Grace Principles of Giving

November is historically the month we emphasize our church giving plan for missions. We have called this program “Grace Giving.” I want to take a Sunday and teach on the important Scriptural concept of NT giving and how it relates to missions. Many of you are new and have never heard this before. For those of you who have heard many grace giving sermons over the years, my thinking on this concept has changed slightly and I hope this message will be a help to everyone as you think about God’s will for your life in the area of giving to gospel ministry.

Everything I am about to teach on the subject of giving flows out of the idea that we must clearly distinguish and separate the Scriptural ideas of law, gospel and grace. Law & Grace by Myron Houghton

This is a very important distinction. As believers we must constantly be aware that we are no longer under law, but under grace.

Romans 6:14 ESV

For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

When this concept is understood properly grace becomes the motivation for everything I do as a NT Church saint.

If we don’t keep the concepts of law, gospel, and grace in proper relation to each other we tend to get off into the weeds.

Example:

Malachi 3:10 ESV

Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

What happens to our understanding of giving if we do not distinguish between Law, Gospel, and Grace? How much do we give? We give our tithe. That is we give 10% to the Lord. What is the problem with this? The tithe is an OT Law command. You do not find the command to tithe in the NT. As NT believers we are no longer under the law, but we are under grace. There is no binding law placed upon us by God to give 10% of our income to the Lord.

Why do we give? If we do not clearly distinguish between Law, Gospel, and Grace we give in order to get. Malachi says we should put God to the test to see if God will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.” Or you might have heard it put this way, “you can’t out give God.”

What is the problem with this view? First of all, if we are to clearly distinguish between Law, Gospel, and Grace then we must also clearly distinguish between Israel and the Church.

Who is Malachi writing to? Israel. Why can Malachi promise Israel abundant earthly/material blessings if they would but give God their tithe? Because Israel was in a covenant relationship with God. Israel was under the Mosaic Covenant. What were the stipulations of the Mosaic Covenant?

Deuteronomy 28:1–14 ESV

“And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. The Lord will command the blessing on you in your barns and in all that you undertake. And he will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. The Lord will establish you as a people holy to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in his ways. And all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you. And the Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, within the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. The Lord will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them, and if you do not turn aside from any of the words that I command you today, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

These are the blessings promised to Israel under the Mosaic Covenant. And the blessings of the covenant to Israel were primarily earthly blessings or material blessings: enemies defeated, dwell securely in the land, prosperous fields, fruitful wombs, full barns, increase in herds, abound in prosperity.

If we are not careful to distinguish Law, Gospel, and Grace and if we are not careful to distinguish Israel from the Church we can wrongly apply these material / earthly blessings to NT believers. What’s the problem? We are no longer under law, we are under grace.

And the blessings for NT believers under grace, in this lifetime, are primarily spiritual in nature.

Ephesians 1:3 ESV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,

Material blessing / earthly blessing is coming as well. But we won’t experience the bulk of that until the age to come. I don’t mean to say that God cannot or will not bless you materially in this lifetime if you are a good steward of the finances He has given you. I mean the promises of the OT related to giving, like Mal 3 10 are not promises we as church saints can claim. Nor should OT promises related to giving be our motivation to give. We are no longer under law, but under grace.

So what does it mean to apply grace principles to our giving in a NT church saint context? And how should being under grace affect the way I give to gospel ministry? And how does all of that relate to giving toward missions?

Let me give you some grace principles of giving this morning as we seek to answer these questions.

1. Giving to gospel ministry is enabled by grace

2 Corinthians 8:1 (ESV)

We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia,

What Paul is doing as he begins his teaching on the grace of giving is to highlight the example of the Macedonian churches, those in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea. Why does Paul point to their example? Because Paul loves to motivate people not just by words alone, but by example. Look at what the Macedonian churches are doing and imitate them!

What example is Paul talking about? Well, for several years Paul had been organizing a collection of money for the poor in Jerusalem.

Romans 15:25–28 ESV

At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you.

So Paul is using the example of the Macedonians giving money to the poor saints at Jersualem as an example to inspire similar action in the church in Corinth.

And notice how Paul describes the giving of the churches of Macedonia- he calls it “the grace of God that has been given” among the churches of Macedonia.

