“The Grace of Giving” Pt2

(8:7) – How can we tell when we are practicing “grace giving”?

Paul indicated that there were a number of evidences that appear when GRACE MOTIVATES our GIVING:

I. When We Give in Spite of Circumstances (8:1–2)

When you have experienced the grace of God in your life, you will not use difficult circumstances as an excuse for not giving.

II. When We Give Enthusiastically – (8:3–4)

They were more than willing to share in the collection. They begged to be included! (8:4)

III. When We Give Because of our Commitment to God – (8:5-7)

NOTICE three things:

First, the key to grace giving is CONSECRATION – (v.5a)!

Second, consecration to God results in a COMMITMENT TO OTHERS – (v.5b)

2 Corinthians 5:15 CSB

15 And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the one who died for them and was raised.

And finally, grace giving is a MEASURE OF OUR MATURITY – (vv.6-7)!

IV. When Our Motive for Giving is Love – (8:8)

(v.8)– Our giving is one of the most accurate assessments of our love!

(NIV) – “I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others”.

(NLT) – “I am not saying you must do it, even though the other churches are eager to do it. This is one way to prove your love is real.”

(CEV) – “I am not ordering you to do this. I am simply testing how real your love is by comparing it with the concern that others have shown.”

Matthew 6:21–24 CSB

21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light within you is darkness, how deep is that darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

What is your eye seeing? Where, or upon what is your sight set?

1 John 3:17 CSB

17 If anyone has this world’s goods and sees a fellow believer in need but withholds compassion from him—how does God’s love reside in him?

This is not just a demonstration of our love, but of our very faith in God!

V. When We Give as Jesus Gave – (8:9)

Jesus Christ is the preeminent example for the believer to follow!

He lived His entire life according to the will of God, and for the sake of every believer who will ever name the Name of Christ!

(v.9) – “Though he was rich…” – Think for a minute what Jesus gave up to become the once-and-for-all sacrifice for our sin.

J. MacArthur, “As the second person of the Trinity, Christ is as rich as God is rich. He owns everything, and possesses all power, authority, sovereignty, glory, honor, and majesty.”

(v.9b) – “…for your sake he became poor”

The tense of the verb indicates that it is His incarnation, His birth at Bethlehem that is in view here!

AND NOT JUST AT HIS BIRTH…

Matthew 8:18–20 CSB

18 When Jesus saw a large crowd around him, he gave the order to go to the other side of the sea. 19 A scribe approached him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

Philippians 2:5–8 CSB

5 Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. 7 Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, 8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross.

(v.9c) – “…that you through His poverty might become rich.”

Romans 8:17 CSB

17 and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

We are now “joint heirs with Christ!”

BY THE WAY…This whole section is a mild reprimand to the Corinthians who were so enriched with spiritual blessings (1 Cor. 1:4–7a)!

They were so engrossed with the gifts of the Spirit that they had neglected the graces of the Spirit, including the grace of giving.

The Macedonian churches had an “abundance of deep poverty” (2 Cor. 8:2), and yet they abounded in their liberality.

The Corinthians had an abundance of spiritual gifts, yet they were lax in keeping their promise and sharing in the collection.

MY POINT IS THIS: We must never argue that the ministry of our spiritual gifts is a substitute for generous giving.

“I tithe my time, not my money!” or “I teach a Sunday School class, so I don’t have to give!” is not an explanation—it’s an excuse.

The Christian who remembers that his gifts are gifts will be motivated to give to others and not “hide” behind his ministry for the Lord.

I have read of pastors and missionaries who have argued that, since they devote their whole time in serving the Lord, they are not obligated to give.

Paul argued just the opposite: since you are wonderfully gifted from God, you ought to want to give even more!

Which brings us to a sixth measure of grace giving…

VI. When We Give Willingly– (8:10–12)

There is a great difference between promise and performance!

The Corinthians had boasted to Titus a year before that they would share in the special collection (8:6), but they did not keep their promise.

Note that in (8:10–12) Paul emphasized their willingness.

Grace giving must come from a willing heart; it cannot be coerced or forced.

Over the years, believers of all different backgrounds and denominations have endured many offering appeals.

Perhaps all of you sitting in this room have heard incredible tales of unbelievable needs.

You have endured old jokes that are supposed to make it easier to part with your money.

No doubt, you have been scolded, shamed, or intimidated into participating in some giving program.

Personally, I am inclined to give less when someone starts turning up the pressure!

Mark Twain once said that he was so sickened by the long appeal that he not only did not give what he planned to give, but he took a bill out of the plate!

While these approaches have enjoyed a measure of success, the question is, are these approaches biblical?

NO. Not if you are coercing folks into giving, or making a commitment.

Al Capone once said, “You can accomplish a lot more with please and a gun, than with just please alone.”

HOWEVER, if, under the prompting of the Holy Spirit, you have made a commitment to give, then you are obligated to follow through with that commitment!

In other words, if the willing is sincere and in the will of God, then there must be “a completion” (v.11b)

If our giving is motivated by grace, we will give willingly, and not because we have been forced to give.

NEXT WEEK…we will look at the final point (from chapter 8)

VII. When We Give by Faith– (8:13–24)