We've all heard that children of God are known by the love they have for one another. But what does that really look like? Hi, this is the Him We Proclaim podcast. In our 1 John study, we're contrasting the children of God versus the children of the devil. We'll see today that one of the most profound ways children of God love each other is how they treat the teachings of God.
In other words, not spreading false teachings about the person and work of Christ is the primary way believers love one another. There's a lot more John Fonbuel wants to cover in this short series called Love One Another. Here's part 5.
Okay, if you have your Bibles, you can turn to Galatians. We're going to Galatians to understand 1 John just a little bit better. John, in the book of 1 John, he is writing to these believers so that they can have assurance of their salvation. Because what had happened, as you've heard time at week after week in the series, is that. These church members had left the church and they said Jesus, they were confessing that Jesus is not the Christ.
He's not the Messiah. He's not God incarnate. He's not the resurrected incarnate Christ. John writes to assure his children that they have their salvation. They are the children of God.
And so, in chapter 3, verses 11 through 24, what we've been looking at is that he sets up these contrasts. He's contrasting, he has these three contrasts that help his readers and helps us. See the difference between the children of God and the children of the devil. As they look at these contrasts, they can be assured that they're the children of God. This third contrast we saw in 1 John 3, verses 16 through 24, is simply this.
It's a simple contrast. He says, the children of God are generous. Versus as the children of the devil, these secessionists, they're tight-fisted. They have closed hearts towards believers who have needs in the church. And what we have seen last week is that John shows us that generosity of heart is the effect of the Father's love.
In Christ for us. Just really quick before we look at Galatians. He says in chapter 3, verse 16, he says, this is, we know what love is. That He, that Jesus, the resurrected Christ, He laid down His life for us. And so the effect that is, and when he says, we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers, for fellow believers in the church.
And we saw that John's love ethic raises. lots of questions last week. I was asked some of those questions after the service and I said, well, just hold on a minute. We'll come next week and I'll try to come back to those questions because his love ethic, this generosity of giving, it's complicated. Loving other people at times can be complicated.
So, for example, John encourages his readers. He says, give generously to fellow believers in need. And so here's a question, but what about Those who are not Christians, but still have needs. The question is: Are Christians called to love everybody? to be generous towards everybody who has needs.
Here's an example. We've all felt this uncomfortable feeling that we get on these television commercials when we view images of starving children around the world. This happened to me when I was in Nam Penh in Cambodia. I was speaking in a pastor's conference there, and each day as I went to the pastor's conference, I had to walk through the streets of Nampenh. And as I walked through the streets, not 10, I would pass by hundreds.
Hundreds and hundreds of naked little children starving in the streets. And I can just tell you that it was so unsettling and it was so disrupting and so disorienting and so upsetting that I became physically sick. But what I was seeing, I just could not comprehend Such poverty and such orphan and such need and such starvation. It was very unsettling. I've never forgotten that.
I've never forgotten the sight. I've never forgotten the smells in the streets. Walking through these and seeing little children's stomachs just swelled out like they were pregnant from starvation. You just start to ask questions, and in such a just great need, you go, well, in the face of so many legitimate needs. Where do I begin?
How do I begin to show generosity? Listen to this New Testament scholar. She talks about this. She says, since the needs. around us far exceed our ability to respond.
How should Christians deal with feeling inadequate in the face of great need? At what point sh we not feel guilty? about the unmet needs of others. And she makes this great point. She says, people can give until they themselves are starving.
And yeah. They won't make it. A dent. in such overwhelming need. Lots of questions come up about generosity and giving.
As I said, loving others can be complicated. It's not as simple as it sounds.
So, before we go back to 1 John, I want you to turn with me to Galatians chapter 6. Specifically The Apostle Paul helps us with some of these questions. He provides some helpful insights into giving generously towards people in need. In chapter 5, verse 25 to chapter 6, verse 10, Paul reveals what it looks like to keep in step with the Holy Spirit. In chapter 5, verse 25, this is what Paul says.
He says, if we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us keep in step with the Holy Spirit.
