GIVING FROM GOD’S GRACIOUS SUPPLY
Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on June 13, 2021 under 2021 |
Bethany Bible Church Sunday Message; June 13, 2021 from 2 Corinthians 9:6-9
Theme: Trusting completely in God’s gracious provision will change the way that we give.
(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).
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Over the past while, we’ve been studying together from 2 Corinthians 8 and 9; and from what they tell us about the apostle Paul’s words on the subject of ‘giving’.
Paul has had been giving these instructions because of a relief fund that the various churches were collecting together to help Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. The Corinthian church had also wanted to participate in this effort. And so far in these two chapters, Paul had been mainly either giving information to the Corinthians about the relief effort or giving specific instructions with regard to the collection of it.
But now, as we come to 2 Corinthians 9:6-9, we find that Paul spoke to the very heart of the Corinthian believers about this matter. You might say that he shined the spotlight upon God the Father—the great and sovereign Provider for His redeemed people; and then allowed that light to reflect back upon the hearts of the Corinthians with respect to giving. He wrote to them and said;
But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 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. As it is written:
“He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever” (2 Corinthians 9:6-9).
Without coming right out and saying so in these four verses, Paul was reminding the Corinthians that God the Father was their faithful Provider. And he was telling them that if they would remember the Father—and trust in His faithful provision—then it would completely transform the way that they gave. It would build up in them a whole new attitude toward giving. It would motivate them to give abundantly, and glad-heartedly, and confidently—and all with the assurance that God their faithful Provider would always take care of them.
In other words, he was encouraging them to think ‘theologically’ about giving.
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I suspect that one of the great problems that we often have personally with respect to the whole subject of giving toward God’s work—and I would include myself in this—is that we forget to think theologically about it. Too often, we think about giving from a strictly human, strictly ‘horizontal’ perspective. We tend to think about giving only in terms of whatever material resources we are able to lay our hands on at the moment, and of our own ability to get whatever we think that we might need later on, and of how giving right now might cost us in terms of what we will need in the future. That’s the way that the unbelieving world would think about such things. We become afraid of giving too much—and thus putting ourselves into a situation of need. And when it comes down to it, what we’re really doing is failing to take God Himself into account.
The Lord Jesus has taught us some remarkable things that require that we take the Father’s providential power into our consideration—and that we learn to trust in His promises. For example, in the Sermon on The Mount, He said;
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21).
Or He said this—in wonderful words that are always worth meditating on carefully:
“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (vv. 25-34).
Just think of it! The Lord Jesus teaches us to—from this day forward—cease from all worry about our daily provision, and to learn to trust continually in our Father’s care. Or think of these words from the Old Testament book of Malachi. In this amazing passage, God Himself urged His people to give faithfully to the work of the temple; and He even encouraged them to put Him to the test:
“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.
“And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes,
So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,
Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,”
Says the Lord of hosts;
And all nations will call you blessed,
For you will be a delightful land,”
Says the Lord of hosts (Malachi 3:10-12).
Words like these are remarkable; aren’t they? They have a ‘not-of-this-world’ kind of focus. They call us to a kind of action that necessarily requires that we trust the heavenly Father as our Provider—and to know that, as we go forth in obedience to Him, He will indeed keep His promises and provide whatever we need. These words are presented to us as absolute truth; and they teach us that we can give from out of whatever we have to meet the needs of others whenever God calls us to do so—and do so with complete trust in His power and in His care for us.
A disbelief in or a distrust of these promises from God would make us fearful. And such fear would make us tend toward being tightfisted and stingy. But a whole-hearted belief and a confident trust in these promises couldn’t help but transform the way we think about giving. And that’s really what the apostle Paul was calling the Corinthians to do with regard to giving. He wanted them to take the promises of our Father into full consideration, to trust that He will always be their Provider and Caregiver, and to let the theological truths of God’s sovereign and providential care for them change the way they think about giving.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ; interacting with this passage has convicted me that I don’t trust our heavenly Father enough. But I want my thinking to be changed. I want to think more ‘theologically’ about giving. And I hope you’ll join me in that desire. In our passage this morning, Paul is showing us something that is truly remarkable; and that is that trusting completely in God’s gracious provision will change the way we give.
