FirstUpdate | February 4, 2021

This is the fifth lesson in our series, Ten Percent: A Call to Biblical Stewardship, that teaches the principles of ten percent giving. We learned that we are called upon to honor God with the first ten percent of all He has given to us in resources, giving these gifts to the Lord through our church.

The message last Sunday, “Practice Over and Above Giving,” described a lifestyle of generosity by giving freely and living openhandedly. Question: Can you recall the names of those who helped lead you to Jesus Christ as your Lord? Think for a moment how much joy it would bring these people to know that you have become a devoted follower of Jesus Christ, living out the biblical principles of stewardship that exemplify faith, faithfulness, and generosity.

2 Corinthians 8 and 9 explain that the apostle Paul was collecting an offering from God’s people. Why? Because the church in Jerusalem was going through a very challenging time. Paul was collecting an offering from the churches to assist the churches where he had been earlier. The church at Corinth had committed support earlier in this process. He had not received the money, so he was leading them to action by giving over and above their normal offering for the purpose of helping others in need in Jerusalem.

In these two chapters there are several principles of biblical generosity introduced. Here is a quick study outline for your use:

Sacrificial giving (8:1-5)
Reasonable giving (8:12)
Proportional giving (8:13-15)
Willing giving (9:5)
What you sow, you reap giving (9:6)
Cheerful giving (9:2)

Consider, the Bible teaches generosity; the world does not. Generosity is a lifestyle that gives freely and lives openhandedly. Randy Alcorn writes “Tithing isn’t the ceiling of giving; it’s the floor. It’s not the finish line of giving; it’s just the starting blocks. Tithes can be the training wheels to launch us into the mind-set, skills, and habits of grace giving.” Grace giving is over and above generosity being lived out by us. In the text, we learn that Paul had to prompt the Corinthian believers to follow through on their pledge to give, contrasting their hesitancy with the personal initiative demonstrated by the Macedonian believers to give out of the overflow of their joy.

Have you ever wondered why some people have a hard time with giving? It could be because of resentment, fear, selfishness, disobedience, or ignorance. Many think that becoming debt-free is what will bring deliverance from financial bondage. Undoubtedly, it helps, but we also need to realize that financial bondage is a mindset. It is an earthly way of thinking that controls our perspective on money and possessions. Deliverance from financial bondage is a spiritual acknowledgment that everything we have belongs to God, and we are merely stewards over all the possessions God has placed in our hands to use for His glory.

In closing, living generously means you are living openhandedly and giving freely. Generosity is a choice we make each day: Will you live with a godly heart and with open hands?