THE CALL TO GIVE

In a message titled, THE CALL TO GIVE (Gal. 6:6), we looked at another way Christians can “fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2) when it is done with the right heart motive.  In addition to gently helping other believers who are trapped by sin, Christians who “are spiritual” (Gal. 6:1-2) should “provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them” (Gal. 6:6 NLT).  Leaders and missionaries who minister the Word of God, the Bible says, should be highly esteemed in every way to include material sustenance (1 Tim. 5:17; Phil. 5:10-19, etc.).  The faithful giving of the body of Christ is the fruit of the Spirit (God’s love in us) and a primary means by which He advances His glorious kingdom (Gal. 5:6, 14, 22-23; Deut. 6:4-5; Mark 12:28-34, etc.).    

The Greek word in Galatians 6:6 for “communicate” (in the KJV) or “share” (in the NKJV) is koinōnéō which means “to have in common.”  In fact, many Christian ministries bear the word koinonia in their name today.    

• Koinonia refers to our common fellowship in Christ (Gal. 2:9);   
• to our common faith (Jude 3);   
• and even to our sharing in the sufferings of Christ (Phil. 3:10),   
• but often in the New Testament, this fellowship refers specifically to sharing of material blessings with one another (Acts 2:44-45; 2 Cor. 8:1-4; Heb. 13:16, etc.).    

We must remember that what we do with material things is evidence of how we value God (Matt. 6:21; Luke 10:7; 1 Cor. 9:11, 14, etc.).  Paul uses a similar approach when he explained why the non-Jewish churches should to give an offering to their destitute brothers and sisters in Jerusalem (Rom. 15:27).  This is a practical outworking of the love of God in our lives when Christians “walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:16; 6:2, 6, etc.).