Giving

FULL REWARD

Before you begin your Bible study, as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, be

sure you have named your sins privately to God the Father.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to

cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

(Known, Unknown and Forgotten sins) (1Jn 1:9)

You will then be in fellowship with God, Filled with the Holy Spirit and ready to

learn Truth from the Word of God.

"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth,"

(John 4:24)

GIVING

Giving is an important function of the MATURE Spiritual life. You may have

given little consideration to this subject, but it is much more than simply giving

money. Giving is related to so many other Biblical Doctrines, that two chapters

in Second Corinthians are necessary to adequately cover its relationship to the

Spiritual life. Giving, as a specialized function of the royal priesthood of the

believer, depends basically on the utilization of the “grace apparatus for

perception” (Operation Z); and on the construction of the “edification complex”

in the soul. (The completed Divine Nature in us; 2Pe 1:4)

Illustration

Giving includes your mental attitude, your free will, the condition of your

soul, the giving of yourself, and of your capacity to give of ALL your

possessions. (Matt 19:21; Luk 14:33)

The function of giving has been attacked in the local church, religion and in

the secular world. Many people give because they think that God is a “genie”

who will give them what they want because they “ante in” a certain amount in

the collection plate. Many people give to assuage a guilt complex. They have

become financially successful, perhaps by some unethical business practices.

Giving some portion of this money to charity and the underprivileged eases the

conscience! There is a very fine line between true Biblical giving, and giving with

false motivation. (Acts 5:1-11)

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CHURCH AGE

In order to appreciate the full scope of giving and to relate our topic to the

other functions of the Spiritual life, certain underlying technical Principles must

be understood. To begin, we will review briefly several characteristics which

are unique to the Church Age --- the dispensation in which we live.

First, at salvation the baptism of the Holy Spirit identifies us with Christ and

enters us into union with Him. This positional sanctification is in two categories:

(1) Retroactive positional Truth; (Identification with Christ in His Spiritual death,

physical death and burial) expresses rejection of, and separation from the

power and authority of the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life. (2)

Current positional Truth; (Identification with Christ in His resurrection, ascension

and session) indicates our royalty and permanent relationship with the Lord as

members of the Body of Christ. (Rom 6:3-11; (1Co 12:13; Col 2:12)

Second, in the Church Age the Holy Spirit indwells the body of every

believer as a temple, (1Co 6:19-20) and as the Principle of victory over the old

sin nature. (Gal 5:16-18) Certain Old Testament believers were temporarily

empowered by the Holy Spirit for specific purposes. But the Spirit, who guides

the believer and glorifies Jesus Christ, (John 14:26; John 16:13-14) never

permanently resided in any believer prior to Pentecost because Christ’s

glorification at the right hand of the Father had not yet occurred. (John 7:39)

Third, whereas in the Age of the Jews Jesus Christ indwelled the Tabernacle

and later the Temple, in the present dispensation our Lord indwells the body of

every believer. (John 14:20; Gal 2:20) This is a sign of our royalty and is the

basis for fellowship with Christ.

Fourth, for the first time in history, the believer’s instructions do not come

through dreams, visions, or angelic teaching, but through the completed canon

of Scripture. Everything God wants us to know is in Writing. (1Co 2:16) Fifth,

every believer is in full-time Christian service. We are all God’s personal

representatives --- priests and ambassadors, whatever our occupation in life

may be. (2Co 5:20)

Sixth, the Church Age believer does not live under the Mosaic Law, but

under the New Covenant, which abolishes and supersedes the Law.

(Rom 8:2-4) We have clearly defined the grace way of life which demands a

supernatural means of execution: the filling of the Holy Spirit; (Eph 5:18) plus,

maximum Truth resident in the soul. (2Ti 3:16-17)

Last in our review, and especially pertinent to our subject, is the universal

priesthood of the believer. In the Church Age, every believer is a royal priest;

(1Pe 2:5-9) whose objective is to grow to Spiritual maturity. (Matt 5:48;

Eph 3:17-21; Eph 4:11-16) As one of the sacrifices or priestly functions of the

royal priesthood, (1Ti 6:17-19; Heb 13:15-16) doing Divine good --- Virtue, is

the privilege of Spiritual believers only; unbelievers are excluded; because they

do not have a living human spirit! (Jas 2:26) Carnal believers are excluded;

because they are not using the power of God’s Spiritual life! (Rom 8:7-8) While

worship is primarily the function of being in fellowship and learning Truth as

taught by the pastor-teacher, (John 15:7) it also includes praying, offering

ourselves to God, singing, praise, giving-thanks, sharing, and observing the

Lord’s Table --- giving is also among its authorized expressions.

FOUR BASIC PRINCIPLES OF GIVING

(1) The Old Testament Principle of Giving: Some people think that the

basis for giving in the Old Testament was tithing. It was not! Giving then was

grace giving, just as it is in the New Testament. The Principle for giving in the

Old Testament is found in, (Prov 11:24-25).

There is one who scatters, [Gives generously] and yet increases all the

more; [Spiritually and materially] and there is one that withholds what is justly

due, [Truth, time, energy, effort, and money] but he results in want! (Spiritual

poverty, and no capacity for anything in life; including money) The generous

man shall will be prosperous, [Spiritually and materially] and he who waters

(Gives to God ALL OF OUR THOUGHTS; Psa 32:2; Psa 51:6; Psa 51:10;

Luk 14:33) and to others: Truth, time, energy, effort, and money) will himself

be watered. (Receive from God: Truth, time, energy, effort, and money) We do

not save for the future; we give and spend for the future! (1Ti 6:17-19)

As it is Written, "HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR,

HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER." (2Co 9:9) Quoted form, (Psa

112:9). Please read the whole psalm. (Psa 112:1-10)

THIS IS A SUPERNATURAL LIFE; AND THIS LIFE, DEMANDS A

SUPERNATURAL MEANS TO EXECUTE IT! (GOD; GOD’S THOUGHTS; AND

GOD’S POWER; ONLY!)

The Old Testament believers were Commanded to bring burnt offerings,

tithes, sacrifices, votive offerings, freewill offerings, the firstborn of the herd and

of the flock. (Deut 12:6) Tithing was taxation; the different offerings were grace

giving; to teach Salvation and The Thinking of the Spiritual life.

(2) The New Testament Principle of Giving. This Principle is found in,

(2Co 9:7). The believer today gives “...as he purposed in his heart not

grudgingly, or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (A Spiritually mature

believer; who shares God’s HAPPINESS; 2Co 6:10; (2Co 8:2; (2Co 8:9;

Jas 2:5; Heb 12:2)

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having

ALL sufficiency in EVERYTHING, you may have an ABUNDANCE for every

[Divine] good deed! (2Co 9:8) cf. (Matt 13:12; Matt 25:29)

(3) Tithing. The word “tithe” means “ten percent.” Old Testament tithing

was a form of taxation and was imposed upon Jewish believers and unbelievers

alike. This amounted to a percentage of what one owned or received for his

labors. There were several tithes. One was an income tax for the maintenance

of the Levites. (Num 18:21-24) There was also a tax for the national feasts and

sacrifices, mentioned in, (Deut 14:22-25). Thirdly, there was a tax every third

year used for the poor of the land, (Deut 14:28-29). THREE TAXES or THREE

TITHES!

The fact that tithing has nothing to do with giving can be seen from the

Hebrew of, (Mal 3:8-10). Tithes were brought into the treasury (Literally) — not

the “storehouse,” and NOT the church! Tithing was taxation; giving was OVER

AND ABOVE TITHING!

(4) The Time and Norm for Giving and Receiving for the Needy Saints. In,

(1Co 16:1-2) we find the time for giving to be the first day of the week at

assembly worship. The norm: “As God has prospered!”

A GRACE GIFT FROM MACEDONIA

Chapters 8 and 9 of Second Corinthians give us fifteen Principles of giving.

