“God Loves a Cheerful Giver.”

“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Cor. 9:6-7 ESV)

I think it’s clear that from the teachings of Jesus and from the New Testament letters that we bring honor to God by being a generous people. Chapters 8 and 9 of 2 Corinthians offer excellent teaching on this topic.

It is unfortunate that for many years, churches have taught that Christians are obligated to give a “tithe” or a tenth of their income to the church and that if we don’t, we will be “robbing God” (that is, Old Testament Law). That just isn’t true for new covenant believers and isn't taught in the New Testament letters of Paul and the other authors. The truth of the matter is actually pretty simple, we are taught that because we understand how generous our God is, how He supplies all of our needs, and gives us more than we need, that we have the privilege to participate in His blessing others by giving part of what He has given us to support the local church and to give for special needs.

The giving that Paul is talking about in Chapters 8-9 is a special offering that was being given by the primarily “gentile” churches throughout Achaia (Corinth), Macedonia (Philippi), Asia Minor (Ephesians) and Galatia (Galatians) and their surrounding regions for the support of the Judea (Jerusalem) primarily for Jewish believers that were going through a severe famine. Paul takes the opportunity, while writing to the Corinthians, to mention the blessing of giving to support other believers during times of stress.

Notice 8:1-2, “We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part”.  Keep reading. You will see that the churches of Macedonia (Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea) “begged” Paul for the “favor” or privilege of participation in the support of the saints in Jerusalem. You see, these believers in Macedonia, as a whole, were not wealthy; they were normal people just like you and me, but they had the grace of God working mightily in their hearts, and they knew they were being offered the privilege to participate in God’s blessing to the believers in Jerusalem. They felt honored that God would use them to show how marvelous He was in providing for the believers in famine.

In 8:8 and 9:2, Paul states that over a year ago the Corinthian believers desired to help support their brothers in Jerusalem, and now Paul reminds them that they have the opportunity to give to this special need. You see the example of the Macedonian believers freely giving out of love, understood 9:6 “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” This is a universal truth about God’s people that has proven true throughout the ages: if we trust God and give of our excess to others, God sees our hearts and will bless us. However, Paul is quick to say that giving is not an obligation; the believer is not obligated to give to receive God’s blessings. Grace does not work like that; grace is God reaching out to us to bless us, to forgive us, to love us first.

In 9:7, Paul states, “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver”.  Now that is new covenant giving, that is grace giving, that is what God loves to see from His people, giving out of a heart full of gratitude, a heart overflowing with love because we know what He has done for us.  If our churches today were to start teaching grace giving, and if our people were to understand that we can’t out-give our God and start giving out of a cheerful heart, then there would be no limit to what God’s church could do for God’s people and to share God’s grace with the unsaved.

So, believer, please spend some time reading these two chapters and begin to understand God's mercy and grace in your lives. And whatever the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Jesus speak to your heart about giving, do it cheerfully. For God loves a cheerful giver.

"Living in Grace is not about what I can do, but about what Jesus has already done!"