A Spirit of Giving Pt.2
PROVERBS 11:24 King James Version
24 ¶ There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.
PROVERBS 11:24 English Standard Version
One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
PROVERBS 11:24 New Living Translation
Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything.
This scripture is clearly identifying two characters types of people concerning a giving or an ungiven spirit, and then it also reveals the future outcome of both.
New Testament
LUKE 6:38
38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
A Spirit of Giving Pt.2
JOHN 3:16
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
We know that God in the act of giving brought salvation and everlasting life to the people of the world – all who could believe in him.
Notice that what he gave was the very best thing that he could possibly have given, and that gift was the gift of himself in the form of his son.
Jesus was the invisible God with skin on, it was the same person in another form and office. *So we can see by this scripture that God is the greatest giver of all and that the spirit of giving is an integral part of God’s nature and character – and so we want that same spirit of giving to be in us because we want to be like him.
ROMANS 8:11
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
So we want to see what spirit that Jesus had in him so that we will know what needs to be in us. When we see Christ on the cross we see a spirit that is giving up his very life for the benefit of others.
JOHN 10:15-17
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. (He is talking about a future people of seven church ages that would hear his voice through the messenger of their age and become a part of his one great sheepfold)
17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
Jesus knew that you could not give your life and then not receive it back again, because whatever you give will come back to you again even greater.
MATTHEW 16:25
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
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Recap a little from last week…and carry on…
JOHN 10:26-28
26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
We know for sure that what identifies the elect of God is that His sheep will respond to the call of His voice which is the word in the age that they live in - it is those who can receive the word, that is the only scriptural evidence, and these ones who can receive his word for the age will all be a part of the first resurrection – so this category in Mathew 25 is “as a shepherd separates sheep from goats” – these are not his sheep but will come up at the great white throne judgement and receive eternal life then.
Mathew 25 is showing us four different categories of the wise and foolish virgins, and then also the two other groups that come up at the great white throne judgement at the second resurrection where they are sentenced depending on how they treated the elect of God during their lifetime, and if you will notice that in between these two accounts in Matthew 25 is placed the account of the servants and the talents and each one is receiving a reward based on what he did with the talents that he was given – so this is showing us a works based reward for service because you cannot give something to the Lord and not receive back again.
MATTHEW 25:34-40
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: (notice that there is an eternal purpose that God has ordained for these people, they were not ordained to be a part of the bride, but they were none the less in his eternal thinking for the purpose to occupy a position in his eternal kingdom)
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
278-1 SARDISEAN.CHURCH.AGE - CHURCH.AGE.BOOK CPT.7
To further clarify, notice specifically the words of Matthew 25:31-46. It does not say that a shepherd is literally separating sheep from goats, but it is AS a shepherd dividing sheep from goats. These are not sheep in this particular area of time (White Throne Judgment). The sheep are in His fold, they heard His voice (Word) and they followed Him. THEY ALREADY HAVE ETERNAL LIFE AND CANNOT COME INTO THE JUDGMENT. But these do NOT have eternal life, and they are in the judgment. They are allowed to GO INTO eternal life. But upon what grounds do they enter into life eternal? Certainly not upon the fact that they already have His life as does the bride, but they receive it because they were kind to His brethren. They are not His brethren: that would make them joint-heirs with Jesus. They are NOT heirs to anything but life. They share no throne, etc. with Him. THEIR NAMES MUST HAVE BEEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE AND NOT REMOVED. Now because of their love of the people of God they are recognized and saved. No doubt these served and helped the children of God. Perhaps like Nicodemus and Gamaliel they stood for the children in a time of trouble.
Notice - A spirit of serving and giving was in these people, and as the elect are identified by their ability to hear the voice of God in their age, these ones are identified by a certain character in them that does good to the bride - these people had a spirit of giving)
**So we want to approach this account of the rich young ruler with this knowledge that eternal life does not necessarily just mean bride category, but according to the scripture it can also mean those that do good to the brethren, then we can see how that this rich young ruler failed to qualify for eternal life at the second resurrect because of his character in that he was a taker but he was not a giver and Jesus knew this and that is why he gave him the prescription that he did.
MATTHEW 19:16-22
16 ¶ And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
This was a character issue of this young man in that he had a spirit to receive but not a spirit to give, and this is what eventually kept him from entering into eternal life.
From last week we mentioned that it appears from this passage of scripture that Jesus was asking him to become poor in order to have eternal life, and in a sense he was for that moment, but I do not personally believe that he would have remained in that poor state for the rest of his life because the scripture teaches that:
LUKE 6:38
38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
So according to this scripture, the act of giving would have eventually advanced him more because the way up is actually down. Had this rich young ruler followed Jesus instruction to him and had sold his positions and given his money to the poor, then according to the principle of the word his wealth would have had to have come back to him again even greater, because you cannot out give because that is a law of God that cannot be broken.
MARK 10:28-31
28 Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.
29 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,
30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
31 But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.
Job was a rich man - he lost his riches but then got back twice as much as he had before.
Solomon being such a wise man knew that the secret to prosperity was to have a spirit of giving.
PROVERBS 11:24-26
24 ¶ There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.
25 ¶ The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
26 ¶ He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it.
PROVERBS 3:9-10
9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
**So if we trace this rich young ruler to the end of his days we see that he never overcame this spirit of selfishness, and that is because he rejected the remedy that Jesus had prescribe to him to cure him of his condition of an ungiven spirit, and so his character was never changed through the suffering of what he was advised to do by the Lord, and so he was never was able to break the chains of that selfish spirit in order to receive a spirit of giving, and so then at the great white throne he will be identified on the side with the goats.
LUKE 16:19-25
19 ¶ There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: (notice again, his name is still not written in the word as also it was not written at the time of his encounter with Jesus as young man, but this is now the same rich young ruler that Jesus is telling us of, but he has now come to the end of his life)
20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
So back in his lifetime when this rich young ruler came to Jesus to find out what to do to receive eternal life, Jesus knew that his problem was that he needed to have a spirit of giving, and that this was a character issue that needed to be dealt with by a portion and a season of suffering, because Jesus was answering his question of how to enter into eternal life at the great white throne judgement, and he knew that this problem of this young man’s selfish character would actually keep him from entering eternal life because of how it would cause him to act in his lifetime.
*This rich young ruler had a spirit to receive but not a spirit to give, and so Jesus knew the exact thing to prescribe to him in order to break this spirit of selfishness that had become a part of his nature, and so he gave him the precise prescription that would have set him free and ridden him of his selfish spirit, and that was to do the visa versa.
QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS.4_ JEFF.IN COD SUNDAY_ 64-0830E
1159-Q-389 389. When a person realizes he has an inferior complex, or some sort of complex, how may he overcome this? So--should it be if he was the only child caused this in his early youth? (A lot of the problems that we have in our character, if we don’t overcome them in our youth then we can often carry them with us for the rest of our lives)
Take exactly the opposite. If you're always wanting your way, and that one little brat that wants to always have everything your way, turn right back around and give everything you got the other way. If you're selfish and you want to hold everything, then start giving away what you got. See? Do whatever--just go the vice versa. That's the way to overcome anything is an antidote.
MALACHI 1:6-14 In the book of Malachi, the people of Israel had fallen under an influence and a condition that they were losing their dedication to the Lord, their spirit of giving had almost all but left them completely, especially when it came to giving to the Lord – notice that this was at the end of the Old Testament, and the same thing is also repeating itself at the end of the New Testament.
6 ¶ A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?
7 Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible (Distasteful and offensive).
8 And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.
9 And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts.
10 Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.
11 For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.
12 But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the LORD is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible.
13 Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD.
14 But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.
The law of science and reasoning leans to the mathematical side of the idea that if you keep you will have more, but the believer believes the word which is the side of faith and the law of giving.
**Unbelief is just faith channelled at the wrong thing. In other words, many people will actually have a real faith in the words of the doctor when he tells them that they have a terminal illness, and it is their genuine faith in the doctor’s word that helps brings it to pass – but if you could just channel that same faith into the promise of God, then you would get well, because God has to honour your faith regardless of where you channel that faith. Faith itself is the substance – it is the evidence.
ACTS 20:33-35 Paul the apostle to the first church age speaking…
33 I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel.
34 Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.
35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. (This is to be the spirit of every true minister)
Look at the spirit and attitude that will cause God to bless a person…
I KINGS 3:11-13
11 And God said unto him (Solomon), Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;
12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.
DEUTERONOMY 28:1-8 *It is not just giving our money or tithing or being kind to our neighbour, it is also giving our dedication to the voice that God has sent in this generation.
1 ¶ And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.
4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.
6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
7 The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.
8 The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
A Spirit of Giving