(2Co 7:14-16) states that Paul had confidence in the Corinthian believers

that they would continue to respond to Truth. But the first word of the Greek

text in, (2Co 8:1) indicates a change in subject to show that Paul did NOT have

confidence in the Corinthians’ ability to give as unto the Lord. Therefore, he

proceeded to set forth the fifteen Principles in order to teach the Doctrine of

giving. This is the most extensive passage in Scripture on giving and one which,

when understood properly, will provide answers to all questions on the subject.

One of the reasons for Paul’s lack of confidence in Corinthian giving, is that

they were very rich, and too often the very rich are the least informed on the

true Biblical Concepts and Principles in giving as unto the Lord. Paul began his

dissertation on giving by establishing an example for the Corinthians — the

fantastic giving of the poor, impoverished and persecuted Macedonians.

Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has

been given in the churches of Macedonia. (2Co 8:1)

According to the historian Livy, the Romans at this time had devastated all

of Macedonia. Yet, despite their poverty and great affliction at the hands of the

Romans, the Macedonians gave generously to the needy saints at Jerusalem

and had set an example from which the Corinthians could well profit. The

starving saints in Jerusalem needed assistance in order to survive, and this

letter from Paul concerns a collection to relieve the pressure of the Jerusalem

believers.

Since there was a traditional racial prejudice between the Jews and the

Gentiles; Paul had to dispel the natural antagonism existing between the two

peoples. Thus he related the Macedonian example for the Corinthians. The

Macedonians gave first of themselves; they had the right mental attitude for

giving; they were in fellowship. They had no mental attitude sins connected with

their giving. They gave from their great love for the Lord so that the destitute

Jews in Jerusalem might survive. The Macedonians gave more than anyone

else to this collection, and they were broke!

This proves a point: grace can squeeze blood out of a turnip! Of course,

grace put the blood into the turnip first. God so provided for the impoverished

Macedonians that they had an abundance to give to the persecuted believers in

Jerusalem. That is GRACE LIVING! The Macedonians did not earn it; they did

not deserve it; they did not work for it. But they possessed grace orientation,

and that is the dynamics of giving! Only through grace orientation can you give

as unto the Lord!

The collection taken up among the Macedonians was so fantastic that Paul

referred to it in, (Acts 24:17; Rom 15:25-28; (1Co 16:1-4). While the

Macedonians, though in deep poverty, had given liberally and in the proper

mental attitude of grace, the Corinthians, who were rich, were dragging their

feet. An offering had been started among them but had never been finished.

This epistle was designed to stimulate the Corinthians to begin the collection

again, but only on the basis of correct Biblical Principles. Therefore, Paul

devotes two chapters to the relationship of the grace of God and the Principle

of giving in grace.

THE ONLY WAY TO GIVE

Paul sets forth the first Principle of giving:

That in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep

poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. For I testify that according to

their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord. (2Co 8:2)

The Macedonians gave under “much testing and superabundance of

happiness,” in grace! The key to the Macedonians’ giving, (Which is a reflection

of the Virtue of God --- Spiritual life --- our new nature) was their Grace

orientation. The believer who gives in grace has great happiness, which is

based on Truth stored in his human spirit and in his right lobe. “Their joy” is their

superabundance of happiness derived from Spiritual maturity.

Happiness is built ONLY upon Truth, (Jer 15:16; John 13:17; 1Jn 1:4) for

Truth from the Word of God gives you the capacity for happiness.

(John 17:13-19) Apart from Truth, the materialistic things and people which

make you happy today will bore you and or make you miserable tomorrow!

(Heb 13:5-6) Unless you have Spiritual capacity, even your spouse cannot bring

you the maximum happiness that God intended you to have in that relationship.

The Macedonians were under great pressure; yet they had great

happiness. They had grace happiness, and they gave from that grace

happiness.

The significance of true giving is a MENTAL ATTITUDE rather than the

amount donated. True giving is based on Grace Orientation. It is “giving of

yourself”! When you give in grace, you still have grace!

A grace mental attitude is a generous mental attitude. (1Ti 6:18) The

Macedonians gave out of their poverty! They were happy, even though they

were broke! They gave on the basis of their superabundance of happiness and

a grace mental attitude. The first Principle of giving, therefore, deals with a

mental attitude of Grace Orientation.

Illustration

FREEWILL GIVING

For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they

gave of their own accord. (2Co 8:3)

Grace giving is the function of the believer’s own free will and is never the

result of human coercion or legalistic pressure. (Ritual without Reality)

Furthermore, grace giving eliminates emotional activity as a basis for giving or

as a means of coercion. In other words, grace giving prevents any such

gimmicks as point systems, competition between believers, approbation lust, or

bribing God. (Deut 10:17) Grace giving is non-meritorious giving! The only true

motive in giving is from Thinking with God’s Thoughts. (John 13:17; Php 4:9;

(1Ti 4:15-16; (2Ti 2:2; (2Pe 1:10)

The royal priesthood of the individual believer must operate from free will

and privacy. These are the basic ingredients of freedom under the Principles of

Divine establishment. Giving should be accomplished in privacy as unto the Lord

and as a commemoration of God the Father’s grace.

In this verse Paul is again “testifying” or bearing witness to the fact that the

Macedonians had the right mental attitude --- God’s Thinking, in giving; they

were grace-oriented. Their mental attitude was the basis of their phenomenal,

sacrificial giving to the church in Jerusalem. (They Thought with God’s Reality;

2Co 4:18; (2Co 5:7) In spite of their poverty and persecution, the Macedonians

had made a spontaneous and positive decision to aid the believers in

Jerusalem. This gift was the result of their God-given free will and their

superabundance of happiness. No pressure! No coercion! No desire for return!

That is Grace Orientation!

A GRACE PRIVILEGE

Begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of

the saints. (2Co 8:4)

Giving is a privilege associated with grace.” The word “favor” refers to

grace and is one of the key words in this third Principle of giving. Christians

operating under grace have the privilege of giving under the true grace concept.

Legalists and or carnal believers can never understand this Principle and

Concept of giving as declared in God’s Word. Hence, legalists can never give

with the proper motivation because their giving is based upon human merit,

emotions, human good,” point systems, or hope of return and or reward.

This “ministry” of giving — is a privilege and function of the royal priesthood

— and is derived from two Greek nouns in this passage: CHARIS, meaning

“grace,” and DIAKONIA, from which we get the word “deacon." The primary

meaning of DIAKONIA is in connection with the administrative function of the

local church; but here it refers to the priestly function of giving. Giving to the

Lord is a privilege of Spiritual believers only!

Giving is a result of being in fellowship; not a means to get there!

A SOUL ACTIVITY

And this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the

Lord and to us by the will of God. (2Co 8:5)

Although the Macedonian believers were destitute, they far exceeded Paul’

s expectation in the matter of the offering. Why? Because they gave of

themselves to the Lord, from their own grace mental attitude. (Luk 14:33)

“First” emphasizes the person rather than the gift. When a person simply gives

his money,” he is doing what any unbeliever can do. Because they are under

Spiritual death, unbelievers cannot give of themselves to the Lord; they cannot

give from their human spirit in the soul. (Jas 2:26) The Macedonians gave of

themselves — their spirit and soul! That soul and spirit activity actually extends

to the overt activity of giving. But the money or the amount is not important; it is

the condition of the soul that counts.

Truth in the right lobe of the soul is the basis for all true giving — the true

motivation for giving. Giving on the basis of Truth in the soul is giving without

mental attitude sins, such as approbation lust or human good motivation or

emotion.

