The Grace Of Giving! By James L Lantz
The heavenly Father is the greatest giver of all time! For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. God’s great gift to the world was not recognized by all but those of us who have received Jesus are most grateful.
1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Are you aware of the magnitude of this great salvation? God made Jesus, the sinless One, to be made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him! Giving is The greatest act of love! Jesus has now commanded all of us who received Him to lay our lives down for our brothers and sisters in Christ. John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Those of us who have been born from above have a new nature and we now have the love of God inside us. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
The Spirit of God through Paul calls the Corinthian believers desire and willingness to give to their fellow believers need a grace from God that they should excel in. 2 Cor. 8:7 Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. Apparently these believers had taken a firm hold on the word of God in the area of faith. When they heard that you receive from God through faith they paid attention to their ministers and learned what faith is, how faith comes, and how to release their faith. It appears they understood that faith works by love as evidenced in their love for their brethren. The ability to preach and teach, or to communicate Christ redemption to a friend, or speak in tongues, or prophecy are all part of the grace of utterance. Having knowledge of the God who made all things, and whom all things were made for, and that it is by Him that all things consist is a grace given by God. King Nebuchadnezzar had to learn that God is the one who establishes kings and and removes them. So we also need to recognize that God has graced us with the grace of giving and exhorted us to abound in this grace as well.
This portion of the second Corinthian letter is an exhortation to us in our giving today as well as insight into what God accepts and appreciates. The very first lesson we learn starting in chapter eight is that liberality is not as much about the amount we give as it is about the percentage and mostly about our hearts desire and willingness to help. In our society today there are many that think the rich should do the giving and usually rich is defined as those who have more than we do. Jesus clearly debunked this wrong thinking when He and His staff were observing what people were giving into the temple treasury. Many that were rich gave large amounts but when a certain poor widow gave two mites Jesus called His staff over and explained to them that she was the biggest giver there. Mark 12:43 And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: Mark 12:44 For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living. Perhaps she will share with us someday, just how big her harvest was for giving those two mites. Since Jesus declared how she gave more than all the others it stands to reason that her harvest was multiplied many fold. Investing in God’s work brings a great harvest!
The very minimum amount of return on our giving is when we give to the poor and the Lord pays us back. Pro. 19:17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again. Pro. 28:27 He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse. Jesus said that when we give to our enemies and to those who can not repay us that God would see to it that people would give more back to us than what we gave. Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. Be on the alert for whom God would want you to bless and be an expression of the goodness of God! David the Psalmist writes that he that considers the poor will be delivered in his time of trouble. The Lord will preserve and keep him alive, bless him in the earth and not deliver him over to the will of his enemies. The LORD will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him to full health. ( Psalms 41:1-3 ) Deliverance, protection, blessing, and healing is beyond what money can buy! The Lord speaks of sharing our bread with the hungry, bringing the homeless into our house, clothing the naked, caring for our kinfolks, and other things that bring illumination and cause our healing to spring up speedily. Isaiah 58:8 ESV Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. The Lord did say that it is better to give than to receive!
There is great reward for those who commit to do their part in fulfilling the great commission. As soon as the good news is preached in all the world and God has received of the precious fruit of the earth the end will come. James 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. God has given His best in the giving of His Son and He continues to give extravagantly to those who commit to preaching and sending this gospel to the world. Jesus declared that everyone who left their home or family to do His bidding or for the sake of the gospel would be rewarded a hundredfold here in this earth and with this blessing would come persecution.
Mark 10:29 . . . Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s,
Mark 10:30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
God is not a bit like the devil who only comes around to steal, kill, and destroy. The only eternal reward that satan has to offer is to be a joint heir with him in the lake of fire. God sent Jesus to give us life and that we might have it more abundantly! God is a rewarder and a giver of good and perfect gifts. This hundredfold harvest is not only for Peter and Paul, but God’s plan to multiply back to each person who partners with His mission of offering redemption to every person. David made it a statute an ordinance in Israel that those who stay with the stuff get an equal share of the spoils of the battle. Paul writes to his partners at the church of Philippi saying that they are partakers of his grace! Later Paul writes that they are the only church that partnered with him in his travels. (Phil. 4:15) Jesus said that we have access to a prophet’s reward by receiving and helping him. (Mt. 10:41) This grace of giving is not just for the apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher but for all who embrace the vision, the work, and the leaders that God has called us to. This is our day of visitation!
