2 Corinthians - Lesson 9B

• So last time we were together we finally made it into 2 Corinthians 9:1-5, where the topic of giving continued to be front and center. This topic started in Chapter 8 and has continued on into Chapter 9.

  • Having said that, even though giving was and is the topic at hand (at least on the surface), the reality is, giving is just a biproduct of a deeper systemic issue. And that issue is what?

  • Obedience stemming from a lack of understanding of who God is and what blessings He bestows upon the giver, especially when the giver gives sacrificially. And then of course there is dedication, discipline, and even integrity. These adjectives kind of sum up what’s going on with Paul and his writings to the Corinthian Church as a whole.

    • And Chapter 8 is really just a continuation of that theme as it relates to the topic of giving. And so, to bring us back up to speed (after being off a week), I would like to summarize where we are.

• You see, the Church at Corinth had made a commitment to take up an offering for the poorer church in Jerusalem, and they made that commitment roughly one year prior to Paul writing this letter. And so, Paul is writing, reminding them of that commitment. Giving them a heads up of sorts, a heads up that Titus and a couple of other men are coming back through to collect that offering.

  • And as a result, Paul does something in His writing that I said was wrong, something that I said we shouldn’t really do, which by the way was met with a little push back. And what was it?

    • Well, he writes the letter letting the church know they are coming to collect the offering, and there is no problem with that. But then He expends a lot of energy driving his point home. Honestly, he really wears them out. He puts a lot of pressure on them using varying examples of why they should follow through with what they said they would do.

• Now, why did I say Paul shouldn’t have done that? Because it doesn’t help, and it doesn’t actually work. You see, this church knows full well the commitment they made, and at the end of the day God knows it as well, and ultimately, He is the one in control of the result or outcome.

  • Now, this type of talk (as I said) has been met with some raised eyebrows throughout the years, and this morning I want to spend the majority of our time explaining why I said what I said and why this is such a controversial statement.

  • And so, without further a due, why is what I said so controversial? Why does this type of talk seem to upset people so much? Why, when I say Paul shouldn’t be dunning these people for money, why did I say it and why does it cause somewhat of a stir? I’ll begin with why it causes such stir.

    • It primarily causes a stir because it creates a type of internal conflict inside the life of a believer. Meaning, when we stop to think about it, it makes us wonder and ask ourselves a question. Where should my effort stop and where does God’s begin? In other words, where is the dividing line between man’s responsibility verses God’s sovereignty?

• The answer is there is no such dividing line. God is sovereign and that is it. Oh my, now preacher I believe God is Sovereign, but I am sorry, you can’t tell me that man has no responsibility. I didn’t say man has no responsibility. He does. I’m saying if you think God’s will hinges on your actions, you would be wrong.

  • What? You mean to tell me that God is going to do what God is going to do regardless of the effort I put forth? Yes, that’s exactly what I mean. Well, that just doesn’t make sense to me. I mean after all, there are many commands in the scripture that specifically tell us to do things.

  • What about all the verses in the Bible telling the Jews to do something? Verses that say, if they do whatever it is that God tells them to do then He will do something for them, something positive. Or what about the inverse of that, where God warns them, tells them that if they don’t do something He will do something negative or allow something disastrous to happen to them? What about those verses?

  • What about them? They are true and they are real, and when the people didn’t do what God told them to do then guess what (based on the testimony of scripture)? Something bad happened. Well okay, then what’s your rebuttal to that fact?

    • I could spend all day proving to you from the pages of scripture why man’s responsibility does not trump God’s will, but I think the best way to explain it is by simply leaning on the pragmatic or logical side of things. And to do that, all you have to do is ask yourself the question, can I or any other human being stop ‘The Will’ of God?

    • The answer is obviously no. You and I cannot stop what God is doing, or for that matter what He is going to do. But that begs the question, if that’s the case then why does God command us to do things like pray, or tell us to seek, or tell us to ask Him for something, etc.?

• Why does God command us to pray if what He desires is going to happen anyway? As a matter of fact, why be obedient at all? If this is a question lingering in your mind then you’re in luck, because I have the answer. And the answer is, because God told you to do it because He is the creator and we are His creation, and He is using His creation to accomplish His will.

