Chapter 30
FREELY RECEIVED, FREELY GIVE
(Matthew 10:8d)
Before we begin let us come before our God and ask Him to bless our study of His Word.
Dear Heavenly Father, Almighty God,
We come before You in the Name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Father God please open our eyes, our ears and our heart so we can truly see, hear and understand the tremendous blessings You have freely bestowed upon us. Please Lord please move upon us to freely share with others what You have freely given to us.
Amen
INTRODUCTION
For this study we will,
1. Review Jesus' command for His disciples to freely give what they freely received.
2. See that gifts from God cannot be purchased.
3. Find that the gifts from God are to be freely given and/or shared.
4. See that the above principles should also be exercised within today's church or body of Christ.
JESUS' COMMAND
We begin our study by reading the following excerpt from when Jesus told His disciples to go and bear witness of Him and His Kingdom.
Matthew 10:8(d)
"[8d] ... Freely you have received, freely give."
As one reflects upon this command one might ask the question of: "What did the disciples receive that they were to freely give?"
First of all we find that Jesus freely gave them,
AUTHORITY TO HEAL THE SICK AND DRIVE OUT EVIL SPIRITS
To see this let us read what Jesus first told them before He sent them out to bear witness of the Kingdom of God. To do this let us go to:
Matthew 10:1
"[1] He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness."
Secondly, and most important of all Jesus freely gave them,
KNOWLEDGE OF GOD'S KINGDOM
Let us remember that prior to the time Jesus sent His disciples to bear witness of God's Kingdom they were under His teaching and instruction. For example let us read what Jesus said to Peter, Andrew, James and John when he told them to follow Him. To do this let us read from,
Mark 1:16-20
"[16] As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. [17] "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." [18] At once they left their nets and followed him. [19] When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. [20] Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him."
Let us notice the following verse,
17 … Jesus told Simon and Andrew that He would make them fishers of men. Specifically, He was going to teach them about the Kingdom of God so that they would be able to go forth and teach others. In other words, Jesus was going to prepare them to be His ambassadors. Then they were going to be sent to teach and preach about His Kingdom. Jesus was going to do this so that others who heard God's Word would repent of their sins and come to Him for salvation. This gathering of people is what Jesus meant when He told His disciples they would become fishers of men.
Let us now read Jesus' command for His twelve disciples to go out and bear witness to the Kingdom of God. To do this we go to,
Matthew 10:7-8
"[7] As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' [8] Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give."
With this background let us explore that,
THE GIFTS FROM GOD CAN NOT BE PURCHASED
This truth is best illustrated by reading,
THE ENCOUNTER BETWEEN PETER, JOHN AND SIMON THE SORCERER
This encounter is recorded in,
Acts 8:9-17
"[9] Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, [10] and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, "This man is the divine power known as the Great Power." [11] They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. [12] But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. [13] Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw. [14] When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. [15] When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, [16] because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. [17] Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Let us notice the following verses,
9-11 … By using sorcery that is the use of occult power to perform super natural signs and wonders, Simon deceived the people into thinking he was of God.
12 … Through the preaching of Philip many men and women believed and were baptized into Jesus Christ.
13a … Simon, the sorcerer, also believed in Jesus Christ and was baptized.
13b … In addition, Simon was amazed at all the miracles that God was performing at the hand of Philip.
14 … Peter and John were sent to Samaria to investigate what God was doing through Philip.
15-17 … Seeing that the new believers in Samaria had not been baptized in the Holy Spirit; Peter and John prayed and placed their hands upon the new believers. In doing this the new believers received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Within these verses we find two major truths.
The first truth is that even though the new believers were baptized into the name of Jesus Christ, they had not yet received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. In other words they were born again in the Holy Spirit. However, as it had occurred during Pentecost, the Holy Spirit had yet to come upon them with His power.
These phenomenons also happened to Jesus’ original disciples. To see this let us first read what Jesus did after Mary Magdalene told the disciples she actually saw the resurrected Christ and heard Him talk to her. To do this we go to,
John 20:18-22
[18] Mary Magdalene came and told the £disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her. [19] Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” [20] When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. [21] So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” [22] And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
In reflecting upon the above event, two important points must be emphasized.
