“Lord Jesus, please forgive us that we have been largely uncharitable. Our lives are only centred around meeting our own needs. We come to You to give us our needs but we do not realise that as You meet our needs, You want us to be gracious to meet the needs of those around us. Make us Your generous people. In Your name, we pray. Amen.”
Acts 2:44-45 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, (45) and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
Apostle Paul was challenging the church in Corinth to give financial and material support to the church in Jerusalem. He was preparing them to be intentional in their giving to those in need in the body of Christ.
II Corinthians 8:14 but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality.
He emphasised to them that this sharing of resources, with those who lacked, was what made us one, in the body of Christ. He motivated the Corinthian church to be generous with the example of the Macedonian church.
II Corinthians 8:1-5 Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: (2) that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. (3) For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, (4) imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. (5) And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.
The Macedonian church was a church in deep poverty, but they gave in abundant joy. They abounded with richness in their liberality. They gave according to their ability and even beyond, which is by sacrificing. They implored the apostles with much urgency to receive their gift for the Jerusalem church. They first gave themselves to the Lord and then to the apostles.
The Macedonian generosity model ought to be the benchmark in giving, for His church.
Paul then gives us some crucial teaching on generosity.
II Corinthians 9:6-15 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. (7) So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. (8) And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. (9) As it is written: “HE HAS DISPERSED ABROAD, HE HAS GIVEN TO THE POOR; HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER.” (10) Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, (11) while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. (12) For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, (13) while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men, (14) and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you. (15) Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
Paul considers generosity as an indescribable gift of God to His church. He also makes generosity a part of the confession of the Gospel message. …through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ,…
If we say we are His church, but if we are not generous then there is an incongruity.
We cannot say that the love of God abides in us if we are not willing to meet the physical and material needs of our brothers in the body of Christ. I John 3:17-18 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? (18) My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
James is telling us that generosity is the work of our faith in God. Faith without works is dead and therefore if we are not generous then we do not have faith in God.
James 2:14-17 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? (15) If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, (16) and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? (17) Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
May we decide this moment, to step out in faith in God, to be His generous church.