Giving, Gratitude and Grace; Gal. 6:6-8
Galatians 6:6-8 NASB “The
one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches
{him.}
The doctrine of grace giving (Summary)
1.
Giving is a part of
every believer’s worship of God and is based on personal response to the grace
of God. 2 Cor 8:1, NASB “Now, brethren, we {wish to} make known to
you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia.” Paul
is encouraging the Corinthians to pay aside on a weekly basis a certain amount
of money, and then when Titus would come through to collect that money it was
to go back to
2.
We see that grace giving
is not related to the depth of finances in the bank account but is related to
the depth of gratitude in the believer’s soul. 2 Cor 8:2 NASB “that
in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty
overflowed in the wealth of their liberality.” Inner happiness in the soul as a
result of their maturity in the Word and their deep financial poverty
overflowed in the wealth of their liberality.
3.
The principle in giving
is not a mandated percentage but abundant generosity. 2 Corinthians 8:3 NASB
“For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, {they
gave} of their own accord.” They were not rationalising their finances. It was
free will giving, not a mandated legalistic system.
4.
Grace giving is a
privilege, not a burden. [4] “begging us with much
urging for the favor of participation in the support
of the saints.” In the Greek the word “favor” is charis [xarij] which is the word for grace. They understood that it
was a grace operation and that it was directly in response to the grace of God
in their lives.
5.
Grace giving is preceded
by positive volition to Scripture and spiritual growth. Giving is not a means
to spiritual growth but is a result of spiritual growth. [5] “and {this,} not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves
to the Lord and to us by the will of God.” First they made their relationship
with the Lord the priority; they were committed to doctrine.
6.
The pattern for grace
giving is the sacrificial generosity of Jesus Christ on the cross. [9] “For you
know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though
He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty
might become rich.”
7.
Giving is done under the
principle of proportionality and responsibility. [11-15] “But now finish doing
it also, so that just as {there was} the readiness to desire it, so {there}
{may be} also the completion of it by your ability.
8.
Giving should be planned
out and part of the family budget. 2 Corinthians 9:5 NASB “So I
thought it necessary to urge the brethren that they would go on ahead to you and
arrange beforehand your previously promised bountiful gift, so that the same
would be ready as a bountiful gift and not affected by covetousness” … so that
at the last minute they don’t get greedy and reach into the box and take the money
back.
9.
The analogy that he
gives, starting in verse 6, is based on the agricultural economy of the day. Results
in the spiritual life in terms of giving are proportional to the giving but not
necessarily in kind. [6] “Now this {I say,} he who sows sparingly will also
reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” This
is going to relate to both contingent blessings in time and to contingent
blessings in eternity.