You are familiar with the sad story told by a missionary about the dramatic

conversion of the chief; then while everyone is weeping and emotional, the

offering plate is immediately passed. This is giving under pressure; this is

emotional giving. Such giving cannot count for the Lord. Often one pastor will

say to another, “We need a great offering, brother... Do you know any inspiring

stories you can tell?” When you give under emotional pressure, it is not giving at

all! TRUTH AND GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT MUST BE THE ONLY MOTIVATOR

FOR GIVING. (John 4:23-24)

Giving must be accomplished as unto the Lord; an illustration is the true

sexual relationship between a man and a woman designed for each other by

God. In human love there must first be soul relationship — one man and one

woman — then sex, within the framework of Divine Institution #2 — Marriage.”

Sex without soul relationship is animalistic. (RITUAL WITHOUT REALITY)

Money, in this analogy, is equivalent to sex. There must be a Spiritual life

before the giving of money can be Divine good. That is why the Macedonians

were magnificent; they had a soul relationship with the Lord, so their giving was

Divine good. (RITUAL WITH REALITY) The Corinthians, on the other hand,

indulged in CARNALITY and gave money; without SPIRITUALLY. That is the

reason this epistle was written to them.

Now eight points concerning this fourth Principle of giving:

(1) While giving is a part of the design, the plan and the purpose of God,

there is a definite sequence in giving.

(2) Giving is a commemoration of grace. Christ gave Himself on the Cross,

but His Spiritual Divine nature was involved. (2Pe 1:4) Therefore, He gave of

Himself - His Spiritual life and His body soul and spirit --- EVERYTHING!

Our Lord shows the maximum example, of positive volition: In His mind ---

Spiritual life, soul, spirit, and body: In the mentality (Thinking) of His humanity,

of experiential death, to His will, desire and self preservation. (Luk 12:50;

Luk 22:44; Matt 26:38; Matt 26:53-54) In His spirit: He also died Spiritually on

the cross when His soul was judged for our sins. (Isa 53:10-11; Matt 27:46;

Mark 15:34; Luk 23:44; (2Co 5:21) In His body: He also was tortured, rejected,

betrayed, and died physically. (Isa 53:3-9; Mark 15:15-20; John 18:2;

John 9:33-34) We have nothing to complain about! (Heb 12:3-4) Blood,

(Heb 9:18; Heb 10:29; Heb 12:24; Heb 13:20) sweat, (Luk 22:44) and tears,

(Heb 5:7) and not a bone was broken, (Num 9:12; John 19:36) in the Old

Testament the lamb was symbolically judged for sins, (Exo 29:15) but literally

bled to death! (Exo 29:16) Christ was literally judged for our sins, (Rom 8:3) but

did not bleed to death! (John 19:30) All in a days work! This is Amazing

Grace!!! So the blood of Christ, in the New Testament represents: Spiritual

death, Judgment, Salvation, Propitiation, Sanctification, Atonement, Justification

Redemption, or all the above depending on the context. (Rev 1:5; (1Pe 1:2;

Heb 13:12) Etc.

HE GAVE EVERYTHING! (2Co 8:9)

God gives in grace because of His nature; because of Who and What He

is! And we must give ALL THINGS the same way; based on God’s nature ---

the Spiritual life --- created in us! (2Pe 1:4)

(3) In recognition of and orientation to God’s grace, the believer must give

on the basis of the Divine nature from Truth in his right lobe.

(4) Giving of self is the capacity for Virtue-love and the capacity for grace

based on Truth.

(5) Giving is both an extension and a manifestation of what is in the soul.

(6) Giving originates in the soul. First there is soul activity, then the overt

act of giving.

(7) Giving reflects grace and Virtue-love in the soul. Giving in grace does

not make an issue of the amount of the gift. (8) Giving from an emotional revolt

of the soul reduces it to a bribe for love or good behavior and results in such

phrases as, “After all I’ve done for you!” That is giving with strings. There is no

place in the function of the royal priesthood for this type of giving.

RECIPROCITY

The Macedonians were gentiles, but they “decided with pleasure, to give,

(Rom 15:27) to Jews who lived in a distant city, most of whom they would

never meet. Why were these northern Greeks so generous to almost total

strangers? Their generosity expressed IMPER- SONAL LOVE. Impersonal love

emphasizes the Spiritual maturity of the giver, not that of the recipient, whereas

human personal love for people focuses on the attractiveness and virtues of the

object of love. (And the person can and will change; Jer 17:5) Impersonal love

is Commanded toward all believers! (John 13:35) Personal love is reserved for

GOD; (Who will NEVER CHANGE; Mal 3:6; Heb 13:8) not for people with old

sin natures — (Matt 10:34-39) Many Jewish believers in Jerusalem were

reversionists and legalists; soon they would convince even Paul to forget the

New Covenant of GRACE. (Rom 6:14) cf. (Acts 21:18-26) (The Law is for the

flesh; to show the old sin nature can never be HOLY! Grace is for the spirit,

and the New Covenant Spiritual life. 1Co 6:16-17; Gal 5:22-23) They certainly

were not deserving of generosity! But the Macedonians fulfilled the Command

to Impersonal love, and further, they recognized the Principle of

RECIPROCITY. The Jews were the original custodians of the Word of God;

God had selected Jewish prophets to receive and write the Scriptures; the

greatest communicators of Truth were Jews; Christ Himself was a Jew. The

Macedonians acknowledged their great debt to this unique people, in spite of

the reversionism and evil then rampant in Jerusalem. (Rom 15:27-28) The

gentiles had benefited from the Jews through Truth; now these Greeks, from

the Truth in their souls, wanted to reciprocate by sharing their money with

destitute Jewish believers.

MACEDONIA VERSUS CORINTH

We now leave the Macedonians and go to the Corinthians. The Corinthians

were not broke, but they had much to learn about giving.

So we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he

would also complete in you this gracious work as well. (2Co 8:6)

The Macedonian giving fulfilled every Principle of grace, every Principle of

Truth. (2Co 8:9) It was done on the basis of the Filling of the Spirit, on the basis

of Truth in the right lobe, and on the basis of Virtue-love capacity. It fulfilled

every true concept of giving. The word “favor” or “grace” indicates that giving

must always be on the basis of grace, as in, (2Co 8:4) — without strings or

gimmicks!

Paul sees no reason why the Corinthians cannot give on exactly the same

basis. They had failed in their giving when Timothy went to Corinth. The

Corinthians were too tough for him. Timothy had too much “sweetness and

light,” and he flopped. They drove him right out of town. So Paul sent his

troubleshooter --- Titus. Titus was hard and tough, and the Corinthians fell right

into line. They had recovered from their failure described in the first epistle, and

now it was necessary for them to demonstrate their grace orientation.

With the Spiritual advance under Titus, the Corinthians began an offering

for the Jews in Jerusalem. But when Titus departed, the offering was

discontinued, and the Corinthians fell into reversionism. Now Titus is returning,

and the offering can be continued on the same Spiritual basis as before. To

make sure the Corinthians do not have any illusions or misconceptions or do not

give because of emotion, Paul did not tell them of the poor starving children or

of the hungry people standing in line for food in Jerusalem; he simply gave them

the illustration of the Macedonians.

Although in material poverty, the Macedonians had such great Spiritual

riches that God provided the means for them to give sacrificially; as an

extension of their Spiritual life. Now the Corinthians are hit with the same

challenge. The prepositional phrase, “insomuch that” — literally, “with the result

that” is used to make the transition from Macedonian giving to Corinthian giving.

Why is this prepositional phrase recorded for us? To remind us that as

believers in the Lord Jesus Christ we have the same responsibility to give; but

that responsibility must include the concept that giving is an advanced part of

the Spiritual life.

You must disassociate money from the Principle of giving. You give first of

that which is invisible and immaterial — your soul and Spiritual life.

(Matt 16:24-26) Then overt giving can be expressed. Giving is an overt

expansion of the Spiritual wealth of your soul. This was shown dramatically in

the Macedonian giving.

