2 Cor. 8:1-15, GENEROSITY vs. stinginess (2)

e)    We considered heart attitudes that destroy generosity.  What heart attitudes in generosity bring honor to God?

i)      Luke 6:36: Mercy.  This comes at the end of a passage on loving your enemies (6:27-36) where love includes giving to those who ask of you (v30) and lending to those who cannot pay you back (v35).

ii)   1 Cor. 13:3: Love.  You can give to the poor, but if there’s no love it profits you nothing.

iii)            2 Cor. 8:1-5: Sacrifice (giving out of poverty) and total dedication or yieldedness to God (they gave themselves first, then gave their money).

iv) 2 Cor. 9:7: Cheerfulness.  Giving because we have to does not honor God.

v)    1 Chron. 29:5: Willingness.  Interesting that this is in the OT.  We think of giving in Israel as always the “tithe.”  But there were many opportunities for what we call “free will giving.”

f)    Prov. 11:24-25; Lk. 6:38; 2 Cor. 9:6: These passages deal with the “law of the harvest.”  From these passages we learn several things about this “law.”

i)      We receive more than what we plan.  Like the farmer, one seed sprouts wheat with several seeds.

ii)   Prov. 11:24 makes it clear that we are not required to give all we have.

iii)            God is the one who stands behind this law.  In other words, it is not the recipient of our generosity that is responsible for the return. 

iv) Scripture indicates the Lord’s return is not necessarily the same as the gift.  God’s blessing includes a promise to meet our needs (e.g. Mt. 6:25-34).  His return for our financial generosity might come in different ways. 

v)    In terms of giving to the poor, we ought to think of it as giving to the Lord (which it actually is); then the Lord will be the one who returns a harvest (Prov. 19:17; 28:27).

g)    Speaking of giving to the poor, the Bible has much to say about this subject.

i)      Who are the “poor?”

(1)                        Deut. 24:19-21: Orphans, widows, foreigners in the land (who of course had no inheritance) are in the “poor” category.

(2)                        1 John 3:17 indicates it refers to any brother with needs.

(3)                        James 2:15 says it is those short on the basics: clothes, food.

ii)   What kind of people give to the poor?  It is just those who are rich? No.

(1)                        Prov. 29:7: Righteous people care for the poor.

(2)                        Prov. 31:20: Part of the virtuous woman’s “ministry” involved giving to the poor.

(3)                        1 Tim. 6:17-18: AND those who are rich should help the poor.  And by the way, who are the rich?  They are anyone with the world’s goods, anyone with something to share (1 Jn. 3:17).