What Is Desired? (Part 5) What Are The Fruits Of The Spirit?

The fruits of the Spirit are s reflection of a persons relationship with Jesus.  They are the things by which we can determine whether a person is known by Jesus or not known by Jesus.   Jesus explains this as recorded by Matthew in his gospel in Chapter 7, verses 15-23;

                     "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they

                     are ravenous wolves.  You will know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes

                     from thorn bushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit,

                     but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree

                     bear good fruit.  Therefore you will know them by their fruit.  Not everyone who

                     says to me, 'Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will

                     of my father in heaven.  Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not

                     prophesied  in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders

                     in Your name?  And I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who

                     practice lawlessness!'

No need to panic here.  This should not stress out anyone as to figuring out whether or not you are one of these.  When Jesus said that the only people who shall enter the kingdom of heaven are those who do the will of my Father in heaven, we can look at what Jesus said, as recorded in John's gospel, Chapter 6, verse 40; 

                    "And this is the will of Him who sent me, that every one who sees the Son, and 

                    believes in  Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day"

I wrote about this in (Part 3) of this series, on those who Jesus never knew.  It was simply because they never really believed and that was evident because they did not bear fruit.  They were more than likely doing it for themselves rather than for Jesus.  It is more about Salvation and souls and eternity rather than the temporary things that we can see.  

When the Light sent into the world a human born of His Light, the Light now had a form.  The Light sacrificed His own body, that WHOEVER would receive the work of that sacrifice, would in return receive Everlasting Life.  Done.  The work was complete.  A person receiving and accepting the sacrifice of that work, has completed all their work requirement.  Done.  All we are required to do is live out that Salvation.  We now have the Light of Eternal Life dwelling in us and He refers to Himself as Jesus (Yeshua). The Lord Our Salvation.

So why must we bear fruit?  We don't bear fruit, the fruits are the characteristics of the Light, Spirit, Jesus, Who is now indwelling us.  When we yield to the Spirit within us and let it come through us, the fruits of the Spirit become evident and are evidence that we have received the sacrifice that Jesus made and that He is indwelling us.  We of ourselves have no fruit to bear, it is the Spirit of Jesus within us that shines the fruits through us.  That's why Jesus said, "You shall know them by their fruits".  Basically, showing whether they are of Jesus or have no place in Jesus.

To allow the fruits of the Spirit to come through us, we not only have to yield to the Spirit, but we must also resist the desires of our flesh that are in conflict with the Spirit.  It is really like the cartons that have an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other.  You have the choice to yield to which ever one you want to.  To allow fruit to come through you,  you must tell the little devil , who represents our desires of the flesh, NO. You and all of us at times will give into our fleshly desires, but the children of the Light will not make it their practice.  When we give in to the flesh, that is sin.  When that happens there is a simple remedy, there is no need for self condemnation.  The apostle John told us what the remedy is, when he wrote this in his first book Chapter 1, verse 9;

                      "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and

                      to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Jesus' blood cleansed us once and for all on the cross when He shed His blood on the cross.  Our sins to Him are, "as far as the east is from the west', and "as white as snow".  Please just acknowledge when you give in to the flesh and move on.  Don't give satan a place to come in and try to get you to dwell on it and to the point where you begin to condemn yourself.  That might be a sin too.  "That which is not of faith, is sin".  So you MUST heed the words of Paul and stand on it, where he wrote this in his letter to the the Romans in Chapter 8, verse 1;

                      "There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus."

Before we move on to learning what the fruits of the Spirit are, we must first take a look at this battle that goes on between our flesh and spirit.  We must look at what it takes to be successful in defeating our flesh and allowing the fruits to come forth.  Paul continued in Romans Chapter 8, verses 2-14;

                      "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of

                      sin and death.  For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, 

                      God did; sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for

                      sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the requirement of the Law might

                      be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the

                      Spirit."

Paul will continue on with explaining the mindset of those who have been born again of above and now have the Spirit of God in them enabling them to have the ability to resist the flesh, verses those who have yet to be born of the Spirit and are still walking according to the sinful flesh.  