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Now; look again with me at 2 Corinthians 9. Paul began in verse 6 by saying, “But this I say …” In the original language of Paul’s letter, the words “I say” are not present. He was literally saying, “Now this …” or “But this …”; and the idea is that he was calling his readers to look back on all that he had already written about this great relief project—all the practical ‘nut-and-bolts’ things that he had been telling them to do about it—and was now introducing something relevant to that whole theme. You can interpret what he was saying in this way, “Now, dear brothers and sisters; in respect to this whole matter of giving, bring this into your consideration.”
And then, what follows are three basic principles that spring forth from thinking ‘theologically’ about giving—and from completely trusting in God’s provision. We should take it into our consideration that, if we keep our eyes fixed upon the provision of our heavenly Father, then we will become motivated to do three things: to give abundantly (v. 6), to give gladly (v. 7), and to give confidently (vv. 8-9).
First, look at verse 6. Paul wrote and said, “But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” And in saying this, he was telling us that if we keep our heavenly Father in view, then …
1. WE’LL GIVE ABUNDANTLY, BECAUSE ‘GIVING’ REALLY MEANS ‘SOWING’ (v. 6).
Paul was using the language of a farmer. Back in his time, farmers would often be seen walking along the fields, reaching into a leather bag at their side, and casting seeds across the cultivated ground. This is called ‘broadcast sowing’; and it’s something that is still done in very many places around the world. And so, Paul is calling his readers to think of giving as something that is a lot like sowing seeds by casting them generously across the field.
Now; what if the farmer had looked into his bag and thought, “You know; these seeds are all that I have. And I don’t know what tomorrow may bring. I certainly don’t want to run out of seeds. Maybe I’d better be on the safe side and just carefully drop a few seeds here or there and keep the rest in the barn.” Well; of course, if he did that, he wouldn’t be a very good farmer. He wouldn’t be able to harvest much of a crop—if any crop at all. It’s not consistent with the nature and purpose of sowing to ‘sow sparingly’. A basic principle of sowing is that the more you sow, the more you reap. That’s the way it works.
And that’s the principle that Paul applied to giving. When our heavenly Father moves upon our hearts to give to His work in some way, we need to remember that it’s our job to sow, and it’s His job to cause the seed to take root and grow and produce a harvest. The principle always remains the same; that our faithful sowing leads to the growth He gives; and that growth leads to our eventual reaping. The more generously we sow, the more abundantly He will cause us to reap.
Paul was saying that, when it came to giving toward the work of God’s kingdom, the more generously someone gave, the more abundantly they would reap a harvest in God’s kingdom. He said, “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly …” But on the other hand, if they sow “bountifully”, they will also reap “bountifully.” The word “bountifully” is a translation of a phrase in the original language that basically means to sow “in accord with blessing”—that is, with a sense that their gift is, itself, a gift from God; and that it is a delight to give according to His rich benevolence. When the giver gives abundantly—with a sense of the unlimited blessing and benevolence of the God who richly gives all good things—then they will receive back from God in the same way that they gave.
This is in keeping with a principle that the apostle Paul spoke of in Galatians 6:7-10. It’s a universal principle in God’s kingdom:
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith (Galatians 6:7-10).
But this principle is even more clearly expressed in what the Lord Jesus Himself taught us:
“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38).
So, dear brothers and sisters; if we are thinking as ‘theologically’ about giving as we should be—if we are truly trusting in the ongoing provision of our heavenly Father—then it will change the way we give. We will no longer look at it as merely an act of ‘giving to a need’, but rather as an act of ‘sowing for the harvest’; and we will be encouraged to give more abundantly to the work of God’s kingdom—with the expectation of an abundant harvest from the Lord as a result.
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Another change that will come to pass in our giving—if we remember the abundant supply of God’s provision—is that …
2. WE’LL GIVE GLADLY, BECAUSE OUR SUPPLIER LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER (v. 7).
In verse 7, Paul went on to say, “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”
One of the most irreverent ways that we could give would be from out of a sense of grudging duty. In God’s household, no one should ever feel pressured or guilt-tripped into giving. When we give out of a sense of pressure or from a spirit of duty—with an attitude of “I don’t want to, but now I have to”—that really robs us of the blessing that God wants to give us. Such an attitude actually reflects a distrust in God’s ability to supply us with all that we need.
Now; I believe Paul’s words teach us to give thoughtfully—that is, with a certain amount of planning and determination. Each one of us is exhorted to give “as he purposes in his heart”. But this also teaches us that an important measure of the condition of our heart is that we are able to give gladly—with a sincerely willing and grateful attitude before God—thankful for the ways that God has given to us. That’s the kind of attitude in giving that God truly blesses. That, in fact, was the kind of motive that originally inspired the Corinthian Christians. The apostle Paul wrote about it in Romans 15:25-27. He told the believers in Rome;
But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints. For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem. It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things (Romans 15:25-27).
