WWUTT 1697 God Loves a Cheerful Giver (2 Corinthians 9:7-15)

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You know, if you want to give to the Lord, where should you start? Well, if you can give 10 % of your income, that would be great.

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We refer to that as a tithe. But there's nothing in the New Testament that obligates the church to tithe.

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When we understand the text. This is

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When We Understand the Text, a daily Bible study in the Word of Christ that men and women of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

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Tell your friends about our ministry at www .utt .com. Here's your teacher, Pastor Gabe.

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Thank you, Becky. We come back to our study of 2 Corinthians chapter 9.

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And picking up where we left off yesterday, I'll start reading in verse 6 and we'll go through verse 15 in the

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Legacy Standard Bible. This is the word of the Lord through the Apostle Paul writing to the church in Corinth.

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Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows with blessing will also reap with blessing.

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Each one must do as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion.

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For God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make every grace abound to you, so that in everything, at every time, having every sufficiency, you may have an abundance for every good deed.

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As it is written, he scattered abroad, he gave to the needy. His righteousness stands forever.

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Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness.

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You will be enriched in everything for all generosity, which through us is bringing about thanksgiving to God.

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For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also abounding through many thanksgivings to God.

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Because of the proven character given by this ministry, they will glorify

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God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the generosity of your fellowship toward them and toward all.

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While they also, by prayer on your behalf, long for you because of the surpassing grace of God on you.

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Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift. Now this

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I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows with blessings or sows generously is another way that you might find this verse in another translation.

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He who sows generously will also reap generously or receive blessing from God.

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Verse seven, each person must do as he has purposed in his heart to do, not grudgingly.

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Like I'm doing this under a grudge. Somebody's told me to do this, so now I'm doing it. Or under compulsion, again, you're just doing it because you were ordered to.

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For God loves a cheerful giver. We should give. Giving is in fact an act of worship.

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We worship unto the Lord by the giving of our offerings, the giving of what we have for the purpose of ministry.

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That's why we take an offering in church, why it happens in the middle of a service when the offering plates get passed around.

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It's because it's part of our worship. And so we worship through giving. And we do so cheerfully, not as a grump, well, okay,

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I guess I'll give. I think that you should give even if you are not right in your heart to give.

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But then work on the heart issue, okay? So don't do it grudgingly and don't do it under compulsion because somebody told you to do it, so now

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I'm doing it. But do it out of love. Love for the Lord and love for one another.

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And that is the principle that we have on giving that is given to us in the scriptures. And once again, remembering about doing this in light of what

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God gave to us, we go back to the previous chapter, 2 Corinthians 8, 9, where we read, for you know the grace of our

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Lord Jesus Christ, that though being rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

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Jesus gave everything for us that we might benefit. It's been for our benefit that we would be saved from our sins and become fellow heirs of the kingdom of God.

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Jesus gave so much for us. And so it's in light of what Jesus has done, in light of the gospel, that we would be generous with one another.

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And this should be the principle when it comes to giving. Not that we give an exact amount, but we give with cheerful heart, as we desire in our heart to give.

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Here is the what video that I did on tithing. It's commonly understood that we're supposed to tithe 10 % of our income and give it to the church.

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Now, is that 10 % of the gross or 10 % of the net? Where is this command in the Bible that talks about tithing anyway?

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The answer might surprise you when we understand the text. Hebrews 7, 4 through 6 records that Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils from war back to the

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Lord. By his example, the Levite priests were to collect from the Israelites a tithe, or 10%, to support their ministry.

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It's debated as to whether or not this implies we should be giving 10 % of our income to the church. Another viewpoint says that was only a practice in the

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Old Testament. First 10 % goes to God. Now, I know the arguments. I know the arguments. Well, tithing is

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Old Testament law. If you're here tonight and you're that person, I'm glad you're here. Two things about you that that tells me.

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Number one, you're stupid. Number two, you don't read your Bible. Really now? Well, let's take a look at that.

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In Genesis 14, Cheddar Lamer, king of Elam, sacked Sodom and kidnapped Abram's nephew Lot. At that time, Abram was yet to be called

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Abraham. Having heard the news, Abram took 318 men, rescued Lot, and seized their goods. Abram then met with Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High, and Abram gave him a tenth of his gain.

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Then the king of Sodom told Abram to take what he had recovered, but Abram replied, I have lifted my hand to the

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Lord God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say

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I have made Abram rich. I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten and the share of the men who went with me. See, the concept of tithing started as a pagan practice.

