HOW DO I COMMIT TO THE LORD?
SCRIPTURE LESSON 2 COR. 8 : 1- 6 & 12
KJG 2 CORINTHIANS 8:1-6
MOREOVER, BRETHREN, WE DO YOU TO WIT OF THE GRACE OF GOD BESTOWED ON THE CHURCHES OF MACEDONIA;
2 HOW THAT IN A GREAT TRIAL OF AFFLICTION THE ABUNDANCE OF THEIR JOY AND THEIR DEEP POVERTY (LACKING IN MATERIAL GOODS.
POVERTY, THE STATE OF BEING POOR, IS MENTIONED IN TWO WAYS IN SCRIPTURE. IN THE SECONDARY WAY, ENCOUNTERED PRIMARILY IN PROVERBS, POVERTY IS THE CONSEQUENCE OF MORAL LASSITUDE, ESPECIALLY LAZINESS (PROV. 13:18; 20:13). IN THE PRIMARY SENSE, HOWEVER, WHEN THE POOR ARE ENCOUNTERED IN THEIR NEED OR TREATED AS A GROUP, THEIR SITUATION IS UNDERSTOOD NOT AS A CONSEQUENCE OF PERSONAL FAILINGS BUT AS A RESULT OF SOCIAL FACTORS, PARTICULARLY INJUSTICE (PROV. 13:23).
THE VIEW OF THE POOR IS REVEALED IN THE CHIEF HEBREW TERMS FOR THE POOR, WHICH ADDRESS THEM AS NEEDY, WITHOUT POWER, AND ABUSED BY THOSE WITH GREATER POWER. LEVITICUS DEFINES THE POOR AS THOSE WHO ARE LOWLY BECAUSE THEIR ‘POWER [LIT., HAND] WAVERS’ (25:35) OR IS INSUFFICIENT (14:21). THEY DO NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO PROVIDE FOR THEMSELVES THE ESSENTIALS OF LIFE. THEIR DEFICIENCY IN LIFE-SUPPORTING POWER IS UNDERSTOOD TO EXIST IN RELATION TO THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY,)
ABOUNDED UNTO THE RICHES OF THEIR LIBERALITY. 3 FOR TO THEIR POWER, I BEAR RECORD, YEA, AND BEYOND THEIR POWER THEY WERE WILLING OF THEMSELVES; 4 PRAYING US WITH MUCH INTREATY ( PERSUASIVE DISCOURSE, STIRRING ADDRESS. A INSTRUCTIVE, ADMONITORY, CONCILIATORY, POWERFUL HORTATORY DISCOURSE.)
THAT WE WOULD RECEIVE THE GIFT, AND TAKE UPON US THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE MINISTERING TO THE SAINTS.
5 AND THIS THEY DID, NOT AS WE HOPED, BUT FIRST GAVE THEIR OWN SELVES TO THE LORD, AND UNTO US BY THE WILL OF GOD.
6 INSOMUCH THAT WE DESIRED TITUS, THAT AS HE HAD BEGUN, SO HE WOULD ALSO FINISH IN YOU THE SAME GRACE ALSO.
12 FOR IF THERE BE FIRST A WILLING MIND, IT IS ACCEPTED ACCORDING TO THAT A MAN HATH, AND NOT ACCORDING TO THAT HE HATH NOT.
IN ORDER TO COMMIT TO THE LORD, YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT THE LORD’S VALUES ARE
WHAT DOES THE LORD VALUE: THINGS THAT THROUGH SCRIPTURE, GOD INSTRUCT HIS PEOPLE TO ESTEEM, HOLD DEAR OR CONSIDER VALUABLE.
EVERY MEMBER IS A MINISTER LOCAL EVANGELISM
WORSHIP STRONG PRAYER LIFE
GIVING STRONG PREACHING
STRONG TEACHING BIBLE EDUCATION
MEMBERS HEARERS AND DOERS
DEMONSTRATE THE LOVE OF CHRIST
A PERSONAL INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
CONFESSING OUR SINS UNITY
A COMMITTED LIFE TO THE LORD
SERVICE IN THE COMMUNITY
SERVICE TO OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS
PUTTING THE LORD FIRST IN ALL WE DO
YOU HAVE TO PUT THESE THINGS IN YOUR MIND AND LET EVERY ONE AROUND YOU KNOW THIS IS THE LIST OF THINGS YOU HOLD DEAR TO YOUR HEART
WHAT ARE VALUES? WEBSTER DEFINES VALUES AS THOSE SOCIAL PRINCIPLES, GOALS AND STANDARDS HELD OR ACCEPTED BY AN INDIVIDUAL, CLASS OR SOCIETY.