So he is revealing in these passages that you heard, read to you, what it looks like to have a Spirit-directed life, to keep in step with the Holy Spirit. Which just simply means this, to let your behavior be directed by the Holy Spirit. And so here's a question. What does it look like for a believer to have his behavior directed by the Holy Spirit?
Well, in chapter 5, verse 26 to chapter 6, verse 10, Paul gives two examples and what it looks like to keep in step with the Holy Spirit. Two examples. Let me just quickly summarize what Paul says in this whole passage. This is what he says. The Holy Spirit leads us to gently restore fellow believers caught in sin.
That's chapter 5, verse 26 to chapter 6, verse 5. That's the first example. The second is this. He says, the Holy Spirit leads us to give generously to everybody in need, especially. He says this, the household of faith.
Believers.
Now Few things more clearly reveal that we are being led by the Holy Spirit than these two things. How we treat fellow believers who get caught in sin And second, how we use the resources God has given us to help others in need. And that's what Paul teaches here.
Now, because our focus is on giving generously. We're just going to skip the first one about believers caught in sin, restoring them gently. We'll skip that. We'll just come to the second where Paul talks about giving generously to those in need. And this is what he says in chapter 6, verses 6 through 10.
He says, Those who are led by the Holy Spirit. directed by the Holy Spirit, keeping in step with the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit leads them. To give generously to all people in need, especially. Fellow Christians. All right, so let's look at this.
Look at what Paul says. Verse 6, the one who is taught the word, that's the church congregation, is to share all good things with the one who teaches him. Do not be deceived. God is not mocked for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary. Look at this, verse 10.
So then, while we have opportunity, Let us do good to all people. and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. He teaches us that As the Holy Spirit leads us. The Holy Spirit leads us to give generously to all people who have needs, but especially the household of faith, the church.
So when we think about using our money. This author In his book, Guilt and Grace, it's a great book. He writes this, he says, in all honesty, it must be confessed how hard it is in practice to judge God's will in the use. of our money. He's exactly right.
As I said, loving others can be complicated. And so, what the Apostle Paul does is he helps us here understand how to use our money, the financial resources that God has given us. And so he sets forth three areas. Where the Holy Spirit leads us to generously give to those in need. Look at verse 6.
Here's the first place. MERS 6. He says in verse 6 that Believers led by the Holy Spirit give generously to support those who teach the gospel. Look what he says. He says, No one who is taught.
What? Todd. The word, the gospel, the word of God. is to share all good things with the one who teaches him.
Now, this kind of a verse, as you might imagine for me, is exceedingly uncomfortable. Yeah.
Okay. Because it can sound so self-serving. But get the context. Let me give you the context. Here's the context.
Why does Paul say that as we walk by the Spirit, the Holy Spirit leads us to give generously to those who teach the gospel? Here's why. What is the context of Galatians? What was happening? The context in the book of Galatians is that these Judaizers were coming into the churches.
Mm-hmm. Look back at chapter 1. Look at the effect of this false gospel that they were teaching. They came into the churches and began teaching this false gospel. And Paul says to the believers in Galatia, I'm amazed that you're so quickly deserting him.
You see that? That's the effect of a false gospel when it comes into the church. people began to desert Christ. He says, I'm amazed that you're so quickly deserting him who called you by the grace of Christ for a different gospel. And what happens is this.
Paul is not saying line the pockets of preachers. You know, it's not health, wealth, it's not TBN, it's not so that I can be like Kenneth Coe, oh my million-dollar private jet, nothing like that. Paul saying The Holy Spirit leads believers in the church to support the teaching ministry of the church to protect the church from false teachers who would seek to teach a false gospel and take them away from Christ. Say it like this. Paul saying, put your money where the message is.
That's what he's saying. You see, it was vital in this context. to support those who are teaching the gospel in Galatia. In view of this false gospel being perpetrated by the Judaizers who were coming in and corrupting the gospel with their false gospel, Paul calls it. And so funding faithful teachers of the gospel helps to ensure that the church is protected against false gospels.