Even though the Corinthian church was one of the wealthiest in the ancient

world, Paul was not interested in tapping their financial resources. He was not

catering to them because of their wealth. In fact, he was very tough on them

personally, and he sent Titus to them, the most hard-nosed man on his team.

He made it clear that the Macedonians had fulfilled every Spiritual Principle in

giving, and now the Corinthians are going to be given the same opportunity.

We also see from the transitional phrase in, (2Co 8:6) that grace is tested

in giving. Giving is not a test of your financial status; giving is a test of your

grace orientation. We have a grace test every time there is someone in need of

our time, money, energy, effort --- the Gospel and the teaching of Truth; even

as there is a grace test at the Communion Table and every time the Word of

God is taught. By a grace test I mean that God has provided everything and

therefore your response depends only upon non-meritorious positive volition.

(Our choice is to live by God’s Reality; or our own)

Objectivity = God is the director of our movie, and we read and use His lines;

(Thoughts) and He provides every prop to get it done. (Heb 13:5) Subjectivity =

we are the director and we are responsible for the results! (Jer 18:12)

"And now I commend you to God and to the Word of His grace, which is

able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are

sanctified. "I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothes. "You yourselves

know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were

with me. "In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you

must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He

Himself said, ’It is more blessed to give than to receive.’" (Acts 20:32-35)

AN EXTENSION OF OPERATION Z

Illustration

But just as you abound in everything, in faith (The Spiritual life) and

utterance (God’s Thinking and Words; LOGOS) and knowledge

(Understanding) and in all earnestness (Positive volition) and in the love (Virtue-

love) we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work (Spiritual

giving) also! (2Co 8:7)

The fifth Principle of Spiritual giving is an extension of the consistent

function of Operation Z. The word “abound” should be translated “super-

abound” The Corinthians super-abounded in Truth and in money. God had

blessed the Corinthians as He had blessed few of the early churches. They had

both Spiritual and material wealth a great combination. Then follows a list of

their Spiritual blessings which they had.

“In the sphere of faith.” [PISTIS] This refers to the inhale and exhale of

Truth from the Word --- the Spiritual life. The inhale is a part of the grace

apparatus of perception; the exhale is a part of faith-rest.” (Rom 4:20-21)

“In the sphere of utterance.” --- LOGOS --- is God’s Thinking found ONLY

in the Word of God!

“In the sphere of all earnestness of application.” (Positive volition)

“In the sphere of love.” [AGAPE] This is the relaxed mental attitude and

indicates that some are Spiritually adult, and are growing up! (Virtue-love;

Personal love for God; Impersonal love for all mankind)

At the beginning of this verse we find the Corinthians already super-

abounding in Spiritual wealth. Whether they will extend their Spiritual wealth to

grace giving --- super-abounding is potential at this point. It depends on their

volition. God requires consistency and stability in the Christian life. I am talking

about the consistency of the GREATER-GRACE LIFE! (Jas 4:6) You can turn

every subjunctive mood, (Potential) into an indicative mood, (Reality).

Illustration

You must move, move, and move! You never STOP ADVANCING!

(Php 3:13-14) Being stabilized does not mean that you will always do the right

thing. But it does mean that you keep on moving regardless of your failures,

and you turn every potential into Reality. That is what Paul is saying; and the

Corinthians came through!

Our relationship with Spiritual giving is the consistent function of Operation

Z, and can be summed up under three points:

(1) Christian giving is an extension of our stability in the Spiritual life.

(2) Christian giving is an extension of Operation Z. We not only have

GRACE GIVING here, but we have SPIRITUAL GIVING! How do you obtain

stability in giving? From the DAILY function of Operation Z. As goes OUR

SPIRITUAL LIFE, so goes our giving! (Php 4:14-17)

(3) Spiritual giving is PROOF of the consistency of our learning and the

Thinking with God’s Thoughts in EVERY SITUATION! (Php 4:17) The believer

has the greatest opportunity for consistency in this day of apostasy;

consistency in taking in the Word of God. You give of yourself because you

have been consistent . . . consistent . . . consistent!

While the Corinthians have been consistent up to this point, as yet they

have not followed through in their Spiritual life. They must give of their own free

will, apart from human energy, human emotion, human ability, human viewpoint,

human gimmicks or coercion!

"Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness,

(Satan’s thinking) to undo the bands of the yoke, (The old sin nature) and to let

the oppressed go free (Give the Gospel) and break every yoke? (Teach Truth)

"Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry (Teach Truth and buy diner) and

bring the homeless poor into the house; (And also give the Gospel and show

them how to stay in fellowship) When you see the naked, to cover him; (All the

above) and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? (No partiality) "Then your

light will break out like the dawn, and your recovery (From the control of the old

sin nature) will speedily spring forth; And your righteousness will go before you;

The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. "Then you will call, and the

LORD will answer; you will cry, and He will say, ’Here I am.’ If you remove the

yoke (Control of the old nature) from your midst, The pointing of the finger

(Pride of life) and speaking wickedness, (Thinking with and speaking satanic

and human thoughts) And if you give yourself to the hungry And satisfy the

desire of the afflicted, (Spiritual and material giving) Then your light will rise in

darkness And your gloom will become like midday. (Will reach Spiritual

maturity) "And the LORD will CONTINUALLY guide you, and satisfy your desire

in scorched places, (Provide in adversity) and give strength to your bones; And

you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do

not fail. (Greater grace capacity) "Those from among you will rebuild the

ancient ruins; you will raise up the age-old foundations; (The Temple in the soul)

And you will be called the repairer of the breach, The restorer of the streets in

which to dwell. (The progressive stages of the Spiritual life) "If because of the

Sabbath, (Spiritual-rest maturity) you turn your foot From doing your own

pleasure on My holy day, (Everyday) And call the Sabbath a delight, the holy

day of the LORD honorable, And honor it, desisting from your own ways,

(Thoughts) From seeking your own pleasure (Own will) And speaking your own

word, THEN you will take delight in the LORD, And I will make you ride on the

heights of the earth; (Maximum Spiritual capacity for life) And I will feed you

with the heritage of Jacob your father, (Mature Truth) For the mouth of the

LORD has spoken!" (Isa 58:6-14)

A TEST OF LOVE

I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the

earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also. (2Co 8:8)

The sixth Principle of Spiritual giving which Paul now emphasizes is that

giving is a test of the genuineness of your Virtue-love of Jesus Christ, as well as

your Virtue-love of God the Father and of God the Holy Spirit. In effect,

Christian giving is love giving — NOT law giving. Christian giving proves the

Reality of your Virtue-love — the genuineness of grace motivation rather than

the keeping of the Mosaic Law --- ritual. (Rom 6:14; Rom 7:14; (1Co 6:17)

Whatever is taught about giving, it should not be forced upon people. “I am

not speaking this as a Command” means that you are not to give on the norm

or standard of a Command. Some activities ARE Commanded in the Word,

such as the assembling of ourselves together, giving a hearing to the Word,

praying one for another, and loving one another — the AGAPE Virtue-love and

or relaxed mental attitude. But we are NOT Commanded to give, because this

must be the result of taking in the Word, the Filling of the Spirit, and Divine

Thinking in the right lobe. No pressure should ever exist... No approbation lust...

No public display.

Furthermore — and it cannot be stressed too often — you cannot give in

this age under any concept of tithing. Spiritual giving in the Old Testament is

described as “offerings." Offerings were for believers only. (1Ch 29:14;

(1Ch 29:17) Tithes were for both believers and unbelievers. The Principle

remains the same today, regardless of dispensation: Spiritual giving is always

an expression of the believer’s Virtue-love response to God.

"But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as

generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have

given You. (1Ch 29:14)

The key to the Macedonian giving was their Virtue-love. They were the

example of grace to the Corinthians. That is why Paul says, “through the diligent

application of others” — that is, the diligent application of the Word of Truth on

the part of the Macedonian believers. The Macedonians were an excellent

example because they did not have any money. The amount of money is

unimportant; what is important is the Spiritual Thinking involved!