  • But remember, you and I are simply one ‘spec’ inside His creation. We are a vapor as King Solmon put it. And how absurd is it, or for that matter, how arrogant is it for us to think that God needs us to complete His will.

    • You do realize that He owns and possesses a whole bunch of us. Which means if we aren’t willing to be obedient then He will either, (A)-force us to do it (just as He did with Jonah), or (B)-move on to someone else.

  • You see, this is so important for us to understand, and it really just boils down to psychology. Yes, psychology applies even when studying and applying scripture. Honestly, psychology matters in just about every aspect of life. When I say psychology, I mean psychology as it relates to how you view God and His word, or the way you think He views you. Your position before Him. It really matters and let me show you what I mean.

    • If you view God in a way that says God somehow needs us, meaning (sub consciously) in your mind you think God needs us to accomplish His something. That somehow if we aren’t available, then what He desires wouldn’t be accomplished, or that how you react to conviction, that in some way your reaction will control the outcome.

    • If that’s what you think, then that type of thinking will cause you to become a believer who does things for the wrong reason. It will actually drive your behavior in an unhealthy way. Meaning, you will be driven out of guilt or some type of sense of responsibility, rather than being driven for the Biblical reason. Which is what?  Obedience born out of a love for God.

• When you hold to this view, it’s a view that says, “God has chosen me for a task, and He has given me the opportunity to participate in the work of ministry. In a work that He is already doing in and around me.”

  • If you think that way, then your approach to whatever God convicts you to do is very different. Think about it for minute. In the first scenario you are busy, and you are stressed from the life you are living, but then you feel convicted about doing something. Maybe it’s giving money to someone or taking an interest in someone’s life when you don’t really want to.

  • Or maybe it’s telling someone about your church, and you don’t really have time, but you do it anyway out of guilt or maybe a thought that says, if I don’t do this, then whatever it is God is trying to do will not be accomplished, and therefore I will be held responsible.

    • That would be a traditional view of our response, maybe not consciously but defiantly subconsciously. Primarily because that’s what we have been taught. You can hear other believers or preachers saying things like, if you don’t do it who will do it, or if you don’t do it then that person may starve or may never hear the Gospel.

  • And so, for that reason, you do whatever it is. But you see, if you do that, then we are doing it for the wrong reason. And not just the wrong reason (as in doing it with a poor attitude or doing it begrudgingly) but doing it for the wrong reason because you have a fundamental misunderstanding of who God is, and ultimately who’s in control of the outcome.

  • And believe it or not, the way you view obedience matters to God. At one point in my life, I told people about Jesus because I feared if I didn’t, they wouldn’t be saved. Today I tell people about Jesus because God told me too. Because I am a slave (a Dullosis) of the God most high.

    • I am a servant, which is liberating by the way because it means I can tell people about Jesus or invite them to church without fear of awkwardness or rejection. And if they don’t listen or if they aren’t interested, I don’t sweat it because I am not in control of the outcome.

• You see in this scenario when God lays it on your heart to do something, even though you are still living a stressed-filled life, you feel honored that God chose you. That He gave you an opportunity to participate. And you know in your mind that in the end, that if you aren’t obedient, He will move on to a believer who will be obedient. And that person will be the one who will receive the blessing.

  • This is an example of why psychology is important in matters relating to God and God’s Word. God isn’t commanding you to do something because He desperately needs you to do it, He is commanding you to do something because of what He is prepared to do through you, and for you. Jeremiah 29:11 says it this way,

Jeremiah 9:11 For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 

• “For I know the plans that I have for you”, is the key to this verse. God already knows the plans He has for you, and those benefits are available to you if you are obedient. These words were spoken through the prophet Jeremiah to the people of Israel. God had spoken many words to these people throughout the years, and sometimes they listened and other times they did not.

  • The reason I say that the key to this verse is, “For I know the plans I have for you”, is because God has a plan for you, but you have to work to stay in that plan. The Bible calls it being in the “Will of God”.

    • In other words, the reason we obey is not so that God’s will might be accomplished, we obey because we are His children and we want to please Our Father who is in Heaven so that we can receive what God is prepared to give us, which by the way isn’t necessarily money and it’s certainly not more stuff.