Why? Because it ensures that the true gospel goes forth constantly in proclamation. And so basically what Paul's saying is you're not just funding a person, you're funding an office for your benefit. You're keeping alive the gospel, the message of the gospel. Paul says the Holy Spirit leads us to put.
our money. Where the messages? That's the point. Here's the second place. Look at verses 7 through 9.
He says The Holy Spirit leads us to generously sow to the Spirit. rather than the flesh. What is he talking about in verses 7 through 9? Because it just kind of sounds like he says something in verse 6, he says something in verses 7 through 9, and then he comes back to verse 10. What he's saying is this, verses 7 through 9 is a warning.
Against the neglect of those who teach the gospel in the church. Let me say it like this: to paraphrase it: Paul's saying: don't sew to the flesh, don't be tight-fucked. Fist did. Towards the teaching of the gospel in the church. But put your money where the message is so it can flow.
Put your money where the mission and message of the gospel is proclaimed. Don't be tight-fisted to that, don't sew to the flesh. He says, so to the Spirit. Why? Because the Spirit.
Leads us to generously give to support the proclamation of the true gospel. Don't put your money where false gospels are being proclaimed. Put it where the true gospel is being proclaimed. Don't sow to the flesh, sow to the spirit. That's the second place.
Here's the third place. I'm going to look at this the most today. Look at verse 10. The Holy Spirit. leads us to generously give to all people.
but especially fellow believers. in the church. Look at verse 10. Paul wraps it up. He says, So then, after all that I've just said in verses 6 through 10, let me just say this, while we have opportunity, I'm going to come back to that in just a moment.
While we have opportunity. Let us do good. In this context, doing good is giving generously to those in need.
Well, let us do good to all people. He says, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith, to believers. Generous giving is not optional for the Christian. As the Holy Spirit leads us, as the Holy Spirit guides us, as we are letting the Holy Spirit direct our behavior, as we keep in step with the Spirit, chapter 5, verse 25. Paul says that generous giving does not become optional for the Christian.
But notice how Paul qualifies this. He's very smart about this. He says, generous giving is universal. but is also prioritized. He says, generous giving is universal.
Do good to every person. Why don't you have the opportunity and let us do good to all people? That's universal. But then he prioritizes it and gets very particular. He says, but especially to those who are the household of faith.
So here are two principles about generous giving that Paul gives to us. Look at the first part of verse 10. Generous giving is universal. He exhorts. He says, So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people.
That's universal. That's for all people. He means that everybody everywhere. Generosity in giving is not just to be limited to teachers of the gospel, verse 6. or to the household of faith.
We'll come back to that in just a second. But he says, Christians are to show the love of Christ to all people they encounter. Loving our neighbor applies to all neighbors, all people, universally. Why? Because God's no respecter of persons when it comes to salvation.
Paul in chapter 3, verse 28, has already told us that in the matter of justification, God doesn't take into account consideration of any kind of distinctions. Listen to Paul's application of this. He says there is neither Jew nor Greek. There's neither slave nor free. There's neither male nor female.
For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And he says, and then he appeals to the Abraham Covenant. And if you belong to Christ, the Messiah, he says, then you are. Abraham's offsprings. heirs according to promise.
And so the Apostle Paul appeals to the Abrahamic covenant, this universal promise of salvation to all people that God promised to Abraham. Genesis chapter 12, verse 3, which he quotes in Galatians chapter 3, verse 8. He says the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, All the nations, all people groups. We'll be blessed in you. And so Christ is the Savior, the Jesus, the resurrected Messiah.
He is the Savior of all people groups. This is what John says in 1 John 2, verse 2: that He is a propitiation for our sins, that's Jews. And he says, but not for hours only, but for... the whole world gentiles as well why because he's also talking about the abrahamic covenant Jesus is the Savior of all people. He's not a respecter of persons.
And so, having been sent by God to take the gospel to Cornelius, the Gentiles, Peter declares, based upon the Abrahamic covenant, truly understand that God shows no partiality. From the very beginning, God was a Savior for the whole world, for all people. And so here's the point that Paul is making: since God doesn't show partiality to anybody. Neither should believers show partiality in their generosity to people. And so Paul says, We have the opportunity to sow to the spirit and not to the flesh.
