Grace Of Giving

In our Wednesday night Bible study at church we finished a study last week by Dr. David Jeremiah, "Captured By Grace." (For a limited time you can view the videos of that series on our church website at Turkey Creek Free Will Baptist Church .) It was a seven week study using a back drop of the hymn Amazing Grace by John Newton. However it did not cover the grace of giving. The Apostle Paul makes some very important points concerning this grace in 2 Corinthians 8.

He uses the the church of Macedonia as an example, stressing in the first two verses of that chapter that they gave even though they were experiencing great hardships. So poverty is not even an excuse for not giving. Jesus even made a teaching moment for his disciples in Mark and Luke.

Mark 12:41-44
And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. 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: 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.

Luke 21:1-4
And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.

I personally have seen people on welfare begin tithing and were truly blessed for doing so.

The attitude with which giving is done is of utmost importance. Back again to 2 Corinthians 8 verses 11 and 12 he says:

Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have. For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.

And 2 Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

And in Malachi 3:10 God himself tells us to prove him that he will bless us for giving. That should be motivation.

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Finally we are not excused from giving by our performance in verse 7 of 2 Corinthians 8 he says:

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.

In other words faith, knowledge or love is no substitute for our giving.


It is a privilege and honor to be given the grace of giving. It has often been said you can't out give God. No truer statement has been said. God gave the best that heaven had in the gift of his son. We should give no less than our best to him; our time, talent and yes our money.