                       "For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh,

                       but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.  For the mind set

                       on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the

                       mind set on the flesh is hostile to God; for it does not subject itself to the law of 

                       God, for it is NOT EVEN ABLE TO.  However, you are not in the flesh but in the

                       Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.  But if anyone does not have the

                       Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.  And if Christ is in you, though the

                       body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.  But if

                       the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised

                       Christ Jesus from the dead also will give life to your mortal bodies through His

                       Spirit who dwells in you.  So then, brethren, we are under no obligation, not to the

                       flesh, to live according to the flesh---for if  you are living according to the flesh,

                       you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you

                       will live.  For all who are being led by the spirit of God, these are sons of God"

Notice Paul says that those who are being led by the Spirit now dwelling in them are putting to death the deeds of the body.  Our walk, until we leave this realm and are transferred into the kingdom of God, is always learning, as we grow in Jesus, how to yield to the things of the Spirit and resist the cravings of the flesh.  The rest of our lives we are working to put to death the flesh.  Our fleshly nature will not be totally dead until either our death or at the resurrection.  As we learn to put to death the flesh, we are able to bear more fruit.

Paul tells us what things to watch out for and work on to distinguish between yielding to the flesh or yielding to the Spirit.  Fruits of the flesh verses fruits of the Spirit.  In Paul's letter to Galatians in Chapter 5, verses 16-25;

                    "But I say, walk by the Spirit , and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

                    For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, for

                    these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you

                    please.  But if you are led b the Spirit, you are NOT UNDER THE LAW.  Now 

                    the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are; immorality, impurity, sensuality,

                    idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outburst of anger, disputes, dissensions,

                    factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I 

                    forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things

                    shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 

When Paul says that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God, he is in a way telling people that they need Jesus to be their Savior, because living in the sin of the flesh, apart from the Spirit of God, is impossible not to practice these things.  You can notice Paul said,  "Those who practice these things", not, if you act out in one of these.  A person who makes a practice out of these acts of the flesh are either, not yet  born of the Spirit of God, or it could be a Saint stuck in sin.  Our job is not to turn our backs on a fellow Saint stuck in sin, but instead do what James teaches in his 5th Chapter, verses 19 and 20; 

                   "My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth, and one turns him back, let him

                   know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from

                   death,and will cover a multitude of sins."

Finally, what are the fruits of the Spirit?  Galatians Chapter 5, verses 22-25;

                    "But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS,

                     GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, SELF-CONTROL, against such

                     things there is no law.  Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the 

                     flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by

                     the Spirit."

Almost everyone would be willing to admit that we are not born with any of those characteristics.  This is due to the fact that everyone of us have been born of the flesh in a sinful state, void of the Spirit of God where these fruits dwell and come from.  This is why people who are able to shine these characteristics in their lives and behavior will be showing evidence of the Spirit of God within them.  Remember, "You will know them by their fruit."

Take a glance back at the fruits of the flesh.  It is easy to see why the new created being, within a believer, would have no need or desire for any of those fruits.  The New Creation doesn't even think that way.  A believer's soul has now received the life of the Light of God and is now a New Creation filled with the Spirit of the Living God, Jesus.  As in our earthly existence in the flesh, our heavenly existence starts out as a new born baby also, but in the spirit.  As the New Life grows within us, through the feeding on the Word of God and though basic trials of this life, a Saint should become less interested in the desires of the flesh and it should become easier to resist them.  It is the flesh that desires and acts out in those fruits.  The new being should begin to control the flesh and slowly put to death the flesh.  This battle between our spiritual being and fleshly being is played out in our minds.  The victor between the two is determined by each choice we make in either bearing fruits of the flesh or fruits of the Spirit in every circumstance in our lives.  The one we yield to wins in that choice.

The apostle Paul gives insight to this, when he tells us this in his book to the Ephesians, Chapter 4, verses 21-24;

                    "if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,

                    that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is

                    being corrupted with the lust of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your

                    mind, and put on the new man, which in the likeness of God has been created in

                    righteousness and holiness of truth."

We all, born in this flesh, are corrupt, because the flesh is corrupt.  In our fleshly nature, our brains and minds are programmed by things we see, things we hear, things we learn, experiences we may enjoy in the flesh, but that is only until we don't.  When we are programmed with fleshly things, we act out according to the flesh.  The only way to be able to reverse that is to accept the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross to make in us a New Creation.  Becoming a new spiritual creation, we are now able to be renewed in the spirit of our mind.  As we learn the truth that is in Jesus, reading the Word, reprogramming ourselves with the things of the Spirit, we are now able to war against the old things that programmed our minds according the the flesh, and with our renewed mind win the victory to yield to the spirit.