Give generously to help others in need, help all people. You see, because not only because of salvation, but also because we're all made in the image of God. Those little children in Cambodia that I saw and talked about, they're made in the image of God. There's a sense of human solidarity that's deeply infused in the soul of every person. Because of this.
We can donate to humanitarian causes and organizations here. I've just made a list here of just a few. We have the Red Cross. You can donate to the Red Cross. Samaritan's first Operation Christmas Child.
Crisis pregnancy centers, I'm so. Proud of my daughters in Victoria who are working tirelessly day and night in the pro-life movement now. working with local crisis pregnancy centers, doing what they can to save mothers and babies. Crisis Pregnancy Centers, here's one: Anglicans for Life, that's part of our church, the SNA. Matthew 25 ministries, habitat for humanity, helps somebody build a house.
Operation Mobilization, George Verwer's A great humanitarian relief organization. These are just a few examples of opportunities for us to express generosity to all people. And so Paul says, our generosity is to be universal.
Now. I know what you're thinking. Golly, I feel so guilty. Listen carefully. While Paul says our generosity is to be universal, you have to understand this vital principle.
the principle of limited responsibility. As I had mentioned, we live in a fallen world that is full of need on a grand scale. As the New Testament scholar wrote, you could give until yourself are starving. and not even make a dent. You have to understand, and Paul talks about this in the passage: the believers, we have limited resources.
And so understanding this principle of limited responsibility guards us from crushing guilt regarding the vast needs of people. Because we have this distorted sense of responsibility. And so we have to understand this idea of limited responsibility. There's a classic story called The Star Thrower. Have you guys heard of that?
The star thrower. It's a classic story that's often used to illustrate this principle of limited responsibility, and it shows how one person can make a difference. Wh they can't Mean. every single need, but they can't make a difference. Within this limited responsibility.
So here's how the story goes. It says: once upon a time there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work. One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and he saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so he walked faster to catch up.
As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man. And he was not dancing. This young man was reaching down to the shore and picking up small objects and throwing them into the ocean. He came closer still and called out, Good morning. May I ask you, young man, what is it that you are doing?
The young man paused and he looked up and replied. I'm throwing starfish into the ocean. I must ask you then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean? Astney startled. Wise man.
To this the young man replied, The sun is up and the tide is going out, and if I don't throw them in, they'll die. Upon hearing this, the The wise man commented, but young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach, and there are starfish along every mile? You can't possibly make A difference. The young man bent down. He picked up yet another starfish and he threw it into the ocean.
Yeah.
As that starfish met the water, He said, wise man, I made a difference to that one. That's the principle of limited responsibility. We have limited resources and we cannot meet the needs of everything there is in this fallen, cursed world. God, Paul teaches us, calls us by the Holy Spirit to do what we can. And leave the rest to him.
So, Paul says, while we have opportunity to give generously to all people, this universal application. Look what he does in the next part of the verse. He assigns the priority of giving generously to fellow believers. He says generous giving is universal, but generous giving is prioritized. Listen to verse 10.
While we have opportunity, let us do good to all people. And especially to those who are of the household of faith. The household of faith speaks to those who have become related to each other by believing in Christ. There is a Listen carefully, closer relationship than a blood relationship. There is a closer relationship than just immediate family ties.
That doesn't negate the vital importance, and I'll come back to this, of your immediate family. But in the kingdom of God, Yeah. There's a closer relationship that Christ has formed. John gives this same exhortation in 1 John 3, verses 16 and 17, when he exhorts readers to give generously to believers in need. And while we have this sense of human solidarity towards all people, this universal application in the phrase household of the faith points to a closer bond of a more sacred relationship.
This relationship is established by God Himself that binds us not just to Christ, but makes us members of one another.
So close is this relationship, this union together. Jesus teaches in Matthew 25 that whatever is done for his people is done to him. He says, Truly I say to you, As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers. You did it to me. That's how close this relationship is.
