“For the Sake of the Gospel”
“For the Sake of the Gospel”
Blessings folk!
We have seen that the Word has much to say about “giving”.
We have seen that “giving” goes well beyond the common, current “teaching” on “tithing”.
Now, give heed to what the Spirit says through Paul about giving.
Remember the context of the entirety of 1 Cor. 8-9
1 Co 9:19-23
For though I am free from all,
I have made myself a servant to all,
that I might win more of them.
To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews.
To those under the law I became as one under the law
(though not being myself under the law)
that I might win those under the law.
To those outside the law I became as one outside the law
(not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ)
that I might win those outside the law.
To the weak I became weak,
that I might win the weak.
I have become all things to all people,
that by all means I might save some.
I do it all for the sake of the gospel,
that I may share with them in its blessings.
Here is the bottom line.
Paul gave himself.
Remember what we saw at the beginning?
We begin to give by giving ourselves to the Lord.
Now, we see that we give ourselves to others.
Paul was free from all.
Yet, he made himself servant of all.
To the Jew he “became” a Jew to win them.
To the Gentile (those outside the Law) he became one of them to win them.
To the weak, weak.
He became all things to all people so as to win all people to the gospel.
He did all for the sake of the gospel.
He gave all for the sake of the gospel.
This is not some “spiritual chameleon masquerading in witchcraft”.
Paul is saying that he gave himself so that others would know the gospel and the joy, liberty, freedom and salvation thereof.
May we do likewise.