How do we know the will of God? Basically by embracing the biblical gospel of his grace and asking for wisdom and understanding from God about how to live it out. His will is not just that we understand the gospel, but it is never anything other than living out the gospel of grace in the circumstances in which we find currently ourselves - or into which he directs us to move next.
Read moreWhy Giving Enriches Us; 2 Cor 9:6-13
Giving enriches us. v13 says that people will praise God for the obedience that accompanies the Corinthians' faith. And v14 says that their hearts will be expanded in prayer for them because God has given them surpassing grace in order to be able to grace others. They are becoming like him. Their instincts for gracious generosity are being modelled after his. Their desire to bless is starting to look like his. Their hearts are being enlarged to expect more gracious provision from God, and educated to know how to pass it on when he gives it. They are growing out of that selfishness that marks out spiritual immaturity.
Read moreFabulous Generosity; 2 Cor 8
One way to discern the extent to which we are experiencing the grace of God is to see whether we are becoming channels of it to others. One very practical way is generosity. We could almost (but not quite) substitute the word "generosity" when talking about God's grace. He has lavished immeasureable goodness on us freely. He is incredibly generous in his kindness.
Therefore for people to claim to be recipients of grace but not to start to be like this themselves raises a big question mark. Do they really know the grace of God? Then why aren't they starting to mirror it in a small way themselves?
Read moreHow to Receive Grace in Vain; 2 Cor 6
People who identify as Christians but who have no wish to be changed by God, who have no desire to be any different to all the unbelievers around about them - who don't want to live their whole lives for Jesus, who simply don't care much about living in the light and spreading the light of the good news - probably aren't believers. They are maybe God-fearers or people who enjoy the environment and care created by Christians, or people who want a "spiritual bit" in their lives or some kind of divine insurance policy for when they die. But probably they are not believers. And there are loads of them in churches.
Read moreGrace Reaching More and More People
that is a great description of the New Covenant to finish on: grace that causes overflowing thanksgiving, for the sake of God's glory.
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