Ephesians 2:1-10, II Timothy 2:1-21, II Corinthians 9:1-15 Audio file is at the end of text.
Last week in the Ephesians passage Paul hammers home that we are saved by God's grace and not by anything we do. We can't win God's favor by doing nice things or by giving money to some good cause. Ephesians 2:10 makes it clear that God has a purpose and a plan for every life and for those of us who recognize his mercy and accept his gift of grace, God will guide us to his great glory.
In this II Timothy passage, Paul sticks to the theme of Ephesians 2:10 and makes it even more specific with a kitchen metaphor. As a cook, I know it is important to use the right pot to achieve the right result. I would not try to fry fish in a wooden salad bowl, it just would not work. Paul says, "In a well-furnished kitchen there are not only crystal goblets and silver platters, but trash cans and compost buckets--some containers used to serve fine meals, others to take out the garbage." All tasks are important and each of us has an important task to do. However, we cannot do that task until we become the kind of container God can use.
And what does a container that God wants to use look like? II Timothy 2:19 says that God can only use us when we, "turn away from wickedness." Verse 21 says, "Those who cleanse themselves will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared for any good work." Keep in mind that last week we learned that the work we do has to flow out of our love for God and what he has done for us. Good work is not what we do to get to God, it is what we do because God got us! It is not because of who we are but because of who God is that we do good.
In the II Corinthians chapter we look at a new way to do good work. Paul is writing ahead to the church to remind him that he is coming and when he arrives he is going to pick up their offering for the poor. Paul has been bragging to other churches about the generosity of the members at Corinth and he wants to make sure that they are still committed to providing money to help the poor people in Macedonia.
This teaches us that doing good includes giving money to good causes. But, beware. You can't just write a check to soothe your guilt over being mean to an employee, or envious of your neighbor's new boat, or ignoring your aging parents. Paul specifically says that giving your money must flow out of love, not obligation. Just as we learned last week that you can't do good things to win God's heart, you can't give a pile of money to a charity to win God's heart either.
2 Corinthians 9:7 says, "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." And, what does promise to those of us who decide to give with cheer? We get the kingdom, we get everything God has, we are his children, we get all of earth and all of heaven.
Verse 6 in The Message translation reads, "Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop." God does not necessarily bless you with more money when you decide to give to good people doing good things. He promises love, joy and peace. How does that sound? As a bonus you might also get good health, talented children, a fabulous rose garden or delightful neighbors. The Bible says, "God loves a cheerful giver." What are you waiting for?
