2 Corinthians 9 -- Grace Giving, Part 2

"Having explained grace giving to them, Paul then tried to motivate them to get involved in the special offering; he did this by sharing five encouragements," my commentary said.

     1) Your giving will provoke others:  "A zealous Christian can be the means of stirring up a church and motivating people to pray, work, witness, and give ... yet remember that one of the basic principles of giving is to give secretly to the Lord (Matt. 6:1-4).

     2) Your giving will bless you:  "The good measure He gives back to us is not always money or material goods, but it is always worth far more than we gave.  Giving is not something we do, but something we are ... In grace giving, our motive is not to get something, but receiving God's blessings is one of the fringe benefits."

(Follow these principles:  "the principle of increase:  we reap in measure as we sow; the principle of intent:  we reap as we sow with right motives; the principle of immediacy: we reap even while we are sowing.")

     3) Your giving will meet needs:  "When a Christian starts to think of excuses for not giving, he automatically moves out of the sphere of grace giving ... Grace never looks for a reason; it only looks for an opportunity."

     4) Your giving will glorify God:  "It might be good for our churches to take inventory to see if anybody is giving thanks to God for our obedience and generosity ... There must be a balance of sharing the gospel and meeting practical needs ... It is difficult to preach the gospel to a hungry man."

     5) Your giving will unite God's people:  "It is sad when our giving becomes a substitute for our living ... When a Christian practices grace giving, his money is not a substitute for either his concern or his service.  He first gives himself to the Lord and then he gives what he has.  His gift is a symbol of the surrender of his heart."

Father, thank You for Your great blessings in giving back to me as I practice grace giving.  Remind me often that I can never outgive You.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford