Text: 2 Cor. 9:6-15 (NLT)
“6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 9 As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.” 10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. 11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. 12 So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem [of God’s holy people] will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God. 13 As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ. 14 And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you. 15 Thank God for this[His] gift too wonderful for words!”
Discussion
Our God is an extraordinarily generous Father. John 3:16 tells us that God gave His Best and Greatest in the Person of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to our world so we can have eternal life. He did it willingly and joyfully for a world undeserving of His love. God expects His children to follow His divine example by giving cheerfully and generously of their time, treasure and talents.
Verse 6 of our text tells us, “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (NKJV). A farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop, although sometimes bad weather can ruin the crop. Even then, the farmer will probably harvest in proportion to the amount sown. A similar principle applies to our giving to God, because He is not a debtor to anyone.
The story is told of the owner of Colgate toothpaste. He started off faithfully tithing 10% of his income. As time went on, God blessed him so much that he began to give 90% and keep 10% for himself. Yet, he had abundance. Today, Colgate is a household name in practically every city!
Whatever we give God came from Him for a starter; and when we give to Him, He repays with interest, to our unspeakable advantage. Hallelujah!
There are 4 types of giving in the Bible that every Christian should know about and practice:
1. Tithes
Tithes often get confused with offerings, but they are different. According to the Bible, tithes are 10% of our income, and they don’t count as offering. “A tenth of the land’s produce, whether grain from the ground or fruit from the trees, is God’s. It is holy to God” (Lev. 27:30—MSG). Anything we give more than the required tithe is what counts as an offering. Remember that God gave the land and all its fruits; so, our tithe is our way of recognizing Him as the Provider of all things.
Giving our tithes is more than an act of recognition. It’s also a way of giving thanks for all the blessings that we receive. All our income came from God. So, we can think of the tithe as a way of giving back in gratitude for what we received from Him.
Origin if tithes: Abraham performed the first act of tithing when he came back from battle against Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him. King Melchizedek, the priest of the Most High God met and blessed him, and gave glory to God for Abraham’s victory. Then Abraham gave him a tenth of everything (Gen. 14:17-20).
The most popular biblical injunction about tithing comes from Mal. 3:8-10 where God commands it and enumerates the attendant blessings: “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. 10 Bring 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.”
In v. 10 God commands: “Bring all the tithes….” That is, one hundred percent of the 10% belongs to God’s house. It is the portion of the Levites—for the care of the Temple (now Church) and the maintenance/ upkeep of the priests (now pastors and workers). Faithful tithing attracts the miraculous blessings of God on the individual as follows: God will “open up heaven itself to you and pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams. For my part, I will defend you against marauders, protect your wheat fields and vegetable gardens against plunderers.” The Message of God-of-the-Angel-Armies. 12 “You’ll be voted ‘Happiest Nation.’ You’ll experience what it’s like to be a country of grace.” God-of-the-Angel-Armies says so” (Mal. 3:11-12—MSG). Who wouldn’t want this for just 10%?!
The life of this writer is an attestation to what God can do when an individual tithes faithfully. He challenged us to PROVE OR TEST Him with our tithing. This is what I have done for decades and God remains faithful to His word. He has literally taken me from the lowly and set me up with princes in my career: blessed be His holy name. Try Him, He will not fail you.
The devil knows this secret and so deceives people that tithing doesn’t matter because we live “under grace” and not “under the law;” or that it’s just the pastor wanting to “eat my hard-earned money!” No! Our giving is to God through the Church, and not to the pastor through the Church. Failure to give brings a curse upon the individual (Mal. 3:9).
Jesus acknowledged tithing in the New Testament, and admonished us not to forget to tithe and show justice, mercy, and faithfulness along with our tithes (Matt. 23:23).
2. The Seed or Offerings
Unlike tithing, which has a required amount of how much we should give, offerings are more of a free will. It’s up to us how much seed we want to give, although the more we give, the more we will receive (Luke 6:38). It’s like, the more seeds we sow, the more plants/crops we can harvest.
One of the sisters on Mount Zion Prayer Conference frequently says, “I ask God what He wants me to give and I go by His instructions.” She is a generous giver, and God blesses her in ways beyond her imagination.
The question is: where should we give our offerings or plant our seed? The Bible says that the source of our spiritual food should receive our offerings: “Since we have planted spiritual seed among you, aren’t we entitled to a harvest of physical food and drink?” (1 Cor. 9:11) This was Paul instructing the Corinthian church and us about our offering. Just like every family and organization requires finances to function, so does the Church. Members, including you and me, must give so that there will be no lack in God’s house.
3. The First Fruits
In the Old Testament, God commanded His people to give the first and best portions of the harvest as an offering to Him (Exod. 23:16; Neh. 10:35). This included grain (Ex. 23:16; 34:22), olive oil (Num. 18:12; Deut. 18:4), new wine (Num. 18:12; Deut. 18:4), honey (2 Chron. 31:5), sheep wool (Deut. 18:4), fruit (Neh. 10:35), and even their herds and flocks (Deut. 15:19).
By giving the first fruits as an offering to God, the Israelites acknowledged that all the harvest—in fact, everything they had—came from God and belonged to Him. The offering of first fruits was likewise an expression of faith that something else—the harvest of the rest of the crop—would come later. Therefore, the first fruits offering acknowledged God’s ownership of everything, expressed thankfulness for His provision, and anticipated what was to come.
First fruits were given at the Feast of Harvest (Ex. 23:16), the second of three annual festivals. This feast is also known as the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost (Ex. 34:22; Num. 28:26). It was normally celebrated seven complete weeks or fifty days after the Passover (Lev 23:16). In the New Testament it is known as Pentecost.
In modern day, we can substitute income or salary for fruits mentioned above. The first fruits are usually done once a year or for every new blessing that we receive, such as a new job. The first fruit could be your first income for the year or a certain amount that you have deliberately set aside to give to God in the new year or on a new job. We encourage members of Mount Zion Prayer Conference to give a “first fruit” every year following our 7-days of prayer and fasting that ushers in the new year. Many have testified to God’s goodness in their lives, families and jobs as they gave to the Lord.
For example, a sister had been praying for a “better job” or greater recognition in her workplace. Following the 7 days of prayer and fasting from January 1-7, 2022, she gave a significant amount as her first fruit. Within 5 months, she wrote: “I am grateful to God for answered prayers. I received my promotion and an award at work. To God be the glory.” The award referenced here was a cash award in addition to the promotion. God is not a debtor to any man.
Having said that, the reward from God for any giving does not necessarily come in the form in which we give. God has multiple ways of rewarding us and He decides how. Hear what God says in Prov. 3:9-10, “Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the first fruits of all your increase; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.” Barns and vats are like modern day bank accounts.
Every Christian should give God the first and the best—that is the secret of uncommon abundance; that is one of the best ways to rebuke the devourer of our finances, health, joy, peace and all the good things that God has given us. Giving your first fruits once a year will show how grateful you are for the blessings that you received in the past and those that are yet to come from Him.
4. Alms-giving or Charity
Unlike the three types of giving discussed above which you should give to God, alms are for our fellowmen. The level of your compassion and sympathy will lead you to help the less privileged and the needy.
In the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7), Jesus specifically addressed this giving in chapter 6:1-4 when He said, “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.”
There are many ways on how you can give alms. There are lots of churches and organizations that help the less privileged where you can donate food, clothes, and money. Although most people do alms-giving, many do it the wrong way—to be seen by men, and as a duty rather than out of compassion.
When we practice all these types of giving, then we can have our financial life under control. But remember, we must give with the right intentions and motivations. Our hearts should be pure when doing such selfless acts and God will bestow more blessings upon us.
Practical Application:
- God doesn’t need your money or mine.He owns everything including you and me, and everything we call “our own.” The earth is His and the fullness thereof, the world and all that is in it (Psa. 24:1). Every beast of the forest is His, and the cattle on a thousand hills. He knows all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are His. Hear what He says, “If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness” (Psa. 50:10-12). He is asking you to give because He wants to use your seed to bless you (period)
- Practice generosity.God gave His best and He is supplying all that we need daily. So, we don’t need to hoard anything we have. He wants us to abound in good works, and generosity is one of them. Jesus made a profound statement in Luke 6:38, “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” The most important blessing we can receive from God is the harvest of righteousness, the gift of being counted as righteous by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. At the same time, He calls us to live in righteousness, to conform our actions to what He wants, and this includes generosity.
Conclusion: We have taken time to explain this act of giving because many Christians are ignorant of God’s requirement in the area of giving; and many churches operate at the extreme ends of the spectrum. Some churches shy away from talking about giving for fear of losing their members. At the other extreme are those churches who spend all the time talking about money and prosperity—with no mention of salvation by grace through faith. Neither is a safe place to be. Those who fail to teach about giving are depriving their members of God’s promised blessings and making them vulnerable to the devourer. Those who spend all the time teaching on it give the impression that the Gospel is all about financial prosperity.
Whatever our source of money is, when we give, God can cause the source to prosper, so that we will in time receive more and more. He can work in the entire picture, from its beginning in seed, to its final result in bread. That is, if we are generous with what God has given us, then He will bless our source and our results.
A person who is generous will usually be rewarded. The reward doesn’t always come in money, and it doesn’t always come in this life, but God does bless people who are generous. True generosity is an attitude of the heart, and that is what God is looking for and that is what He rewards. So, give: first your heart and then your resources.