1. This occurred after Jesus rose from the dead but before Jesus ascended into Heaven.
2. This is when the disciples became born again of the Holy Spirit. To see this, let us remember that up until now they had already repented of their sins, knew who Jesus was, and confessed Him as Lord. However, now for the first time they now see Him raised from the dead, that is the living Christ. Thus, fulfilling the requirements of,
Romans 10:9-10
"[9] That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [10] For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."
Now all the conditions necessary for the disciple’s new birth are present. Consequently, Jesus breathed on His disciples and told them to receive the Holy Spirit. Now they were born again. To refresh our memory, let us reread,
John 20:22
[22] And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
Is this the baptism with the Holy Spirit? No! To see this let us go and read what Jesus said to His disciples at another time after His resurrection but just before He ascended into Heaven.
Acts 1:4-9
"[4] On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. [5] For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." [6] So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" [7] He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. [8] But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." [9] After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight."
Let us notice the following verses,
4 … The disciples were not to leave Jerusalem. They were not to do anything but wait for the promised gift.
5 … This gift is the baptism with the Holy Spirit.
8 … They were to receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on them and will be witnesses to Jesus Christ. In other words, Jesus was telling them that even though they were born again, that is they had the Holy Spirit living within them, they needed the power or anointing of the Holy Spirit to be an effective witness for Him. Consequently, they were to wait in Jerusalem until He, the Holy Spirit, arrived to anoint them.
9 … After Jesus finished talking with His disciples, He ascended into Heaven.
The disciples did exactly what Jesus told them to do. When the Feast of Pentecost arrived the Holy Spirit came upon them. Thus, as promised, they were now baptized in the Holy Spirit. To read what occurred we go to,
Acts 2: 1-4
[1] When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. [2] And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. [3] Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. [4] And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The second truth to be learned from the encounter Peter and John had with Simeon is that even though God performed miracles and signs by the hands of Philip, he apparently was not given the gift to lay hands upon people for them to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. However, Peter and John had this spiritual gift so they were sent to Samaria.
This is another illustration of how the body of Christ is to operate or function. Specifically it teaches us that each and every member of the body of Christ has been given at least one or more, but not every, gift of the Holy Spirit and has a function or role to perform within the church. To see this we go to,
Acts 8:18-23
[18] When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money [19] and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." [20] Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! [21] You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. [22] Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. [23] For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin." [24] Then Simon answered, "Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.""
Let us notice the following verses,
18-19 … Wanting to have this power, that is to be able to lay hands upon people to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, Simon offered Peter and John money for them to give him this gift.
20 … You can not purchase a gift of God. Within this statement we find two major principles:
1. Salvation that is the forgiveness of our sins and eternal life is a free gift from God. Consider the following,
Ephesians 2:4-8
"[4] … because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, [5] made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. [6] And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, [7] in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. [8] For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--"
2. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are distributed and freely given as God the Holy Spirit desires. This is clearly revealed to us in,
1 Corinthians 12:11
"[11] All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines."
In other words, since the blessings that result from God’s free gift of preaching, teaching and the many manifestations of the Holy Spirit are also free gifts from God, it follows that,
THE OPERATION OF THESE GIFTS SHOULD ALSO BE FREELY PERFORMED
Since the true born again believer freely received a gift from God to build up His church, he should freely utilize it for that purpose. To see this let us review
THE ATTITUDE OF THE APOSTLE PAUL
To capture Paul's attitude let us read Paul's farewell speech to the elders of the church in Ephesus. The portion of Paul's farewell address that is pertinent for this study is recorded in,
Acts 20:33-34
[33] I have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing. [34] You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.
Let us notice the following verses,
33 … Paul did not desire anyone's money or possessions. In other words, Paul's sole desire and focus was to preach and teach God's Word. Even though he had the right to do it, Paul did not use or exercise his position as an apostle to earn a living. He freely gave what God had freely given him.
34 … While he preached and taught in Ephesus, Paul worked so he could provide for his physical needs, such as food, clothing, shelter, etc. In fact we discover that Paul worked as a tentmaker. This is recorded in,
Acts 18:3
[3] So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers.