Paul wrote this in his book to the Galatians, Chapter 6, verse 8;

                    "For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the

                    one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life."

Even as saints, we still make the decision whether what we are doing is either programming the fleshly part of our minds and giving the flesh life, or programming the spirit of our minds giving power to our spirit.

Jesus gives a warning and encouragement, when He taught this, as recorded by John in his gospel, in Chapter 15, verses 1-11;

                   "I Am the true vine, and My Father is the vine dresser.  Every branch in Me that does

                   does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, 

                   that it may bear more fruit.  You are already clean because of the word which I have

                   spoken to you.  Abide in Me, ans I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,

                   unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me.  I am the vine,

                   you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart

                   from Me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a

                   branch, and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are 

                   burned.  If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you; ask whatever you wish, and

                   it shall be done for you.  By this is My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and

                   so prove to be My disciples.  Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you,

                   abide in My love.  If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as

                   I have kept My Fathers commandments, and abide in His love.  These things I have

                   spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full."

The way John writes this in the first two words reflects one of those gold nuggets we look for in scripture that reveals who Jesus is.  These type of nuggets help us come to the true knowledge of who Jesus is.  When John writes that Jesus said, "I Am the vine", he capitalizes (Am), making it a noun.  Making I Am a name.  Where have we seen that name?  In the book of Exodus, Chapter 4, verses 13 and 14 Moses has this exchange with God about after discussing delivering Israel out of Egypt;

                   " Then Moses said to God.  'Behold , I am going to the sons of Israel, and I shall say

                   to them.'  'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.'  Now they may say to me, 

                   'What is His name?  What shall I say to them?  And God said to Moses, 'I Am Who I

                   Am'.  'Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I Am has sent me to you.'"

I will have to do blog just on the nuggets, or maybe Jesus will stop me so you will seek out the nuggets.  Jesus did say, "seek and you will find".  We will have to see if He will let me help.

Anyway, back to the Vine and branches and bearing fruit.  Very simple, branches that dwell in the vine, that don't bear fruit, are taken away, out of the tree.  Branches that bear fruit, He prunes.  Farmers prune branches for the purpose of getting more fruit the following year.  A branch that bears fruit, will not bear fruit again on the same branch.  Where the fruit was, the branch is clipped and what usually happens is that two more branches grow out from that spot.  This way it produces twice the fruit.  

One reason why the branch (Saint) is pruned is so they can bear more fruit.  Another might be so that the one who bears fruit can't just be content on the fruits they have already produce, since the evidence of them are gone.  Jesus wants us to continue to bear fruit more and more every year until we see Him face to face.  It should be easy for a saint to bear fruit if they are yielding to the Spirit, because it is not us doing it.  Jesus said that no one can bear fruits of the Spirit unless they abide in Him.  Everyone who abides in Jesus and Jesus in them, will produce much fruit, because apart from Jesus we can do nothing.

 

Abide means to dwell in.  Jesus gives a warning to those who don't dwell in Him.  The ones who are not dwelling in Jesus are those who have not yet come to believe.  Jesus will do many things between now and His coming to give people a chance to come to the love of the truth to be saved.  Not receiving the love of the truth is the only reason people will perish and it will be their choice.  Paul taught this in his 2nd letter to the Thessalonians, in Chapter 2, verse 10;

                    "and with all deception of wickedness, for those who perish, because they did not

                    receive the love of the truth so as to be saved."

The ones that are taken away from the tree are those who were in the tree, but didn't ever bear fruit.  These are those of the house of Israel that did not receive Jesus as their Messiah, Savior.  They where taken away because of their unbelief.  Notice they were not thrown away, dried up, put in the fire and burned up.  Since they didn't believed, they were removed some that the Gentles, who would come to believe, could be grafted in.  Israel's unbelief resulted in riches for the Gentles. Paul teaches this in his letter to the Romans, in Chapter 11, verses 11-25;

