## Giving Ourselves First

## II Corinthians 8:5

The Christian life should be a Christ-centered life. Believers who have been born again into God's family and have a new identity, which motivates us to live as one of God's children. We must not center our lives on ourselves or on others, but on Christ, serving Him in the local church.

Tonight, I want us to understand three things:

- Our identity as a child of God
- That our life has eternal significance
- What our motivation should be for godly living

As stewards, we are responsible not only for our material possessions, but for our bodies and our lives. We must be willing to give ourselves totally to the Lord. But the motivation for this does not come from within ourselves-it comes from an understanding of who we are in Christ.

I. We Must Surrender Self

A. The believers in Macedonia had hit rock bottom. Read: 2 Co. 8:1-5

1. They had probably lost their jobs in the trade guilds because they refused to worship idols.

2. Yet they still managed to give joyfully to the work of the Lord.

3. They even begged to be included in the giving (2 Cor. 8:4).

4. How did they do it?

B. They had made a key discovery-that they were God's stewards.

1. The Macedonian believers understood that they first had to give of themselves to the Lord (v. 5).

2. They realized that they were recipients of God's grace; everything they owned had come from Him.

3. Therefore, they were glad to give of what they had to His work.

C. The stewardship of self is a basic step to experiencing the joy of living for the Lord.

1. God paid a price for us, and we are not our own.

(1 COR 6:19-20) "WHAT? KNOW YE NOT THAT YOUR BODY IS THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY GHOST WHICH IS IN YOU, WHICH YE HAVE OF GOD, AND YE ARE NOT YOUR OWN? {20} FOR YE ARE BOUGHT WITH A PRICE: THEREFORE GLORIFY GOD IN YOUR BODY, AND IN YOUR SPIRIT, WHICH ARE GOD'S."

2. It is only within this framework that the believer can find the answers to certain important questions:

a. Who am I?

b. What am I doing here?

c. Where am I going?

D. Our Identity: Who are we?

1. To get into God's family, a person must be born again, or experience spiritual birth.

(JOHN 3:3) "JESUS ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO HIM, VERILY, VERILY, I SAY UNTO THEE, EXCEPT A MAN BE BORN AGAIN, HE CANNOT SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD."

a. Acknowledge that he is a condemned sinner (John 3:18, 19)

b. Believe that Christ died for him and his sins (John 3:16);

c. Confess Christ and trust in Him for salvation (Rom. 10:9).

2. The path to a proper self-concept lies in understanding our relationship to God.

a. As His creatures and as members of His family, we have value and purpose.

b. In 1 John, we find instructions about how to behave because we belong in God's family.

(1 JOHN 2:1A) "MY LITTLE CHILDREN, THESE THINGS WRITE I UNTO YOU, THAT YE SIN NOT..."

3. Who am I? I am God's child.

(GAL 3:26) "FOR YE ARE ALL THE CHILDREN OF GOD BY FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS."

4. Why am I here? I am God's steward.

(1 COR 4:2) "MOREOVER IT IS REQUIRED IN STEWARDS, THAT A MAN BE FOUND FAITHFUL."

(1 COR 10:31) "WHETHER THEREFORE YE EAT, OR DRINK, OR WHATSOEVER YE DO, DO ALL TO THE GLORY OF GOD."

5. Where am I going? I will spend eternity with Him.

(JOHN 10:28) "AND I GIVE UNTO THEM ETERNAL LIFE; AND THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH, NEITHER SHALL ANY MAN PLUCK THEM OUT OF MY HAND."

(PHIL 3:20-21) "FOR OUR CONVERSATION IS IN HEAVEN; FROM WHENCE ALSO WE LOOK FOR THE SAVIOUR, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST: {21} WHO SHALL CHANGE OUR VILE BODY, THAT IT MAY BE FASHIONED LIKE UNTO HIS GLORIOUS BODY, ACCORDING TO THE WORKING WHEREBY HE IS ABLE EVEN TO SUBDUE ALL THINGS UNTO HIMSELF."

(2 COR 5:8) "WE ARE CONFIDENT, I SAY, AND WILLING RATHER TO BE ABSENT FROM THE BODY, AND TO BE PRESENT WITH THE LORD."