    • Who knows what it may be. It may be what the churches in Macedonia received when they obediently gave in a sacrificial manner, which was an ‘abundance of joy’. It really doesn’t matter what it is, because whatever it is, I assure you, you will want it.

• Now, throughout the centuries there has been a great debate over this concept or topic, one that has raged on and never seems to die. As a matter of fact, it continues to rage on even today. And that is the debate between God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. Between the freewill of man verses God’s Providential Hand.

  • This topic has gained much notoriety throughout the years, so much so that both sides have given each other names. For the sovereignty side they have been given the name ‘Calvinist.’ named after John Calvin, one of the Great Reformers of the 15th century.

  • Calvin has been credited with really pushing the sovereignty of God over the freewill of man, but the truth is he was not the first scholar to point out the Sovereignty of God, he just seems to be the one who received the credit for it.

    • Many scholars throughout the centuries have noted that the scriptures paint for us a picture of a Sovereign God who is in total control over His creation. And just in case you are wondering if God is totally sovereign, He is. And this truth is indeed highlighted on just about every page of scripture.

• And so, as John Calvin studied scripture and came to this revelation. He developed ‘5 Points’ that he felt summarized this topic, which eventually became known as the 5 points of Calvinism. The 5 points of Calvinism said:

  • That man was born in total depravity, lost and in separation from God.

  • That election is unconditional, that God elects people unto salvation.

  • That atonement was limited, limited to only the elect.

  • That God’s grace is irresistible, meaning no one will resist it.

  • And that the Saints will persevere (Perseverance of the Saints), meaning all those being saved (as Paul called it), they will persevere until the end. Which means you cannot lose your salvation.

• Now we don’t have time to study all this today, but just know that when you hear someone reference the ‘5 points’ of Calvinism, or call someone a Calvinist, this is what they are referring to. There is also an acronym given to the 5 Points of Calvinism, so that people could remember it.

  • It’s called ‘TULIP’ - Total Depravity – Unconditional Election – Limited Atonement - Irresistible Grace – Perseverance of the Saints. By the way, just a side note, this debate is cyclical. Meaning it dies for a decade or two and then it seems to rear its head again. And what’s funny is, when it reappears, the new group of Christians, the ones studying it or the ones discovering it for the first time, they act as if it’s a new concept.

    • I’ll use the Southern Baptists as a prime example of what I am talking about.

  • Over the past few years, Calvinism has become a topic that has caused a major riff within the Southern Baptist Convention. As a matter of fact, this was a big topic at the SBC Conference a few years ago. They took a vote on this very thing, whether Calvinism has any place in the doctrines of Southern Baptists.

    • I want to read you an article that was written about the SBC Convention a few years back, highlighting this issue.

    • “It is no secret that, over the last thirty years, the presence and influence of Calvinism has grown within the Southern Baptist Convention. While there are those who are concerned over the theological stance and the trend of its growing presence and popularity, some enthusiastically welcome it.”

    • Article V, referenced "God's Purpose of Grace," in the Baptist Faith and Message (BF&M) states:

Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which He regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It is consistent with the free agency of man and comprehends all the means in connection with the end.
It is the glorious display of God's sovereign goodness, and is infinitely wise, holy, and unchangeable. It excludes boasting and promotes humility.
All true believers endure to the end. Those whom God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never fall away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end.
Believers may fall into sin through neglect and temptation, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, and bring reproach on the cause of Christ and temporal judgments on themselves; yet they shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.

• This statement reaches back to the original BF&M in 1925 and to the New Hampshire Confession of Faith upon which it was based and accomplishes a significant feat; it accommodates the soteriological convictions of both Calvinists and non-Calvinists within the SBC family.

  • While the tensions and debates regarding Calvinism are ever present in Baptist life, they have intensified in recent years. As a result, in the last three years Southern Baptist leaders have hosted two different conferences to address the issue.

    • The first, in 2007, was entitled "Building Bridges Conference: Southern Baptists and Calvinism," and was sponsored by Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) and Founders Ministries and hosted at Ridgecrest Conference Center by LifeWay Christian Resources. Approximately 550 attendees participated in the three-day conference.