                    " I say then, they did not stumble as to fall, did they?  May it never be!  But by their

                    their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them Jealous.  Now

                    if their transgression (rejecting their Messiah, Jesus) be riches for the world and their

                    failure be riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!  But I am

                    speaking to you who are Gentiles.  Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I

                    magnify my ministry, if somehow i might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and

                    save some of them.  For if their rejection be the reconciliation of the world, what will

                    their acceptance be but life from the dead?  And if the first piece of dough be holy, the

                    lump is also; and if the root be holy, the branches are too.  But if some of the branches

                    were broken off, and you, being an wild olive, were grafted in among them and

                    became partakers with them in the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant

                    toward the branches; but if you are arrogant remember that it is not you who supports

                    the root, but the root supports you.  You will say then, "Branches were broken off so

                    that I may be grafted in."  Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you

                    stand by your faith.  Do not be conceited, but fear, for if God did not spear the natural

                    branches, neither will He spare you.  Behold then the kindness and severity of God;

                    to those who fell severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness;

                    otherwise you also will be cut off.  And they also, if they do not continue in their

                    unbelief, will be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in again.  For if you were

                    cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature

                    into a cultivated olive tree, how much more shall these who are the natural branches

                    be grafted into their own olive tree?  For I do not want you, brethren, to be

                    uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that the partial

                    hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the gentiles has come in."

Jesus told us how we stay in tree when He said, " If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love".   Jesus told us what His commandment is, " that you love one another, just as I have loved you.  In the gospel written by Matthew, in his 22 Chapter, verses 37-40, Matthew recorded Jesus stating this;

                   "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with

                   all your mind'.  This is the greatest and foremost commandment.  The second is like it,

                   'You shall love you neighbor as yourself.'  On these two commandments depend the

                   whole law of the Prophets."

Our final destination for all eternity is nothing to play with.  If we receive Jesus' free gift of eternal life, that he made possible through His shed blood and death on the cross, as long as we want to stay in Jesus hand, there is nothing that can take us out of it. Jesus spoke this as recorded in Matthew's gospel, in Chapter 10, verses 27-30;

                    "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal

                    life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one is able to snatch them out of the

                    Father's hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater that all; and no one

                    is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I AND THE FATHER ARE ONE."

                    Another gold nugget.

We love Jesus with all our heart, by giving Him our heart to dwell in.  We love Jesus with all are soul, as we yield to the Spirit now dwelling in our souls, so that He can bear fruit through us.  We love Jesus with all our minds, as we desire to be renewed in the spirit of our minds, through the reading of the Word and coming to the true knowledge of Jesus.  Then we can, with our minds, love and desire the things of the Spirit more than the things of the flesh, so that we can bear much fruit.

LOVE...JOY...PEACE...PATIENCE...KINDNESS...GOODNESS...FAITHFULNESS...SELF-CONTROL

With these attributes given to us from above as fruits, I am sure that is easy to LOVE your neighbor as yourself.

Jesus, love, joy peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control, be with you in abundance.

What Is Desired? (Part 4) What Does Giving Look Like?

In my last blog on, "What makes a good servant of Jesus?", I talked on many things that have to do with giving.  In this blog I will point out what the early church referred to as giving and what the purpose of giving was for.  It might seem unconventional compared to what we have been taught in this present day.  Let the Word of God speak for itself.  It should have the final say.

Let's start at the very beginning of the church.  Let's see what the hearts of the early believers (Saints) were like.  We will start with what was written in the Book of Acts, Chapter 4, verse 32-34;

                       "And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul;
                       and not one of them claimed anything belonging to him was his own; but
                       all things were common property to them.  And with great power the apostles
                       were giving witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace
                       was upon them all.  For there was not a needy person among them, for all
                       who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds
                       of the sales, and lay them all at the apostles' feet; and they would be
                       distributed to each as any had need."

No, I am not implying that everyone should sell their homes and property.  We need to take note of the hearts of the early believers (Saints).  All they knew was that their Lord and resurrected Savior, Jesus, was going to return.  They had no scripture, at that time, that would give them anything to look at as far as the events and signs that would point to Jesus return.  As far as they knew, it would be soon.  What they did show, by their willingness to sell and share what they owned, was the reality of what they knew was true. Jesus died, rose again from dead, ascended into heaven, and was coming again. They took care of and genuinely cared for one another, as unbelievers were looking on and seeing the reality of what they believed.  Because of their love for one another and their willingness to make sure no one had a need, Jesus honored that greatly.  Jesus bestowed His power to the apostles, which enabled them to give witness to the resurrection  of Jesus.  This caused abundant grace to be upon them all.

