Graceful Generosity
Romans 12 8b, 2 Cor. 8: 1-7
Today we look at another spiritual gift in Romans 12:8b: “He who gives, with liberality.”
“A mother wanted to teach her daughter a moral lesson so she gave the little girl a quarter and a dollar for church: "Put whichever one you want in the collection plate and keep the other for yourself," she told the girl. When they were coming out of church, the mother asked her daughter which amount she had given. "Well," said the little girl, "I was going to give the dollar, but just before the collection the pastor said that we should all be cheerful givers and I knew I'd be a lot more cheerful if I gave the quarter, so I did." (Children’s message/Bits & Pieces, February 4, 1993, p. 23)
Now it is quite understandable that a child would have such misgivings about 2 Corinthians 9:7, where it says: “God loves a cheerful giver.” We’re going to spend a few minutes looking at the aspects of the gift of giving. We look at 2 Corinthians 8: 1-7 for an excellent illustration:
“Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, 2 that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. (same word that is in our text) 3 For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, 4 begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, 5 and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God…7 But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also.”
Proportionate Generosity
The gift of God’s grace and Spirit had been given to these impoverished and war torn churches in northern Greece…and yet their GIVING to those in need stands as a monument in Church History. Graceful giving is Proportionate Generosity, but what is it in proportion TO?
Mark 12:41:“Jesus sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury ; and many rich people were putting in large sums. 42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. 43 Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on." (Her giving was not proportionate to her wealth, was it? She only had a little, but gave all. Her giving was proportionate to her life: She gave everything, whereas others only gave out of their surplus.)
In the same way today in the Church, it is not uncommon for people with the Gift of Giving to testify to give far in excess of their Biblical tithe. It’s their experience that the more they give to God, the more God blesses them so that they are able to give again. (I AM NOT saying that they become rich because they give more than they have to. God blesses them with MORE to give because they have the Godly and Spiritual sense to give it where it is needed I have known several people in my lifetime who were very successful businessmen but who were paupers in this world’s goods. One husband and wife had 5 children of their own and adopted and fostered a dozen more and lived in little more than a shack and drove a 15 yr. old car.)
Here is a principle of proportionate generosity: Your giving is proportionate to your Resources. Be careful here! You can’t give MORE than you have, but most of the time, you can give more than you do. How did the Macedonian churches give BEYOND their ability? 2 Cor. 8:5 says ”they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.” Giving to the needy, and especially to other Christians in need is the result of God’s Grace. God provides the grace, the resources and the willingness to use them as He sees fit. Your giving is proportionate to the gift of God’s Grace and Your Gratitude to Him for what He has given. It is according to the measure of faith and grace given to you.
2 Cor 9:7: Each one must do just as he has purposed (chosen beforehand or beforetime) in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed ; 9 as it is written, "HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER." (I couldn’t help but think of the Beatitude: Blessed are the poor in spirit for THEIRS is the Kingdom of Heaven- poor in the things of this world, destitute spiritually, but find a righteousness, not of their own, but of the Lord Jesus!)
VERSE 10: “Now 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 ; 11 you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings (eucaristia) to God. 13 Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all, 14 while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace (Charis) of God in you. 15 Thanks (Charis) be to God for His indescribable gift! (Remember Charis (grace)? God’s grace, eucharisteo, thanksgiving to Him, and charismata, spiritual gifts; It’s all here in these verses.)
Pretense-free Generosity
The word used in our text for “liberality” is “Haplotçs” (hap-lot'-ace): It means “singleness, simplicity, sincerity, mental honesty. IMPORTANT: The virtue of one who is free from pretense and hypocrisy; not self seeking, openness of heart manifesting itself by generosity.” Graceful Generosity is Pretense-free Generosity. Graceful Generosity is not for personal gain or glory. It is accomplished not by coercion, but by charis (grace).
It’s Grace that naturally flows from a heart that has been regenerated and recreated by the Holy Spirit of God. (You could see that in 2 Corinthians 8-9 and you see it in 1 Thess. 2:8: “Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart (Metadidomi, the same word for give or impart in our text) to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.” You “let go” of what is yours for the welfare of others.
