Giving to be WHOLE

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

INTRODUCTION

How does one develop a happy spirit about giving? Church leaders throughout the ages have faced the same challenge that confronted Paul. In today’s verses, Paul presents four principles that are not directed to the Corinthian church as a whole but to individuals. Developing a giving heart starts at the individual level. The passage in 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 stands as a cornerstone for understanding the spiritual and practical significance of giving within the Christian faith. Paul, writing to the church in Corinth, emphasizes that giving is not merely a financial transaction but an act of worship that reflects the condition of one’s heart. With the imagery of sowing and reaping, Paul reminds us that generosity yields abundant blessings—not just material but spiritual.

2 Corinthians 9:6–15 ESV

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 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!

SCRIPTURAL ANALYSIS

The backdrop here is that there’s been a famine in Jerusalem. There are many people there who are in need. Paul is going to Asia Minor and the churches in that area to raise money. He’s asking for money from the Christians there to give money to do famine relief in Jerusalem. Therefore, if you look carefully, you’ll see that Paul says this generosity's impact will be two-fold. Not only will there be people who are physically fed, but secondly, we see, for example, in verse 13, that radical generosity will also lead people to praise God.

Verses 6-8

Paul’s first point draws on a well-known analogy from farming: those who sow sparingly will get a spare harvest, and those who sow generously will get a generous harvest. No farmer considers sowing a loss of seed because the harvest will provide the seed for the next season. Consequently, no sower begrudges the seed he casts upon the ground or tries to scrimp by sowing as little as possible. He willingly sows all he can and trusts that God will bless the sowing with a bountiful harvest. If the farmer, for some reason, skimps on the sowing, he will cheat himself of that harvest. The more he sows, the greater the harvest he will reap and the more he will have for sowing for the next harvest. Applying this analogy to giving means plentiful giving will result in a harvest. But what kind of harvest is reaped by generosity?

Paul goes out of his way to avoid giving the impression that he is trying to force this project upon them. What the Corinthians are to do is clear, but Paul does not immediately tell them to do it. This approach means that if they comply, they will do so out of obedience to their Lord who gave himself for them, not out of obedience to Paul.

In the Old Testament, giving reluctantly or under compulsion is portrayed as canceling any benefit that could be received from the gift, while giving with a glad heart promises a reward from God. Scripture assumes that what is crucial is the attitude of the one who gives, not the amount. God, who knows and appraises our hearts, values only those gifts that come as a free expression of the deepest part of our souls. Gifts given under external compulsion will always be halfhearted at best. That is why the amount makes no difference if given with a glad heart.

God is lavishly generous and abundantly supplies us with everything necessary to have enough for our needs and to be generous with others. Paul assures them that God will always supply them with plenty for their needs. Reluctance to sow generously, then, reflects a refusal to trust that God is all-sufficient and all-gracious. It also assumes that we can only give when we are prospering and have something extra that we will not need for ourselves. Paul says that at all times God provides us with all that we need so there is never any time when we cannot be generous.

VERSE 9

The Greco-Roman culture assumed that giving anything to the poor was pointless. The only repayment he could make was with his praise, which was worthless. The biblical concern for those in abject poverty differs markedly from this view. In the Old Testament, showing benevolence to the poor and needy is a sign of righteousness. Giving to the poor was beneficial to both parties.

VERSES 10-15

The righteousness we become through Christ’s sacrificial death (5:21) works itself out in our sacrificial generosity to others. A lack of generosity calls into question whether or not we have truly received the righteousness of God. Paul’s point is that God makes us righteous through Christ and gives us seed money for a harvest of generosity. The more we sow, the greater the harvest, and the greater the harvest now, the greater the harvest will be in the future. The problem with being tight-fisted is that the closed fist prevents us from receiving more from God. God is generous in giving people wealth so they may be generous with others. What we do with our money becomes a litmus test for our relationship to God. Giving to others becomes a thanks-offering to God that multiplies itself. We thank God for what we have received; others thank God for what they have received from us.

Gift-giving was the primary way friendship was established in the ancient world, and Paul anticipates that the gift will create a bond between Jewish and Gentile Christians. Their hearts will go out to you, and they will offer up intercessory prayers on your behalf.

The words of thanksgiving conclude Paul’s appeal to the Corinthians to renew their ardor for the undertaking and to fulfill their promise. They reveal that “all Christian giving is carried out in the light of God’s inexpressible gift.” Remembering thankfully Christ’s sacrifice (8:9) and God’s grace, which human words fail to capture fully, should cause them to finish the preparations for their gifts diligently, unselfishly, and cheerfully. Their gift models the kind of inexpressible gift God gave them.

TODAY’S KEY TRUTH

Giving Makes Us WHOLE.

APPLICATION

In our scripture, Paul appeals to a proverb to make the point that bountiful giving leads to bountiful rewards; stingy giving leads to stingy rewards (9:6). Second, he cites Scripture to encourage giving generously and freely because God loves a cheerful giver (9:7). Third, he refers to God’s readiness to provide all that is necessary for generosity (9:8–10). Paul reassures those who might worry that they do not have enough seed to sow to attain a rich harvest. God will provide all that they need. Fourth, he maintains that their generosity will bring a great harvest of thanksgiving to God (9:11).

This passage reveals that giving should flow from a willing and cheerful heart, not compulsion or reluctance. It challenges believers to trust in God’s provision, recognizing that He supplies both the resources to give and the grace to give abundantly. Paul also highlights the communal and missional impact of generosity, showing how it meets needs, inspires gratitude, and glorifies God.

Ultimately, 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 invites us to see giving as an opportunity to participate in God’s work, to bless others, and to experience His overflowing grace. It is a call to cultivate a spirit of generosity that mirrors the indescribable gift of God’s love in Christ. Through cheerful giving, we not only reflect God’s character but also deepen our faith and joy in Him.

Giving Makes Us WHOLE.

CONCLUSION

What do I mean by saying that giving makes us WHOLE?

First, giving is an act of WORSHIP.

If you read in Genesis 28 you’ll find Jacob become the first to deal with the issue of giving. In essence, Jacob was saying, because God protects and provides for me, I will set up an altar, which we recognize as a place of worship and sacrifice, and return unto God one-tenth what was given to Jacob. Giving is an act of WORSHIP.

Jacob was not motivated by commandments, laws, or decrees. He was motivated by thankfulness and gratitude for what God was doing in his life. When we give our tithe, we are literally saying, "THANKS, GOD." Thanks for taking care of my everyday needs of food, water, and shelter! Thanks for providing for my family. Thanks for allowing me to have and accomplish these things in my life.

Giving is an act of worship. When you come and return to God a portion of what He has given you, you are indeed worshiping Him for providing all that you have. Yes, even placing your gift into the offering boxes or online can be an actual act of worship. Giving is a way to echo Paul’s words: “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”

Giving is a recognition of HOLINESS.

Our scripture says, “He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever."

God is a Holy being. As we have sung in the past God is Holy, Holy, Holy. Giving is a holy act. The fact is that when we give to God, it is received as being holy. It is consecrated and sacred because God is holy, not us.

No one knows me better than myself. I know there is very little, if anything, about Dennis Long that is Holy. If someone asks me how I know, Dennis, if you have messed up or sinned, all I have to say is that the proof of that is found by the clock hands moving. I make mistakes on a daily basis and hourly basis. Nothing I do can be called perfect. And yet God not only receives our giving, but He calls it HOLY!

So often, we forget God’s true nature, Holy and pure: no sins, no character flaws, no mistakes or errors. God could look upon us, see our sins, and reject us for eternity because He is pure and Holy. Yet He showers us in His love and prepares an eternal home. Our giving is called Holy because our gift is a recognition and statement of honor in recognizing God’s Holiness.

Giving is an act of OBEDIENCE.

Our scripture begins with, “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”

We are reminded of what we are called to be: a reflection of God’s gift and generosity. God has placed a call upon our lives, and it is our choice whether to respond obediently or not. When you give you are following through with an act of obedience to what God has taught. But obedience is not just about doing as we are called to do. It is about something deeper.

In the 14th chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus states, "If you love me, you will obey what I command. Whoever has my commands and obeys them is the one who loves me." Jesus says that if we truly love Him, we will obey Him. If we have an area of our lives where we are not obedient to God, it is not because we have an obedience problem; it is because we have a love problem.

When God tells you to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, that means with all you are. Giving is an act of obedience, which is a declaration of love. Giving to support the work of God is a bold statement to the world, regardless of what the world says: I love God. Obeying God’s commands is a bold declaration for all to see.

Giving is a pronouncement of LOVE.

A certain young man asked Jesus, Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus answered. No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother. All these I have kept since I was a boy, he said. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor; you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. When he heard this, he became despondent because he was a man of great wealth. What do you love more than God? Is it your business? Maybe it's your hobby? Perhaps it's a sport or even a relationship. The bottom line is that God is the giver of all good and perfect gifts, and though he’s given you your job, your business, and your leisure time, if we set any of these above God, He’s asking us to rid ourselves of them so that He might take His rightful place which is first place in our lives!

As we just said, giving is a declaration of Love. It is one way of saying we love God, and it is a pronouncement that we realize God does love us. God has shown us more love than we can ever fully express.

When we give to God, it is not to earn more of His love, favor, or salvation. Nothing we do will cause him to love us any more or any less than he already does. Actually, the gifts and money we give to God are done out of response to his love for us. God sent his son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for all of us. Such great love and such great compassion demand and deserve a response from his people.

Giving is an act of EVANGELISM.

Look at our scripture one last time. “Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.”

So often, as we pray, we ask God to use the gifts to spread His message of salvation. Paul writes here that because of what we give in generosity and in testimony, people will hear the gospel. Not all of us agree with everything that is associated with the SBC. But one thing that we as Southern Baptist believe in is sharing the gospel. Through what is called the CP, Southern Baptist Churches across the country and around the world bring our resources together to accomplish one thing: spread the gospel of Christ’s salvation and love. As individuals we can come together and give so that as a larger body we reach more people. We have one thing that can unite our diverse denomination: the evangelistic nature of our giving.

Giving is our way of saying we believe in sharing the gospel. We have received a gift from God and wish to share it with the world. By giving, we are saying we want to be part of the greatest cause ever given to man, which is evangelizing the world with the message of God’s salvation.

Giving Makes Us WHOLE.

The Bible says there can be no significant spiritual growth unless you put your money and your attitude toward it into God’s hands. God says, “You come to me because you want to mean because you want renewal, because you want strength, because you want forgiveness and salvation. If you want me in your life, then you have to let me talk to you about your money.” For God to change our lives we have to give Him all of our lives. Our whole life must be surrendered.

Giving Makes Us WHOLE.

Giving is about our relationship with God. We worship God, we acknowledge His Holiness, we act obediently, we make a statement of love, and we help spread the gospel through evangelism.

God says, “I want to put blessings into your hands, but I can’t put it into a clenched fist. Your fists are tight, clenched around your possessions, afraid you’re going to lose them. Open your hand up. I can’t put my blessing into a tight fist. Let go of your things, and when you see what I’ve put into your hands. Look what happened when Jesus opened his hand. Wait until you see what I put down into your heart, and into your hand, when you finally let go. Let go! Come change your life and come change the world.” When we give our Whole lives to God, God makes us whole.

Giving Makes Us WHOLE.