We need abundant grace today.  We need to give witness to the resurrection of our Lord Jesus.  When we care for one another and all men,  we give witness to the reality of the resurrection of Jesus.  This resurrection is what brings eternal life.  No, we don't have to sell our houses and property to meet those goals today.  We live in an newer economic system that can allow us to do even greater things,  without that type of extreme sacrifice.

The apostle Paul instructed the Saints as to giving, when he wrote this in his second letter to the Corinthians in Chapter 8, verses 12-15;

                  "For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not                                    according to what one does not have.  Our desire is not that others might be relieved                                    while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality.  At the present time your                                  plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you                                      need.  The goal is equality.  As it is written: ' The one who gathered much                                                    did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little'."

This is what is expected of the Church, the body of Jesus, the Saints.  Why is this a good thing?  Some would say this isn't fair to those who have more.  Money comes and goes in seasons of each one of our lives.  Paul is saying that we don't need to give of what we don't have, if it causes hardship. Many churches that require tithes, still think that a saint should give their 10% no matter what they have and even if they are struggling financially.  This is not of LOVE and instead is just religion.  The saints are no longer under the Law that required 10% of ones harvest to help manage the Temple.  Paul, as well as all the other writers of scripture in the New Testament,  taught nowhere of putting this requirement on the Saints.  Not even Jesus.  10% for someone with little is a lot more than 10% for someone with a lot.  Jesus blesses all of us at different times in our lives, and Paul is saying that we should share some of that blessing accordingly.  If it is shared with saints that are struggling, then they can be more effective in using their gifts, that they have, in furthering the proclamation of the gospel, which is the power of God unto Salvation, instead of them having to use all their time and energy to try to just stay afloat. This will grow the Eternal Kingdom as souls are saved.  Jesus' body has many parts and we should help each different part function properly.  You wouldn't want the heart to get burnt out.

Unfortunately, saints have been stuck in dead churches that look at giving so totally different.  This is why the body of these churches are dead and unable to move according to what they where called to do.  They are called to help people and save souls.  The saints are not called to build castles in the sand and cast their pearls before swine ( Swindlers).  If they can not be a sound doctrine church, then get out from among them and find one that is.  They will call you a church hopper, only because they might want your money.  Jesus had me write this paragraph.  I didn't intend on going there, but I am glad I did.  Thank you Jesus!

We are no longer under the Law.  Jesus fulfilled the Law for us, because no one born of the seed of Adam, in a sin nature, could ever be justified through obedience to the Law.  This is why Jesus came.  Born through the seed (Spirit) of God, having no sin, became sin for us on the cross to put the sin nature to death for those who would receive what He did so that they could be justified through Him.  Jesus is the Arc by which we are transferred from this physical realm into the Spiritual realm.

Paul wrote this in his letter to the Galatians in Chapter 3, verses 21-26:

                    "Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God?  May it never be! For if the law                                        had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have                                    been based on law.  But the Scripture has shut up all men under sin, that the promise                                    by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.  But before faith came,                                    we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith that was later to be                                    revealed.  Therefore the Law has been our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be                                    justified by faith.  But now that faith has come, we are no longer under the tutor                                           ( the Law).  For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus."

We no longer are required to give according to the Law.  Since Saints are no longer under the Law, giving is according to the individual decision of the Saint.  It is in the Saints benefit to give for many of reasons. 

 Paul wrote in 2nd Corinthians Chapter 9, verses 6-12;

                     "Now this I say, he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly, and he who sows                                     bountifully shall also reap bountifully.  Let each one do just as he has purposed in                                       his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver."

If someone is requiring you to give 10%, they are compelling you to give.  You are then giving under compulsion, not giving what you have purposed in your heart to give.  It is your free choice to give what you want according to what you have purposed in your heart to give.  Notice that it is a Saints benefit to give.  With Jesus principle of, what you sow so shall you reap, applies to all aspects of our lives.  Giving is not just done with money.  We will talk about the other ways in my next blog about bearing fruit.  But we see here that Paul wrote that if you give then it will come back to you.  Not just in money, but even greater things of more value.

If you give according to your heart, Paul continues in verse 8;

                    "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency                                  in everything,you may have an abundance for every good deed."

Jesus taught this, as recorded in Luke's gospel, in Chapter 6, verse 38;

                     "Give and it shall be given to you; good measure; pressed down; shaken together;                                         running over unto your lap.  For by your standard of measure it shall be measured to                                   to you in return.

Giving is for our benefit for a lot of reasons.  Jesus taught us this, as recorded in Matthew's gospel, in Chapter 6, verses 19-21;

                     "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy,                                         and where thieves break in and steal.  But lay up for yourselves treasures in                                                 heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroy, and where thieves do not break in and                                     steal; for where your treasure is, there will you heart be also."

Everything we give here on earth, is not only returned to us here on earth, in one way or another, but also goes ahead of us into eternity as treasure for us into our account.  This is the way that we should look at our giving, it benefits us to give, even more than the people we are helping.  What people gain here is temporary, but treasure we gain is eternal.  If we look at it this way, it seem selfish of us to give.  That's why there should be no patting ourselves on the back for giving.  It is all about our heart and what we purpose to give, wanting to help our fellow saints and all men.

Saints are not just called to help other Saints, but are also called to help all men, as taught in Paul's writings to the Galatians in Chapter 6, verse 10, Paul writes;

                     "So then, while we have the opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially                                       to those of the household of the faith."

The reason why we give and should really care about all people is that we what them to come to Salvation. This is our number one purpose as the church and the body of Jesus (the Lord our Salvation), to bring people to repentance and thus salvation  though Jesus sacrifice on the cross.  The reason why Jesus created the earth and humans was to become our Salvation and create a New Creation that has eternal life forever with Him in His glorified likeness.

Peter taught us this in his 2nd letter in Chapter 3, verse 9;

                     "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient                                         towards you, NOT WISHING ANY TO PERISH BUT FOR ALL TO COME TO                                         REPENTANCE."

When we give and help others, with a purposed heart, we are showing the reality of the kindness of Jesus and people can see it.  This is our main purpose, if not our only purpose, in what was by Paul in his letter to the Romans in Chapter 2, verse 4;

                     "Or do you think lightly of those riches of His kindness and forbearance and                                                 patience, not knowing that THE KINDNESS OF GOD LEADS YOU TO                                                       REPENTANCE."

Repentance turns to life on the cross through Jesus' shed blood, the forgiveness of sins, Salvation, and baptism into Jesus death.  Paul taught this in his letter to the Romans in his 6th chapter, verses 2-5;

                   "Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have                                         been baptized into His death?  Therefore we have been buried with Him through                                         baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory                                   of the Father, so we too might walk in a newness of life.  For if we have been united                                   with Him in the likeness of his death, certainly we shall also in likeness of His                                             resurrection."

There are two types of giving with great effect.  One is collective giving as the body of Jesus, the church, that takes in the gifts of individual Saints, to use to meet the needs of others.  The other type of giving is from the individual Saint, that either gives to the church to meet the needs of others, or gives to meets the needs of others themselves.

Peter gave us a great teaching about the effect that giving as a body has when he wrote this in his 1st book, Chapter 2, verse 12;

                     " Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentles ( those who have yet to believe),                                      so that in the things that they slander you as evil doers, they may on account of your                                      GOOD DEEDS, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation."

The giving of an individual is a little more intimate.  We are instructed by Jesus on how we should give and what our mindset should be when we give.  Jesus taught this as recorded by Matthew in his gospel in Chapter 6, verses 1-4;

                    "Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise                                you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.  When therefore you give alms                                do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the                                    streets, that they may be honored by men.  Truly I say to you, they have their reward in                                full.  But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is                                    doing, that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay                                  you."

`Jesus is telling us that if we give so that people can see what we are giving, we have received the reward of adoration or maybe chief seats in the church.  The reward will not come from Jesus.  The acceptable gifts are the ones we give in secret, that no one knows about.  We are not doing it to be seen or noticed, therefore Jesus will repay us.  The reward will be much greater than a pat on the back.  This may seem to be a contradiction to what was written above as to, "letting your good deeds be seen among men", but it is not.  One is the giving as the collective body of Jesus (the church) and the other is the giving as an individual part of that body.  One type of giving is for the needs of people and Salvation of souls as people see the kindness of God that leads them to repentance. The other type of giving is for those who have received Salvation and give in secret with no motive and from the heart.  The giving that our Father repays back.

The individual secret giver is rewarded in two way,  Jesus repays them and they also receive the blessing of knowing that their giving contributed to the salvation of souls that will now have eternal life and be spared the consequence of not.

May Jesus receive all glory and His peace be with all of you.