THIS IS WHAT SOCIETY TELL US OUR VALUES ARE
THAT IS TELLING ME THAT I HAVE TO VALUE THE SAME THING AS THE WORLD VALUE
THAT IS NOT PLEASING TO THE LORD, THE BIBLE TELL US WE ARE IN THE WORLD BUT NOT OF THE WORLD
WE DON’T VALUE THE SAME THINGS AS THE WORLD
WHAT DOES GOD TELL US OUR VALUES ARE: THEY ARE CONSTANT, PASSIONATE CORE BELIEFS THAT DRIVE OUR LIVES
CONSTANT- THIS MEANS THAT THEY DO NOT CHANGE EASILY, THEY ARE NONNEGOTIABLE, THEY ARE NOT SWAYED OR COMPROMISED BY CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES IN OUR LIVES, THEY ARE THE FOUNDATION OF WHO WE ARE
WHAT IS A PASSIONATE BELIEF – OUR VALUES TOUCH OUR HEART AND ELICIT STRONG EMOTIONS. THEY ARE GUT LEVEL BELIEFS THAT MAKE US WHO WE ARE
THEY ARE THINGS THAT WE BELIEVE NO MATTER WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES ARE.
WHAT IS A CORE BELIEF – CORE BELIEFS ARE NOT BASED MERELY ON FACTUAL EVIDENCE, RATHER OUR CORE BELIEFS ARE BASED UPON OUR CONVICTION THAT THE EVIDENCE IS SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT OUR PASSION.
FOR A TRUE SOLUTION AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORD MIND WE MUST TURN TO THE EPISTLES OF PAUL, WHERE THE WORD FREQUENTLY OCCURS IN AN ETHICAL SENSE--SOMETIMES IN CONNECTION WITH (SINFUL) FLESH AS IN COL 2:18, "PUFFED UP BY HIS FLESHLY MIND," SOMETIMES IN DIRECT CONTRAST TO IT, AS IN ROM 7:25, `WITH MY MIND I SERVE THE LAW OF GOD; WITH THE FLESH THE LAW OF SIN.' IN TIT 1:15 IT IS BROUGHT INTO PARALLELISM WITH CONSCIENCE ("THEIR MIND AND THEIR CONSCIENCE ARE DEFILED"). PHRASES LIKE "A REPROBATE MIND," "CORRUPTED IN MIND" OCCUR ELSEWHERE (ROM 1:28; 1 TIM 6:5). FROM THIS STATE OF "REPROBATION" AND "CORRUPTION" MAN MUST BE SAVED. HENCE, THE NECESSITY OF COMPLETE TRANSFORMATION AND RENEWAL OF THE INNER MAN (ROM 12:2), "TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND (GRK: NOUS)."
3. DIANOIA AND NOUS:
ANOTHER WORD, WITH POSSIBLY A DEEPER MEANING, IS SOMETIMES EMPLOYED, NAMELY, GRK: DIANOIA, WHICH LITERALLY MEANS "MEDITATION," "REFLECTION." IT IS FOUND AS SYNONYMOUS WITH GRK: NOUS IN A GOOD SENSE, AS E.G. IN 1 JN 5:20 (HE "HATH GIVEN US AN UNDERSTANDING, THAT WE KNOW HIM THAT IS TRUE"). EVIDENTLY THE SENSE HERE IS THE SAME AS IN ROM 12:2, A RENOVATED MIND CAPABLE OF KNOWING CHRIST. IT MAY ALSO BEAR A BAD SENSE, AS IN EPH 4:18, WHERE THE GENTILES ARE REPRESENTED AS HAVING "A DARKENED UNDERSTANDING," OR IN PARALLELISM WITH GRK: SARX: "THE DESIRES OF THE FLESH AND OF THE MIND" (EPH 2:3), AND WITH GRK: NOUS: `WALKING IN VANITY OF MIND (GRK: NOUS) AND A DARKENED UNDERSTANDING (GRK: DIANOIA)' IN EPH 4:18. AT TIMES ALSO "HEART" AND "MIND" ARE JOINED TO INDICATE HUMAN DEPRAVITY (LK 1:51: "HE HATH SCATTERED THE PROUD IN THE IMAGINATION (GRK: DIANOIA) OF THEIR HEART"). IT IS INTERESTING ALSO TO KNOW THAT THE GREAT COMMANDMENT IS RENDERED IN MT 22:37--"THOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD THY GOD WITH ALL THY HEART, AND WITH ALL THY SOUL (GRK: PSUCHE), AND WITH ALL THY UNDERSTANDING (GRK: DIANOIA) (ENGLISH VERSIONS OF THE BIBLE, "MIND")"--THOUGH MARK HAS TWO RENDERINGS IN ONE OF WHICH GRK: DIANOIA OCCURS, AND IN THE OTHER SUNESIS (MARK 12:30,33), THOUGH POSSIBLY WITHOUT ANY PSYCHOLOGICAL REFINEMENT OF MEANING, FOR THE TERM GRK: SUNESIS OCCURS ELSEWHERE IN CONJUNCTION WITH GRK: PNEUMATIKOS ("SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING," COL 1:9). IT ALSO STANDS ALONE IN THE SENSE OF AN "UNDERSTANDING ENLIGHTENED FROM ABOVE" (2 TIM 2:7 KING JAMES VERSION: "THE LORD GIVE THEE UNDERSTANDING (GRK: SUNESIS) IN ALL THINGS"). THE HISTORY OF THESE TERMS IS INTERESTING, BUT NOT OF GREAT THEOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE.