The Bible teaches there were at least the following three reasons why Paul worked to provide for his physical needs.
1. He worked to teach us that we receive more of a blessing by giving rather than by receiving. To see this we return to the 20th chapter of Acts and read from,
Acts 20:35
"[35] In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'""
By freely utilizing God’s gifts ensured that those who could not afford to purchase or donate for them would not be hindered from receiving God’s blessings.
2. He worked to be an example that when we are able, each one of us is to work so as to provide for the physical needs for ourselves and our families. To see this let us read the rebuke the Holy Spirit gave through the pen of Paul to those who were disorderly and not working. It is recorded in,
2 Thessalonians 3:6-9
"[6] In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. [7] For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, [8] nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. [9] We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow."
3. Most importantly, Paul also worked so that he would be able to freely present the Gospel. To see this let us first read the following excerpt from his letter to the church in Corinth.
1 Corinthians 9:14
"[14] … the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.
Let us notice the following verses,
14 … This verse seems to be in direct contradiction to Jesus’ teaching that we are to freely give what we have freely received. What Paul is teaching us is that those who receive spiritual instruction, nourishment or blessing are to repay the minister with physical provisions for their physical needs. To see this we go to,
Matthew 10:9-10
"[9] Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; [10] take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep."
To help clarify this a bit more let us read Paul's instruction or command to those who hear or receive instruction from a person who has been commissioned by God to preach and/or teach about His Kingdom. To do this let us read from,
Galatians 6:6
"[6] Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor."
Thus we find that those who have been commissioned by God to teach and/or preach His Word are not to charge for their spiritual services. However, those who receive spiritual blessings from the ministers of the Gospel should, when possible, help provide them provisions for their physical needs.
Let us now return to 1 Corinthians and continue reading from,
1 Corinthians 9:15-19
[15] But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me. I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of this boast. [16] Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! [17] If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. [18] What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make use of my rights in preaching it."
Let us notice the following verses,
15 … Paul did not write these instructions to the church in Corinth to solicit their money or possessions.
16 … Paul was commanded by God to preach the Gospel. Thus, he was not in a position to boast about how wonderful he was in carrying out God's desire for him. Paul said this because he was compelled to preach and teach God’s Word.
17 … Paul is telling us that if he preached God's Word willingly or voluntarily, then he has a reward. However, if he did not preach or teach willingly then he was just reluctantly carrying out God's decree or using God's gift as a means to gain personal monetary profit. Wasn't this the precise issue God had with the prophet Balaam?
To refresh our memories let us remember that King Balak first offered the prophet Balaam a vast amount of money to place a curse upon Israel. However, after God told Balaam he was not to curse Israel but bless them, God sent Balaam to King Balak. Knowing he was not going to be paid for his services, Balaam reluctantly pronounced God's blessing. Even though Balaam did follow God's decree and pronounced God's blessing, the Bible tells us that Balaam was a false prophet. To see this let us read the following excerpt from Jude’s condemnation for the false prophets,
Jude 11
[11] Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.
18 … What was Paul's reward for willing preaching the Gospel. Paul's reward is best described in the Amplified Bible. The Amplified Bible is a translation that amplifies in English the meaning and connotations of the Greek text. The Amplified Bible's translation for verse 18 is as follows:
"What then is the [actual] reward that I get? Just this: that in my preaching the good news (the Gospel), I may offer it [absolutely] free of expense [to anybody], not taking advantage of my rights and privileges [as a preacher of] the Gospel?"
We now come to,
THE INSTRUCTION FOR US, THE MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH
What have we freely received? What are we to freely give? As we read the Scriptures there are at least four main spiritual blessings we have received and are to freely offer to others.
First of all the New Testament teaches us that,
IN JESUS CHRIST WE HAVE RECEIVED GOD'S FORGIVENESS
This tremendous blessing each and every born again believer has received through faith in Jesus Christ and in His bodily death and resurrection. A good summary of this blessing is recorded in,
Colossians 1:13-14
"[13] For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, [14] in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."
