Acts 20:35 – “remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’“

I don’t know yet how many parts this is going to be.  My guess would be somewhere between 3 and 5, but ultimately God will work that out.  At the end, my hope is not that anyone would necessarily give all of their material possessions away or quit their job to go into vocational ministry.  My hope, rather, is that in every possession, in every moment of every day, your joy would not terminate on those earthly things themselves, but in seeing and taking part in the fulfillment of God’s will for His glory and the Kingdom of Heaven.

I hope and pray that God will transform us by His Word that in the end, we will know – we will taste the joy that is behind Paul’s words in Philippians 3:8 – “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” 

Today, however, I need to set a foundation first by answering the question – “Is it selfish of us, and therefore a sin, to give in a way that gaining is our goal?”  Put another way, if my purpose in serving others and giving financially is not merely for their good, but to further my own joy, is that sinful?

I believe the Bible would say no.  It is not selfish because I do not pursue my joy at the expense of God’s glory; rather, pursuing God’s glory is my joy.  My joy and God’s glory are not at odds with each other, but are one and the same if my treasure is Jesus.  Our inheritance – what waits for all believers who die in Christ, is standing in awe of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ for all eternity.  Therefore, whatever else I do in this world, my motive is singular – to do everything to expand the renown and reveal the glory of God.  Whatever gain I have in that regard is what awaits me and every other believer in Heaven.

Matthew 13:44 – “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” 

Jesus when using the parable in Matthew 13 of finding a hidden treasure, does not fault the man for delighting in the treasure, but explains that all who understand the Kingdom of Heaven and God will respond this way.

John Piper says it this way – “God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him”.

So whatever is done with a heart to increase the name of Jesus Christ and reveal His glory is never sinful.  Ultimately, my hope in teaching isn’t that I would make professing converts.  If all I have is professing converts, I will be very sad looking back on my life.  I want our hearts to be lit ablaze by the glory of God in Jesus – for us to savor and delight in Him from His Word.  I want us to see the glory of God, as He Is, so infinitely valuable that everything else that would seemingly offer temporary joy is counted as loss to us.

When I serve and love others, it is not because I am a good person.  There is nothing good in me, save Jesus Christ.  When I serve and love others, it is not merely an act of obedience to God because He tells me I should do this or that.  That is bordering on legalism.  No, I only know love because God first loved us.  I see, and taste, and savor the infinite worth of God from scripture and root my joy in Him.  As I do so, I find this to be true – obedience to God means less of me and more of Him.  My service and my joy are all about gaining more of Christ.  Not joy in God for any other end, like prosperity or health; things that are passing away, but joy in God Himself who is our treasure for all eternity.  As humans, our appetite for pleasure is insatiable, therefore, may we all increasingly have and pursue the One Joy that is infinite; that never ends.

Grace and Peace,
Adam