WILL, VOLITION
WILL" AS NOUN AND VERB, TRANSITIVE AND INTRANS, CARRIES IN IT THE IDEA OF "WISH," "PURPOSE," "VOLITION."
VOLITION
AN ACT OF MAKING A CHOICE OR DECISION; ALSO : A CHOICE OR DECISION MADE
THE POWER OF CHOOSING OR DETERMINING : WILL
IN THE OLD TESTAMENT THE WORD CHIEFLY RENDERED "TO WILL" IS HEB: 'ABHAH, "TO BREATHE AFTER," "TO LONG FOR."
WITH THE EXCEPTION OF JOB 39:9; ISA 1:19, IT IS ACCOMPANIED BY A NEGATION, AND IS USED OF BOTH MAN AND GOD. SEVERAL OTHER WORDS ARE EMPLOYED, BUT ONLY SPARSELY. "WILL" AS NOUN IS THE TRANSLATION CHIEFLY OF HEB: RATSON, "GOOD-WILL," "WILLFULNESS" (GEN 49:6), WITH EMPHASIS ON THE VOLUNTARINESS OF ACTION (LEV 1:3; 19:5; 22:19,29, ETC.); ALSO OF HEB: NEPHESH, AND A FEW OTHER WORDS. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT "WILL" IS CHIEFLY THE TRANSLATION OF GRK: THELO AND GRK: BOULOMAI, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO BEING THAT GRK: THELO EXPRESSES AN ACTIVE CHOICE OR PURPOSE, GRK: BOULOMAI, "PASSIVE INCLINATION OR WILLINGNESS, OR THE INWARD PREDISPOSITION FROM WHICH THE ACTIVE CHOICE PROCEEDS" (COMPARE MK 15:9,12 WITH 15:15). "
THE WORDS EMPLOYED AND PASSAGES CITED SHOW CLEARLY THAT MAN IS ALWAYS REGARDED AS A RESPONSIBLE BEING, FREE TO WILL IN HARMONY WITH THE DIVINE WILL OR CONTRARY TO IT.
THIS IS FURTHER SHOWN BY THE VARIOUS WORDS DENOTING REFUSAL.
"YE WILL NOT COME TO ME, THAT YE MAY HAVE LIFE" (JN 5:40). SO WITH RESPECT TO TEMPTATION.
WE MAY EVEN CHOOSE AND ACT DELIBERATELY IN OPPOSITION TO THE WILL OF GOD.
YET GOD'S COUNSEL, HIS WILL IN ITS COMPLETENESS, EVER PREVAILS, AND MAN, IN RESISTING IT, DEPRIVES HIMSELF OF THE GOOD IT SEEKS TO CONFER UPON HIM.
IN MODERN PSYCHOLOGY THE TENDENCY IS TO MAKE WILL PRIMARY AND DISTINCTIVE OF PERSONALITY.
KJG EXODUS 35:5 TAKE YE FROM AMONG YOU AN OFFERING UNTO THE LORD: WHOSOEVER IS OF A WILLING HEART, LET HIM BRING IT, AN OFFERING OF THE LORD; GOLD, AND SILVER, AND BRASS,
21 AND THEY CAME, EVERY ONE WHOSE HEART STIRRED HIM UP, AND EVERY ONE WHOM HIS SPIRIT MADE WILLING, AND THEY BROUGHT THE LORD'S OFFERING TO THE WORK OF THE TABERNACLE OF THE CONGREGATION, AND FOR ALL HIS SERVICE, AND FOR THE HOLY GARMENTS.