Paul is now testing the Corinthians for the purpose of graduating them with

regard to the Concept of giving! So far they have flunked; they emphasized their

money. (Human reality over Divine Reality) People living in some state of

prosperity are prone to emphasize their wealth. But with God it is never the

amount of money that counts — it is the amount of Truth in the right lobe!

“Proving” means “testing for approval.” Giving is designed by God to test

your Virtue-love response. It is a test of the Reality of your love for the Lord.

Just how do you express your love for God? You express it through your

Spiritual life. You do not express your love for God only when things are rosy.

You do not tell God you love Him just to mend a broken fence when you are in

trouble. You do not use false motives when expressing your love for God.

Some may say that they express their love for God through some form of

worship — the esthetics, the ritual and the emotional feeling connected with

worship.

But the overt expression must be conditioned on an inner expression.

(1Pe 1:8) True worship is a combination of the inner and overt expression of

your Personal Love for God. You respond to God’s love through the capacity

--- Spiritual maturity of your soul. On the overt side, we have ability which

comes from the use of Truth, and which, in turn, depends upon the daily

function of Operation Z. The emphasis, however, is on the inner ability or the

inner capacity which gives substance and Reality to the overt ability. Just as

soul love precedes sex love in marriage, "or should" so it is with worship. There

must be Truth in the soul before the various aspects of assembly worship are

"Divinely meaningful." In other words, ritual without Reality is meaningless!

Before you can fully understand the Principle of giving, you must be

oriented to the Principle of grace. Giving is always a grace function. Grace

giving, in fellowship with God, (Spirituality) is the antithesis of worldly giving, (In

Spiritual death or carnality) which is giving under some type of pressure or

strings. Under worldly systems, people give to gain attention, to impress others,

to match other gifts, to assuage a guilt complex, to satisfy some lust pattern, or

because of friendship, etc. So it is necessary to review the Doctrine of grace at

this point.

THE DOCTRINE OF GRACE

(1) Definition: Grace is all that God is free to do for man on the basis of

the Cross. Grace is the plan and work of God on behalf of mankind. Under

grace, God provides a royal priesthood as a vehicle through which the believer

can give; He provides the Spiritual and materialistic substance for the believer

to give; (Truth, time, money, energy and effort) and the apparatus for

assimilating Truth, --- the basis of which believers give.

(2) Grace depends on the essence or nature of God. Grace is what God

can do for man and still be consistent with His own essence. This is illustrated

by propitiation. God is capable of loving man with a maximum love that is, a

believer who has passed the point of propitiation.

(3) Grace is the antithesis of legalism and or old sin nature production.

Legalism is man’s work or ability intruding upon the Plan of God --- Legalism is

the enemy of grace.

(4) Under the concept of grace and sanctification, the greatest thing that

God can do for the saved person is to make him exactly like His Son, Jesus

Christ. (In Thought and Virtue-love) (Rom 8:29) This is accomplished in three

stages, all of which are related to the angelic conflict. (A) Positional

sanctification: Every believer at the point of salvation is entered into union with

Christ. Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father and is superior to angels

in His resurrected humanity. (Heb 1:2) At the moment of salvation, we enter into

union with Christ and are positionally higher than angels though not

experientially. (Eph 2:6) (B) Experiential sanctification: The construction of the

Temple of the soul through the consistent use of Operation Z, (The daily intake

and Thinking with Truth) and entrance into the Greater-grace life --- Spiritual

maturity. (C) Ultimate sanctification: The believer receives a resurrection body

which is minus the old sin nature, sin and minus all human good --- exactly like

that of Christ. At this point the believer is physically superior to all angelic

creatures.

(5) Every believer has tasted the grace of God at least once. (1Pe 2:3)

This refers to the point of salvation when the believer receives at least forty

grace gifts from God, which are unearned and undeserved. (Eph 2:8-9)

Illustration

(6) Disorientation to grace is the believer’s greatest occupational hazard in

Phase Two, (Gal 5:4) --- “falling from grace” (Not Thinking with God’s Thoughts

and receiving what Christ deserved) (Heb 12:15-17)

(7) God is constantly waiting to pour out His grace on every believer in

Phase Two. (Isa 30:18-19)

(8) God has provided everything for Salvation; man responds in a non-

meritorious manner-faith. (Psa 103:8-12; Rom 3:23-24; Rom 5:20; Eph 2:8-9)

(9) Phase Two expresses grace in many ways: For example, prayer; (Heb

4:16) suffering; (2Co 12:9-10) growth; (2Pe 3:18) stability; (1Pe 5:12) the

modus vivendi of the Christian life; (2Co 1:12; Heb 12:28) and the production of

Divine good ---Virtue-love. (1Co 15:10; (2Co 6:1)

(10) Grace orientation is the bona fide motivation and Thought pattern for

giving. (2Co 8:9)

(11) Grace is the only sufficiency for suffering in Phase Two. Through

grace, God is able to bless the believer in the midst of pressure, suffering, and

adversity. (2Co 12:7-10)

(12) The axioms of grace:

(a) God is perfect; His plan is perfect.

(b) A perfect plan can only originate from a perfect God.

longer perfect; then grace is not grace, and it is canceled out.

(d) A plan is no stronger than its weakest link. For this reason, grace

excludes human merit, human ability, and human sin nature good.

(e) Legalism, or human sin nature works, is the enemy of God and

grace. (Heb 6:1)

(f) Works of human righteousness have no place in the plan of God.

(g) Human moral degeneracy is associated with the mental attitude

sin of pride. Just as Grace Orientation is the source of bona fide giving in the

Christian life, so pride is the source of human old sin nature good.

(13) Four areas in which pride rejects grace:

(A) Pride of the believer who rejects the Doctrine of eternal security from

the Lake of Fire — he assumes his sins are greater than the plan of God; (B)

the pride of the believer who succumbs to pressure and adversity — he

assumes his sufferings are greater than grace provision; (C) the pride of the

pseudo-Spiritual believer — he assumes his human system of thinking is greater

than the power of God the Holy Spirit’s Thinking in his life; (D) the pride of the

believer under emotional revolt of the soul — he assumes his emotions, his

feelings and experiences are more valid than what God’s Word tells us to Think.

Incline your ear and hear the Words of the wise, And apply your mind to

My Knowledge; For it will be pleasant if you keep them (God’s Thoughts) within

you, That they may be ready on your lips. So that your trust may be in the

LORD, I have taught you today, even you! (Prov 22:17-19)

DEPENDENCE ON GRACE ORIENTATION

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich,

yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might

become rich. (2Co 8:9)

Now you can understand from the study of the Doctrine of Grace, the

relationship of grace to our Lord Jesus Christ. The second phrase, “that he,

being rich,” indicates the status of Jesus Christ in eternity past — Christ was

always wealthy! The maximum Concept of wealth is related to every Person of

the Godhead. Yet because of us, believers, Christ came to the point of abject

poverty! This does not refer primarily to the Incarnation, but to the Cross, when

Christ became truly poor. (Matt 27:46) He gave His all — He gave Himself! And

it was a voluntary act on His part. True giving is the giving of self. (Matt 10:39)

That does not mean we must give all our money away; it means that we must

give, (Truth, time, energy, money and effort) as an extension of believing and

Thinking with the Word of God; instead of thinking with our own thoughts.

(Jer 18:12; Jas 2:26)

When Christ gave Himself on the Cross, who was the object of that great

gift of love? YOU AND ME! "For you KNOW the grace of our Lord Jesus

Christ... ...so that you through His poverty might become rich. These riches

express all that God’s grace provides in Phase One, Phase Two and Phase

Three. The entire plan of God is grace-oriented from start to finish. Giving,

therefore, on the part of the believer must comply with God’s plan. God’s plan

is always grace. We are here by His grace; we live by His grace; we serve by

His grace! (1Co 15:10) Whatever we do in this life after salvation is a matter of

grace, and that includes giving! Therefore, anytime you link up with a group of

believers who pressure you to give, who have some system of gimmicks, who

dun you for money, who ftalk about tithing, you are in the wrong place!

