Obtain Your Wealth

2 Corinthians 8

Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: ² that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. ³ For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, ⁴ imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. ⁵ And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God. ⁶ So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well. ⁷ But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see that you abound in this grace also.

⁸ I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. ⁹ For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

¹⁰ And in this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago; ¹¹ but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have. ¹² For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.

¹³ For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; ¹⁴ but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality. ¹⁵ As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.”

¹⁶ But thanks be to God who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus. ¹⁷ For he not only accepted the exhortation, but being more diligent, he went to you of his own accord. ¹⁸ And we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches, ¹⁹ and not only that, but who was also chosen by the churches to travel with us with this gift, which is administered by us to the glory of the Lord Himself and to show your ready mind, ²⁰ avoiding this: that anyone should blame us in this lavish gift which is administered by us— ²¹ providing honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

²² And we have sent with them our brother whom we have often proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, because of the great confidence which we have in you. ²³ If anyone inquires about Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker concerning you. Or if our brethren are inquired about, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ. ²⁴ Therefore show to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love and of our boasting on your behalf.

1 Corinthians 11:1-2 says, Imitate Me, just as I also imitate Christ.  Now I praise you brethren, that you remember me in all the traditions just as I delivered them to you.  God says, faith without works is dead.  The churches have been talking our bible for too long and walking it has become obsolete.  God states, as Christ suffered we are to arm ourselves because we must suffer too.  But, no one wants to suffer for our Lord, or use the grace and mercy that has been given to us to obtain all the riches.  We must give ourselves to the Lord completely, willing to die to our selfish desires to obtain God’s holy desires & riches.  You cannot discern the church from our world nowadays.  Anger is all around, separation, backbiting, gossip, complaining, self-seeking motives, etc. . . .  We honor our Lord with our lips, but our hearts are far away from Him.  We are to abound in everything we do and say in faith.  But we don’t have enough faith to walk to the store and back in the safety of God’s arms.  He says do not fear.  Our love for God must be tested and tried to develop us into being a holy people.  However, if we are not implementing the protocol of our bible in these tests and trials, we’re just spinning our wheels hoping for something that will never materialize.  Verse 9 says though He was rich, He became poor that through His poverty we might become rich as well.  We can go from rags to riches if we take on the power of faith and believe as we conquer our trials understanding we must learn how to humble ourselves to this call.  God said many are called, but few are chosen.  Why?  Because we won’t armor up in love for God and step up to the plate to fight the good fight of faith.  God has a standard we must stand in to receive this wealth.  Our hearts need to be re-tuned into giving and not always wanting only to receive this blessing.  God’s children, we must come together, dust ourselves off from the hurt and pain, and excel in our bibles together.  I’m 51 years old and have yet to find a true friend and now that I am in my bible each day, confessing my Lords presence in my life.  I’ve still yet to find one because all are still wrapped up in self.  Deny yourself for a season, and obtain your wealth in all things.

Bless us Lord as we obtain wealth from You in all things,

Vincent Young, Christian Analyst.