(1 TH 4:17) "THEN WE WHICH ARE ALIVE AND REMAIN SHALL BE CAUGHT UP TOGETHER WITH THEM IN THE CLOUDS, TO MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR: AND SO SHALL WE EVER BE WITH THE LORD."

E. Our Inspiration

1. What is a believer's inspiration to live up to his standing as a child of God?

(1 PET 2:9) "BUT YE ARE A CHOSEN GENERATION, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, AN HOLY NATION, A PECULIAR PEOPLE; THAT YE SHOULD SHOW FORTH THE PRAISES OF HIM WHO HATH CALLED YOU OUT OF DARKNESS INTO HIS MARVELLOUS LIGHT:"

2. A Christian's motivation to live a godly live is not to appease God or to pay for his salvation.

3. Rather, his service fulfills the purpose for which God made him.

(EPH 2:8-10) "FOR BY GRACE ARE YE SAVED THROUGH FAITH; AND THAT NOT OF YOURSELVES: IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD: {9} NOT OF WORKS, LEST ANY MAN SHOULD BOAST. {10} FOR WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS UNTO GOOD WORKS, WHICH GOD HATH BEFORE ORDAINED THAT WE SHOULD WALK IN THEM."

F. The indication

1. As a child of God through the new birth, the believer should be bold to let everyone else know his new identity and should want to show a clear ID picture of himself as God's child.

2. Think of one who just gets their drivers’ license.

a. They can’t wait to show this to everyone.

b. Not because it is such a great picture on the license.

c. But, because it identifies them as one of the privileged who are allowed to drive an automobile. (and it is a privilege!)

3. The New Testament teaches us how to clearly indicate that we are members of God's family.

G. Presentation

1. We are to present ourselves to God.

(ROM 12:1) "I BESEECH YOU THEREFORE, BRETHREN, BY THE MERCIES OF GOD, THAT YE PRESENT YOUR BODIES A LIVING SACRIFICE, HOLY, ACCEPTABLE UNTO GOD, WHICH IS YOUR REASONABLE SERVICE."

a. This presentation tells God, "I belong to You. Everything I have belongs to You."

b. We cannot present everything to God and be selfish at the same time.

c. Our selflessness then presents a clear ID to the world.

2. Separation

(ROM 12:2) "AND BE NOT CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD: BUT BE YE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, THAT YE MAY PROVE WHAT IS THAT GOOD, AND ACCEPTABLE, AND PERFECT, WILL OF GOD."

a. Romans 12:2 commands us "be not conformed to this world."

b. This separation says to God, "I will not let the world press me into its mold."

c. When we are separated from the world's sinful ways, our uniqueness presents a clear ID to others.

3. Transformation

a. Romans 12:2 also commands us to "be . . . transformed."

b. This transformation means that we want God to set our standards and priorities.

c. No longer are we motivated by the flesh, but by the Spirit.

(ROM 8:1) "THERE IS THEREFORE NOW NO CONDEMNATION TO THEM WHICH ARE IN CHRIST JESUS, WHO WALK NOT AFTER THE FLESH, BUT AFTER THE SPIRIT."

4. Occupation

a. Our presentation, separation and transformation prepare us to do the "will of God" (Rom. 12:2).

b. This occupation says to God, "I will accomplish Your will in my life in devotion to You."

c. Making God's will our full-time job presents a clear ID to those around us.

5. Realization

(ROM 12:3) "FOR I SAY, THROUGH THE GRACE GIVEN UNTO ME, TO EVERY MAN THAT IS AMONG YOU, NOT TO THINK OF HIMSELF MORE HIGHLY THAN HE OUGHT TO THINK; BUT TO THINK SOBERLY, ACCORDING AS GOD HATH DEALT TO EVERY MAN THE MEASURE OF FAITH."

a. Romans 12:3 instructs us to "think soberly" about ourselves.

b. Sober thinking is accurate, for it agrees with the facts.

c. The realization of who we truly are in Christ says: "We are nothing without Him, but in Him we are wonderful new creatures."

d. That realization keeps us from the opposing extremes of pride or self-hate and presents a clear ID to others.

One word describes our willingness to present, separate and transform ourselves; to occupy ourselves doing God's will; and to think soberly: Surrender. God extends to every born again person a call of surrender. This call asks us to make Him Lord of our lives, to place ourselves on the altar of sacrifice rather than to pursue our own will and desires.

Our surrender to God is the best ID we have that we belong to God's family.