Now, to get a complete picture of this Holy Spirit-designated priority in giving, you have to include another passage in the New Testament, 1 Timothy 5, verses 3 to 16. We don't have time to look at that, so let me just tell you very quickly what Paul says there. Paul, in that passage, exhorts believers in the church to support widows who are related to them. With us. And he says in verse 8 of chapter 5 of 1 Timothy, he says, as those who fail to support widows in their family.
Our worst is an unbeliever.
So that's the whole point of 1 Timothy. And so, what am I getting at here? If you take 1 Timothy 5. If you take Galatians chapter 6 here, if you take 1 John chapter 3 here, this is what we get: this picture of this Holy Spirit-designated priority and generosity for giving. And this is how it works.
This is the priority of generous giving for a believer. Here's the first one. The Holy Spirit leads us to give generously to our families. Why? Because our immediate families are our closest neighbors.
That's First Timothy five. If you don't support widows, if you don't support These family members who have lost their husbands, in the first century, they had no way widows could not support themselves. They had nothing. And as Paul says, support your family first. That's the first.
We give generously to our families. Second, Paul says, give generously to the church. That's 1 Timothy, that's Galatians 6. Verses 6, 9, give generously to the church. He says, leavers are led by the Spirit to support the ministry of the gospel in the church.
We're called to help fellow believers who are in need. They're the priority. Because of this higher relationship. And third is resources allow, which is discretionary income. He says, then we are free to generously give to all people, to anybody who's in need.
But that's the priority of giving according to the scriptures. It's our family. It's our church. Then it's all people. And so, as we reflect on this, spirit-led generosity and giving.
What has Paul taught us? He says, generous giving is universal, but it's proportional, it's confined within the established limits. We have limited responsibility. We can pick up one starfish, two starfish, ten-starfish. We can't pick up.
25,000 starfish. It's proportional. It's limited responsibility. Why? Because that guards you from having crushing guilt when you might have to walk through the streets of Nampen and just be confronted with this overwhelming need in front of you, going, How can I possibly make a difference?
But second, Generous giving is not just universal, but proportional. But generous giving is particular and prioritized. We can freely and generously give to all people, but Paul says we especially, especially, you have to see that. He says, but especially those who are of the household of faith. And these principles of generous giving are two things: they're both encouraging and they're challenging.
First, they're encouraging. Why? Because if we are giving within these Holy Spirit demarcated limits, we can have a clear conscience. You don't have to be paralyzed with guilt. which originates from a distorted sense of responsibility.
You have a limited responsibility because you don't have all the resources. Jeff Bezos, as wealthy as he is, He cannot meet every need there is himself. It's too vast and it's too big. But second, Paul's principles of generous giving are challenging to us because though we're not responsible for meeting. Every need.
We are called within these specified limits to meet needs. And this is the source of where that generosity comes from. John tells us, and the Apostle Paul tells us, but John tells us like this in 1 John chapter 3, he laid down his life for us. He has lavished himself in giving generously of his entire self to us voluntarily for his life. And John says that generosity in giving by Christ.
Effects change in our hearts. Our hearts become filled with the love of God in Christ. And the Holy Spirit, working through that generosity given to us in the gospel, begins to create in our hearts. A similar generosity. Generosity in giving is a fruit.
of the Holy Spirit. And Paul says, as we keep in step with the Holy Spirit, As we have opportunity, according to what we can do, not do. The Spirit leads us to generously give to our family. generously give to our church and generously give to all people in need. And that's the difference that the resurrected, incarnate Christ makes in our life.
So let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for these Great truths that help us. And we pray that you would press upon our hearts Your exceeding generosity to us in Christ, that He laid down His life for us. Therefore, we can respond with generosity towards others in need in our family. in our church and in this world.
We ask you to make us generous people. Not tight-fisted, mean-spirited people, but kind and generous, just like Christ. Need us to see these needs. And as we have opportunity, as we have ability. to help meet those needs, we pray in Jesus' name.
Amen. Thanks again for listening to the Hymn We Proclaim podcast. Please subscribe if you haven't already for all our new episodes. And if this message was just what you needed to hear, please let us know in the comments and share it with a friend.