    • The second was "The John 3:16 Conference" in 2008, sponsored by Jerry Vines Ministries, and co-sponsored by New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS), Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, Luther Rice Seminary, and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. It was hosted by First Baptist Church, Woodstock, Georgia, with about 1,000 attendees at the two-day conference.

  • Each conference resulted in a book that committed the primary addresses to text and presented them in chapter form. Both books were published by B&H Academic, a division of B&H Publishing Group of LifeWay Christian Resources.

• So, as you can see, this topic can be an issue. Now, on the other side of Calvinism lives what’s known as Arminianism, also known as Arminiasts. Where Calvinism advocates unconditional election, the idea that God has elected certain individuals for salvation based solely on His will.

  • In contrast, Arminianism believes in conditional election, which is the idea that God elects individuals based on His foreknowledge of who will freely choose to accept His grace. One group sets up camp solely on the sovereignty and control of God. The other leans heavily on man’s will and free choice.

  • Now this morning, the question that might be rolling around in your head might be, well, what am I? Before you answer, I have some good news. There is another position. In recent years, Dr. Michael Brown debated Dr. James White, and in that debate, he introduced a new concept. It was a new concept to me and evidently a new concept to Dr. White, and it’s one I find interesting.

    • It is a concept called Molinism. A Molinist says that both sides are correct. That God is sovereign, and man has freewill. And I will say, in a sense this seems to be true. But I will also say, regardless of where someone may fall on these topics, the scripture never paints a picture of God in need of a man.

    • Meaning, that somehow if we aren’t obedient God cannot accomplish what He wills to do, and I am sure you can see from a strictly pragmatic point of view how God needing man to accomplish anything wouldn’t make sense, because God is the Creator, and we are His Creation.

• And so, there you have it – a lesson on Calvinism/Arminianism and what it means to be a Molinist, and believe it or not, I will digress on this point because I realize this was a long way around just to back up what I said about Paul being wrong. But I felt it was important, because even though what I said may have ruffled a few feathers, the fact is, Paul doesn’t have to beg these people for money.

  • He can remind them, yes, absolutely. Maybe even nudge them, no problem. But ultimately, there is no reason to drive them into the ground, because it will not change the outcome. God intends for the poorer church in Jerusalem to be taken care of by the wealthier churches, and that’s exactly what’s going to happen. Period. The End!

  • Now, this morning before we conclude I would like to re-read our previous verse from two weeks ago, and then I would like to segway us into next week’s focus verses, and as always, I would like for you to study them for yourself before we meet again. And so, here’s what Paul said the last time we were together.   

2 Cor. 9:1 For it is superfluous (suh-pur-floo-uhs) (which means over and above; more than enough) For it was superfluous for me to write to you about this ministry to the saints; 
2 Cor. 9:2 for I know your willingness, of which I boast about you to the Macedonians, namely, that Achaia has been prepared since last year, and your zeal has stirred up most of them. 
2 Cor. 9:3 But I have sent the brothers, in order that our boasting about you may not prove empty in this case, so that, as I was saying, you will be prepared; 
2 Cor. 9:4 otherwise, if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to mention you—would be put to shame by this confidence. 
2 Cor. 9:5 So I considered it necessary to urge the brothers that they go on ahead to you and arrange in advance your previously promised generous gift, that the same would be ready as a generous gift, and not as one grudgingly given due to greediness.

• So, one more time, here we see Paul urging the Church at Corinth to fulfill their commitment. He’s pressing in on them just as he has done in Chapter 8, and in this next section he continues with this same type of writing, but he takes a different approach. Let’s see what it is.

2 Cor. 9:6 Now I say this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows generously will also reap generously.
2 Cor. 9:7 Each one must do just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Cor. 9:8 And God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that, always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;
2 Cor. 9:9 as it is written:
“HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR,
HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER.” 
2 Cor. 9:10 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; 
2 Cor. 9:11 you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.
2 Cor. 9:12 For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. 
2 Cor. 9:13 Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all,
2 Cor. 9:14 while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. 
2 Cor. 9:15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

• I want you to take verses 6-15 and study them this week and see if you recognize the shift in his approach.