RESULTS OF GIVING. 2nd Corinthians 9 Paul was in Macedonia when he wrote this letter. He had made known the needs of believers in Jerusalem because of the dearth in the land. The Corinthians had known of it earlier and he told the Macedonians of the willingness of the Corinthians to send aid. The believers in Macedonia wanted to be a part of meeting that need so they had gathered all they could to send with Paul and others. He was going to travel through Corinth on his way to Jerusalem and would have some Macedonian brothers with him. By writing this letter he gave them the opportunity ahead of time to do what they said they would do but had neglected. Paul did not want them to be embarrassed if they had not gathered their “bounty” already and likely did not want to be embarrassed himself by them not having their gift ready.
Titus and two other brothers were sent by Paul to Corinth to encourage the Corinthians to fulfill the promises they had made. Those three trusted men would be able to wisely represent the spiritual interests involved in the giving of the Corinthian's substance for the benefit of other believers in need and would cheer them on to act on what they said they would do. Giving to God and to His people is really one and the same thing. We serve God when we serve His people. The grace of giving to God is not seen in the sense of competition as a fleshly challenge or some promotion that has been advertised. A spiritual response to a need that is known will not be that of grudging reticence but a glad privilege.
Paul was a man who was sensitive to the position and condition of others. He did not want his spiritual children to be ashamed because of not doing what they said they would do. There is probably no better evidence of spiritual growth in the things of God than in the area of giving to God. Giving of whatever nature it may be should be generous, done cheerfully on a regular basis in a systematic way. It should be proportionate to what we receive ourselves because we know all we have comes from God in the first place. The amount of the gift is not the major concern but rather the motive behind the gift.
Previously the believers at Corinth had been used as an example of zeal to the Macedonian saints. Now the reverse is happening. The believers of Macedonia who were very poor were used as examples to the Corinthian believers as a challenge to rise to the occasion and keep the promise that they made sometime before.
Enthusiasm at the beginning of a work for the Lord often prompts people to want to be involved, and they make commitments to support the work. However, between the initial interest and the glory of a successful completion, there are days, weeks, months, and sometimes years of hard drudgery in the work. When things are slow and nothing exciting is happening, we are in danger of overlooking our promise of commitment. When we make a commitment, we should fulfill that without having to be pressured to do what we said we would.
Our giving should be with consideration and careful thought, not just a quick reaction to something that comes to our attention. Love for God and His people is not haphazard emotion but is true, deep, and lasting. Giving to God should have a view of the beneficial effects that will result. “All grace” that abounds is the true blessings that become available to us when we share in true fellowship with God and His people.
The giving Paul wrote about in these two chapters was a service to fellow Christians who were going through very difficult times. Even though they were in a different part of the world, it was still a responsibility the Corinthians had taken on to meet. This kind of giving is called "ministering to the saints," reminding us who God's people are. No matter who they are, where they are, or the circumstances in which they find themselves, they are God's people separated unto Him. To assist them was the right response to meet their need. The gifts to them were described as a "bounty," or "that which is given liberally." This was considered to be a generous gift, not a demand or a response to guilt that was imposed on them. This prompting on the part of the apostle Paul and his fellow laborers was a challenge to them to act so that both Paul and the Corinthians themselves could avoid shame and embarrassment for neglecting what should be done.
Giving was never intended to be a complicated matter. It was and still should be, considered a privilege and a blessing. The guidance for giving and the principles on which we minister in this way are very simple. When we sow seed in a field, the amount of return we can expect to receive is in direct proportion to the amount of seed we plant. One other thing about a sowing time: when we are sowing the seed of grace-giving, other believers are prompted to sow their seed as well. Like the giving of the Macedonians prompted those in Corinth to give, so what is done as an investment in the work of God now, will bring benefits to many now and will be a blessing to many in the life to come. The blessings of the returns are in direct proportion to the amount given.
Another principle in sowing is not only that we reap what we sow in the measure to which we sow, which is the principle of increase, but the way we give, the principle of intention, is in relation to our motives. Do I give willingly or grudgingly? Do I give out of necessity or am I a "cheerful giver?" To be a joyful giver who is glad of the opportunity to give is more valuable than the amount of money or substance we give. Cheerful, generous giving reflects on our attitude toward God and our response to what He has given us. God gives us the resources for living and investing in the same way we sow seed in a field.
Things that endure forever are the blessings that result from doing cheerfully, enthusiastically, and honestly, the temporal things we are responsible for now. Blessings go to those who receive what we give and come to us because we were privileged to give to meet their needs. God Himself multiplies the “seed sown” that we give, and thanksgiving abounds from everyone involved, particularly God.
A Christian who holds tight to what he has is really a contradiction to the Gospel he professes. We are enriched and bless others at the same time we are giving. God gives to us so that we can give more bountifully. Out of the abundance of God's grace, He gives from His fullness what is needed to the joyful giver. He makes that abound in fruitfulness because of faith and grace that continues to increase, not decrease. This "service" supplies present needs and is a priestly ministry. This kind of grace isn't looking for a reason to give, but an opportunity.
When we honor the Lord with “our substance,” we give Him glory. If we withhold what we know and what He knows is right, we rob God. God is not poverty-stricken because all things are His, but there is a means appointed by God by which we support His work and workers. We will not lose out because of what we give to Him. When we give to Him, He gives back more abundantly in ways that are best to meet every need we might have.
This ministry of giving glorifies God and reflects the spirituality and submission of those who exercise it. They express in this way obedience to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and demonstrate love for the saints that is seen by those who look on. In this way those who give and those who receive as well as those who look on and see evidence of Christian love are all blessed. "God is no man's debtor." God's people are united when they become channels of blessing. Love is expressed by their giving and they become united in prayer as they bond together to meet the needs of which they become aware. Cultural and racial barriers are lowered as the grace of giving crosses those barriers. National differences are bypassed when needs are being met by those who care and joyfully give from what they have to further the well-being of God's family wherever they are.
The “exceeding grace of God” can be demonstrated in His grateful people when they exercise the grace of giving. God’s indescribable gift of His only begotten Son is the pattern and motive for our own giving. He is the first giver who selflessly gave Himself for us in the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ. When we have received such blessings as His gift has given us, it is only sensible for us to give and “abound in every good work.”
Self-interest does not represent the Lord Jesus Christ. He demonstrated in His life and provision for our deep need, what giving to God is really like. God's giving goes way beyond our ability to describe it. His unspeakable gift is one way the value of giving can be known. It is beyond our words to describe. His giving is unsearchable, beyond our understanding. It is unchangeable and beyond any acts of men. It is undefiled. Beyond our capacity to copy. It is unequaled; way beyond anything men have done. It is unmerited; far beyond what we deserve. It is unlimited - beyond our comprehension. But we can "render unto the Lord," by "taking the cup of salvation" and returning to Him with a sacrificial offering from our hearts. The grace of giving is one way we demonstrate what it means to us to be saved.
The principle of sowing and reaping is the same when we give to the Lord and support His servants. The generous giver will not suffer because God generously gives to us so we can continue to give to others. The “unspeakable gift” He has given to us is the greatest sacrificial gift He could make. It is beyond all comparison to whatever we might give.