Reflections on 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 - Thanks--giving

Reflections on 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 - Thanks--giving
By Lee Hemen (Retired Pastor)
November 26, 2020

"Since the "Mayflower" had left England nine weeks behind schedule, the New World's harsh weather threatened their very survival... Winter took its toll. Journal entries feature the same melancholy theme week after week, for months on end: "... Aboute noone, it began to raine ... at night, it did freeze & snow ... still the cold weather continued ... very wet and rainy, with the greatest gusts of wind ever we saw ... frost and foule weather hindered us much; this time of the yeare seldom could we worke half the week." That winter more than half the heads of households perished. Aboard ship only five of eighteen wives lived through the ravages of scurvy, pneumonia, and tuberculosis. An entry for March 24th reads: "This month thirteen of our number die. And in three months past dies halfe our company ... Of a hundred persons, scarce fifty remain, the living scarce able to bury the dead."

"How could the Pilgrims talk about thanksgiving in the midst of life's most difficult trials?" we wonder. Why not just curse God and die? They gave thanks for God's presence in their adversities because they knew that struggles did not have to make them bitter; struggles could make them better. These remaining Pilgrim daughters and sons, mothers and fathers, placed their trust in their God and laid the enduring foundations of a nation. Thanksgiving Day, 1621, did not just celebrate wild turkey and Indian corn; it celebrated the human spirit reaching out to God in gratitude for the blessings the Pilgrims still did possess.  (Joyful Heart Ministries, written by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson)

In today's passage we see that Paul spoke about the fact that when a believer's life is lived to bring glory and honor to God, then their lives "...will result in thanksgiving to God." It is a matter of spiritual reciprocity with God. You reap spiritually from God in your life what you sow spiritually in your life.

READ: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

I am not going to talk to you about tithing this morning, rather, I am going to share with you about the reward of generosity in life. The Pilgrims knew what this meant. So did the early church. Why have we lost sight of this vital Christian virtue that results in a life of thanks--giving? Paul shares with us in several arenas of life that can help us to recapture a true spirit of generosity and live a wonderful life full of thanks--giving to God. First, Paul knew that thanks--giving --

I. Is Not the Result of Outward Circumstances but Inward Dependency Upon God! (vv. 6-8)
  1. Spiritual fires flamed with a fan of false piety result in burned out embers and bummed out believers!
    1) The greedy partner who places restriction after restriction on the other partner burdens them by irrational expectations! Greed destroys freedom. Hoarding what is ours, running scared, giving only under pressure, we become smaller and smaller people, and God has less and less access to be able to do good to us and through us. Spiritual dependency is the soil in which spiritual freedom grows. God never restricts us. As a matter of fact he has given us freedom! Paul wrote: "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free... But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature ; rather, serve one another in love." (Gal 5:1&15) Christians are to be spiritual partners with God.
    2) This is why Paul states, "And God is able to make all grace abound to you (Why?) so that in all things at all times, having all you need, you will abound in every good work!" The Christian is to be dependent upon God and God alone! God is able to all things through Jesus in our lives! (Phil 4:13) That describes our partnership!
    EXAMPLE: Remember the savings and loans scandals? People made outrageous claims and investments went bad. What was at the heart of this was not just dishonesty but also greed. People wanted something for nothing. There is no such thing. Neither can a person have a fast food faith. Dependence on God is the result of time spent with Him. God is able to make all grace abound to us when we invest our lives in Him! We decide to be God's partner. As one old sage put it, "You get what you pay for!" Paul said, "You reap what you sow."

It is easy for people to see what kind of faith we have. If we are dependent upon God then we reflect the kind of faith that God desires. Paul knew that thanks--giving --

II. Is Displayed by A Believer's Spiritual Growth! (vv. 9-11)

  1. Generosity in the life of a believer should ring out like the sound of a dinner bell at the end of  the day which says with every note, "Come and get it!"
    1) What Paul is doing is saying that Christians should tell the truth with their whole life. If the Corinthians do not do what they said they were going to do, they will not be loved less, but the real truth will be known about them! Paul wants them to understand that there isn't going to be some sort of face-saving cover-up of the circumstances!
    2) Paul tried to tell the Corinthians that as they lived their lives generously God would "supply... increase... and enlarge" their spiritual harvest of "righteousness!" What a promise! However, the converse is true as well! As a matter of fact Paul would relate "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit's fire..." (1 Thess 5:18&19) Giving thanks in all circumstances describes a believer's generosity in life!
    EXAMPLE: I know you are aware of the widespread discussions of dysfunctional families, co-dependency, and systems of lies that are built to keep reputations from being soiled. Some adult member of a family is an alcoholic, for instance, and the family covers the tracks, pretending none of it is true. The term 'co-dependent' was coined to describe systems of lies developed by families that want to be thought well of. Paul, however, is not going to set up any reputation-protection systems for the Corinthian Christians. Their reputation is going to be based on what they displayed in life, not on what they said or what they want people to think about them! If they want to be thought of as generous, it ought to be because they are generous, not because they once said they would be!
    3) Whatever you struggle with in your life --giving, bible reading, church attendance, daily devotions -- is not because these things are untrue or not spiritually valid it is because they are not generously lived out in our lives! What kind of thanks--giving do you display to others? Where is your spiritual growth? Are your riches from God or something else?

These are no idle questions. These are of extreme importance. The reason is obvious -- what others see in you is how they see Jesus in the world today! Why is that? Because Paul knew that thanks--giving --

III. In A Believer's Life Can Lead Others to Faith! (vv. 12-15)
  1. Spiritual spillage in us results in the spectators around us getting wet!
    1) The most important part of this whole section is when Paul literally shouts, "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" (v. 15) This is the foundation for everything Paul says. It is why the believer can be generous in life, and how they can grow in Christ. And it is how we can lead others to faith in Jesus.
    2) We do not do good works to be saved. We do good things from the overflow of God's love in our lives! This is why some believers have very little to show for what God has done. There is no overflow! Not even a trickle or a drip! This is exactly what Paul is speaking about in verses 12-14! Spiritual spillage results in others getting wonderfully wet!
    3) Paul had encouraged the Corinthians earlier by reminding them that God's grace was "for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God." (2 Cor 4:15) Yet we see that they had simply quit! What had happened to them? They no longer overflowed with thanksgiving! In fact they had become bitter towards Paul, their mentor and friend! And they knew why! Paul would later encourage them by asking them to "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test?" (2 Cor 13:5) WOW! There was a kink in their spiritual pipe!
    EXAMPLE: Ever see someone do a belly-flop into a pool on purpose? Why do they do that? (To get others wet!) When I first started here I baptized a couple. When I asked them why they accepted Christ and wanted to follow through in baptism they both stated it was because of what they had seen in the lives of their Christian friends! As the husband put it, "When I was around them, I could not help but get excited and want to know more about Jesus!" Christians should splash the Holy Spirit all over those around them until the spectators have to either get a towel to dry off or join in by jumping into the pool!

CONCLUSION:

Like the old poem states: "I'd rather see a sermon any day, than hear one." Paul knew this to be true. What kind of sermon do you preach to others around you about your faith? About your God? About Jesus Christ? Christians do not live their lives in a void. Each of us are part of the community we live in. Paul encouraged his readers to be dependent upon God, to grow in their spirituality, and to live lives that displayed their real faith. Doing this he said would "result in expressions of thanks to God" in the community where they lived! That is thanks--giving.
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