Listen to a few verses to understand this: Ephesians 4: 28: “He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.” The call to believers is not to rely on others but to share with others what God in His grace has supplied to you. Jesus said the same thing in Luke 3:11: "The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise." Matt. 5:42: “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”
Graceful giving is simplistic, it is single-minded: to build up others and to glorify God, and it is GOSPEL-centered. You freely give up of what you have for the welfare of others, supplying physical needs AS WELL AS THE GOSPEL: The two go hand in hand. If people are physically hurting and you bring the GOSPEL of Grace without SHOWING GRACE, it’s useless.
James 2: 14 tells us so clearly: “What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?”
The Pattern of God’s Generosity
Lastly, Spirit-filled, Graceful Generosity follows the Pattern of Christ and reflects the Glory of God’s Generous Grace BACK TO HIM. Obedience and gratitude to HIM in Graceful Generosity to others is the Pattern Our God and Savior just loves to see. Jesus’ Command in Mathew 10:8 was: “Freely (undeservedly, graciously) you received, freely (undeservedly and graciously) give (didomi).” Christ did not give to you because you DESERVED it; He gave because HE IS GOOD. How do we so quickly dismiss this point when it is time for US to give GENEROUSLY to others? I don’t think that we lack gifts, I think we lack in obedience to use them…”Lord, forgive us for holding onto what others need.”
Gracious generosity is in NO WAY limited to your wallet or checkbook: Here is Jesus command to those who are serious about following Him into His Kingdom in John 13:34: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” Love others as Christ loved you. I don’t hear a contingency clause in there, do you? No. We love one another the way Christ has loved us: gracious LOVE, generous love, no strings attached love: He gave Himself for us, but we have to HAVE the Love of Christ in us in order to EXERCISE the love of Christ to OTHERS on the outside. “Lord forgive us for NOT LOVING others as you have loved us; wash us with your Spirit and cleanse us by YOUR sacrificial love.” Romans 3:22 says: “for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace (Freely and undeservedly) through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.”
If a believer is challenged by being generous, I suggest that you Visit the CROSS more often, and see witness Jesus’ Generosity: Matthew 20:28: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
When God, by His Spirit, prompts your heart to give, then give with all your heart. Then just do it. If God speaks to your heart on a Sunday morning, make a plan to follow through on what He has directed before you even take another step. Our “good intentions” is not what God is seeking: He seeks obedience and holiness.
2 Corinthians 8:9: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that YOU through His poverty might become rich.” The Riches of His Grace is not a gift to be hoarded but shared. If you KNOW the grace of our Lord Jesus, you have GRACE to share generously with those who are still destitute and dying.
Yesterday’s “TODAY” devotional by Rob Toornstra said this: “Jesus wants our generosity to be motivated by love and gratitude. When our hearts are awash in the richness of God’s kindness to us, our natural response should be generous giving in all areas of life—time, talents, and treasure. We should give without regard for any recognition or reward. Jesus, who was infinitely wealthy, became poor for our sake. Through his poverty, we gain riches beyond compare!”
OUTLINE:
I. Graceful Generosity is Proportionate Generosity
(2 Cor. 8:1-7, Mk. 12:41-44, 2 Cor 9:7-15)
A. Giving is proportionate to your Resources.
B. Giving is proportionate to your Gratitude.
II. Graceful Generosity is Pretense-free Generosity
(1 Thess. 2:8, Ephesians 4: 28, Luke 3:11, Matt. 5:42, James 2:14-16)
A. Not for personal gain or glory, not by coercion, but by “charis”.
B. It is simplistic and single-minded: to build up others, to glorify God, and it is GOSPEL-centered
III. Graceful Generosity follows the Pattern of Christ.
(Matt 10:8, John 13:34, Rom 3:24, Matt 20: 25-28, 2 Cor 8:9)
A. Graciously you received, Graciously give!
B. Love others as Christ loved you.
C. Visit the Cross.
John 3:16: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:34-35: "For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure. 35 "The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand.
John 4:10 "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."
John 6:31: "Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness ; as it is written, 'HE GAVE THEM BREAD OUT OF HEAVEN TO EAT.'" 32 Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. 33 "For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world." 34 Then they said to Him, "Lord, always give us this bread."
John 10: 27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish ; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all ; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 "I and the Father are one."
John 14: 16 "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever ; 27: "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