Twice in those words, Paul said that it ‘pleased’ them to do this. They did it because of a grateful sense of indebtedness to the Jewish people—not out of grudging duty, but out of thankfulness to God. That’s the attitude of giving that springs forth from a genuine sense of God’s provision.
Did you know that when Paul says that God loves a “cheerful” giver, he uses the Greek word hiloros? That’s the word from which we get the English word “hilarious”. It doesn’t mean, of course, that God wants us to be a bunch of silly people when we give. Rather, it means that He wants us to be “cheerful” and “happy”—and maybe even a little bit “excited” about it. It shows itself in those times when we feel the work of the Holy Spirit in us to say, “You know; we had originally decided to give this amount—but let’s get a little hilarious about it and give a little more!” That has happened to my wife and I quite a few times. We saw a need that we wanted to support; and we prayed about it, and she told me how much she was thinking that we should give, and I told her how much I was thinking that we should give; and then we both smiled and said, “Let’s double it!” And we felt the approval of the Holy Spirit. I don’t know if that qualifies as “hilarious” giving; but we sure find ourselves laughing a lot of times when it happens.
That non-grudging, non-dutiful, genuinely-cheerful, genuinely-glad kind of giving was clearly demonstrated in the gift that was given by the Macedonian believers. In writing about this great relief effort, Paul told the Corinthians in the beginning of Chapter 8;
Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God (2 Corinthians 8:1-5).
And so, here’s another way that our giving will be changed if we think ‘theologically’ about it. If we keep the rich providence of God our Father in view—and trust that He is able to give us all that we will ever need—then we will become ‘cheerful givers’. It won’t be a grudging duty anymore. It’ll be a pleasure—and we will even be motivated to be more generous than usual—because it’s all His and not ours. And it pleases Him when we give what is His in a generous and cheerful way.
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And there’s one more way that it will change the way we give; and that’s that …
3. WE’LL GIVE CONFIDENTLY, BECAUSE GOD IS ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR EVERY GOOD WORK (vv. 8-9).
If God is our Provider—and we are trusting in His provision—then we will never have to worry about whether or not we will drain His account dry. As Paul wrote in verse 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.” There’s a lot of “all-s” in there; isn’t there?—all grace abounding?—all sufficiency in all things?—for every good work? Our God is a great Provider!
And our confidence in God’s provision is what makes it possible to do the good work He calls us to do. Paul went on to quote from a verse from Psalm 112. And it’s very interesting that he does so; because it’s a psalm that describes the truly righteous and God-fearing person. It begins by saying;
Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
Who delights greatly in His commandments (Psalm 112:1).
It goes on to describe the righteous life of the person who is truly reverencing God—how they will be blessed with wealth and riches; but also that they will be “gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous” (v. 4); that they will deal “generously” and will lend to those in need (v. 5). And at the end of it all—in verse 9—it says;
He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever;
His horn will be exalted with honor (v. 9).
In other words, it is the character of a good, God-fearing person—who delights greatly in God’s commandments—to be blessed in such a way as to also be a generous and giving person. And Paul is saying that, if we will truly seek before God—in the power of Jesus Christ—to be such people, we can count on it that God will provide all we need to do all the good that He calls us to do. We can give abundantly, and gladly, and confidently in whatever way He desires for us to give; knowing that God is able to make all grace abound toward us, so that we always have all sufficiency, in all things, for an abundance in every good work. We can know confidently that God will support it; because it would be in keeping with the kind of people that God wants us to be.
This is very much reflected in the benediction of blessing that Paul goes on to give in the remaining verses of Chapter 9;
Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men, and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:10-15).
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Dear brothers and sisters; if we have been thinking of our giving as a duty and a chore, then let’s immediately repent. If it does indeed feel to us like a duty and a chore, it’s because we have not been thinking about God rightly, and have not been believing His promises as we should. We need to take a good, long, hard look at God once again; and let that view of Him change us.
So then; let’s begin to think ‘theologically’ about giving. Let’s remember Him as our Father through faith in Jesus Christ—who is also our rich, generous, faithful, abundant, sovereign Provider. Let’s keep Him front and center in our thinking. Let’s remember His provision as we should.
When we keep His providential care ever before us, it changes the way we give.
EA
