And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; as it is written, “He scattered abroad, he gave to the [working class], His righteousness endures forever.” Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. 2 Corinthians 9:8-11
“Christianity requires the greatest diligence: if we look up to God, what a multitude of things are required of a Christian, to carry himself as he should; a spirit of faith, of love, of joy, and of delight in God above all: and if we look to men, there are duties for a Christian to his superiors, a spirit of subjection; to equals he must show a spirit of love; and to inferiors, a spirit of pity and liberality: if we look to Satan, we have a commandment to watch, and resist the tempter: if we look to the world, it is full of snares, there must be constant spiritual watchfulness, that we be not surprised: and if we look to ourselves, there are many duties required, to carry our vessels in honour, and to walk within the rules of the Holy Ghost, to preserve the peace of our consciences, and always to walk answerably to our dignity, as being the sons of God, and coheirs with Christ. The Christian must dispense with himself in no sin, must be prepared for every good work, and must refrain from no service that God calls him unto. The life of a Christian therefore continually abounds with honorable and profitable employment.”
Richard Sibbes (1577-1635) in Divine Meditations and Holy Contemplations 178 (London: J. Buckland, 1775) 64-65. Sibbes was an Anglican theologian at Cambridge, a preacher in London, and a leading voice among Puritans.
In today’s Scripture, we learn that God blesses faithful workers to be a blessing and that He will continue to supply their generosity or “liberality.” We often miss that in the English reading where the Greek word, penes, is translated “poor” rather than “working class.” Working class is a much better rendering of penes, which describes those who work, as we say “from paycheck to paycheck,” in contrast to the ptochos which are the “destitute poor.”
In Divine Meditations and Holy Contemplations, Sibbes reminds us that “honorable and profitable employment” is to diligently fulfill our Christian duties, and among them, is liberality or generosity to those in need. This is our prayer for our son, Sammy, who graduates today with honors (and no debt!) with a bachelors degree in biology from Colorado Christian University, finishing in only three years. Congratulations, Samuel David Hoag!
If you are anywhere near Littleton, Colorado, join us today for Sammy’s graduation party. Reply and I’ll email you our townhouse address. Whether or not you can make it, remind the graduates in your life likewise to pursue such “honorable and profitable employment,” which is far more important than any job, because we are workers for God, not for money. Fair wages are only a byproduct of faithful work and liberality is the mark of a Christian worker.