Everything in the Christian life is consistent — IT IS GRACE ALL THE WAY!

Giving must be accomplished as unto the Lord! That means all giving is to be

done in grace and on no other basis!

Now there are some pitfalls in grace giving about which we must be

careful. Someone may think, “Well, if I am going to give by grace, I should give

everything I have.” That is WRONG! How much you give is a matter between

you and the Lord, a matter of personal judgment: grace giving does not demand

that you deprive yourself or your loved ones of necessities. (1Ti 5:8) Grace

giving demands Virtue-love giving — not deprivation.

The “riches” of, (2Co 8:9) includes the forty things which the believer

receives at salvation, as well as those in Phase Two and in Eternity. But while

grace riches are available in Phase Two, they are only potential. The utilization

of grace riches depends on the amount of Truth you LEARN, BELIEVE, and

THINK WITH!

...Apply your mind to MY KNOWLEDGE; For it will be pleasant if you

keep THEM within you, That THEY may be ready on your lips. So that your

TRUST may be in the LORD! (Prov 22:17-19)

APPLICATION OF GRACE PRINCIPLES

I give my opinion in this matter, for this is to your advantage, who were the

first to begin a year ago not only to do this, but also to desire to do it.

(2Co 8:10)

In verse 10 we have a transition from the Principle of Doctrine we studied

in, (2Co 8:9) to the application --- to the Corinthians. Notice that Paul does not

give an order; he simply gives advice. To give an order would violate their

volition. Paul cannot say to them, “And in this, I DEMAND that you give.” Paul is

expressing an opinion based on Truth, and filled with God the Holy Spirit; and

he will relate it to their situation, but not by Commanding they give.

When a demand is made to give, it is no longer free will but coercion.

Giving must always be a matter of free will. The sovereignty of God began the

plan — “You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The plan is grace; and

grace gives by free will. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only

begotten Son.” “Thanks be unto God for his indescribable GIFT.” (2Co 9:15)

Man was not here to demand Salvation; the human race did not even exist. God

provided Salvation freely, and there was no demand; there was only grace

giving from God.

Giving demands freedom. Only free people can give. (John 8:31-32) Your

freedom to give is a function of the royal priesthood. You are free to give or not

to give. But if you give, you are giving because you are free to do so. Giving is

never giving when someone makes you give. Giving is only giving when it comes

from your soul; it reflects the Spiritual life and maturity of the giver.

Next, there are two infinitives expressing purpose: “to desire” “to do” and

BOTH are pertinent to giving. What is the difference? The desire to give

expresses a state of Virtue-love. The believer-priest who has Truth and who

has the capacity of Virtue-love for God; always desires to give, whether he is

actually giving or not! But the actual giving is in a point of time; the Corinthians

began their offering “at a particular time a year ago.”

But now finish doing it also, so that just as there was the readiness to

desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability. (2Co 8:11)

The desire is still there a year later; now he exhorts the Corinthians to

finish the offering and give from what they have. You never give from what you

do not have! This anticipates verse 12. Even if you have nothing, it is

acceptable to God so long as you have positive volition! (Willingness)

For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person

has, not according to what he does not have. (2Co 8:12)

What should be on hand at all times? Obviously you will not always have

money. But you can always have the basis for giving — a willing mind and able

to give, Truth, time, energy and effort; which is literally positive volition based

on Truth! The first class condition here indicates a remarkable change in the

Corinthians. They now have the positive volition.

I am afraid some of you never will. Some of you have a cash register for a

soul. Money is a god to some of you. (Matt 6:24; Luk 12:33; Luk 16:14) But as

in everything, it is the soul that counts in giving! And you have actually given in

effect, if you have positive volition based on Truth!

EQUALITY IN GIVING

For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of

equality. at this present time your abundance being a supply for their need, so

that their abundance also may become a supply for your need, that there may

be equality; (2Co 8:13-14)

The Corinthians did not have a pastor-teacher to keep them in line and

teach them Truth. Jerusalem, in turn, had in training a new crop of young men

who would someday meet the need of Corinth and other local churches for a

pastor-teacher. But the Jerusalem church needed money to provide for these

men during their training. Corinth had the money; Jerusalem had the men.

Therefore, the collection for Jerusalem was compatible with the function of

equality in the Body of Christ. There was an interrelationship of teamwork.

As an illustration, Paul cited the incident of the manna in the wilderness

from, (Exo 16:1-36).

As it is written, "HE WHO gathered MUCH DID NOT HAVE TOO MUCH,

AND HE WHO gathered LITTLE HAD NO LACK." (2Co 8:15)

Those who gathered a lot of manna did not have any more than those who

gathered little. Whether they had much or little, it was always the same

because they matched their CAPACITY. This is the law of equality. God always

matches capacity. Some people seem to get more Truth than others; but it is

not that God is unfair — some people have more capacity. So in our context,

giving is the application of the law of equality. Because each person gathered

according to his capacity, each one therefore, had that which satisfied his

capacity. Your capacity is based on Truth in your soul, and God’s grace will

always meet your capacity. God cannot give you grace over your capacity —

you are not able to utilize it. Like the manna, grace sits around in the pot until it

spoils. The only way to gain capacity is to use the Truth, time, money, energy

and effort that God gives us. If we try to save them and or NOT USE THEM our

capacity for life will turn to worms and or melt away! (Exo 16:20-21) Your

capacity is THE important factor in your Spiritual life; therefore, GOD’S

THINKING --- MANNA is more important than ANYTHING else in life!

(John 1:14; John 6:48-51; John 6:63)

’He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To

him who overcomes, (The lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life)

to him I will give some of the hidden manna, (Advanced Truth) and I will give

him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone (Approved to live in the

New Jerusalem) which no one knows but he who receives it.’ (Rev 2:17)

But thanks be to God who puts the same earnestness on your behalf in the

heart of Titus. (2Co 8:16)

The word “thanks” is literally “grace." Grace belongs only to God. We

borrow grace; we function under grace: but we do not own it. In all of human

history, no man ever thought of grace. Grace is the essence of God; grace is

Who and What God is, never who and what man is. So grace belongs to God

“Who is constantly giving!” (John 6:51) God always gives; there never was a

time when He did not give. That is because grace belongs to Him; and since

grace belongs to Him, giving belongs to Him. Therefore, when you give the

grace way, you give God’s way. You give on the basis of Understanding His

nature being created in you; and Understanding something of the way He

Thinks! Giving is never designed to get something from God. Giving is designed

to demonstrate something you have from God — GRACE! (John 1:14)

The next Principle of giving will be found in verses 19-24. But in verses 17

and 18, Paul stops to mention the members of his team. Up to this point we

know that Paul has sent Titus on the mission to the Corinthians. However, in

verse 18 we find there is a second member of the team sent by Paul.

For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest, he

has gone to you of his own accord. (2Co 8:17) e.g. (Making use of his Spiritual

life, Truth, money, time, energy and effort!)

We have sent along with him the brother whose fame in the things of the

gospel (His Spiritual maturity) has spread through all the churches. (2Co 8:18)

The King James Version says “the brother,” but the original Greek text

says “his brother.” Now “his brother” would be Titus’ brother, Luke. So we know

the names of two members of the team. However in, (2Co 8:22) we find a third

unnamed member; so there were three in all. This third member was highly

qualified, as we can tell from the original text, for it states that he had been

tested for approval upon numerous occasions, and Paul had great confidence in

him.

