“as grieving yet always rejoicing; as poor yet enriching many;
as having nothing yet possessing everything.”
(2 Corinthians 6:10 HCSB)
Jim Elliot and four comrades
were killed by the Auca Indians they were seeking to reach with the
Gospel. Still a young man, with so much
potential when he died, yet the impact of his life continues to be felt, will
follow him to eternity and issue in vast reward. It was such an understanding that led him to
sacrifice his all in order to secure all God had for him.
These words he spoke drive
the point home: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he
cannot lose.”
This is the Biblical
principle that Paul the Apostle underscored in his message we examine today and
it was the passion that undergirded his ministry. There is the miraculous effect and joyful
experience of having nothing and yet holding everything.
When
we have nothing—that is, when all is surrendered to Christ—then we cannot be
tempted with selfishness or alarmed by fear.
We see ourselves as mere stewards of God’s treasures. We manage them according to His wishes and
what He wants and when He wants it is His right—if He desires to take everything,
we say with Job, “Naked I came from my mother’s
womb, and naked I will leave this
life. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Praise the name of Yahweh.” (Job 1:21)
What
can Satan threaten us with? He pounces
on us with a roar, “I will take everything you have!” Our answer, “You can’t—I don’t have anything.” Even more fiercely, He responds, “I’ll take
your life!” We can say, “You can’t! My life is hid with Christ in God. Christ is my life. If you destroy this body, I’ll just go to
heaven, and that’s where I want to go!”
But,
here is the other side—we hold everything in our hands that we need, to do all
that God wants. We are children of the
King—all our Father owns is ours—and that is everything! In the words of the old Gospel song, “I am a
poor, poor rich man!”
We
must think in terms of making an investment.
We are managers of God’s assets placed in our hands—allocated according
to His sovereign wisdom. We then seek to
make a return on that investment by using our time, talent and treasure for
eternal purposes. The end result will be
fruit that remains and faithfulness that is rewarded—and all redounding to the
glory of God!
Jesus
put it this way:
“Don’t collect for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But collect
for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither
moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your
treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt.6:19-21)
This Scriptural principle is worth a closer look. What happens when we surrender all to Jesus?
Let’s begin by noting THE
GOAL OF THIS GLAD SURRENDER in 2 Corinthians, chapters five through
seven. Here is a focal verse:
“Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing to Him.” (2
Cor.5:9)
Our goal is TO LIVE FOR ETERNITY, and that is the thrust of
chapter five. “For we must all appear before the tribunal of Christ, so that each
may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or worthless.”
(5:10)
Paul reminds
us that one day we will all face the judgment seat of Christ. What is going to matter then? John Piper powerfully illustrates this in his
book, “Don’t Waste Your Life.” Here is
the quote,
“I will tell you what a tragedy is. I will show you how to
waste your life. Consider this story from the February 1998 Reader's Digest: A
couple 'took early retirement from their jobs in the Northeast five years ago
when he was 59 and she was 51. Now they live in Punta Gorda , Florida
“God
created us to live with a single passion: to joyfully display his supreme
excellence in all the spheres of life. The wasted life is the life without this
passion. God calls us to pray and think and dream and plan and work not to be
made much of, but to make much of him in every part of our lives.”
Our goal is TO
LIVE WITH INTERGRITY, and that is the theme of chapters six and seven. The goal for reward in eternity can only be
met if on earth our goal is for living with integrity, “Therefore,
dear friends, since we have such promises, let us cleanse
ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit, completing our
sanctification in the fear of God.” (7:1)
Paul typically was scrupulous in avoiding defending
himself. 2 Corinthians is an
exception—he does so throughout. But, it
wasn’t a personal matter. It wasn’t
because of “hurt feelings” though the accusations made against him were sharp
and stinging. What Paul detected is that
the Enemy was using these lies to undermine his credentials as God’s messenger
to ultimately undermine the credibility of God’s message—and this he could not
allow. “We give no opportunity for
stumbling to anyone, so that the ministry will not be blamed. But as God’s ministers, we commend ourselves in
everything” (6:3-4). He wasn’t worried
about his reputation, but the revelation—this was an assault on the Gospel
which Satan’s minions were mounting.
His defense of his life and ministry was to point to what he
suffered for the Lord and on behalf of the church. It ought to have been apparent that he was
not self-seeking, or he would not have manifestly embraced such a burden.
He takes the standard he has set and presents it as the goal
for the church to strive to follow (6:14-7:1).
This is a life of integrity. Paul
believed the Corinthians would follow through on the challenge, “I rejoice that I have complete
confidence in you.” (7:16)
We can be confident
of reaching the goal of glad surrender, if we recognize THE GRACE OF GLAD SURRENDER as described in 2 Corinthians, chapter
eight. Repeatedly Paul refers to our
giving as a “grace.” He launches into
the discussion with this verse: “We want you to know, brothers,
about the grace of God granted to the churches of Macedonia
We see grace IN ITS PATTERN, “For you know the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ: Though He was rich, for your sake
He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich.”
