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We started this journey in Romans 11 where Paul affirmed that God was able to graft the Jews back in to the spiritual tree from which they had been broken off due to unbelief (See Romans 11.23). However, God's ability to bring them back to Himself was contingent upon their belief and continuance in the faith. From this thought springboard we proceeded to explore some things that God can do as well as some things that He cannot do. We close this miniseries with an extremely positive note as we examine one other affirmation about what God can do.

Paul wrote: “But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. As it is written: 'He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.' Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.” (2 Corinthians 9.6-11; emphasis mine, jb).

Here is another case where God's actions are somewhat dictated by human actions; in particular, the Corinthian believers were promised that the amount of reaping which they could expect was directly proportionate to the amount of sowing that they accomplished. However, that is not our main point of emphasis; the reader is challenged to look at the extent to which God is able to bless certain people. Note the totality of His blessings: He is able to make all grace abound, and that to the point that they would have all sufficiency in all things. Further to that point, He is able to cause those who sowed bountifully to have an abundance for every good work. It is impossible to read these words without realizing that God has limitless resources with which to bless those who love and obey Him. It is likewise obvious that He is a generous God who wishes to disperse liberally from His vast storehouse rather than to hoard away the blessings which are at His disposal.

The effect of the bestowal of God's blessings is also a point of focus; when faithful believers receive blessings from God's hand, their use of them will serve to further promote His cause and result in others giving thanks to God for His generous blessings. Paul wrote about this, but he had also experienced such effects firsthand. For a man who had been threatened in city after city and had escaped death narrowly many times, he knew that only God could bless a ministry such as his! Hundreds and thousands of Gentiles had come to faith largely due to the publicity and hoopla that resulted from his attempts to preach to the Jews. If God could take such seemingly negative circumstances and turn them to His glory, what could He do with the positive efforts of believers!

God is an able God! He is able to do anything that He wills to do. Beyond that, He wills to reward those who give liberally of their time and talents to His cause. In fact, He has promised a crown of righteousness to all “love His appearing” (2 Timothy 4.8). What a blessing it is to serve such a great and loving God!

Questions:

1. What kind of believer sows sparingly? Is such a person truly a believer in his actions?

2. How might we say that we limit God when we limit our giving?

3. What limits exist as to how much God can distribute to those whom He favors?

4. What greater motivation can there be to serving willingly than the promise of limitless blessings in eternity? Given the alternative, what kind of person would willfully refuse to serve God?

"'Winging It" from Stan Smith

Moralism