PROPER ADMINISTRATION OF MONEY

And not only this, but he has also been appointed by the churches to travel

with us in this gracious work, which is being administered by us for the glory of

the Lord Himself, and to show our readiness, taking precaution so that no one

will discredit us in our administration of this generous gift; for we have regard

for what is honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of

men! (2Co 8:19-21)

Now money given to the Lord’s work must be properly administered. Not

only was Luke commended for his ministry in disseminating Truth, but he had

been elected by the churches to travel with Paul. He was also helping with the

administration of the offering.

Therefore, the administration of money includes everything from

congregational appointment to Personal love for God. The administrator must

be motivated by Truth, for his success depends not only on his Spiritual gift of

administration, but upon his capacity for Virtue-love and Occupation with Christ

from Operation Z.

Illustration

We have sent with them our brother, whom we have often tested and

found diligent in many things, but now even more diligent because of his great

confidence in you. (2Co 8:22)

At this point Paul commended the three men on his team, and they were all

well qualified with regard to the handling of large sums of money. In not naming

the third member of the team, the emphasis is on the ministry of grace rather

than upon personality.

As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our

brethren, they are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ. Therefore

openly before the churches, show them the proof of your love and of our reason

for boasting about you. (2Co 8:23-24)

How do you demonstrate the proof of your love? In your giving! These two

verses go back to the test of Virtue-love. The whole purpose of giving is to

demonstrate your capacity to love God! Giving is a day-by-day demonstration

of your Virtue-love. Anytime you give as unto the Lord, that giving will reflect

true Virtue-love. True Virtue-love can give only on the basis of the Spiritual life.

Christian aristocracy is made up of those who, through the faithfulness to the

intake and Thinking with the Word, have developed nobility of soul! True giving,

therefore, is true Virtue-love; and true Virtue-love is true giving. The two cannot

be separated, and you as a royal believer-priest are challenged every time you

worship: not by WHAT is given, but by the Spiritual life and Thinking with which

you give!

THE FILLING OF THE SPIRIT STIMULATES GIVING

For it is superfluous [More than is needed] for me to write to you about

this ministry to the saints. for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you

to the Macedonians, namely, that Achaia has been prepared since last year,

and your zeal has stirred up most of them. But I have sent the brethren, in order

that our boasting about you may not be made empty in this case, so that, as I

was saying, you may be prepared. (2Co 9:1-3)

Carnality among the Corinthians had hindered them in the completion of the

offering which had been started a year before. Before they could take up this

work again for the Lord, they had to rebound and in some cases learn Truth

again. By this time however, they had rebounded and were Spiritually ready to

continue the offering. Their mental attitude was right.

NOTHING in the Christian life can be accomplished as unto the Lord apart

from the filling of God the Holy Spirit! (Eph 5:18) The only way to be Filled with

God the Holy Spirit and in fellowship is through rebound. (1Jn 1:9) The filling of

the Spirit plus Spiritual Knowledge of Truth produces Experiential

righteousness, and giving must come under the concept of Divine righteousness

--- good.

GIVING WITHOUT PRESSURE

Otherwise if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared,

we--not to speak of you--will be put to shame by this confidence. (2Co 9:4)

The assumption is that the offering would be completed because of a

willing mental attitude resulting from Titus’ last visit. At this point, the completion

was potential. Paul had been using the Corinthians as an outstanding illustration

of giving. (Their carnality was not the business of the Macedonians.) But the

illustration was not completed until they had actually given as unto the Lord and

as a part of their priestly ministry.

Paul wanted to make sure that the giving of money was not associated

with any embarrassment or pressure. If Paul were to come and the Corinthians

were embarrassed, they would give under false pressure. The believer-priest

should have privacy to give as unto the Lord — not on the basis of

embarrassment or pressure!

So I thought it necessary to urge the brethren that they would go on

ahead to you and arrange beforehand your previously promised bountiful gift,

so that the same would be ready as a bountiful gift and not affected by

covetousness. (2Co 9:5)

We see at the end of verse 5 that giving is a blessing when performed with

the right mental attitude. The mental attitude, money, Truth, time, energy and

effort we give, are a grace blessing from God! Even the royal priesthood from

which we give is a blessing!

GRACE GIVING GUARANTEES BLESSING

Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who

sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. (2Co 9:6)

The word “sparingly” is well-timed because it is an analogy to legalism. To

sow sparingly is to sow un-generously. There is no blessing from legalism, even

though there may be great sacrifice or a large amount of money involved. You

can harvest from grace, but you cannot harvest any blessing from legalism.

Carnality will never give. It can only buy or purchase and place strings on you.

The one sowing on the Principle of grace, (Sowing bountifully) shall harvest

blessings! In grace giving, the person gives of self, of his mental attitude ---

EVERYTHING! (Mark 10:21; Luk 11:41; Luk 14:33) cf. (Rom 8:32) The mental

attitude is present, and that is grace giving! In grace giving, we actually reap in

grace what God sows in grace, which results in GREAT BLESSINGS!

(Mal 3:10; Luk 6:38)

The amount given is never the issue. The issue is grace. God blesses only

on the basis of grace. To sow sparingly or parsimoniously is to sprinkle some

time, money, energy, and effort in God’s direction and expect a great bounty of

harvest. You will never receive it! What profit do you receive from un-generous

sowing, from giving with strings attached, from an attitude of bribing God, or

from approbation lust or human viewpoint? NONE! What profit do you get from

grace sowing, from a mental attitude based on Truth? A grace profit —

BOUNTIFUL!

For the LORD God is a sun (Provision) and shield; (Protection) The LORD

GIVES grace (Now) and glory; (In Eternity) No good thing does He withhold

from those who walk uprightly! (In fellowship) O LORD of hosts, (Armies) How

blessed is the man who trusts in You!

(Psa 84:11-12)

THE MOTIVATION OF TRUTH

Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or

under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (A believer with inner

happiness)(2Co 9:7)

For a believer to be a grace giver, he must have Truth in the frame of

reference in his right lobe. You determine your giving beforehand, on the basis

of Truth and therefore with the right motivation. You should not give at all if it is

from pressure or distress of mind, “grudgingly”--- that is, if you feel trapped or

forced to give. Nor should you give from emotional necessity --- “compulsion.”

A grace giver is someone who has capacity for life, for Virtue-love,

happiness, freedom, respect and authority! Therefore capacity for grace giving

is related to capacity for grace living and grace Virtue-loving, and all three add

up to capacity for worship! If you have no capacity for life, you cannot even

enjoy the Communion Table. Worship is not something that is imposed upon

you; it is something you enjoy in your relationship with God. After all, God

ordained you a royal priest at the point of salvation; and as a royal priest, you

should enjoy worshiping. A part of that worship is giving!

GRACE PROVISION FOR GIVING

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that ALWAYS having

ALL sufficiency in EVERYTHING, you may have an ABUNDANCE for EVERY

good deed! (2Co 9:8)

The emphasis for a chapter and a half has been on the importance of the

Spiritual life in giving. Now, beginning in verse 8, the emphasis is changed

slightly to show what God is able to do. Every now and then we get up on our

high horse and forget or doubt God’s ability. If it were not for God’s ability and

His grace, none of us would be alive, much less spending or earning or having

money or ANYTHING else!

“God has the ability to cause all grace to super-abound toward you!” If you

give legitimately, obviously you must have something to give. The God of all

grace, who provides Salvation in grace, who continues to provide many things in

grace, is also the One who provides money in grace. God provides in grace

both Spiritual and material blessings, which are combined in giving.

God may provide you with everything in the world materialistically, but that

does not necessarily mean you are going to super-abound. This word is in the

subjunctive mood — it is potential. The only thing that will super-abound is that

which is given on the basis of your own GRACE SPIRITUAL LIFE! When you

give from grace, you never expect anything in return. You are delighted to give

as an expression of your capacity for life, not the capacity of the recipient. The

recipient may have no capacity to appreciate your gift. (Matt 5:43-48)

People make all manner of demands because they give something. You

hear it everywhere you turn: “After all, you owe me that! It is the least you can

do to prove your gratitude.” Is that grace? No! That is false thinking and or

carnality. If grace flows in, grace will flow out: It is what you have in your soul

that counts. So the Principle is that the inflow of grace should result in the

outflow of grace.

