Spending it All

 DEVOTION

THE 2^ND LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

SPENDING IT ALL

2 Cor 12:14-18

14 Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. 15 So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less? 16 Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you. Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! 17 Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent you? 18 I urged Titus to go to you and I sent our brother with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not act in the same spirit and follow the same course?

NIV

Here again, we have some personal notes from Paul specifically to the Corinth church. How do we bring this into our lives? The scripture is clear that all of it is profitable for us, either to teach, correct, rebuke, or train us in righteousness, so then there is something here for us. Of course, we have this phrase that has been used out of context within our culture all too often. This is the part where children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. Our culture has beaten that to death as it relates to parents saving up all their possessions, which include their wealth so to leave it for their children as an inheritance. We are not saying that is a bad thing, and surely many good people, even good Christians may well feel this is the right thing to do. But in the context, Paul is saying that he is willing to spend it all, even to the point of spending himself for the sake of his spiritual children. The context has nothing to do with parents leaving an inheritance or expecting their children to support them in their old age. This has everything to do with spending ourselves for the sake of our spiritual children, who could be either those we have personally brought to Christ or in the broader sense, those who the Lord has given us to encourage and assist in their walk with the Lord, building them up until we all reach the unity in the faith. This is about not exploiting our fellow believers, as Paul says those “Super-apostles” were doing. We see that today with those high profile, silver-tongued purveyors of deception for their own personal edification and abundant lifestyle, rather than spending it all for their spiritual children. They take both advantage and the support of their followers, children, instead of spending themselves. This is our task; this is our calling to spend ourselves. Give all we are to the cause of teaching, through either writing or preaching the truth so to build up the church of Jesus Christ. Sure, we must work and do all those things life demands of us. Yes, we must spend time doing life outside of the community of faith, in some sense. But the point here is that we should not hold back from spending ourselves, giving that gift God has graciously bestowed upon us for the advancement of His kingdom, and so the growth of His church. Yes, the Spirit does all that, and Jesus said that He would build His church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. However, God works through His people, the Spirit manifests His gifts in people, and it is through us, Jesus is building His church and we are His stronghold against the gates of hell. Through the Spirit, we spend ourselves for His church.