"HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT WHAT THE GRACE IN JESUS CHRIST HAS DONE FOR YOU"

"HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT WHAT THE GRACE IN JESUS CHRIST HAS DONE FOR YOU"

2nd Cor 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

Some explanatory thoughts/application, and a prayer:

1. Paul was telling them about the grace of God all through this chapter, that is the context.

2nd Cor 8:1 Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia:

2nd Cor 8:7 And, he was encouraging the Corinthians to abound in grace also.
But as you abound 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.

The point in his talking about Grace, was it's effect upon other believers, in that God's grace made them so generous to help others, to give to others who were in need. The Corinthians themselves were abounding in so many areas, and Paul wanted them to abound in this grace also.

And, of course, it's God's desire that we also abound in being generous, in caring for others, and investing the resources we have in the work of God through the ministry of our own congregations that God has placed us in.

2. But, having said all that, now here in verse 9, Paul points them right back to Jesus Christ as the supreme example of grace, and how it works in a person's life, and what it has done for you and I.

2nd Cor 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

We see in this verse, how grace worked in the life of Jesus Christ. Let's look a a few things more specifically.

(1) The Corinthians knew the grace of the our Lord Jesus Christ. They recognized and understood His grace. Or to put it another way, " You know how full of love and kindness our Lord Jesus Christ was." Jesus is full of love and kindness.

(2) They also understood what Jesus did. 2nd Cor 8: b that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor. They understood this also. That thought Jesus was rich, yet for your sakes, and I might add, for our's as well, He became poor. Rich here has the ideas of flowing and abounding in wealth. The word poor means someone who is so poor they are like a beggar.
So, Jesus went from being rich, when He was in heaven with His father, to becoming poor when He came into this world as a man. Jesus was so generous. He was Lord of all, wealthier then our ability to explain it, yet, He became so very poor for us.

(3) The reason He went from rich to poor, is stated as follows, let's read it again. 2nd Cor 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

Do you see that last part. 2nd Cor 8:9c that you through His poverty might become rich. His act of coming into this world, and going to the cross to die for our sins, was so that we might become rich. In other words, Grace operated in His life, to the extent that it helped us to say the least.

And, that is the point that Paul is making through this chapter, Grace is other's centered, it wants to help, to care for to do something for others, and in this case it was the giving of funds to help the poor Christians in Jerusalem.

But, back to what Jesus did and why He did it. He died for us. We were spiritually poor, but, He has made us spiritually rich. We are justified, forgiven, saved, born again, adopted into God's family, the Holy Spirit lives in us, we have brothers and sisters galore in the body of Christ, he has given us spiritual gifts, He has given us work to do, He has given us love, hope, mercy, and the promise that He will finish the good work He has started. And, to cap it off, we are Joint heirs with Him, See Rom 8.

I could go on, and maybe you can think of a host of other things that we are rich in. But, in fact, Christians are the richest people in the world. We have something that money can't buy, and it's going to take us to heaven before we know it.

A prayer:

Father, this grace of Christ leaves us somewhat speechless. Jesus, You actually did all of this for us. You became poor that we might became rich. You are gracious indeed. And, You want us to be like You, being gracious, caring for others, using our gifts and resources to help others, to keep our focus primarily on the gospel of Jesus Christ, but to help in the most practical of ways those who we see in need. In fact, the Bible says, that You are conforming us into the image of Christ. Please do that work in our lives Lord. In Your name we pray. Amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia