(7) But as you excel 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. (9) For you know the grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty  might become rich.  (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 that their abundance may supple 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”.

This second letter to the CORINTHIANS was written by the Apostle Paul.  The verses we study today have application for today’s church in the manner of bestowing charity. Paul had agreed to take up a collection from the churches he founded and ministered to, for the poor of the church in Jerusalem.   In my research of the causes for this need in Jerusalem I read explanations of ostracism of the Christian Jews – economic embargo of the  Christians, etc.  but I think the best explanation is the new Christians believed the Messiah had come and this marked a turning point in history. I think they thought the end times were there and they just stopped commerce and were waiting for the end.  The point is the Christians in Jerusalem were suffering and needed help.

Paul here is not just recommending giving. On his missionary journeys,  Paul – who had every right to ask the community to support him – worked at his trade to support himself as it was needed.  He was an advocate for able men and women to work and endorses discipline for those who did not.  And as a rabbi Paul was perfectly aware that Jewish law demanded that the poor and helpless be given charity.

So Paul here is asking for a lifestyle of generosity.   He is asking that gifts for the  poor should be given thoughtfully and freely and cheerfully.  Both the giver and the receiver benefit.  The receiver has the obvious benefit but in many cases the receiver will give thanks to God.  The donor is developing an attitude of surrender and obedience and amazingly, contentment.  Not only is the giver learning to free himself/herself from attachment to material things, he/she is learning to depend on God for all their needs.

The immediate aim of giving is relief from want but the ultimate goal is to honor God.  Even though we are saved by faith, the profession of faith must be in works.  In our verses today the Corinthian donation signifies that they accept the Gospel – and Paul’s authority

For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus:  that if One died for all, then all died; (15) and He died for all that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.  (16) Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh.  Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. (17) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

The second letter to the CORINTHIANS was written by the Apostle Paul to the church he founded at Corinth. Paul had been dealing with problems there caused by false teachers – including Judaizers – who were telling the newly converted Christians that they needed to become observing Jews and follow the Mosaic Law – creating factions and sowing doubt about Paul’s authority. There were also cults of the personality – one group claimed to be followers of the teaching of Paul; another followers of Peter; another followers of Apollos.

So not only does Paul make the life death and resurrection of Christ Jesus the heart of his gospel, in our verses today he makes the life, death and resurrection of our Lord the basis for how we view others. Equality of all believers in Christ is a foundational truth. How we view Christ determines how we view others.

Paul is teaching that men should seek God’s approval rather than men’s. The love of Christ motivates Paul and the death of Jesus is for every believer.  Every believer dies in Christ to sin and is raised to a new life – a new man – and the new man is what he is because of Christ.  We faithful are all equal in the sight of God. Therefore we cannot practice discrimination.

So the main point of our text is how the faithful view others who believe in Christ Jesus. Pride and arrogance and feelings of superiority are rubbish. Riches can buy a man nothing eternal – we are not saved by wealth, gifts, popularity or status in this world. Nothing in this world compares to new life in Christ.  when we see ourselves as we truly are in Christ we dare not see ourselves as superior to anyone else before God. A wonderful lesson which will greatly enhance our everyday dealings with others and ultimately greatly increase our joy.

So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.  (7) For we walk by faith, not by sight.  (8) We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. (9) Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.  (10) For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

The Apostle Paul wrote the second letter to the Corinthians.  In chapter four Paul wrote about our outer man decaying, aging and our inner man being transformed. Paul writes about his suffering – stoned, lashed, imprisoned – as light affliction when compared to the eternal weight of glory which awaits the faithful. (C.S. Lewis wrote a wonderful piece called the Weight of Glory which beautifully depicts this).

Our verses today tell us that we are all mortal and our true home is in heaven earned by the sacrifice of the cross.  This life is but a shadow of what is to come and reality is not of this world but rather what is unseen except through faith. heaven is where our treasure lies.