Consequently, when asked, we are now to freely forgive others for the sins they have committed against us. To vividly illustrate this command, let us read Jesus' parable of the unmerciful servant.
As we read this parable let us note that during the time when Jesus gave this teaching a talent of money was worth approximately $1,200 in today's U.S. currency. Thus, the unmerciful slave was indebted to his earthly king for a sum of approximately 12 million dollars. Obviously, this sum of money was way beyond his capacity to repay. However, his earthly king forgave or wiped out the unmerciful slave's debt. This teaches us that the eternal debt we owe God for our sins is way beyond our capacity to repay. However, being a loving and merciful God He, through Jesus Christ, has forgiven, that is wiped out, our debt.
On the other hand, in today's U.S. currency, the denarii was worth approximately 20 cents. Thus, in Jesus' parable, the unmerciful servant was owed only around 20 dollars. This debt in comparison to what the unmerciful servant owed the earthly king was virtually insignificant. This teaches us that in comparison to what we eternally owe God other people's earthy trespasses against us are pretty insignificant. Unfortunately for the unmerciful servant he did not forgive his fellow servants debt. Instead he demanded full payment. With this background in mind, let us now read from,
Matthew 18:21-35
"[21] Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" [22] Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. [23] "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. [24] As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. [25] Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. [26] "The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' [27] The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. [28] "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. [29] "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' [30] "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. [31] When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. [32] "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. [33] Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' [34] In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. [35] "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.""
Secondly,
WE HAVE RECEIVED KNOWLEDGE OF GOD'S SAVING GRACE AND MERCY
To refresh our memories of this truth let us read from,
Titus 3:3-8
"[3] At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. [4] But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, [5] he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, [6] whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, [7] so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. [8] This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone."
Consequently, we are to always be ready to freely share this wonderful knowledge with those who ask. A good summary of this command or desire of God is recorded in,
1 Peter 3:15-16
"[15] But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, [16] keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander."
Let us notice the following verses,
15a … We are to always be ready or prepared to share the good news of Jesus Christ. In other words, as a student would continue to study and prepare themselves to take an unannounced test, we too must continuously study and prepare ourselves to give an unbeliever or skeptic an account of why we have faith and hope in Jesus Christ.
15b … When sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ we are to do it with gentleness and with respect for the person or persons to whom we are speaking.
16 … We are to have a clear conscience. In other words, all known sins are to have been confessed and forsaken. More specifically, to be a good and credible witness for Jesus Christ we must be living our Christian life in a manner worthy of our calling. To see this let us read from,
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,
In other words we are to let God’s light shine through us,
Matthew 5:14-16
[14] “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. [15] Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. [16] Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
The third blessing we have received is that,
WE HAVE THE WONERFUL KNOWLEDGE OF GOD'S LOVE
To refresh our memories as to how much God loves us, let us read from,
Romans 5:6-8
"[6] You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. [7] Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. [8] But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
As it is with forgiveness we too are to go forth and freely love others as Jesus freely loves us. This command is clearly stated in,
John 13:34-35
""[34] A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. [35] By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.""
Finally,
EACH ONE OF US HAS RECEIVED A GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Earlier in this study we discovered that each and every born again believer in Jesus Christ has been given at least one spiritual gift of the Holy Spirit. To expand upon this we go to,
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
"[4] There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. [5] There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. [6] There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. [7] Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. [8] To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, [9] to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, [10] to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. [11] All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines."
Let us notice the following verse,
7a … Each and every born again believer in Jesus Christ has been given a manifestation of the Holy Spirit.
7b … At least one gift of the Holy Spirit has been given so they can be used or exercised for the common good. In other words, the spiritual gift God has given to each one of us is not to be used for our own personal gain or profit but are to be freely exercised to help or benefit others.
Consequently, when the opportunity presents itself, we are to be willing to utilize the gift we have been given to help build up the body of Christ.
SUMMARY
What is the point? What is the message of all we have covered? Perhaps it is best summarized by reading again the Scripture from the theme of this chapter, which is,
Matthew 10:8d
"[8] … Freely you have received, freely give."
Blessed be the Lord forever,
Amen and Amen