(The following is the August 9 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read 2 Corinthians 8 and pay close attention to verses 1-15.)
Paul appealed to the Corinthians to give generously to the collection for poor Christians in Jerusalem, telling them of the generosity of the Macedonian churches. Even though Macedonian Christians were poor materially, they joyfully gave to benefit brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul reminded them what Christ gave up in coming to Earth to fulfill his mission of providing a way for lost sinners to reconcile with God: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich” (v. 9). How did Christ become poor, and how are believers rich because of this? Spurgeon summarizes it as follows: *
| Christ’s poverty is evident in: | Believers are rich in Christ since: |
| His condition as a poor man compared with his deity | Our condition changes from lost sinner to child of God. |
| His poor reputation with people and mistreatment | Our reputation with God is now one that is righteous with Christ’s righteousness. |
| His self-imposed limit on the use of his power | Our power increases through the indwelling Holy Spirit. |
| His lack of any human equal with whom to commune | We have deep communion with fellow saints in the church. |
| His burden of our sins, which he took to the cross | We have everlasting life since Jesus bore our sins. |
“He was poor as poor can be, and we, if we believe in him, are as rich as rich can be!” **
Next Step:
When have others given up something of value for you? What did they sacrifice, and why? Ponder the above ways Christ became poor for your sake. Praise him for it. How can you lovingly sacrifice for others?
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* CSB Spurgeon Study Bible, ed. Alistair Begg (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1567.
** Ibid.
