do His will and are ruled by our spiritual nature, we are slowly being transformed into His image. (2 Corinthians 3:18)  However, the transformation will not be complete until He returns, and we are changed from mortal to immortal. (1 Corinthians 15:50-53)