Lesson Twelve

“The Grace Of Giving”  

“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.”   (2 Corinthians 8:7)

The apostle Paul was calling upon the Corinthian Christians to abound in the grace of giving! He had just finished telling about the Macedonian Christians and the “grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia .” Their giving was outstanding, voluntary, and they even insisted on giving to help the poor saints in Jerusalem . He then calls upon the church at Corinth to do likewise. But then, he reminds them of something: “I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others.”(verse 8).

But what does giving have to do with successful money management? Can’t a person manage his money well and not give? Why should a person give his money away if he is trying to get it to grow? It would seem sensible that a person could save more money if he didn’t give it away. Do people, who are not Christians and who do not believe in giving to the Lord, prosper? The answer seems to be an obvious one! They seem to prosper and get ahead. The book of Job (21:7-16) seems to be dealing with this question. The book of proverbs ( 11:24 , 28) gives a general rule of thumb on these matters. The New Testament talks about the rich who would be punished (James 5:1-7). But they had become rich and lived in pleasure and luxury up to the point when James was writing about them.

But there is a strange phenomenon here—Even those who do not profess to be a Christian feel the need to give! There is something about giving that is rewarding, even for a worldly-minded person. Jesus’ statement on this matter would seem to be very true and accurate: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35 ). Even our government rewards those who give by allowing a tax deduction.

It should be painfully obvious, in spite of the above, that a Christian cannot manage his money properly without learning to give properly. The point of this chapter is to emphasize that giving is a grace that needs to be in the life of the Christian, but also God has decreed that those who do so will be blessed (2 Corinthians 9:8-11). Our proper giving is a basis upon which God will bless us. Giving is a part of our stewardship before God. The following quote from A. M. Burton will appropriately illustrate this thought:

“Early in life, I resolved to live in such a way that I might be a blessing to the church, the poor and needy, and to mankind in general, trusting the Lord who ‘is not slack concerning his promises.’ As I approach my eighty-seventh birthday, I am fully mindful that God has blessed me far beyond anything that I deserved or dared to hope to realize in this life. My years have been long and rich and full, and He has supplied me with the means to render aid to almost every good work that has come to my attention. I want to leave nothing behind me when I go to meet my Maker, except the treasures I hope I have laid up for me in heaven ‘against that day.’…….All that I have been privileged to accumulate and give to others has come through God’s blessings upon my efforts. I give Him all the glory. He has used me to minister to the needs of others in a wonderful way, and has answered the prayer that I made early in my business life.”

 

WHY SHOULD THE CHRISTIAN GIVE?

When Jesus sent his disciples out on the “limited commission,” he gave this final word of instruction to them: “Freely ye received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:5-8). Jesus taught a great principle, Those who are blessed are under obligation to be a blessing. Jesus had given to these apostles in so many ways. So, now He sends them forth to be a blessing to others….don’t be stingy with what you have to give! Following is a list of good reasons for Christians to give:

 

1)     Because God said to do it (Luke 6:38; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2; 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, etc.). God doesn’t need it, so it must be for our good.

2)     In giving, I am showing that I take serious my partnership with God (1 Corinthians 3:9).

3)     It is a concrete way of showing that I have put my trust in God and not in possessions (Luke 12:15).

4)     It shows my faith in God’s promises (Matthew 6:33).

5)     It proves my love for the Lord (2 Corinthians 8:8).

6)     It shows my concern for the Lord’s Cause (Matthew 6:33).

7)     It shows my concern for the needy and proves my religion to be genuine (James 1:27).

8)     It encourages others to give (2 Corinthians 8:1-5).

9)     It gives recognition from whence blessings come (James 1:17).

10) It helps me to deal with Covetousness, Greed, and the Love of Money (Luke 12:15; 1 Timothy 6:10). Hoarding money for self alone is condemned in the story of the rich fool (Luke 12:21). My priorities are kept straight understanding these admonitions.

11) It helps make me to be an approved faithful steward of God (1 Corinthians 4:2; Matthew 25:21).

12) It is a way of investing in the future, spiritually (Matthew 6:20ff). It is laying up treasures in heaven. They will receive me into everlasting habitations (Luke 16:9).

WHAT ARE THE REWARDS OF GIVING?

Another way to approach the question of why to give is to see the end results of such an act. The following will help one to see Biblically why he should give.

1)     It blesses the giver (Acts 20:35; Proverbs 11:24-25).

2)     It pleases the owner (God) (Proverbs 3:9-10; 2 Corinthians 9:7).

3)     It blesses others (relieves suffering, hunger, etc. )(Galatians 6:2, 10).

4)     It gives meaningful purpose for making money (Ephesians 4:28).

5)     It gives satisfaction (proves my ability to be a good manager)(1 Corinthians 4:2).

6)     It is a way of storing up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:20; Luke 18:22).

7)     It enables God to entrust more to my use (Matthew 25:21).

8)     We are promised a return (2 Corinthians 9:6; Malachi 3:10-12; Luke 6:38). Etc.

 

The sad thing is, in spite of the above promises, many do not give or their giving is far from being pleasing to the Lord. Many reasons or excuses could be given as to why people do not give, but the following will help to illustrate:

1)     They do not understand the principle behind giving.

2)     They do not plan their giving.

3)     They do not believe they can give and meet other obligations, such as: Educate their children, necessities of life, provide for old age.

4)     They do not trust in God’s promises (Matthew 6:33).

5)     They can not give and live a consumptive lifestyle.

6)     The flesh has the upper hand in the struggle between the flesh and the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-17). Their minds have been set on the wrong things (Colossians 3:1-3). They desire to only lay up treasures on earth (Matthew 6:19-21).

But what should be obvious to one who has made Christ the Lord of His life—when we do not give, we rob God, but we also rob ourselves! (Malachi 3:10; Acts 20:35). Ignorance, fear, and unbelief can be of great harm to us spiritually.

CONCLUSION

The love of God prompted Him to give His Son to provide Eternal Life for mankind (John 3:16; 1 John 4:9-10). Jesus gave Himself for our redemption (1 John 3:16). God’s care is daily given to each of us whether Christian or not (Matthew 5:45). To be like God, we have to learn to GIVE!

 

Homework

TRUE FALSE

Q1. The liberal giver will definitely wind up with less money (2 Corinthians 9:8-11). True False

Q2. Love and Giving are both referred to as a Grace (2 Corinthians 9:7). True False

Q3. God causes the unbeliever not to prosper. True False

Q4. It is much better to be on the receiving end of a gift, not on the giving end. (Acts 20:35). True False

Q5. To fail to give is a form of thievery (Malachi 3:10). True False

Q6. Only the rich are told to give to the poor (1 Timothy 6:17-19; Ephesians 4:28). True False

Q7. Giving should be done with cheerfulness (2 Corinthians 9:7). True False

Q8. We should give to God because he needs our money. True False

Q9. It is alright to encourage others to give on the basis of example of other liberal givers (2 Corinthians 8:1-7). True False

Q10. Giving is a way to show I trust in God (Matthew 6:33). True False

Tell us what you think of this lesson: (Optional)

Get your test Auto Graded by clicking "Submit Test" button