22 AND THEY CAME, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, AS MANY AS WERE WILLING HEARTED, AND BROUGHT BRACELETS, AND EARRINGS, AND RINGS, AND TABLETS, ALL JEWELS OF GOLD: AND EVERY MAN THAT OFFERED OFFERED AN OFFERING OF GOLD UNTO THE LORD.
29 THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL BROUGHT A WILLING OFFERING UNTO THE LORD, EVERY MAN AND WOMAN, WHOSE HEART MADE THEM WILLING TO BRING FOR ALL MANNER OF WORK, WHICH THE LORD HAD COMMANDED TO BE MADE 1 BY THE HAND OF MOSES.
KJG 1 CHRONICLES 28:9 AND THOU, SOLOMON MY SON, KNOW THOU THE GOD OF THY FATHER, AND SERVE HIM WITH A PERFECT HEART AND WITH A WILLING MIND: FOR THE LORD SEARCHETH ALL HEARTS, AND UNDERSTANDETH ALL THE IMAGINATIONS OF THE THOUGHTS: IF THOU SEEK HIM, HE WILL BE FOUND OF THEE; BUT IF THOU FORSAKE HIM, HE WILL CAST THEE OFF FOR EVER.
21 AND, BEHOLD, THE COURSES OF THE PRIESTS AND THE LEVITES, EVEN THEY SHALL BE WITH THEE FOR ALL THE SERVICE OF THE HOUSE OF GOD: AND THERE SHALL BE WITH THEE FOR ALL MANNER OF WORKMANSHIP 1 EVERY WILLING SKILFUL MAN, FOR ANY MANNER OF SERVICE: ALSO THE PRINCES AND ALL THE PEOPLE WILL BE WHOLLY AT THY COMMANDMENT.
KJG 1 CHRONICLES 29:5 THE GOLD FOR THINGS OF GOLD, AND THE SILVER FOR THINGS OF SILVER, AND FOR ALL MANNER OF WORK TO BE MADE BY THE HANDS OF ARTIFICERS. AND WHO THEN IS 1 WILLING TO CONSECRATE HIS SERVICE THIS DAY UNTO THE LORD?
KJG ISAIAH 1:19 IF YE 1 BE WILLING AND OBEDIENT, YE SHALL EAT THE GOOD OF THE LAND:
KJG MATTHEW 26:41 WATCH AND PRAY, THAT YE ENTER NOT INTO TEMPTATION: THE SPIRIT INDEED IS WILLING, BUT THE FLESH IS WEAK.
KJG 2 CORINTHIANS 8:3 FOR TO THEIR POWER, I BEAR RECORD, YEA, AND BEYOND THEIR POWER THEY WERE 1 WILLING OF THEMSELVES;
12 1 FOR IF THERE BE FIRST A WILLING MIND, IT IS ACCEPTED ACCORDING TO THAT A MAN HATH, AND NOT ACCORDING TO THAT HE HATH NOT.
KJG 1 THESSALONIANS 2:8 1 SO BEING AFFECTIONATELY DESIROUS OF YOU, WE WERE WILLING TO HAVE IMPARTED UNTO YOU, NOT THE GOSPEL OF GOD ONLY, BUT ALSO OUR OWN SOULS, BECAUSE YE WERE DEAR UNTO US.
KJG 1 TIMOTHY 6:18 THAT THEY DO GOOD, THAT THEY BE RICH IN GOOD WORKS, READY TO DISTRIBUTE, WILLING TO COMMUNICATE;
KJG HEBREWS 6:17 WHEREIN GOD, WILLING MORE 1 ABUNDANTLY TO SHEW UNTO THE HEIRS OF PROMISE THE IMMUTABILITY OF HIS COUNSEL, CONFIRMED IT BY AN OATH:
KJG HEBREWS 13:18 1 PRAY FOR US: FOR WE TRUST WE HAVE A GOOD CONSCIENCE, IN ALL THINGS WILLING TO LIVE HONESTLY.
KJG 2 PETER 3:9 1 THE LORD IS NOT SLACK CONCERNING HIS PROMISE, AS SOME MEN COUNT SLACKNESS; 2 BUT IS LONGSUFFERING TO US-WARD, NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, BUT THAT ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE.