The one thing that Paul explicitly taught everywhere he went was his ways in Christ. Not only was this the gospel in word, but in deed. He taught others to imitate his example as a father, as he looks to God's example as a father and imitates Christ. He was a visible expression for those in the church, as one who sought to follow Christ.
We must not be only gospel-centred in our talk, but also in our lives. This includes our finances. The true Christian life is one of conformity to Christ and His cross. We must die to self and live to Christ. He must increase; we must decrease.
The crux of Christian giving is the cross. It should guide our decisions in all the we do, asking if they are in conformity with the cross of Christ. We know the grace of God in Christ, that though He was rich He become poor. Grace is self-emptying for glory of God and the good of others.
We must be of one mind, doing nothing from selfish ambition, counting others more important than ourselves. We must let this mindset be in us, which is in Christ and ours in Christ. He made Himself nothing and took the form of a slave. If you want to follow Christ, turn away from your selfishness, pick up your cross, and follow Him daily.
Christ resigned Himself of all His privileges for our good. Likewise, let us resign ourselves for His glory. Let us not just take. God's grace is to come into our lives and flow to others and reflect back to the glory of God. The gospel saves us not only from our sin; it saves us from ourselves; it saves us from our selfish ambition.
Let us imitate Christ, losing everything, dying to self, walking in love, giving as Christ gave to us. Live the cruciform life.
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Ryan Case has a passion to see the lost ushered into the Kingdom of God, as well as to see Christ's redeemed grow in all knowledge and grace. His 'heroes of the faith' include John Piper, D.A. Carson, and C.H. Spurgeon. Ryan graduated from the Toronto Baptist Seminary and was...
