Nov. 08, 2026

“THE GRACE OF GIVING”

                                                     “THE EXAMPLE OF GIVING

                                                         2 CORINTHIANS 8:1-9

God created all things; therefore, He owns all things. Man does not possess his own life, time, gifts or wealth; he manages them.

Romans 14:7-12 “For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. 10But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.” 12So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”

And so, self-sufficient or God-dependent, man is a steward whether he wants to be or not.

The stewardship of our time, talents and treasures are an indication of the reality and depth of our commitment to Jesus Christ:

*GOD’S WORD TEACHES: 

1.  Giving the first part of our income:

Deuteronomy 14:23 “And you shall eat before the Lord your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always.”

Proverbs 3:9-10 “Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; 10So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine., not giving from what is left or if anything is left.”

2.  Giving a tithe (ten percent) plus other offerings, according to:

Malachi 3:8-10 “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. 9You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me,
Even this whole nation. 10Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.”

3.  Systematic and proportionate giving.

I Corinthians 16:2 “On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.”

4.  Giving regularly and in proportion to income; and generous and joyful giving as taught in:

Il Corinthians 9:5-13 

2 Corinthians 8:2 “that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality.”

One of the fundamental lessons for Christians is that we cannot out give God.

Malachi 3:8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.”

We see here in II Corinthians 8 that the apostle Paul’s conception of giving could be termed "the grace of giving.”

Here in II Corinthians 8:1-9 the apostle brings this fact to the attention of the Corinthians and concluded the paragraph with the supreme example of the self-giving of our Lord Jesus.

So we see now how Paul confronts them with two examples

of giving to produce in them a sense of responsibility in Christian stewardship:

1. THE EXAMPLE OF HUMAN GIVING- 2 Corinthians 8:1-5

2 Corinthians 8:1 “Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia:”

• IT WAS SACRIFICIAL GIVING. vs.1-2 

2 Corinthians 8:1-2 “Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: 2that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality.”

Hebrews 12:2- The Macedonians gave with joy and liberality; IT WAS SACRIFICIAL GIVING.

• IT WAS ALSO SPONTANEOUS GIVING. vs. 3-4

2 Corinthians 8:3-4 “For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, 4imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.”

• IT WAS SPIRITUAL GIVING. vs.5

2 Corinthians 8:5 “And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.”

These Macedonians gave out of a heart of love and joy, and they were generous. When they gave, it was accompanied by an act of "complete self surrender.”

And what was their secret?

2.  THE EXAMPLE OF DIVINE GIVING- 2 Corinthians 8:6-9

2 Corinthians 8:9 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”

Hebrews 9:14 “how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

• CHRIST’S GIVING WAS SACRIFICIAL. vs. 9

2 Corinthians 8:9 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ…”

I Timothy 3:16 “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.”

* CHRIST’S GIVING WAS SPONTANEOUS. vs.9

2 Corinthians 8:9 “…that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor…”

• CHRIST’S GIVING WAS SPIRITUAL. vs.9 

1 Corinthians 8:9 “…that you through His poverty might become rich.”

We have seen the highest example of giving in the self- emptying of our Savior, and can we do any less?