The Grace of Giving

Introduction

We talked last week about the Apostle Paul using the example of the Macedonians to encourage the Corinthian church to give in the same way.

The Corinthian church was in a very different place than the Macedonian church. Corinth was a cosmopolitan city, an economic and cultural center of the Roman Empire. There were people there from all over the known world. While there was certainly some level of persecution of the Christians, it was nowhere near the level of persecution that the Macedonians experienced.

I tend to liken the Corinthian church to our church in the Western world today, specifically to our North American church. The Corinthian culture put a lot of value on honor, prestige and self-promotion, just as we do in the USA today.

However, Macedonia was a more rural, even mountainous area. There were certainly not nearly as urban as Corinth, and did not have as much exposure to the world’s variety of ideas as Corinth. As a result, the Christians in Macedonia suffered an extreme poverty and persecution for their faith in Christ.

We’ll pick up, more or less, where we ended last week, beginning in verse 7. Paul was writing to the Corinthian believers...

2 Corinthians 8:7–15 CSB

7 Now as you excel in everything—in faith, speech, knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love for us—excel also in this act of grace. 8 I am not saying this as a command. Rather, by means of the diligence of others, I am testing the genuineness of your love. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. 10 And in this matter I am giving advice because it is profitable for you, who began last year not only to do something but also to want to do it. 11 Now also finish the task, so that just as there was an eager desire, there may also be a completion, according to what you have. 12 For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. 13 It is not that there should be relief for others and hardship for you, but it is a question of equality. 14 At the present time your surplus is available for their need, so that their abundance may in turn meet your need, in order that there may be equality. 15 As it is written: The person who had much did not have too much, and the person who had little did not have too little.

[pray]

This week we’re going to dig in a little bit deeper so that we can learn how to “excel also in this act of grace” (2 Cor 8:7) which we call giving.

I. Give as Jesus Gave

Paul reminds the Corinthians to give with excellence. He calls giving an “act of grace.”

2 Corinthians 8:7 CSB

7 Now as you excel in everything—in faith, speech, knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love for us—excel also in this act of grace.

When he calls giving an act of grace, he uses the Greek word for “grace”:

New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries: Updated Edition 5485 χάρις (charis)

χάρις charis

...which carries the sense of “goodwill freely [given]; especially to the benefit of the recipient regardless of any [merit or inherent worth].”

This means that giving should not be reserved only for those who have earned the gift. Rather, gracious giving should be granted with grace and mercy whenever and wherever the possibility exists.

This is a very Hebrew idea, that is used to describe God’s love, mercy, compassion, steadfastness and tender lovingkindness toward his people, the Israelites. However, it is here used in a Christian context of brotherly love.

We see God’s love for us in many ways, but never more thoroughly than in the salvific work that Christ completed on the cross...

John 3:16–17 CSB

16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Not a Command, but a Test

Paul goes on to throw in this provisional wording...

2 Corinthians 8:8 CSB

8 I am not saying this as a command. Rather, by means of the diligence of others, I am testing the genuineness of your love.

Paul wrote that he was not commanding that the Corinthians give, but he was clearly challenging them to rise to the occasion. He tells them that it is a test of the “genuineness of [their] love.” That is such a simple statement, but it really does say a lot doesn’t it?

If God tested the genuineness of your love by examining your giving, what would he find? [Would you pass the test or fail?]

The Grace of Jesus Compared

Paul links the act of giving to the gracious act of giving that Jesus completed when he poured himself out on the cross...

2 Corinthians 8:9 CSB

9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.

Paul makes this comparison to Jesus. He reminded them that Jesus gave up everything to come to earth and die on the cross. The technical term for this is kenosis, it describes that Jesus, who was King, gave up everything to live in relative poverty.

He left heaven to live on earth.

He chose not to use his supernatural powers during his time on earth.

He was mocked and scorned.

He was beaten and killed in the most cruel way.

His family and those closest to him treated him like a crazy man and left his side, betraying him in the end.

However, Jesus CHOSE to do this. He gave of himself as an act of grace.

Look back at that test of genuineness that I mentioned earlier. Can anyone reading the account of the passion of Jesus Christ and believing it to be true and believing that Jesus was indeed capable of taking on the sins of the world… can that person have any doubt that Jesus did what he did because he loved us?

And looking at the Macedonians, can anyone doubt their love for Paul and his ministry? [of course not]

Can anyone doubt that the sleepless mother who wakes in the middle of the night to tend to her baby has anything less than love for that child?

What about when that mother gives up a long-desired and sought after career to stay home and raise that child?

I witnessed grace in many hospital nurses and medical staff as they served our nation and our world, risking exposure to COVID as they cared for their patients.

I had a friend donate his young wife’s organs to save the lives of strangers after her death.

I have seen caregivers putting their own wants and desires to the side to care for a sick or elderly family member.

I have seen volunteers giving of their time, energy and resources to serve in ways that benefitted others without expecting anything in return.

Can one doubt the love that people like this have for others, when they freely give of themselves to the point of sheer exhaustion and in some cases even unto death for the benefit of another who is in need?

