What Ministry Is All About, Part 12
In our message, GOD’S INDESCRIBABLE GIFT (2 Cor. 8:16-9:1), we resumed our study in the book of Second Corinthians- now focusing on the grace of giving. Two weeks ago, God gave us two examples there on how to give: the Macedonian churches north of Corinth (2 Cor. 8:1-7) and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself (2 Cor. 8:8-9). God wants this “grace” of giving to “abound in” our lives (2 Cor. 8:1, 7). But this only can be done when we “first [give ourselves] to the Lord” (2 Cor. 8:5; Eph. 5:18; Gal. 5:16; Rom. 12:1-2, etc.) so we can be freed from ourselves and other things to give to others (Gal. 5:17-18; Rom. 7:18, 24-25, etc.).
To encourage the Corinthian church to follow through on their promise from a year ago (which up to this point had been lacking), Paul sent a delegation of three persons ahead of him to ready their gift: “Titus” who was Paul’s “fellow worker,” and two other unnamed but thoroughly trusted brothers identified as “messengers of the churches to the glory of Christ” to oversee and make sure the gift was managed well (2 Cor. 8:10-23; Acts 20:4; Rom. 16:21, etc.). Paul did not travel with the gift here and was not in direct oversight of it to avoid the appearance of evil (2 Cor. 8:21; Prov. 3:4, etc.). In addition to this, he told the Corinthian church “whomever [they approved]” from their members could travel to Jerusalem as well to be sure God’s resources were handled in an above-board way (1 Cor. 16:3).
All eyes were now on the Corinthian brothers (2 Cor. 8:24). Would they keep their promise or be ashamed when Paul came to them on his third visit? (2 Cor. 9:3-4; 13:1, etc.). Paul, once again, sent this delegation to them ahead of time because they had not been doing what they promised from a year earlier (1 Cor. 16:1-2; 2 Cor. 8:10-11; 9:2, etc.). Christian giving is always to be done “NOT AS A GRUDGING OBLIGATION” but out of grace (2 Cor. 9:5, caps my emphasis; 1 Cor. 3:13-15; 4:5; 2 Cor. 8:3-5, etc.).
When the Bible says our gifts should be as we “purpose… in [our] heart [and] not grudgingly [because]… God loves a cheerful giver,” the word for “cheerful” in the Greek is ἱλαρός or hilarós from which we get the word hilarious in English (2 Cor. 9:6-7). All Christian giving is to be willful, merry, voluntary, and joyful- which can only be done as we abide in God’s love realizing more and more His goodness and grace to us (Luke 6:38; Rom. 8:32, etc.). He is the “indescribable gift” too wonderful for words to explain (2 Cor. 9:15) as He has showered grace on us both in our salvation (justification when we first trusted in Jesus and were heaven-bound) but also in our lives today as He fills us with His Spirit (John 17:17, etc.), and one day in our glorification when He comes for us (Rom. 8:30, etc.). A “gift,” by the way, is “grace” and not “works” by definition (Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 11:6; 2 Cor. 9:15; John 3:16, etc.).
“GOD IS ABLE TO MAKE ALL GRACE ABOUND” in us when we trust Him and let Him give through us (2 Cor. 9:8, caps my emphasis again). That means when we give, we experience Him more deeply and are given the ability to give even more… God is everlasting and all gifts done by Him through us will result in eternal reward going into His kingdom (2 Cor. 9:9; Ps. 112:9; Phil. 2:12-13; Heb. 12:28-29; 1 Cor. 3:13-15, etc.). He can “increase the fruits of [our] righteousness” and make us more like Jesus today (2 Cor. 9:10), so that other people give “thanksgiving… to God” and He is glorified (2 Cor. 9:11-12). That is, Christ’s love manifested through sacrificial giving advances the gospel (John 3:16; 17:21; 2 Cor. 9:13-14; 1 Cor. 13:1-8; Rom. 12:9, etc.). “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (1 Cor. 9:15) *For more information on this message, please see SBFC’s April 27, 2025 sermon above.