Paul's Blessedness To Give In Ministry
Scripture: Paul exhorted the Ephesian elders of the church: "I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" (Acts 20:35)
Paul, as a Jewish boy, had been trained in tent making—cutting and sewing woven cloth of goats’ hair into tents. As a tentmaker, Paul was able to go wherever God led him, carrying his livelihood with him (Acts 18:3). Paul’s laboring night and day was noted as a model to other leaders. He demonstrated in words, conduct, love, spirit, faith, and purity. Paul labored with the right motive, with all humility, serving the Lord and equipping others to do so. Paul endeavored to fulfill his commitments in Ministry. He also helped intensely through his prayers for others. Christianity was not the work of humans, but of God. The Word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.
Paul’s mission was much more vital to him than his previous lifestyle of persecuting the church. He grounded his Ministry on being justified by faith alone, no longer working to obtain self-righteousness (Gal. 2:20). Christ came, fulfilled the law and the Prophets, conquered sin, shattered all barriers to God, and fully provided eternal life. Paul experienced that love fulfills the law. He now had true faith, a different perspective, and therefore appropriate behavior in Christ (Gal. 5:22-23). Paul pursued what was beneficial for Ministry. He lived out his Ministry work by grace, initiated by God’s love, which was sufficient.
Paul possessed a new passion and purpose for living that went beyond the temporal. His life was worth nothing to him unless it was used for God’s work to testify to the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24). Paul had assurance of his resurrection. Paul looked forward to his eternal tent. He wrote, "For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So, we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5:1-6)
Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to warn the unruly; comfort the fainthearted; uphold the weak; be patient with everyone; be kind to everyone; be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks; test everything that is taught; and avoid evil. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Linda Jackson
Paul, as a Jewish boy, had been trained in tent making—cutting and sewing woven cloth of goats’ hair into tents. As a tentmaker, Paul was able to go wherever God led him, carrying his livelihood with him (Acts 18:3). Paul’s laboring night and day was noted as a model to other leaders. He demonstrated in words, conduct, love, spirit, faith, and purity. Paul labored with the right motive, with all humility, serving the Lord and equipping others to do so. Paul endeavored to fulfill his commitments in Ministry. He also helped intensely through his prayers for others. Christianity was not the work of humans, but of God. The Word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.
Paul’s mission was much more vital to him than his previous lifestyle of persecuting the church. He grounded his Ministry on being justified by faith alone, no longer working to obtain self-righteousness (Gal. 2:20). Christ came, fulfilled the law and the Prophets, conquered sin, shattered all barriers to God, and fully provided eternal life. Paul experienced that love fulfills the law. He now had true faith, a different perspective, and therefore appropriate behavior in Christ (Gal. 5:22-23). Paul pursued what was beneficial for Ministry. He lived out his Ministry work by grace, initiated by God’s love, which was sufficient.
Paul possessed a new passion and purpose for living that went beyond the temporal. His life was worth nothing to him unless it was used for God’s work to testify to the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24). Paul had assurance of his resurrection. Paul looked forward to his eternal tent. He wrote, "For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So, we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5:1-6)
Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to warn the unruly; comfort the fainthearted; uphold the weak; be patient with everyone; be kind to everyone; be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks; test everything that is taught; and avoid evil. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Linda Jackson
1 Comment
Amen!