Jesus taught us not only to give but taught us the attitude and heart it that it should be done!
2 Corinthians 8:1 Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia : 2 that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. … 7 But as you abound in everything; in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us; see that you abound in this grace also.
God calls His children to abound in the grace of giving! Let the divine influence of God direct your giving. The new covenant clearly brings compelling truths for giving with the attitude of Jesus Christ. Abound in the grace of giving. Poor, rich, or somewhere in between God is pleased when His children are givers. Notice the Macedonians gave in their deep poverty.
2 Corinthian 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
Jesus Christ was selfless in the degree to which He gave. For God so loved the world that He gave… The Word has much to say about our giving and the motive we do it with; however, this passage points to the proper motive for giving very clearly! Jesus robed Himself in human flesh and took on our poverty that you and I might become rich. In our faith, in speech, in knowledge, and in our giving God’s demonstration of love should be the compelling force.
2 Corinthians 8:12 For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have. 13 For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; 14 but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack; that there may be equality. 15 As it is written, "He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack."
God does not want us to learn about giving so that we might be burden while other have great abundance. God does want the believer to give with a willing mind. The priority is have a willing mind first!
2 Corinthians 9:6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
Sowing and reaping are part of the covenant of grace! Sowing sparingly will give you a sparing harvest; sowing bountifully will also reap a great harvest! This is a God idea that has superseded even the change of covenants. The degree to which you give is the degree to which you receive; wisdom asks do you want to receive bountifully? God wants our giving to be done from the heart of cheerfulness. Grudge giving or because you have to is a heart that has not grown and matured into graceful giving.
The promise is firm; God will make all grace abound toward you. Bountiful giving will reap of harvest having all sufficiency in all things! Your sufficiency will be so great you will have an abundance for every good work.
1 Corinthians 9:3 My defense to those who examine me is this: 4 Do we have no right to eat and drink? 5 D o we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? 6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working? 7 Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock? 8 D o I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain." Is it oxen God is concerned about? 10 Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11 If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? 12 If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more? Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar?
The believer’s giving is to support the work of the ministry. Pastors, prophets, teachers, apostles, and evangelists have a right to expect to make a living from the gospel in which they labor.
1 Corinthians 9:14 Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.
Graceful giving is supporting the ministry of the kingdom. 1 Corinthians 9 teaches the ministers has a right to live from the gospel. The apostle Paul declared that the Lord commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel. Oh, we should be careful to take care of the man of God who God has given us!
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LOR D with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. 7 D o not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LOR D and depart from evil. 8 It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. 9 Honor the LOR D with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.
Human reasoning may come up with many reason not to be givers; however we have been called to lean to our own understanding. The wisdom of God is to honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first firstfruits of your increase; the promise is barns of plenty and vats overflowing! Giving always brings the promise of provision. I know many in the body of Christ have abused the sheep and have manipulated the word of God out of context for their own gain. However, because the truth has been abused does not mean we can ignore or throw out the truth. Jesus warned the Pharisee about taking from the widow for their own gain; he declared they would be facing great judgment.
Matthew 6:1 "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 "Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3 "But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,…
Giving should always be a matter of intimacy between you and God. Rather it is praying, reading the word, fasting, or our giving it should be done unto our God. Our charitable deeds should be acts of obedience toward the Father. D on’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing! Have you heard of receiving the right hand of fellowship? Our doings should be centered around the motive of doing it before God and not man! If the difference between the left and right hand are man’s glory or God’s glory, may we ever be doing acts with the right hand of fellowship from God. Our giving should not be done for human carnal reasons to our own glory; our charitable deeds should be motivated from the compelling love of God to His glory.
Matthew 6:19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 "but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Earlier it was stated that the word of God has much to say about giving. This passage is a measuring stick of where your heart is. It is simple, where are you laying up your treasures, that is where your heart is. What a man gives his time and treasure to is the revealing of where his heart is at. If your heart is not measuring well with the Word, let God change your mindset. Open your heart to giving into the kingdom of God .
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