The Mindset of a Recipient
by Sarah Wootten, Corinth Missionary Baptist Church

The abundance of God’s gracious gifts is completely incomprehensible to us. How can we properly express thanksgiving to the One who freely gives us all things (Romans 8:32)? The psalmists often express praise to God for the good gifts He has given to mankind. God sends rain which waters the ground and causes food to sprout for our nourishment (Psalm 136:25, 147:8). He blesses families with children as a heritage (127:3). He gives us understanding through His Word that we might obey Him and delight in His righteous ways (119:33-40).

The theme of God’s generosity to His children carries over into the New Testament as well. God’s spiritual blessings to His children are immeasurable (Ephesians 1:18-19). While we were dead in our sin, the Father sent His only Son to die and take upon Himself the punishment that we deserve so that we may be freely given life through Christ (Romans 5:8, 8:32). This new life comes with a Helper, the Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14) and our guide in the truth (John 16:13). The Spirit produces in us the fruit of righteousness (Galatians 5:22-23), which we could never achieve on our own, but is itself another gift from God (2 Peter 1:3).

If we were to search the Scriptures in an attempt to find every reference to God giving gifts, we would be overwhelmed with the magnitude of the list. Even still, that list wouldn’t include all of our personal experiences of how God has been gracious to us. We could fill our days by telling account after account of God’s faithfulness in our individual lives.

However, we are sinful. Despite all that God has done for us, we forget that the gifts we possess, both physically and spiritually, come from the hand of God. Instead, we lie to ourselves and think we either deserve them or gained them by our own strength. This is why Paul questioned the Corinthian believers. “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” (1 Corinthians 4:7b, ESV). In the Corinthians’ boasting, it was evident that they forgot all that they had – including the ministers of the Word (3:5) and knowledge of the truth (1:5) – was from the gracious hand of God.

Like most sins, arrogance doesn’t just affect us individually. If left unchecked, it will eventually bubble up out of our hearts and into our mouths and our actions. The Corinthian believers were “puffed up in favor of one against another,” (4:6, ESV). They had forgotten that good gifts come from God. They became entitled because of their knowledge, which led to division, arguments, and strife among each other. Sadly, one brother thinking he was more significant than another was a common occurrence.

It’s a sobering reality to realize that many Christians treat others with a condescending attitude. However, none of us are beyond the sin of pride, so none of us are immune to thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought. So what do we do? How do we not become engulfed in arrogance due to the gifts God has given us, and instead have a heart of thanksgiving towards God?

In verse 6, Paul makes an important point. The divisions within the church at Corinth did not exist because the people were following diligently after God’s ways. Instead, they were trusting in themselves. So Paul tells them that they need to learn to “not go beyond what is written,” (4:6, ESV). God’s Word tells us how we are to walk in humility and love toward one another, as reflected in the gospel. God’s Word reminds us of God’s generous character toward His children, which should grow thanksgiving within our hearts. Arrogance cannot exist where there is a humble thanksgiving toward the Giver. Therefore as believers, we need to hear the Word of God, put down our swords of pride and arrogance, humble ourselves, and be obedient to love our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.