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7JANUARY2014BODYOFCHRISTNEWSForifthereisfirstawillingminditisacceptedaccordingtowhatonehasandnotaccordingtowhathedoesnothave.2Corinthians812Manyofuswrestlewiththemat-terofgivingaskingourselvesHowmuchcanIaffordtogiveHowmuchshouldmycommitmentbetothechurchShouldIplayitsafeorshouldItrustGodandgivethedesireofmyheartGivingistheopportunitytosowseedintothekingdom.Howeverthegoalistoexperiencethejoyandblessingsofgivingandinnowaybeputinaplacewherethedevilcanstealourjoyingiving.Hewouldtrytoputusonaguilttripbecauseforwhateverreasonwearenotabletogiveaswewouldlike.Wecannotallgiveequallybutwecanallgivesacrificially.TheimmediateoccasionofwhichPaulwrotewasthattherewasaseverefamineinJudeawhichputGodspeoplethereindireneedandhewascollectinganofferingtohelp.TheCorinthianshaddeterminedayearbeforetojoininthecollectionthatwasbeingmadeforthepoorandsufferingsaintsatJerusalem.EvidentlytheCorinthianchurchwasindangerofneglectingtodowhattheyhadprom-ised.ThereforePaulsentTitusandhiscompanionstoCorinthtoencour-agethemtocompletetheirshareintheofferingtoencouragetheChristianstheretodotheverybestthattheycould.ThatbythegraceofgivingtheymightshareinGodsblessingandgivehimthejoyofcarryingtheirgiftstothepoorJerusalemsaintsinwhomhewassodeeplyinterested.Asweconsiderthematterofourgiv-ingandalsotheneedtobeacontinuedblessingtoourchurchandtoothersitisessentialthateachofusexercisethefreedomtogiveasweareledoftheLord.InthatregardtheappealtogiveismadeinthespiritofPaulthatisnotbycommandbutbyurgingyoutodotherightandbestthing.WeNeedToAboundInGivingvs.78.Givingisanaturalresponsetolove.Givingisthemostsincereexpressionoflove.Whenyoulovesomeoneyouwanttogivehimorherofyourtimeattentionandprovideforhisorherneeds.Ifyourefusetogiveyourloveisnotasgenuineasyousay.Dr.JamesPetersmypastorusedtosaythatifsomeonesaystheyloveyoubutisnotwillingtogiveyouanythingordoany-thingforyouthatisastrangekindoflove.Youmaybeinarelationshipwithsomeonelikethatwhoclaimsthattheyloveyoubutheorsheisalwaysatakerandneveragiver.AllyouhearislendmegivemecanyouspareTheologianMartinLuthersaidinthelifeofthebelieverTherearethreeconversionsnecessarytheconversionoftheheartthemindandthepurse.Ofthesethreeitmaywellbethatwefindtheconversionofthepursethemostdifficult.Forsomeofusitiseasiertoembracetheconversionofoursoultoaccepttherenewalofourmindthantoacceptthecommitmenttotitheorregularlygivetoministry.SometimeswegetcaughtupintheexerciseofChristiangracesservingseeingthemanifestationsofspiritualgiftsreceivingalltheblessingsthatGodhasforusandlosesightoftheneedtobeaspassionateinthematterofgiving.PaulrecognizesthisdifficultyintheconversionofthepurseashechallengestheCorinthianchurchtoaboundinthegraceofgivingalsoastheydoinotherspiritualgifts.TheExampleofChristvs.9.PaulappealstoChristastheultimateexampleofgiving.HemakesmentionofthesacrificethatChristhasmadeontheirbehalf.Therichnessofsalva-tionandtheblessingoflifenowandeternallyareallpossiblebecauseofJesussacrifice.InhisincarnationthatisbecomingGodinthefleshGodvoluntarilybecamemanthewhollyhumanpersonJesusofNazareth.Hewaspoorinrespecttohisheavenlyposition.AsamanJesuswassub-jecttoplacetimeandotherhumanlimitationsPhilippians25-7.ChristlaidasidethepowerdignityprestigeandprivilegethatweassociatewiththeGodheadandtooktheformofaservantsharingtheordinarylaborofmenandenduringwithoutexemp-tiontheillsandinjusticesoftheworldinwhichhelived.Hebecamepoorpoorinmoneyinpositioninpowerinreputationpoorinallthingsthatpeoplecallwealth.ThishedidinordertobeonewithusandtowinusbyloveandgoodnessfromthepowerofeviltofellowshipwithGod.WeoweGodadebtwecouldneverrepay.YetthatdebtwaspaidinfullwhenJesusdiedforyouandformeFirstCorinthians620.JesusChristhaspaidthecostofourfreedomfromsindeathhellandthegrave.Heexperiencedtheshameforus.Heencounteredthesufferingforus.Itcameatagreatprice.Itisinhimthatweclaimourcitizenshipourdeliver-anceourhopefortodayandourhopefortomorrow.OurfreedomwasnotfreeWeNeedToFinishWellvs.10-11.Manyofusstartwellwehavegoodintentionsbutwefailtofinish.Weenrollinanexerciseclasswestartapaintingorremodelprojectorwebeginaweightlossprogramonlytofindafterafewdaysorweeksthatwesetitasideconvincingourselvesthatwewillpickitupatamoreconvenienttimeorday.Theproblemislifehap-pensOurbestintentionsareoftencompromisedbytheissuesofjusttryingtolivefromdaytoday.Fewofuscansetouragenda.Whateverwepurposetodoisoftenmodifiedbytheneedsofchildrenfamilyandworkobligationsbreakdownsofcarsandbreakupsofrelationships.Itiseasytolosefocusandstrayfromourintentourdesireandfindourselveseitherdelayingortotallysettingasidewhatwehaddeterminedtodo.ItappearsthatlifehadhappenedtothechurchinCorinth.HoweverinspiteoftheirdifficultiesPaulurgesthattheynowcompletewhattheyhadhadatonetimeintendedtodo.GodDoesNotExpectYouToGiveMoreThanYouAreAblevs.12.HowdoyoudecidehowmuchtogiveVerse12informsusthattherearetwofac-torsthatmakeonesgivingacceptabletoGod.Thefirstisawillingmind.Thedesiretogivetheeagerwilling-nesstorelievehumanneedandfur-theradvanceGodskingdomonearthmakesagiftvaluableinGodssight.SecondGodasksusforwhatwehavenotforwhatwedont.Hejudgesourgenerosityinrelationtothemeanswepossessnotbytheamountweactu-allygive.Godevaluatesthegiftnotjustbytheamountgivenbutinthelightofonesabilitytogive.Realwealthneverconsistsinwhatwehavebutintheloveweshow.Wearerichorpooraccordingtothewidthofoursympathyandthedepthofourlove.Wehavegreatfreedomtogiveornotgivetoshareornotsharetobegenerousornotbegenerous.Atthesametimewithgreatfreedomcomesgreatresponsibility.WearemostlikeGodwearelivingoutourcallingasthechildrenofGodwhenwesharetomeettheneedsofothers.WeoweGodadebtwecouldneverrepay.YetthatdebtwaspaidinfullwhenJesusdiedforyouandforme.Hissacrificeleavesusfree.JesusChristhaspaidthecostofourfreedomfromsindeathhellandthegrave.Heexperiencedtheshameforus.Heencounteredthesufferingforus.Itcameatagreatprice.Itisinhimthatweclaimourcitizenshipourdeliveranceourhopefortodayandourhopefortomorrow.FreedominGivingRev.WilliamT.GolsonJr.JesusChristhaspaidthecostofourfreedomfromsindeathhellandthegrave.Heexperiencedtheshameforus.Heencounteredthesufferingforus.Itcameatagreatprice.Itisinhimthatweclaimourcitizenshipourdeliveranceourhopefortodayandourhopefortomorrow.OurfreedomwasnotfreeSERMONByRev.WilliamT.GolsonJr.WilliamT.GolsonJr.MDivisPresidentoftheGreaterMetroDenverMinisterialAlliance.