KEY VERSE: "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." - Luke 6:38.
      Lesson Scripture: Romans 12:1-14
Introduction:
      Continuing a series of lessons on Christian growth, we note this week that we gain by giving. Christian giving is not limited to material things, nor are the rewards necessarily material. Spiritual gifts and spiritual gain are of value beyond measure in material terms. Nevertheless, God Who is Spirit is in perfect control of the material universe which He created, and is perfectly able to make material goods abound when He so pleases.

      Bible teaching on the subject of giving includes the doctrine of stewardship and tithing as well as the doctrine of freewill offerings. We are really not prepared to make any kind of offering as we ought until we learn with David that all we have to give is what God first gave to us, so that it already belongs to Him. (I Chronicles 29:14-16.)

      Our present lesson can be outlined as follows:

1. Giving Reasonably, Romans 12:1, 2
a. Present to God, 1
b. Proof of God, 2
2. Giving Realistically, Romans 12:3
3. Giving Responsibly, Romans 12:4-10
a. In organization, 4, 5
b. In office, 6-8
c. In objectives, 9-11
4. Giving Religiously, Romans 12:12-14
a. To prayer, 12
b. To poor saints, 13
c. To persecutors, 14

Notes on the Printed Text:

      Giving Reasonably, Romans 12:1, 2.
      "Reasonable" in verse it can be translated "logical" The same Greek adjective in I Peter 2:2 is translated "of the word." So the service described here is service according to the word of God, and it is logical service. Both interpretations are good.

      Present to God, 1.
      To give all that we are and all that we have to God our Maker and Redeemer is really right and reasonable. "Sacrifice" speaks of death, but the death in view here is separation from sin and to God. Our bodies so presented are living, holy, and acceptable to Him.
      "By the mercies of God" we have escaped the just condemnation of our sins and have received new life from above. In view of these mercies, the apostle begs his readers to offer nothing less than a reasonable service.

      Proof of God, 2.
      Present imperative verbs express continued action. "Stop being conformed to this age, but keep on being transformed by the renewal of your mind." Worldly pressures to "conform" must be resisted; life is changed by the inner influence of a mind made new by the Spirit of God.

      "Prove" here means find out by testing or experience, and so approve. The problem of finding out what is God's will for us is best solved by submitting ourserves to that will in our own minds. (John 7:17.) Found out this way, God's will is always "good, and acceptable, and perfect."

      Giving Realistically, Romans 12:3.
      We need to be on guard, in our personal concern for finding out God's will for us, that we do not overestimate our own importance. If some of us are able to be, to do, or to give more than others, it is because He "hath made us, and not we ourselves." (Psalm 100:3.) If we should be tempted to boast of a superior faith, we are reminded that "God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith."

      Giving Responsibly, Romans 12:4-10.
      Politicians of the worst sort are ready to give away other people's money, and many people who like to think of themselves as religious or charitable are always quick to volunteer other people's money or services. But we are responsible to God personally and individually, and can best help others by doing right ourselves.

      In Organization, 4, 5.
      The "body" in view here, of course, is a New Testament church, scripturally organized to carry on the work of its Lord and Savior. Such an organization can function as a body, and so we have a beautiful metaphor. But the monstrous idea of an invisible, unorganized, inoperative "body" supposed to include all saved people scattered around the world, though they never work together as a body and though none of them has the least knowledge of or sympathy for most of the others - such an idea is not to be found in the Bible.

      In a true New Testament church there is an organic spiritual relationship among the members, so that each member is joined to the others, as well as to Christ the Head. So organized, a real church can and does function as a spiritual body, in which each member has individual responsibilities to the Head and to the whole body.

      In Office, 6-8.
      Spiritual gifts of Individual members of a church differ "according to the grace that is given to us." It would seem obvious that the various offices or functions of the members can best be accomplished when each member gives first attention to exercising his own gift rather than to meddling with others. As each one does his own work well, the whole body will prosper. It seems obvious also that the Holy Spirit Is not leading when members are assigned offices or duties which they are unable or unwilling to perform.

      In Objectives, 9-11.
      "Serving the Lord" is or ought to be our grand objective, and remembering this will help to keep us in the narrow way. Hypocritical "love" may deceive people, but to serve the Lord we must learn to love without hypocrisy. To serve Him, we need not ask whether a thing is pleasant or unpleasant, popular or unpopular, but only whether it is good or evil in His eyes. In consideration of His loving kindness to us, we can learn to love and be kind to others, even preferring them in honor if this is His will. And if we would serve Him acceptably, we cannot afford to get lazy in our zeal for His work, but must rather be "fervent in spirit."

      Giving Religiously, Romans 12:12-14.
      Again, if we remember that all good gifts are from God and to be returned to Him, we can rise above changes in condition and circumstance. Our giving should be a matter of religion rather than mere sentiment. If we give only when we feel like it, we shall seldom feel like it. The Biblical basis for giving lies in the fact that we are not our own and that our possessions do not belong to us except as stewards of God. It is our religious duty and privilege to devote ourselves arid all that we have to the praise of the God Who gave us all things in Christ

      To Prayer, 12.
      While we have innumerable present blessings to enjoy, we rejoice much more in the hope of greater blessings to come, and so we can be "patient to tribulation." In fact, in the life of a child of God, "tribulation worketh patience." (Romans 5:3.) At all times and in all circumstances, we need to give ourselves persistently to prayer - prayer of thanksgiving and praise as well as petition and supplication.

      To Poor Saints, 13.
      Our giving to other people for Christ's sake need not be limited to the poor or to the saints, but these should be our special concern. When saints are in need, there is the more reason to give. Hospitality is an old virtue much neglected in our modern, money-mad, rushed-to-death world.

      To Persecutors, 14.
      Here is the acid test of motive in giving. It is not too hard to give gift for gift, good for good, blessing for blessing. But only the love of God can enable us, as the Greek verb forms express it to keep on blessing those that keep on persecuting us; to keep on blessing and stop cursing.

      Key Verse:
      "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again," - Luke 6:38.

      God has been so gracious to us, mere gratitude should make us enjoy giving to His glory and to the good of others without any hope of reward. But genuine Christian giving has respect to past, present, and future - past blessings, present joy, and future rewards.

      Rewards are not dependent on human virtue: while we are commanded to return good for evil, many people will return us evil for good. But it is God Who has promised to reward us, and we can count on Him. True, He uses men to give us back the due measure of reward; but usually not the same men to whom we meted out our gifts. Those to whom we give may never be able to repay us, but God has no difficulty finding means and instruments to keep His promises.

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[From Rosco Brong's Sunday School Commentary, volume I, number 124, edited by J. D. Gumm, published by Richmond Road Baptist Church, Lexington, KY, 2004. Originally published in the Ashland Avenue newspaper. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]

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