(8:9)
This is the perfect pattern modeled by the Master. He had nothing and held everything. Jesus left the splendor of heaven for a
stable in Bethlehem
But, though fully man, He would never cease to be fully
God. That is the message of
Christmas—the doctrine of the incarnation.
Jesus gladly surrendered everything and yet by this possesses all
things. Here is how Paul put it
elsewhere:
“Make your own attitude that of
Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of
God, did not consider equality with
God as something to be used for His
own advantage. Instead He emptied
Himself by assuming the form of a
slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man
in His external form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death —even to death on a cross. For this reason God highly
exalted Him and gave Him the name
that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow —of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth —and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil.2:5-11)
What an example of grace! That is grace at its pinnacle and set forth
as our pattern. Paul tells us that the
churches of Macedonia
But, surely this is beyond
us—how could we attain such lofty heights?
We may laud such idealism, but think it impossible in reality. That is true, from a human perspective, but
misses the point of grace.
Grace is seen IN ITS PROVISION.
“We
want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God granted to the churches of Macedonia
During a
severe testing by affliction, their abundance of joy and their deep poverty
overflowed into the wealth of their generosity. I testify
that, on their own, according to their ability and beyond their ability, they begged us
insistently for the privilege of sharing in the
ministry to the saints, and not just as we had hoped. Instead, they gave themselves
especially to the Lord, then to us by God’s will. So we urged Titus that just as he had begun, so
he should also complete this grace to you. Now as you excel in everything — faith, speech,
knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love for us — excel also
in this grace.” (8:1-7)
These saints gave plenty out of their poverty and were not limited
by their ability, but gave beyond their ability. They did it with a glad generosity! How?
The same way a little lad can place his lunch in the hands of Jesus and
find five loaves of barley bread and a couple of pickled fish increase to feed
five thousand men, plus who knows how many women and children! That’s grace!
Grace finds hands that are empty because what they had was surrendered
to Him, and then God fills them with abundance from His treasury to dispense to
meet needs wherever found. The only hand
God doesn’t fill is the clenched fist that holds covetously to its meager
portion. Dear friend, He could pry those
fingers open and take it anyway. He is a
fool to hold what he cannot keep and lose what He might have gained.
We begin by setting the goal of glad surrender and reach it
as we experience the grace of glad surrender, so that all ends with THE GLORY OF GLAD SURRENDER as described
in 2 Corinthians, chapter nine.
“For the ministry of this service is not only
supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many acts of
thanksgiving to God. They will glorify God for your obedience to the
confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing
with them and with others through the proof provided by this service. And they will
have deep affection for you in their prayers on your behalf because of
the surpassing grace of God in you. Thanks be to
God for His indescribable gift.” (9:12-15)
The glory is seen IN ITS EAGERNESS.
“Now concerning the ministry to the saints, it is
unnecessary for me to write to you. For I know your eagerness, and I brag about you to the
Macedonians: ‘Achaia has been prepared since last year,’ and your zeal has stirred up
most of them.” (9:1-2)
This has to do with motive.
Their zeal was for the glory of God in their giving. Although Paul portrayed these Christians as
examples to encourage others to generosity, they were not motivated by a desire
for publicity. They had enthusiasm about
making an impact on souls for eternity and thus had enjoyment about offering a
sacrifice to God for His glory, “Each person should do as he has decided in his
heart — not reluctantly or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful
giver.” (9:7)
God’s reward isn’t determined by the amount we give but the
attitude behind what we give. He really
doesn’t need our money. It is His, and
He has the power to take it when He wants it.
But, what God desires is our heart.
He wants us to surrender all gladly, not grudgingly.
The glory is seen IN ITS EFFECTIVENESS.
“And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always
having everything you need, you may excel in every good work. As it is written:
He scattered; He gave to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.
Now the One who provides seed for the sower and bread for food
will provide and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your
righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for all
generosity, which produces thanksgiving to God through us.” (9:8-11)
This has to do with ministry.
Of course, God gets the glory.
Apart from Him, we could do nothing.
With Christ, we can do all things.
There is abundant blessing available to those who surrender all to
Jesus. We have nothing of ourselves and
yet hold everything in our hand to excel in every good work!
As we sow bountifully, so we reap blessedly! Ultimately, blessings rise to God from whom
all blessings flow! We speak of making
sacrifices to God, but we only give to Him what is His already. Here is sacrifice: God gave His Son so we
might be saved.
“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.” (9:15)
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