The Grace of Giving

(What follows is a teaching I shared with our OHM community given to me by the Lord as I asked for clarity of how our community was to share in the financial end of the God's OHM ministry. I believe the principles are biblical and effective for understanding how to move from the law of tithing to the grace of giving.)

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“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17).”

Under the old covenant the law was given to the people of God as a tutor, in order to help the Israelites learn to walk in right relationship with God, themselves and the world around them. Jesus did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it so that we wouldn’t have to. Jesus has set us free from the requirement of the law and has invited us to live by a new way – grace and truth. Truth is the life we aim for as Christians and grace is God’s empowerment to hit the target. Grace without truth misses the mark, as truth without grace does the same.

Francis Frangipane spoke the phrase – “What God’s truth demands, God’s grace supplies.” This is the secret to understanding a relationship with Jesus. Whatever life Jesus leads us into we can be assured God will provide the grace for us to obey. We are free from striving to live a good life. We are free from the shame, guilt and condemnation that accompanies our many failures. Instead, we are invited to follow God’s leading while asking for the grace to DO IT!

God is inviting us as a community to get on board with financially supporting the leaders of the OHM ministry - the Pfeiffers. The best way of doing this is to allow the cross-hairs of grace and truth to point us toward the appropriate target – getting on board with what Jesus is saying and doing! God has set us free from the law of tithing so we can live in the freedom of grace and truth. Remember, what his truth demands, his grace supplies.

TRUTH - Sowing and Reaping

The apostle Paul teaches, “Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor (Galatians 6:6).” Paul is applying Jesus’ principle of sowing and reaping to the Christians in Galatia, reminding them that as their leaders invested into them, they in turn had the honor of investing into their leaders. When this principle is at work in a community, everyone is looking for how to invest what God has entrusted to them into those who do not have. In this way, each shares what he does have and all are cared for.

Paul goes on to say “A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life (Galatians 6:7-8).” The question: Are we sowing financially where we want to reap? Are we sowing into those who are sowing into us?

Jesus teaches us in Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” It’s amazing to see this principle at work in our lives. Those who rent homes rarely invest in the home like the owners. Homeowners often spend endless hours cleaning, fixing and upgrading their homes. You’re lucky if a renter cuts the grass! Consider the stock market. It’s amazing to see how the hearts of investors rise and drop with the fortune of a company. Is it any different in the kingdom? Those who sow financially into the work of God on the earth experience greater ownership and concern for its affairs. And because the kingdom is always advancing, our hearts are sure to be always rising!

What God’s truth demands, His grace supplies!

GRACE – Grace of Giving/Spirit of Generosity

The Lord has been setting us as a community free from the spirit of poverty, which is a hoarding, clinging and withholding of our resources for FEAR that we won’t receive more. God used manna to tutor the Israelites in generosity (Exodus 16:11-32). They received a generous portion of manna for each day they traveled through the desert and double on Fridays so they could rest on their Sabbath. But if they kept any manna overnight it would rot. No need to hoard manna, no need to fear. God’s generosity releases us to be generous. Distrusting God’s generosity chokes generosity in our lives. Generosity is the overflow of grace; receiving God’s grace releases us to flow in that same grace!

In 2 Corinthians, the apostle Paul teaches the Corinthian church how to live from grace as they consider how to financially support their Christian brothers and sisters in Jerusalem. I will provide the scripture references and then outline the significant lessons of grace below:

Lessons of Grace & Generosity:

(2 Corinthians 8:1-15)

· Grace is best expressed in generosity – “For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and more and entirely of their own accord (8:3).”

· Grace serves as an honor/privilege, not as a chore – “…they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege (honor) of sharing in this service to the saints (8:4).”

· Grace seeks to honor what God is doing on the earth – “…but they gave themselves first to the Lord, and then to us in keeping with God’s will (8:5).”

· Grace is a gift, which comes from God through Holy Spirit to those who ask! – “…see that you also excel in this grace of giving (8:7).”

· Grace perseveres through willingness to accomplish God’s work on the earth – “Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it (8:11).”

· Grace is faithful with the little, in order to be entrusted with more – “For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have (8:12).”

(2 Corinthians 9:6-15)

· Grace always sows generously – “Remember, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously (9:6).”

· Grace overflows with joy and cheer – “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver (9:7).”

· Grace loves to sow generously – “You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on ever occasion (9:11).”

· Financial generosity causes thanksgiving - “The service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God (9:12).”

· Financial generosity is tangible fruit of maturing faith – “Because of the service by which you have proved (evidence/fruit) yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity (9:13).”

· Financial generosity causes others to praise God - “…men will praise God for the obedience (9:13).”