Therefore we want to be pleasing to God.  How?  It is by our faith, not our works that we are saved.  Jesus told us that we are to believe in Him and our faith will result in righteousness.  Paul tells us that the faithful are those serving God in heart and deed and these will be praised by God – so the transformed man/woman whose belief guides their behavior will please God.  Those who do not, have not, trusted in Christ – in his death, burial and resurrection must be judged by their deeds.  We are either saved on the basis of the works of Christ or we are judged according to our own works.  Clearly our own works do not please God and are the basis for the condemnation of lost souls.

Paul is saying we are uncomfortable in this body – in this world – we are unfulfilled, incomplete, imperfect, and miserable.  Life here is debilitating, aging and corrupting.  Fear of death is for the unbeliever but the faithful who trust in the person and works of Christ change this.  In faith in Christ we are transformed – with real faith it cannot be otherwise, and the new man pleases God.

But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. (12) Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood.  He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.  (13) For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, (14) how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

The author of the Letter to the Hebrews is unknown. It was written to a group of Hebrew Christians to encourage them to be steadfast in the Christian faith in times of persecution. Our verses today focus on the superiority of Jesus Christ as our high priest in comparison with the sketch high priest who was a shadow of the Messiah To come.  Our author of Hebrews is centered on the tabernacle itself comparing it with the true tabernacle which is in heaven.

Only the high priest could enter the holy of Holies – the inner room of the tabernacle – and enter it only once a year on the day of Atonement. This system provided for the High Priest to offer a blood sacrifice – the blood of a bull for his own sins; the blood of a goat for the sins of the people. The second goat was the scapegoat and carried the sins of the people into the wilderness and was let go.

Thr High Priest was the proper mediator and this practice shows that the people could not approach God on their own.  the ritual tells us that the sacrifice was limited and the way to God not yet revealed.  We can now understand that this is all pointing to Christ – the blood of Christ was the perfect sacrifice and we now have complete access to God. Christ did not go into the Holy of Holies, He went into heaven itself. The tabernacle made with human hands was only a picture.

Jesus Christ is Gods final revelation to us. Our verses are to remind us of the furnishing of the tabernacle and how that structure actually prevented man from approaching God. Christ is the ultimate High Priest, shedding his blood for us which dealt with our sins which stood between God and man. Those who trust in this atoning work are forgiven – they are clean and may draw near to God in worship and service.

For as many are led by the Spirit of God, these are children of God.  (15) For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out “Abba, Father.”  (16) The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit, that we are children of God, (17) and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him that we may also be glorified together

The letter to the Romans was written by the apostle Paul To the Christians in Rome. Today’s verses concern assurance of salvation for the faithful.  The doctrine discussed here tells us that the Spirit which the faithful receive at the moment of new birth transforms them and they become adopted heirs chosen by God. The spirit of adoption is a crucial doctrine of the New Testament and our new status as children of God through the Holy Spirit is the certain hope of future blessing.

In Ancient Rome adoption was fairly common especially in the wealthy and upper classes because of Roman inheritance law and Roman law provided that the head of a family had the power to give his children in adoption.  This was often used as a political strategy and was neither secretive nor shameful – for example, Augustus Caesar was adopted by Julius Caesar as his chosen successor.   Adoption became a common way to achieve the Roman throne in imperial times – the time of Paul.  In Paul’s day Tiberius, Caligula, Nero and Trajan were all adopted sons who became emperors. So the practice of adoption was recognized as legitimate.

The Holy Spirit enables us to believe in Christ and as the faithful, we are transformed – our new relationship with God is as our father.   Our adoption is a present reality but a future fulfillment.   Chapter 7 of Romans ends with Paul describing the constant struggle in this life with the power of the flesh versus living a life pleasing to God.  The message of Romans, chapter 8, is God never intended for man to live a Christian life by his/her own efforts but in the Holy Spirit.  Paul tells us that victory of the Christian is the certainty of sanctification as transformed adopted children of God by faith in Christ through the Holy Spirit.  No condemnation is to be dreaded by Christians as our sins have been dealt with by the cross. We have been delivered from the penalty of sin and the power of sin.