Daily Devotions

2 Cor 8:1-5 Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; 2 How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. 3 For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; 4 Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. 5 And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.

God’s church should never be taken lightly by the believer in Christ for obvious reasons. First, we are part of God’s church, established and built on the foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are part of God’s church. Second, it is by the grace of God that we are a part of His church. (Verse 1) We are not made part of His church on our merit, our strength, our works, or anything else that is found in you or me, it is by His grace and His grace alone that we are made part of His church. Third, the church gives us an opportunity to return something to the one who saved us by His blood, we can be given to him. (Verse 5) I speak of more than bringing an offering to the Lord of money, but an offering of self. The church gives an opportunity to give ourselves unto the Lord. You say that we can give ourselves apart from the church and that may or may not be true. But it is through the outworking of the church that others can see and be blessed by our giving of ourselves unto Christ. The church gives you opportunity to serve and that service, that giving of self unto Him is what God seeks from every born again believer in Christ. The church gives you that opportunity.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 1st, 2013 at 6:48 am and is filed under Daily Devotions. You can skip to the end and leave a response.