Sincerity of our love.
2Co 8:7 Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in
faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to
us, see that ye abound in this grace also.
2Co 8:8 I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of
the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.
2Co 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye
through his poverty might be rich.
If we KNOW the grace of our LORD JESUS CHRST…. do
we?
Our Savior gave up heaven. You might instantly shake
your head and say that He didn't, He's there right now, and you're right.
However, He had to GIVE up heaven in order to go back to heaven. The enormity of that act is somewhat lost on
us I think. God with God in heaven,
think about that for a moment.
Let's take it down to another level- suppose you are
born rich, filthy rich. You've never lacked for a single thing in your entire
life. You've had the best of the best. You've been blessed with amazingly good
health and a very sound mind. And then your sister/brother comes to you and
says we have a problem. You learn that there is a village on the opposite side
of the earth from where you live that unless someone goes to that village,
becoming exactly like one of the people there and live their lifestyle- the
complete opposite of all you'd known your entire life, the people there will
perish. There are a lot of particulars we can't go into but that's the gist of
it and now you need to decide if one of you will go, or not. Could you give up
everything, I mean everything- every amenity you've ever known, and live a life
of complete deprivation from your rich reality in order to save a village of
people?
Of course the life of our Savior prior to His taking
on human flesh as a baby is something far beyond anything similar to even the
best life here on earth. He was SPIRIT form, He was from the everlasting, at
His word heavens were brought into existence, worlds came to be, He was never
in time, never constrained by any limitation we can imagine. He CHOSE to give
all that up. To comprehend the depths of the poverty He took on for us, is
impossible. And He would have US take on
poverty for our fellow man. I know that
sounds ludicrous and some may be instantly protesting saying we aren't all
supposed to be poor people. But there
are many meanings of poverty.
2Co 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye
through his poverty might be rich.
For us Jesus became poor and because He became poor we
have the riches of eternal life!
He is our greatest example!
2Co 9:7 Every
man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or
of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
Jas 2:14 What
doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not
works? can faith save him?
Jas 2:15 If a
brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
Jas 2:16 And
one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled;
notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body;
what doth it profit?
Jas 2:17 Even
so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Jas 2:18 Yea,
a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy
works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
Let us follow our
Savior's example, let us have faith with works so our faith is not dead!
All through His
amazing love!!!!!! His GRACE!
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