So real biblical giving, that is the kind of giving that is an act of spiritual worship, a pleasing aroma to God, this kind of giving is only possible through grace.

2 Corinthians 8:7 (ESV)

But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.

Listen to I Cor 1:4-7

1 Corinthians 1:4–7 (ESV)

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus,

that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—

even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—

so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

The Corinthian church was an early NT church, and as such they were given sign gifts that were meant to ratify the God’s new program, the church. And also to validate the message of the Apostles. It was this fact, having so many gifts, that became the primary problem in the church. The Corinthian’s pride in their gifts caused significant issues in that local church.

But, notice again 2 Cor 8 7

2 Corinthians 8:7 (ESV)

But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.

In the first part of this verse Paul highlights all of the grace gifts the church had been given. The grace gift of faith, speech, and knowledge. Paul then goes on to admonish the Corinthians to demonstrate the grace gift of giving also. “See that you excel in this act of grace also.”

So giving was an important part of this NT church. But Paul clearly teaches that the ability to give, in accord with the will of God, for gospel ministry is in itself an act of grace. That is, giving to gospel ministry is a grace gift.

2. Grace enabled giving is characterized by generosity

2 Corinthians 8:1–4 (ESV)

We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia,

for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.

For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord,

begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints—

Notice what is true about the Macedonian churches:

They are going through a severe test of affliction

There are remarkably great persecutions going on in their lives. Notice that this is NOT an excuse for them. They do not say, “life is too hard right now, I can’t give.” Don’t we sometimes use that as an excuse? When you are enabled by God’s grace to give difficulties in your life will stop being an excuse for why you cannot give.

They have an abundance or an overabundance of joy!

This is how you know their lives are infused by God’s grace. God is supernaturally gifting them by His grace so that even in midst of remarkably great sufferings they are over-abounding with joy! How can that be? Well their minds are not on earthly things. Their hope is a living hope and it is set fully on the revelation of Jesus Christ. They are not looking at the things that are seen, but the things that are not seen. They are by God’s grace, through faith, overflowing with joy because of all of the spiritual blessings that God has done for them through Jesus. And that produces joy, and the opportunity to give and to help other believers in need, and to give so that the good news of the gospel goes unto the ends of the earth, that fills their whole beings with joy! They cannot contain the joy in fact, it overflows their hearts and their lips and it infuses their giving as well. They are joyful givers. That kind of giving is only possible through God’s grace!

They are in extreme poverty!

They are dirt poor, but notice, a believer infused by God’s grace to give does not use being poor as an excuse not to give.

Yet, they overflowed in a wealth of generosity!

These Macedonians despite the most adverse circumstance overflowed/abounded unto a wealth of generosity / sincerity / a sincere concern or a simple goodness in their giving.

Now think about this as a mathematical equation.

Severe test of affliction + abundance of joy + extreme poverty = an overflow in a wealth of generosity?

How does that add up? It doesn’t unless you see God’s grace moving the hearts of God’s people in a natural yet supernatural way.

This is why we all should want to excel in the grace of giving, because it results in an abundance of joy and generosity even when life is really really hard.

Paul, uses this very principle that he observed in the Macedonian churches to motivate giving in the Corinthian churches.

2 Corinthians 8:7 (ESV)

But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.

So too believer, as God’s grace works in your heart, in the area of giving, the Lord wants you to be generous. That is the natural yet supernatural working of his grace in your hearts. That’s what God’s grace does. It takes sinful, greedy, stingy hearts and transforms them into generous hearts.

3. Grace enabled giving is characterized by willingness

2 Corinthians 8:3 (ESV)

For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord,

Remember Romans 6 14?

Romans 6:14 ESV

For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

When we were under law we needed the binding external code to force or compel our obedience. Now that we are under grace, we don’t need law, because God’s grace makes demands of our hearts. But the amazing part of God’s grace is that we follow the directives of the demands of God’s grace, not grudgingly, but willingly!

How does God’s grace motivate our hearts to give willingly? of our own accord?

1 John 4:17–19 ESV

By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.

God’s grace motivates us to give out of love. When we give out of love we do so of our own accord! We do so willingly!

