"Freely received? Freely give!"
Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. (Philippians 2:1-5 NLT)
Paul's four questions in verse one of chapter two are rhetorical. He is not asking if there is encouragement in Christ. He knows there is! But he is setting up the believers in Philippi so that they will see what they have received from Christ and that they too must give in Christ!
He is essentially asking, "Is there anything better than being in Christ? Is there anything better than the comfort we have received from him? Is there anything better than the community we have in him? Is there anything better than this?" Every believer's heart would be swelling with love of Jesus & his salvation with every subsequent question & would answer with a resounding NO!!! There is nothing better! We have enjoyed all of these things in him.
Then Paul lowers the hammer. Since these things are true, shouldn't you also seek to share this same reality with those that don't have it?
Paul encourages us to give based on all that we have abundantly received in Jesus. His example is none other than Jesus & the gospel. He summarizes who we should be with this statement: "You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had."
We must give our lives for others because Jesus gave his for others. We must encourage others because we have received so much encouragement from Jesus. We must give community to others because we have been welcomed into the fellowship & family of God. We must give compassion to others because God has had compassion on us. And we ought to give these things generously & freely as we have received them.
How can Christians receive these things in abundance & refuse to give them to others?
This time a year should be a massive time of giving to those in need shouldn't it? We often are preoccupied with giving gifts to those that have no need & giving to those that give back to us. But the beauty of Jesus & his gospel is that he gave to those that could not give anything back to him.
Us.
He gave to us when we had nothing to offer him. How then can we withhold giving to those that can't give back to us?
Let's turn Christmas on its head & make it about others & not about us. Lets extend love & the gospel to those in need. Why? Because someone did it for us once & it changed our lives forever. Maybe our giving could change lives as well?
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