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A conqueror would give 10 % of the plunder to the king or pagan god of his choice, swear loyalty and receive a blessing.

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Abram wouldn't do any such thing. Instead, he gave it to a priest of God, showing that his loyalty was to the

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Lord only. And that's the only time Abram did that. God did not command him to, and then scripture never records him doing that again.

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Fast forward to the Law of Moses, when the Israelites were told to pay a tithe to the Levitical priests, since that would have been the priest's only source of income.

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But that wasn't the only tithe that they had to pay. When you add up all of the required giving from the books of the law, it comes up to be more like 25%.

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See, Israel was a theocracy, and tithes were taxes. That's something that a lot of today's preachers don't seem to understand when it comes to the subject of tithing.

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Malachi, chapter 3, verses 8 -10. Will a man rob God? You bring the devoted things to God, he'll bless the rest.

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If you don't, you're under a curse. Sorry Mr. Ed, that's not what those passages are saying at all.

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What we should take from the subject of tithing isn't that we should give 10 % of our income to the church. It's actually that we should pay our taxes.

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In Matthew 17, Jesus pays his taxes and tells the disciples to do the same. Later in Matthew 22 is where Jesus famously said,

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Render unto Caesar that which belongs to Caesar, and to God that which belongs to God. In Romans 13, the

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Apostle Paul says that because all governing authorities have been established by God, therefore we need to pay our taxes.

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Nowhere in the New Testament is the church ever commanded to tithe. Not one time. God's pattern for giving in the

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New Testament is not the tithe. But here's the thing. God's pattern for giving in the Old Testament was not the tithe either.

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God's pattern for giving has always been free will giving. He simply says to give.

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2 Corinthians 9, 6, and 7 reads, The point is this, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

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Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion.

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For God loves a cheerful giver. It is important to give to the church, mentioned in Acts 11, 1

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Corinthians 16, 1 Timothy 5, and other places. But giving also means helping those in need.

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1 John 3, 17 says, If anyone has the world's goods and sees a brother in need, yet doesn't help him, how does

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God's love abide in him? Let us not love in word or talk, but in deed and in truth.

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1 John 2, 6 says to walk as Jesus walked. When it comes to the subject of tithing, that means pay your taxes.

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When it comes to the subject of giving, it means to give the Lord everything, time, talent, and treasure, just as Christ gave us everything.

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And that's the truth about giving, when we understand the text. Now, if you want to share that with somebody else, you can, of course, just share this podcast or to find that video, go to YouTube and search for WWUTT tithing, and it should pop right up.

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It's one of our most popular videos and one of the earliest as well.

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There is not an obligation given to us in the New Testament to tithe 10 % of our income.

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And those churches that hold to that legalistically and will obligate their members, the members of their body to give 10%, even to the point that they will watch their members' bank accounts to ensure that they give 10%.

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Yes, there are churches that do this. They're that legalistic. Then they are going against what

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Paul is saying here in 2 Corinthians 9, 6, and 7, that we are to give not under compulsion, not under obligation, but out of a desire in our hearts, and God loves a cheerful giver.

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And verse 8, God is able to make every grace abound to you, so that in everything, at every time, having every sufficiency, you may have an abundance for every good deed.

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Now, recognize here, Paul is talking to a church. It's not to an individual. So he's talking about how the whole church together, they're going to have provided for them by God, their needs taken care of, but then also blessings so that they might bless others.

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You may have an abundance for every good deed and an abundance of anything, spiritual abundance, material abundance, so that you might be able to provide to other people.

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And as you share with others, you are heaping up blessing for yourself.

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So an abundance will be given to you, an abundance of blessing from God. And we will see the benefits of all of that blessing ultimately in the end when we are with Christ in glory.

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So don't think about giving so to receive a larger amount of money here in this world.

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There are many teachers, false teachers that teach that way. If you sow a seed, God will reap a harvest for you.

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You'll have even more money that you might bless to other people. Maybe God will do that, but there's no guarantee of that.

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The blessing that we receive ultimately is going to be when we are with Christ, his fellow heirs of his kingdom, in his eternal heaven, when we are together with him.

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God will provide for our needs here on this earth. Jesus said as much in Matthew chapter six.

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In fact, in verse 33, it's where we read, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all the things you need, food, clothing, and other things, they will be provided for you as well.

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We go on in second Corinthians nine, nine to read as it is written, he scattered abroad.

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He gave to the needy. His righteousness stands forever or endures forever.

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It may have in some translations. This is a reference to Psalm 112. It's in verse nine where we read, he has given freely to the needy.

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His righteousness stands forever. His horn will be raised in glory.

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And we also have this in the previous Psalm, Psalm 111 verse two, great are the works of Yahweh.

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They are sought by all who delight in them. Splendid and majestic is his work and his righteousness stands forever.

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He has made his wondrous deeds to be remembered. Yahweh is gracious and compassionate.

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And because the Lord is this way, we must be gracious and compassionate to one another.

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We go on in verse 10 to read second Corinthians nine, 10. Now, he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness.

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Now we're talking there about something spiritual for sure. He supplied seed to the sower, bread for food.

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Those are material things. So he who has done these things will also multiply your seed.

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The generosity of your ministry as it spreads and increase the harvest of your righteousness, which is the fruit of your labor.

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You believe you have faith. You are growing in these things. And so the demonstration of that faith will be seen in your works.

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The righteousness that you do, the righteousness of Christ that you have been clothed in the love that you have for the saints.

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All of these things will be abounding and growing all the more as we grow together in Christ.

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He will grow us. Remember Paul's previous letter, first Corinthians. He said that that I planted

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Apollos watered, but God provides the growth. I believe that was in chapter three.

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So God is the one that is growing us that we may be mature, that we may grow in holiness and in righteousness before him so that we may be presented with the whole bride of Christ, the whole church spotless and without blemish in splendor before him on that great day.

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Verse 11, you will be enriched in everything for all generosity, which through us is bringing about thanksgiving to God.

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Now, I believe that reference there in verse 11 is with regards to both spiritual and physical generosity.

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So you are generous with the things God has blessed you with, with, with monetary things, you know, tangible things, we'll put it that way with your material possessions.

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You're, you're blessing with that, but you're also blessing with the genuineness of your hearts because that's where it starts.

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You desire in your heart to bless someone else. And so you take of what you have that you may bless them.

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So you have been enriched in everything for all generosity, which through us, through those who are delivering this gift to the church in Jerusalem through us is bringing about thanksgiving to God.

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We go on into verse 12 to read for the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints.

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And again, we're talking there about the saints in Jerusalem, the church that is there in desperate need because they've been suffering from persecution and there's been a famine that has afflicted the land.

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So the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints that are there, but is also abounding through many thanksgivings to God.

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There are other churches that are seeing this testimony, this work that is being done.

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And so there are many that are overflowing in thanksgiving. We've already read about how the Macedonians, when they heard about the offering that was being taken up in Achaia, they said, hey, let us be involved in this as well.

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We want to be able to bless the saints that are there at Jerusalem. So many thanksgivings are being given to God.

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And of course, as this offering comes into Jerusalem and will be given to those saints, they will lift up thanksgiving to the

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Lord. God is praised through this great work. Verse 13, because of the proven character given by this ministry, they will glorify

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God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the generosity of your fellowship toward them and toward all.

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Again, we have these generous hearts. We give generously and freely in light of the gospel that was proclaimed to us because God has given so much to us.

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And so closing with verses 14 and 15 here, while they also by prayer on your behalf, long for you because of the surpassing grace of God on you.

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Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift. And it's in light of what

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God has given to us that we are so generous in giving to one another.

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Amen. Let's finish up there. We have concluded chapter nine, and we're going to start up on chapter 10 tomorrow.

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Heavenly Father, we thank you for all that you have so generously given to us.

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We were sinners who had rebelled against God and what we deserve for our rebellion against you.

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We deserve death. We deserve the wrath of God to be poured out on us forever. And indeed, that will happen to those who did not listen to the gospel, did not put faith in the

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Lord Jesus Christ. We deserve that like the rest of mankind, the rest of the children of wrath, as talked about in Ephesians 2, 3.

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But you were gracious to us, not leaving us dead in our sins and our transgressions, but you gave your son to be an atoning sacrifice on the cross for us so that whoever believes in him will not perish, but have everlasting life.

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Jesus is the greatest treasure ever given to mankind. And because you gave the greatest gift that God could give, let us, in light of this, in light of the gospel that was proclaimed to us, the good news of Jesus dying on the cross for our sins and rising again for our justification.

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In light of this good news, help us to be generous to one another, for you have been so abundantly generous to us.