2 Corinthians 9:5 (ESV)

So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction.

2 Corinthians 9:7 (ESV)

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

This is how you know giving is enabled by grace—when it becomes cheerful! When giving to gospel ministry becomes fun!

When you hear a testimony from one of our missionaries on the field! This week we heard about 2 Muslim men that came to Christ in Kyrgyzstan. That makes me a cheerful giver. When I know my dollars and cents are going to gospel ministry, and the same love of God that has been shed abroad in my heart is being spread abroad in the hearts of Muslim men in Kyrgyzstan, that is fun!

4. Grace enabled giving is characterized by dedication not obligation

2 Corinthians 8:5 ESV

and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.

Here is the difference between giving according to being under law and giving according to being under grace.

What was the law in the OT? How much did they have to give? How much is the OT tithe? 10%. The problem with giving according to being under law is it created a mindset or a thinking where all I have to give God is 10%, then the rest of the 90% is mine and I can do whatever I want with it.

This verse is what giving according to grace looks like. How much did they give to God? They gave themselves (ALL OF THEMSELVES) first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. They gave everything, not just their money, they gave their whole life to the Lord. Why would they do that? Because that is what grace compels a Christian to do!

2 Corinthians 5:14–15 ESV

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

Someone who is under grace does not think I’ll give God 10% so I can keep 90. They give God everything. They realize that they have been bought with a price, they are overwhelmed by the love of Christ and they present their whole bodies as a living sacrifice to God. This is the idea of whole life stewardship. All of me belongs to God. I am just a steward. Everything I have is God’s and I want to use everything, not just my money, but my whole life for His sake, in a way that pleases Him, for things that matter to God.

5. Grace enabled giving is motivated by the example of Jesus

2 Corinthians 8:8–9 (ESV)

I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine.

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

Important: Our giving is not an attempt to repay what our Savior did for us (that is impossible). Rather, our giving comes out of a gratitude for our salvation. And a grateful heart is a generous heart.

6. Grace enabled giving is based on what you posses, not on what you don’t posses

2 Corinthians 8:12 ESV

For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.

Opposite of FAITH PROMISE!

What is faith promise?

Instead God wants us to give out of what we posses. Well, I hardly have anything in this economy so I guess that means I am off the hook! Pastor, I can’t afford to give right now.

Remember we are stewards. How much of our lives belong to us? 0%- our entire selves belong to God. Everything we have is His. All we are doing is stewarding what we posses.

But, we must be wise stewards.

Implementation:

Develop a budget. Write down all of your expenses in a month. Now categorize them. Are these expenses needs? Or are they wants/luxury?

Once we figure out our true expenses and we compare that with our income, what do we do with the left over? We should ask God! With a willing heart and a generous heart, precisely how much He wants us to give to gospel ministry. Until you have done that you are not being a good steward.

7. Grace enabled giving causes us to trust God for our needs

2 Corinthians 8:13–15 ESV

For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.”

1). Reciprocation: abundance and need

2). God will supply our needs: Gather much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had not lack.

8. Grace enabled giving causes us to trust God for His increased blessing

2 Corinthians 9:6 ESV

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Philippians 4:17 ESV

Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.

9. Grace enabled giving should be deliberate not impulsive

2 Corinthians 9:7 ESV

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

This is why we are emphasizing grace enabled giving this year.

Every dollar you give goes toward gospel ministry. All of your giving (general fund, building fund, missions) is enabled by grace and impacts gospel ministry.

We want to give you an opportunity to prayerfully, knowledgeable, gracious decide in your heart how you want to give.

Acts 1:8 ESV

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Prioritize reaching our Jerusalem- general fund / building fund

Building Addition Rough Draft

But then decided how we can give to:

Judea and Samaria, and ends of the earth- missions fund

This is what the grace principles of giving form is all about. We are asking that you prayerfully and deliberately decide how much the Lord wants you to give to gospel ministry. And if you can write down how much you will give towards missions and turn that in, that is how we will set our mission’s budget for 2024.

10. Grace enabled giving results is God’s glory

2 Corinthians 9:8–15 ESV

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” 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 every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

Philippians 4:18–20 ESV

I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.