“for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7, NKJV)
The conclusion of the previous teaching was that financial wilfulness tests God, and causes the Body to stumble. By now we clearly know that the Old Testament tithe is not a New Testament principle. Like everything in the gospel God always works with choice, never is anything forced upon someone. God does not need your money or possessions – it is about an attitude He wishes to cultivate within the Bride. We need to have the same attitude as our Father.
God’s characteristic nature and attitude of the heart is to “give to all generously and without reproach” (Jak.. 1:15, CAB). James specifically speaks of “wisdom” here, but from 1 Cor. 1:24 we know that “Christ [is] the power of God and the wisdom of God.” Remember Rom. 8:32: “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” But WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT “things … have been freely given to us by God” (1 Cor. 2:12). You need to be aware of the “surpassing measure of God’s grace (His favor and mercy and spiritual blessing which is shown forth) in you”, as Paul articulates it in 2 Cor. 9:14 (Ampl). Earlier, in verse 9, God’s goodness as Giver is celebrated: “His deeds of justice and goodness and kindness and benevolence will go on and endure forever!”
Thus God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:7), and is the greater bountiful goodness that He wants to pour out over your life correlated to your attitude of cheerful giving. This is a standard principle of God: “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” (2 Cor. 9:6).
This was already a principle in the Old Testament: “Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.” (Prov. 3:9-10). It is imperative that the New Testament believer receives the new wine (Isa. 65:8).
A core verse in this regard is Jesus’ promise in Luke 6:38 (NJB): “Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap; because the standard you use will be the standard used for you.” The Amplified-translation of 2 Cor. 9:8 hits the nail on the head: “And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation].”
Rev. 21:7 says the following about the Bride: “He who overcomes shall inherit all things”. But this requires a particular attitude, in Jesus’ words in Luke 12:33: “provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.”
- Selah: Ponder the meaning of the expression “money bags which do not grow old”.
- Read: 32, 51, 86 & 122.
- Memorise: 51:2-3