These are all examples of gracious giving, and when the giving is done in the name of Christ, all the better!

II. Give Willingly

Paul continues this section reasoning with the Corinthians, because they have clearly started something that they did not finish...

2 Corinthians 8:10–12 CSB

10 And in this matter I am giving advice because it is profitable for you, who began last year not only to do something but also to want to do it. 11 Now also finish the task, so that just as there was an eager desire, there may also be a completion, according to what you have. 12 For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.

I think this verse is telling of our human nature. We often begin with the best thing in mind, but oftentimes we fail to follow through on our best intentions. Paul tells the Corinthians to “finish the task.” He’s calling them back to fulfill their promise. He also reminds them that it doesn’t matter how much they wanted to do this at the beginning if they do nothing in the end.

III. Give by Faith

Finally, Paul gently reminds them that they are being stingy and miserly...

2 Corinthians 8:13–15 CSB

13 It is not that there should be relief for others and hardship for you, but it is a question of equality. 14 At the present time your surplus is available for their need, so that their abundance may in turn meet your need, in order that there may be equality. 15 As it is written: The person who had much did not have too much, and the person who had little did not have too little.

He reminds the Corinthians that they currently have a surplus of resources that others do not have. He reminds them that there may be a time in which they might need to call upon others to come to their aid.

Paul’s plea to the church at Corinth is not an attempt to create equality between the churches. He’s not attempting to take from the rich to give to the poor, asking for the church that is rich to help the church that is poor, so that they might also continue to do the work that God has put before them.

Paul is applying a principle from God’s economy to provide for those in need. He referred back to the Hebrew children in the wilderness as they gathered manna and water...

Exodus 16:15–20 CSB

15 When the Israelites saw it, they asked one another, “What is it?” because they didn’t know what it was. Moses told them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather as much of it as each person needs to eat. You may take two quarts per individual, according to the number of people each of you has in his tent.’ ” 17 So the Israelites did this. Some gathered a lot, some a little. 18 When they measured it by quarts, the person who gathered a lot had no surplus, and the person who gathered a little had no shortage. Each gathered as much as he needed to eat. 19 Moses said to them, “No one is to let any of it remain until morning.” 20 But they didn’t listen to Moses; some people left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. Therefore Moses was angry with them.

Conclusion

We don’t live by these principles today, but perhaps we should. We often look at giving from a “What’s in it for me?” perspective. Our motive for giving is often so that we might receive a blessing from the Lord. God’s motive for our giving is that all might have provision and therefore receive the blessing.

This is not some form of biblical communism that is being taught. It is God’s economy of receiving blessings from God and passing those blessings along to others.

Principle: God gives us what we have so that we can bless others.

How are you blessing others around you? How are you using what God has given to you?

Grace giving is a matter of practicing our faith in God, all the while trusting in God to provide for our needs as we help to meet the needs of others around us.

Offering

When you give to this church, you are helping this church accomplish the work that we are called to accomplish together. I told you last week that our expenses are continuing to climb, just as they are in your home. However, God’s work still must be done.

The Lord’s Table

We now move to the Lord’s Table as we remember the sacrifice and the salvific work that Christ completed on the cross. As we do regularly, we come to the table reflecting upon the sacrifice that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ made on the cross and we remember the reason that He made that sacrifice.

This is an appropriate time to reflect on your readiness and upon your personal condition before God.

[pause]

I know that a few of you come from a tradition of closed communion, which means that only members of the church are allowed to participate in communion. But here at FBC Pharr, we practice open communion. That means that we leave the decision to participate or not participate up to you. Participation is not reserved for those who are members of this church or those who have been baptize in the Baptist tradition. If you come to us from some other tradition and have questions about what we are doing here today, I’d be glad to talk with you after the service to answer your questions.

We simply ask that this be an act undertaken by those who have chosen to believe in Christ and proclaim his work of salvation, completed on the cross. You are free to participate in a way that you feel prompted by the Spirit, who is here among us.

[pause]

Scripture teaches us that if there is any sin in your life or conflict with your brother or sister that might keep you from participating in this meal, then do not participate. If this is the case with you or if you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, please allow the bread and the cup to pass and do not participate. This is not something that you have to feel bad about, though it may prompt you to correct some things in your life or get answers to questions that you might have.

[pause]

Jesus came to this world to open the doors of Heaven to us by taking our say sin upon Himself and provide a way that we might enter into the presence of Almighty God.

[distribute the elements / pray / send out the deacons]

You’ll notice that you have two cups, one inside the other. The bread is in the bottom cup. You can gently separate the two cups.

1 Corinthians 11:23–24 CSB

23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

This is the body of our Lord, Jesus Christ, take it and eat in remembrance of His body broken for for us.

1 Corinthians 11:25–26 CSB

25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

This is the blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Take it and drink in remembrance of His blood poured out for us.

For by eating this bread and drinking this cup, we join together in proclaiming the Lord’s life, death, and resurrection until His return to us.

Doxology

Praise God from Whom

All blessings flow

Praise Him all

Creatures here below

Praise Him above

Ye heavenly host

Praise Father Son

and Holy Ghost,

Amen