2 Corinthians 4:15
“We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak: Knowing that He which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:14-15)
In our Easter morning message[i], we studied verses 13-14 of this text to learn how to have “the same spirit of faith,” as that described by the Apostle Paul. Paul had “the same spirit of faith” as the unnamed psalmist of Psalm 116. For those of us who know the power of God’s promises – on full display in the Resurrection of Christ – we have an even greater basis for our faith. Christ’s Resurrection causes us to our own take hope in our own coming resurrection and glorification, expressed in the words, “shall raise us up also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.” As one author put it, “In the process of salvation Paul lists glorification as the last and final event (Rom 8:28–30)… Glorification is a perfect, incontestable standing before God in the day of judgment (Rom 5:6–11).”[ii] This glorification is described this way in 1 John 3:2
“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as He is.”
For this evening’s meditation around our Lord’s Table, we will consider verse 15.
“For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.”
Paul faced his suffering with the same spirit of faith (an attitude of dependence on the Lord). But in verse 15, we can see that his spirit of faith enabled Paul to serve faithfully. As Paul expressed it to Timothy: “Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory” (2 Timothy 2:10).
Serving Selflessly for the Sake of Others
As our missionary speaker reminded us recently, it is one thing to serve but quite another to be treated like a servant. But Paul wrote, “… for all things are for your sakes.” Paul had been criticized and, at times, treated spitefully. Yet he maintained the attitude of a servant, saying, “for all things are for your sake.” In the power of Christ’s Resurrection, Paul knew that he would be standing at the Judgment Seat of Christ, shoulder to shoulder with his brothers and sisters in Christ. His attitude was like that of His Lord who said, “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Paul became like the Lord Jesus who came to serve rather than be served. So it was only natural to say, “for all things are for your sakes.”
This is a helpful way to think about success. Through God’s resurrecting power, Paul turned from selfishness to service. He thought of success as helping the members of the congregation prepare for the Judgment Seat of Christ. This attitude can be contagious, even in adverse circumstances.
Tim Hansel wrote, “In Ernest Gordon’s true account of life in a World War II Japanese prison camp, Through the Valley of the Kwai, there is a story that never fails to move me. It is about a man who through giving it all away literally transformed a whole camp of soldiers. The man’s name was Angus McGillivray. Angus was a Scottish prisoner in one of the camps filled with Americans, Australians, and Britons who had helped build the infamous Bridge over the River Kwai. The camp had become an ugly situation. A dog-eat-dog mentality had set in. Allies would literally steal from each other and cheat each other; men would sleep on their packs and yet have them stolen from under their heads. Survival was everything. The law of the jungle prevailed…until the news of Angus McGillivray’s death spread throughout the camp. Rumors spread in the wake of his death. No one could believe big Angus had succumbed. He was strong, one of those whom they had expected to be the last to die. Actually, it wasn’t the fact of his death that shocked the men, but the reason he died. Finally they pieced together the true story. The Argylls (Scottish soldiers) took their buddy system very seriously. Their buddy was called their “mucker,” and these Argylls believed that is was literally up to each of them to make sure their “mucker” survived. Angus’s mucker, though, was dying, and everyone had given up on him, everyone, of course, but Angus.
He had made up his mind that his friend would not die. Someone had stolen his mucker’s blanket. So Angus gave him his own, telling his mucker that he had “just come across an extra one.” Likewise, every mealtime, Angus would get his rations and take them to his friend, stand over him and force him to eat them, again stating that he was able to get “extra food.” Angus was going to do anything and everything to see that his buddy got what he needed to recover.
But as Angus’s mucker began to recover, Angus collapsed, slumped over, and died. The doctors discovered that he had died of starvation complicated by exhaustion. He had been giving of his own food and shelter. He had given everything he had—even his very life. The ramifications of his acts of love and unselfishness had a startling impact on the compound. “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12).
As word circulated of the reason for Angus McGillivray’s death, the feel of the camp began to change. Suddenly, men began to focus on their mates, their friends, and humanity of living beyond survival, of giving oneself away. They began to pool their talents—one was a violin maker, another an orchestra leader, another a cabinet maker, another a professor. Soon the camp had an orchestra full of homemade instruments and a church called the “Church Without Walls” that was so powerful, so compelling, that even the Japanese guards attended. The men began a university, a hospital, and a library system. The place was transformed; an all but smothered love revived, all because one man named Angus gave all he had for his friend. For many of those men this turnaround meant survival. What happened is an awesome illustration of the potential unleashed when one person actually gives it all away.”[iii]
When you think about Angus McGillivray’s attitude, think about Jesus Christ. This attitude of service is contagious; it can cause everyone around you to think differently.
Serving Selflessly with Abundant Grace
“ … that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.”
Paul saw the gift of Christ in terms of “abundant grace” or overflowing grace. His heart was so full of God’s undeserved kindness that Paul spilled over into the lives of others; he served his fellow believers. By the grace of God, this was not some elaborate show. Here is the way that Paul described his ministry in 2 Corinthians 1:12,
“For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation [conduct] in the world, and more abundantly toward you.” (2 Corinthians 1:12)
By God’s grace, there was no need for showy rhetoric. It was enough for him to have a clear conscience as he served in simplicity and sincerity. This kind of service, enabled by the grace of God, speaks volumes to a sinful world and a congregation of saints.
When you serve others, as Paul did, you find that God’s abundant grace changes everything. Knowing how much He has served you, you begin to serve others with the same mercy. It was enough for Paul that people would thank God and give glory to God. Is this enough for you as a servant of God?
In Philippians 2:5, Paul wrote, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” The apostle went on to describe Jesus as having the attitude of a servant. As we come together around the Lord’s Table this evening, could we do so with the same spirit of faith that declares, “For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.” About our Lord we learn in 1 Corinthians 11:23-24, “…the same night in which He was betrayed took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said ‘Take eat: this is my body which is broken for you. This do in remembrance of me.’” Let us give thanks for the One who gave Himself for us.
[i] Risen Lord: Risen Living, a message from 2 Corinthians 4:13-15
[ii] Bernard L. Ramm, “Glorification,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 869–870.
[iii] Holy Sweat, Tim Hansel, 1987, Waco: Word Books Publisher, pp. 146-147