RSS

Excel In Grace

05 Aug

In my last post, we saw how the churches in Macedonia walked in the miraculous grace of giving.  Now Paul wants to use them as an example to the Corinthian church (and us).

So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part.
2 Corinthians 8:6

The last time Paul visited Corinth, the church promised a big offering for the churches in Judea.  They were going through a time of great famine and Paul wanted the Gentile churches to be a blessing to them.

Apparently, Titus, Paul’s son in the faith, was charged with the arrangements.  He was to make sure the money was collected and brought to the needy churches.

It’s continually made clear that giving is an act of grace.  God works through us to help others.

But just as you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us — see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
2 Corinthians 8:7

The Corinthian church had many things going for it.  They were one of the largest churches of their day.  They also had a powerful ministry.

The apostle acknowledges the incredible work they were doing.  He said that they excelled in everything.  That word means to super-abound in quality or quantity.  They were a church doing a great work.

The first thing Paul lists is faith.  That’s where it all starts.  A church with no faith has no vision.  It doesn’t take faith to make sure you have a service every week.

You have to see where God wants to take you to.  What’s the next level in your ministry?

Another thing they excelled in was their speaking.  They must have had a great preaching and teaching ministry.  That’s a big part of church growth.

People need to be trained.  New believers need mentoring.  Mature believers need to learn the art of leadership.  We never stop growing.  A church without a teaching ministry is bound to stagnate.

Along with this, they also excelled in knowledge.  They wanted to learn.  That’s probably why they followed the corrections in Paul’s first letter.

A teachable spirit is very important.  The more we learn, the more we must be open to change.

A great pastor friend of mine says quite frequently, “Growth means change, and change is uncomfortable.”  So we have the choice; we can be comfortable and stay the same or uncomfortable and grow.

Finally, the apostle commends them for excelling in earnestness.  That’s an important component.  It’s the Greek word from which we get the English word, speed.

It’s one thing to know what you need to do.  Many churches know the changes that need to take place to bring them to the next level.  The hard part is taking that first step and doing what needs to be done.

The Corinthian church was graced in all of these areas.  Now Paul wanted them to launch full speed into the grace of giving.  We need to learn from their example.

Question: How quick are you to obey a new instruction from God?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on August 5, 2020 in Faith, Leadership, Ministry, Spirit of Excellence

 

Tags: , , , , , ,

Giving Yourself to God

03 Aug

We’re continuing to look at the miraculous grace of giving.  Paul writes about it in reference to the Macedonian churches.  They were able to give supernatural offerings as a result.

For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will.
2 Corinthians 8:3-5

This is one of the most miraculous verses in the Bible. How can you ever give beyond your ability? I don’t know, but that’s Paul’s testimony of what they did.

I believe that the key to all this is found in verse 5. Paul said that they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us.

Your first calling is not to a church or a ministry. It’s to God Himself.

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t commit yourself to a church. What I am saying is that committing yourself to a church without first giving yourself to God is counter-productive.

These Macedonian believers understood the principle of success.  You need to present yourself as a gift to God.  That means we give up all personal rights over to His will. Paul understood what this meant.

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:57-58

The context of this verse is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Paul goes into great detail explaining the importance of His rising from the grave.

Paul concludes this section by talking about our victory in Christ. The resurrection is the foundation for our victory in this life. We know that the victory is ours in Christ, no matter what the situation may look like right at the present moment.

So in this passage, Paul uses the word, therefore. It’s because we know that Christ is victorious – past, present, and future – that we can give ourselves fully to God. We already know the outcome, so we can give ourselves willingly.

The problem is, that willingly and fully are two very different things. I can willingly serve God with only part of my life, time, and resources. The real victory comes when I willingly give all to Christ.

Please understand that this has nothing to do with your abilities. It has everything to do with your willingness to fully commit your life to God. That’s the lesson the Macedonian churches had learned.

It’s only when you first give yourself to God, that you can accomplish something beyond your ability. That’s when people notice that it’s God working in you. Only then will God get the glory from your life, and people will be attracted to the Gospel.

Question: How fully committed is your life to God?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on August 3, 2020 in Ministry, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

Tags: , , , , ,

The Grace of Giving

31 Jul

We’re continuing our study through the book of Second Corinthians.  The Apostle Paul will now begin a new subject.

And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.
2 Corinthians 8:1

I realize that many ministers consider the giving of offerings a taboo subject.  They’re afraid to offend and then lose some of their supporters.

I believe that understanding the Biblical way of giving is important for us as believers.  We need to know how God views it.

Some people get all upset when preachers talk about offerings.  Tithing, prosperity, and God’s provision are controversial in some places.

However, the fact that Paul devoted two whole chapters in his letter explaining this issue tells me that it’s a much-needed teaching in the body of Christ.

Even the way Paul approaches the subject lets us know the importance.  He tells us that he wants to explain the grace God is giving to the churches.  Yes, you heard correctly, giving is a grace that God bestows upon us.

That sounds good to me.  Because where there’s grace, there are miracles.  Giving is a way in which you can allow the Holy Spirit to work through you.  That’s exactly what happened in Macedonia.

Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.
2 Corinthians 8:2

Do you really hear what Paul is saying?  Under normal circumstances these words don’t belong in the same sentence.  Especially since they’re describing the same group of people.

Paul says that they were experiencing a huge trial of pressure.  Yet, at the same time, they had an over-abundance of joy.  I know people who don’t have more than enough joy during non-stressful times.

Paul goes on to say that they were in the depths of poverty.  But in spite of that, they showed a super-abundance of wealthy liberality in their giving.

To me, the above two paragraphs are the definition of miraculous.  There is absolutely no way that Paul’s statements could be true apart from the intervention of an all-powerful God.

That’s the grace of giving at work.  I don’t know about you, but I want to experience this in my life.

Over the next series of posts, we’ll be looking at the principles that the apostle talks about.  So if you don’t already subscribe to this blog, you may want to so you won’t miss an installment.

Question: What is your present view on Christian giving?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 31, 2020 in God's Provision, Power of God, Spiritual Walk

 

Tags: , , , , , ,

God’s Heart

29 Jul

Continuing in our look at Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, we can understand Paul’s motives.  The church had some challenges.  Paul wrote to them with instructions.  Titus went to check on their progress and reported back to Paul.

So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did the wrong or of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are.  By all this we are encouraged.  In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you.
2 Corinthians 7:12-13

Paul’s letter to them (1 Corinthians) was a test.  God was challenging them to step up to a new level.

Paul was following God’s heart when he wrote to this church.  You can see it in his comments.

He didn’t write the letter because someone was sinning.  He didn’t even write it because someone was hurt or offended.  He sent it because he wanted the church to see how they had grown and matured in the Lord.

We have to understand that this is why the Lord allows tests and trials into our lives.  God isn’t wondering how we’ll respond, or if we’ve grown or not.  He already knows what’s in our hearts.  He knows how we’ll react.

God allows these challenges so that we’ll see just how far we’ve come.  Many times I’ve gone through a problem only to say something like, “Five years ago I would have never made it through that.  I must be maturing.”

God wants us to see how far we’ve progressed in Him.  But it’s not just for our sakes.

I had boasted to him about you, and you have not embarrassed me.  But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well.  And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling.  I am glad I can have complete confidence in you.
2 Corinthians 7:14-16

That is an example of God’s heart as well.  He wants to “show us off” to the world and to the enemy’s kingdom.

The Holy Spirit is working in us.  He’s changing and maturing us into the image of Christ.  More than that, the Lord wants everyone to know it.

This is the wisdom of God.  He’s doing this so that we can walk in His glory (1 Corinthians 2:7).

We need to stop looking at our challenges as a bad thing.  God allows them into our lives for our benefit.  They’re producing His goals in our lives.  They’re paving the way to our destiny in Him.

Question: What is a past trial that you can see how a positive result came from it?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
3 Comments

Posted by on July 29, 2020 in Encouragement, Sonship, Spiritual Walk

 

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Godly Sorrow

27 Jul

In my last post, we looked at Paul’s joy over the repentance of the Corinthian Christians.  He now explains why this is so important.

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
2 Corinthians 7:10

The first thing we need to see is that there are two types of sorrow or sadness.  There are both godly sorrow and worldly sorrow.

The difference is the object of sorrow.  Godly sorrow sees God as the injured party.  I’m sorrowful because I sinned against the Lord.

Worldly sorrow has me as the object.  I’m sorry that I got caught sinning.  Or, just as bad, I’m sorry that I’m not as perfect as I thought I was.

Godly sorrow brings us closer to God and His provision for us – the ongoing work of salvation.  Worldly sorrow produces death by causing us to shy away from God.

Look at the evidence of godly sorrow in a believer’s life.

See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done.  At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.
2 Corinthians 7:11

These characteristics are how you can tell if you’re truly operating in godly sorrow.  They describe the road to repentance.

The word Paul used for earnestness, is the Greek word from which we get our English word, speed.  We want to deal with the matter quickly.

The phrase, eagerness to clear yourselves, is the Greek word for apology – to give a reason.  However, this isn’t you trying to justify yourself.  It’s an attempt to understand your own motives.  It comes from a desire to clean up your thought life.

The word, indignation is important.  It’s displeasure that moves you to action.  You want to see the situation changed and you’re willing to do something about it.

The word, alarm, is actually the word, fear – phobia.  This is the type of fear that causes you to change what you’re doing.  It affects you.  You’re afraid of doing something that could mess up your relationship with Christ.

Longing is an intense craving.  You have an overwhelming desire to get your life back on track again.  You don’t want to continue heading in the wrong direction.

The word, concern, is actually the word for zeal.  It means that your emotions are getting worked up over it.  You’re not going to rest until you make this problem right.

Finally, you want to see that justice is carried out – even if it’s against yourself.  That means if you owe someone an apology, you give it.  If some type of payment is needed, you do it.

All of these things working together bring us to the place of repentance.  Never let the sun go down on unrepented sin.  Allow the grace of God to forgive, clean, and make you right.

Question: How often do you find yourself in the place of repentance?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 27, 2020 in Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

Tags: , , , , ,

The Place of Repentance

24 Jul

As we continue in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian church, we begin to see the back story of the situation.  In Paul’s first letter to this church, he was very strong in dealing with the sins of some of the members.

Later on, he sent Timothy as his representative, to see how things were progressing.  Now we’ll see the results of all of this.

For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn — conflicts on the outside, fears within.  But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him.  He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.
2 Corinthians 7:5-7

It turns out that Timothy’s report to Paul was better than expected.  The apostle was greatly encouraged by the response of the Corinthian church.

Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it.  Though I did regret it — I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while — yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance.  For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us.
2 Corinthians 7:8-9

Paul’s joy was made complete because the Corinthian believers were brought to the place of repentance.  This had to be done in order for them to receive forgiveness.

Of course, we don’t like this word. It has a bad connotation for us. In Greek, it’s the word metanoia which means to change your mind. It also means to turn around.

“I was wrong. I want to change.”

Repentance is usually preceded by distress, sorrow, or sadness. We don’t like these feelings. In our relationships with other people, we would much rather use a word like apologize.

“If you apologize, I’ll forgive you.”

The fact is you don’t really want an apology. The Greek definition of the word apology is to give the reason. In that case, you might hear something like, “The reason I did that was that I hate you and I want you to be miserable.”

What you want from the other person is repentance.  It’s the same in our relationship with God.  He already knows why you did it.  He simply wants you to see that you were wrong and now you have a desire to change.

“I’m sorry over what I did.” (Godly sorrow) “If I had it to do over again, I wouldn’t do it.” “I will never do that again.”

But we have to remember that with God, His forgiveness is given before repentance. It then takes repentance in order to position yourself to receive His forgiveness.

True repentance isn’t easy.  In my next post, we’ll see how Paul describes the road to repentance.

Question: How quick are you to go to God in repentance when needed?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 24, 2020 in Encouragement, Relationships, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Growing in Christ

22 Jul

As we continue through the epistle of Second Corinthians, we see that Paul is now transitioning to a new subject.

Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.
2 Corinthians 7:1

There are some important points to glean from this Scripture.  The first is that there are things we allow into our lives that not only contaminate our body but our spirit as well.

That caught me by surprise.  I thought that my spirit was beyond contamination.  Now I realize that there are things that can hinder my fellowship with the Lord.

That’s because my spirit is the part of my being that communicates with God on His level.  That’s the part of me that the Holy Spirit inhabits.  So I have to be vigilant to keep it clear of anything that would defile it.

The second important issue is that our holiness needs to be perfected.  That word literally means to fulfill further or to bring to completion.

When we bow our knee to Christ, He imparts His holiness into us.  But it doesn’t end there.  This holiness has a work that it needs to accomplish in me.  It is cleaning up my life and setting me apart for God’s exclusive use.

That means that I need to cooperate with God’s plan for me.  This consists of me continually seeking God’s Word and then obeying what I hear.

Most people would agree with this line of thinking.  The challenge comes when we see how Paul then applies this truth.

Make room for us in your hearts.  We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one.  I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you.  I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you.  I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.
2 Corinthians 7:2-4

If you remember the flow of this blog, I’m going through the New Testament in the order that the Holy Spirit revealed it to the church.  So far we’ve gone through groups of books that were foundational.  Then we went through the books that were for personal growth.

Now we’re in the books that deal with our corporate walk – our relationship with the church.

Part of cooperating with the Holy Spirit at work in you is found in your relationship to the body of Christ.  We need each other.  We will never reach our full potential in Christ without being a part of a local body of believers.

We also need pastors, teachers, and other leaders to help mentor us.  That’s what Paul is getting at.  We need each other if we’re going to become the church that Christ is returning for.

Question: How has your growth been affected by other Christians?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 22, 2020 in Encouragement, Fellowship, Relationships, Spiritual Walk

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Separate from the World

20 Jul

In my last couple of posts, I’ve been talking about not being too attached to the world system or people in the world.  We should have a very different mindset.  Paul continues this thought.

What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?  For we are the temple of the living God.  As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
2 Corinthians 6:16

First, the apostle asks another question.  He literally asks, how can the temple of God and a temple of idols share the same opinion?

That’s a good question.  In our society, it’s sometimes difficult to see a difference between the opinions of the church and the world.  How we approach life should be based on the Word of God.

He makes it clear that we’re the temple of the living God.  The world, on the other hand, is full of idols.  The world chases after things that only give temporary fulfillment.  They can’t give us the answers to what our souls long for.

We are a people that the God of the universe lives in and walks among.  Yet, in many cases, we don’t live in that knowledge.  We are God’s people.  That makes us very different than the world around us.

Paul then makes reference to some Old Testament Scriptures.

“Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord.  Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”
“I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
2 Corinthians 6:17-18

I know there are a lot of people who use these verses to abuse other believers.  What Paul is saying is that there should be a clear separation between the church and the world.

However, what most Christians don’t realize is that in quoting the Old Testament, Paul sometimes changes the wording a little in order to bring it into a New Testament setting.  That’s the case when he says to touch no unclean thing.

This is a quote from Isaiah 52:11.  Isaiah uses a word that means, don’t come into contact with something unclean.  Paul quotes it by saying, don’t attach yourself to anything that has not been cleansed.

Then Paul adds something that Isaiah doesn’t say.  If we’ll only attach ourselves to those that are clean, God will receive us into His favor.

The second quote was a promise made to King David (2 Samuel 7:14).  The difference is that now there will be both sons and daughters of God.

The reason for these verses was not to pummel you with guilt.  Paul is using positive examples to motivate us to stay separate from the world system.  If we do, then we’ll live under the blessing of God.

Question: How should this separation between the church and the world be lived out?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 20, 2020 in Relationships, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

Tags: , , , , , ,

Unequal Yoking

17 Jul

In my last post, we started looking at the issue of unequal yoking.  The Apostle Paul warned us against marriages or business partnerships between a Christian and a non-Christian.

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.  For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?  Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?  What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?  What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?
2 Corinthians 6:14-15

The reason is based upon the five words he uses to describe this relationship.  In my last post, I looked at what yoked means.  Today, I’ll deal with the others.

In common.  This is a word that means a sharer or participant.  It means that you both share something.

In this situation, if one participant is being disciplined by God or attacked by the enemy, they both share the results.  I don’t want someone else’s problems to dictate what happens to me.

Fellowship.  This is the Greek word, koinoonía.  It speaks of the fellowship we share as believers.

In Christ, we’re better together than separately.  That’s because of the Holy Spirit living in us.  Without the Spirit of God working in your partner, there can be no true fellowship.

Harmony.  This is a word that’s normally translated as agreement.  It comes from a Greek word that means to sound together.

This is an important difference between believers and the world.  A Christian’s speaking should be based in his faith.  When an unbeliever speaks, it’s usually based on fear, greed, desire, or any of a number of other things.

How we talk creates the environment around us.  Unequal yoking causes a very stress filled atmosphere.

I experienced this firsthand.  For a while, I worked for a startup company whose president was a believer.  Unfortunately, the vice-president was actually anti-Christian.  After a year or two, the tension became unbearable and I had to resign.

In common.  Even though this phrase is used twice, they’re actually two different words in the Greek.  This one means a share or a portion.

There are things I’m expecting and believing to receive from the Lord.  An unbeliever is not in a position to receive some of these things.

Those in the world believe that they have to work for everything they get.  They feel that everything they have is a result of their efforts.  Believers, on the other hand, give glory to God for all good things.  These are two very different mindsets.

As I said when I began this subject in my last post, we have to be very careful in our choices of who we attach ourselves to.  We might just be bringing ourselves unneeded baggage and hurt without even realizing it.

Guard your heart against this problem.

Question: How do you guard your relationships?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 17, 2020 in Faith, Fellowship, Spiritual Walk

 

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Gaurding Your Heart

15 Jul

As we continue through Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian church, we see that he has been very transparent about himself and his ministry.  His desire is that those he’s writing to feel the same affection towards him.

We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you.  We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us.  As a fair exchange — I speak as to my children — open wide your hearts also.
2 Corinthians 6:11-13

He’s telling them this because it’s very important to guard our hearts.  We have to be asking; who do we open our hearts to?  Sometimes we set ourselves up for problems and setbacks in this area.

Look at how Paul warns the church.

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.  For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?  Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?  What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?  What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?
2 Corinthians 6:14-15

Most of the teaching that I hear about this passage has to do with marriage.  They teach that a Christian should never marry a non-Christian.

While I believe that this is true.  There’s more to it than just the marriage issue.  It refers to any contractual partnership arrangement.  We have to be careful with how closely we attach ourselves to the world system.

Of course, we can have non-Christian friends.  How else will they see the Gospel message lived out?  That’s not a problem.

To understand this we need to look at the words Paul uses to describe this attachment.

The word, yoked, is a Greek word that actually means yoked differently.  It’s like yoking a bull and a horse together.  No work will get done.  They’re too different.

Also, you can’t yoke two animals together that are facing opposite directions.  I’ve seen the spiritual equivalent of this in a marriage.

There were two Christian individuals.  They were both at about the same level in their Christian walk.  They, unfortunately, didn’t do any pre-marital counseling.

If they had they would have discovered that even though they were at the same spiritual level, she was heading toward Christ while he was heading away from Him.  The marriage ended in divorce.

We have to be careful who we attach ourselves to, either in romantic relationships or business partnerships.  They can either drag us down or lift us up to our full potential.

In my next post, I’ll look at the other words in this passage that Paul uses to describe these relationships.  It’s important that we guard ourselves against this spiritual minefield.

Question: How have you seen this concept of unequal yoking played out?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 15, 2020 in Spiritual Walk

 

Tags: , , , , ,

← Older posts
Newer posts →