Focus: For My Sake (Pt.2)

Text: 2Cor.8:9

"For your sakes he became poor."

What can God not do for my sake? What battle can God not fight for my sake? What sacrifice can God not make for my sake? How far can God not go for my sake? For my sake He came down to earth and for my sake He became poor. He came down to my level to take me to His level.

I say it again and again that God can do anything for my sake. He can pay any price for my sake. He can make any sacrifice for my sake. God loves me extravagantly, extremely and eternally.

A rich God became a poor man for the sake of love - love for humanity. The word for rich in the Greek is 'plousios'. Our English word 'plutocrat' is derived from it. Christ had in Him and about Him affluence and influence. He was rich in everything. He was rich in mercy, rich in love, rich in power, rich in truth, rich in knowledge, rich in character, rich in possessions, rich in intelligence, rich in glory. His wealth is boundless. He commands infinite power by reason of His boundless wealth. He made and owns everything that exists. He is the Landlord of the whole universe. The psalmist declares that the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. He gives all men the power to make wealth and fulfill destiny. God's treasure house has no bottom. Yet Christ deliberately became poor for my sake. He moved from the top of the ladder to the end of the tether for my sake.

Let me show you a few other things that He did for my sake. The Scripture says, "So He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes" (1Chron.16:21; Ps.105:14). For my sake God reproves kings and allows no one to harm me. The Scripture says, "I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts" (Mal.3:11). 

When I obey God in matters of tithing and offering, God promises to bless me and take care of things that stand in the way of my success and prosperity, and He does it for my sake.

God steps into the arena of battle for my sake, and it is a known fact that God never loses a battle. He always wins.

God said to man, “Cursed is the ground for thy sake.” Now in Christ, God has blessed me with all spiritual blessings (Gen.3:17; Eph.1:3). He has turned the curse to blessing.

I am no longer under a curse, but under the cross. I am blessed, not cursed.

Laban said to Jacob, "For I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake" (Gen.30:27). God blesses the Labans of this world for my sake, and some of them know it. It also happened in the life of Joseph. The Scripture says, "And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field" (Gen.39:5). An Egyptian official got blessed for Joseph's sake. Joseph's presence and stewardship guaranteed great blessings for Potiphar. The same is also true of me. I am a blessing everywhere I go. I carry within me the God of all blessings, and for my sake He blesses people around me. 

Moses tells his father-in-law of all that "the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the LORD delivered them" (Ex.18:8). God dealt terribly with Egypt for Israel's sake. Whoever is seeking my trouble will not find it funny, because my God will step in and take over my case. I am too big and too dangerous for Satan to mess with.

Isaiah declares, "For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me" (Isa.45:4). I am God's servant and His elect; God has taken notice of me and surnamed me. Isaiah says again, "Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake" (Isa.54:15). People who gather together to conspire against me shall fall for my sake. They will not be successful in their conspiracy. Finally, He says, "For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth" (Isa.62:1). 

O hallelujah! Thank You, Jesus Christ my Lord! For my sake God will arise and do something. He will ensure that evil will not prevail around me. The light of His salvation will shine on me. His righteousness in my life will shine ever more brilliantly. Whatever God does is in my interest. It's all for my sake - for my ultimate good.

Bishop Moses E. Peter