Giving is one of the greatest challenges in Phase Two. It takes more grace

to give” and to give properly than almost anything else! It takes less grace to

have Virtue-love, to live, to have capacity for life. The amount of giving in itself

is accompanying to what you are in your soul. So it takes more to give as a

part of worship than any of the capacities of life! And the greatest test of

capacity for life comes from giving! Remember, the Macedonians had no money

to speak of; they gave first of themselves. That means they had Truth in their

souls. So God provided the money for them to give.

Giving brings into focus Spiritual and material forces. The Spiritual, which is

unseen but real, meets the material, which is both seen and real. Every time a

believer-priest gives as an act of worship, it is a twofold expression of God’s

grace: God’s grace in the Spiritual realm; God’s grace in the material realm!

God’s grace in the realm of the invisible; God’s grace in the realm of the visible!

Therefore, Paul cites documentation from, (Psa 112:1-10)

As it is written, "HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR,

HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER." (2Co 9:9)

The grace giving of the believer is a manifestation of God’s Virtue — His

nature --- Temple in us! The “poor” are all believers in the sense that they are

totally helpless and dependent. We cannot deserve nor earn anything from

God; so God must provide everything! How is He going to give to us, who are

totally undeserving, and still keep His essence intact? Is He trying to bribe us

for good behavior? The answer is NO, because the next phrase indicates that

He found a way to do this without compromising His essence. Through

propitiation God is free to give us anything He wants to give. He is able to

maintain His righteousness and to give on the basis of the Cross. Therefore,

God’s giving is Virtuous.

God provides the Truth, time, money, energy and the free will in grace; the

believer MUST CHOOSE TO USE THEM! And should we choose to receive

Salvation and this mission to grow to Spiritual maturity we are blessed! But just

having them does not qualify you to give. To the contrary, there must be a

simultaneous provision in the realm of grace: the combination of what God has

provided for the soul as well as what God has provided materially.

We are what we are as the result of the daily function of Operation Z, and

the filling of God the Holy Spirit, and as the result of His provision of the attitude

of soul, as well as the financial means. All grace function comes under the

category of Divine good, and all Divine good is a result of Spiritual maturity; and

will last forever. (2Jn 1:2) Remember that Divine good is what God provides.

So when you give, you are performing an act of Divine good, provided you fulfill

the Principles in this passage. The believer’s grace giving results in an increase

of his grace Virtue-love, and the increase of grace Virtue enlarges capacity for

life, love, happiness, freedom, respect, and authority.

GRACE GIVING IS MULTIPLIED

Now He who supplies seed (The Gospel, etc.) to the sower and bread

(Truth) for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the

harvest of your righteousness; (2Co 9:10) cf. (Isa 55:10-11)

God supplies seed (The Gospel; Spiritual NEED; money; human NEED,

etc.) for your survival, for the necessities of life. You will have an excess at

times, which you will give under the proper Spiritual conditions. Seed which is

not sown is not harvested. Just so, money not given is not multiplied. The more

of GOD’S provisions the believer, (Sower) gives, the more God supplies! In

other words, grace giving experiences the multiplication of grace rather than

simply the addition of grace! (Prov 11:24-25)

You will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which THROUGH US is

producing thanksgiving TO GOD! (2Co 9:11)

Our enrichment is both addition and multiplication! On the addition side we

have the materialistic things of life which accumulate to us. On the multiplication

side we have Divine good, grace, Virtue-love, happiness and capacity for life.

Enrichment; or multiplication of grace applies to every realm of the believer’s

life! THE MORE TIME YOU PUT IN TO READING TRUTH, (Prov 2:1-11;

Prov 8:17; Prov 8:34-35) THE MORE EN-RICH-MENT; the more filling of the

Spirit, the more enrichment; the more faith-rest, the more enrichment; the more

giving, the more enrichment!

How blessed is the one whom You choose and bring near to You To dwell

in Your courts. We will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Your holy

temple! (Psa 65:4)

For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather

stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of

wickedness. (Psa 84:10)

“Generosity of mind” results in an overt manifestation. (Jas 2:26) Giving is

a mental attitude inside your soul. Consequently, because of your generosity of

soul, there is the act of thanksgiving TO GOD! Those believers who are the

beneficiaries of the offering are thankful to God. “Through us!”

For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the NEEDS OF

THE SAINTS, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God.

(2Co 9:12)

Do you know that you have a deficiency? Everyone has! All over this world

there is money. God does not send an angel down with a bundle of money and

put it under your pillow, like the good fairy. In His matchless grace, God

provides for every deficiency. The believer has the opportunity of exercising his

Spiritual maturity, to provide for someone else so that they can thank God for it!

As a part of the angelic conflict, we have the Doctrine of the

implementation of grace. God uses people; but the thanksgiving still goes to

God! Hence, grace giving starts a chain reaction that is part of God’s glory.

Grace in giving multiplies in supplying the deficiencies of people in need, and

produces thanksgiving, which is a grace exercise. This Principle also applies to

prayer. God is providing blessings in all directions!

RECOGNITION OF GRACE AUTHORITY

Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your

OBEDIENCE to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of

your contribution to them and to all. (2Co 9:13)

Giving is a test when you give to something or someone you instinctively

do not like. (Luk 16:10; Luk 19:17) But every time we do, it puts down the old

sin nature and builds our Spiritual life! The Corinthians were Gentiles; the

believers in Jerusalem were Jews. The Corinthian culture was the antithesis of

the Jewish life style. The Corinthians knew the money would go to the Jews,

but they still gave as unto the Lord! The Jews knew the money came from the

Corinthians, but they still gave thanks to God!

What was the Corinthian acknowledgement to the Gospel of Christ? The

Truth came to them in grace; they gave in grace! We see here a parallel

between Truth as a Principle of grace and the Corinthian giving as a Principle of

grace. Giving is a sign of recognition of the authority of grace. Grace giving

demands grace authority, and grace authority is found in the Word!

Some of the Principles of giving are revealed as a backlash from this

verse. The Bible emphasizes grace giving, never emotional giving. The Filling of

the Spirit and Truth are the only basis for grace giving. Emotional giving; is

human old sin nature good, human viewpoint and contrary to Truth. This does

not mean that you flush all emotion from your soul before giving. It means you

must not be motivated by emotion or pressure; we just OBEY the Truth in our

soul. (Luk 22:42; John 8:28; John 12:48; John 14:15; John 14:21)

Now you may hear a legitimate plea for money: and even though you are broke,

you want to give so much that you think you should go out and hock your

wedding ring or give up your sandwich for lunch or borrow the money. Forget it!

You can only give what you have, not what you do not have! That is true from

the soul as well as from the pocketbook. If you do not have any money, then

you can give with your soul; and until God provides the money, do not rob any

banks or go out and hock something. If God does not give you seed in your

barn through grace, it will not be grace giving. Everyone cannot give at all times

— and that is grace!

While they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the

surpassing grace of God in you. (2Co 9:14)

Grace stimulates intercessory prayer. It produces capacity for Virtue-love

and excites admiration. Grace in the believer produces everything that is

attractive and wonderful. Surpassing grace --- Spiritual maturity comes from

maximum Truth in the right lobe and the daily function of Operation Z.

THE GREATEST GIFT

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! [The Lord Jesus Christ]

(2Co 9:15)

The gift of Jesus Christ from God the Father is the pattern for grace and

grace giving. Therefore, giving is an act of worship and remembrance of His

sacrificial gift! Yet no amount of giving can approximate what Christ did for us!

Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to

be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love

Him? (Jas 2:5)

End