When you look at 2 Cor 8:1-7, the word grace appears 4 times in 7 verses. Grace is so connected to the context of giving that all acts of generosity should be viewed as an extension of God’s grace from you to others. Paul had spent several years organizing an offering among the Gentile churches for the poor saints in Jerusalem because the church was populated by pilgrims, persecuted by Jews, and heavily taxed by the Roman economy. They needed relief and Paul relied on God’s people to share God’s grace. As NT saints, we ought to be grace givers. So what are the marks of grace giving?

Grace giving is…

Joyful
Macedonia was a very impoverished area severely exploited and oppressed economically by the Romans. They were poor themselves and didn’t personally know the people they were giving to. Yet they responded in a tremendous expression of generosity. When someone responds like they did, the only explanation is God’s grace had been experienced in a profound way by God’s people. By God’s grace, the Macedonians had a trust in God that did 2 things: it gave them a joy that transcended their circumstances and income level. It’s interesting to note that the grace of God experienced in Macedonia didn’t mean they were trial-less. We often think grace means fix our lifestyle, they thought grace meant fix our perspective on life. God met the churches in Macedonia in the pressure of the trial and it triggered a joyful expression of grace.

Generous
As always, tests reveal your spiritual character. They were tested in the trial and it proved what they valued. What would God find you valuing? Generosity comes from the heart that knows it can never out-give God.

Proportionate
No amount was specified or enforced by Paul to the Macedonians. They gave what they were capable of and gladly gave of their first and best.

Sacrificial
If you don’t feel the pinch in your giving, you haven’t grasped grace giving. For the Macedonians, it was far more than they budgeted for or could even afford. How were they able to do this? Because they believed God’s promises and chose to live by faith and not by sight. They trusted Phil 4:19 “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Ask God to stretch you.

Voluntary
Their generous giving was Spirit-motivated and entirely their own idea. How was this possible? Because they knew it wasn’t their money. It was God’s money.

Eager
Paul was seemingly reluctant to ask the Macedonians to participate due to their circumstances, but they begged to take part in blessing God’s community of faith around the world.

Worshipful
Once you give yourself away to God, it’s nothing to give away your wealth. They gave all that they were to God, but notice it also says to us. They gave in submission to their pastors (Paul, Titus, and Timothy). God wants His people to not only respond to Him but to His leaders as well. Unlike the Macedonians, the Corinthians were not facing persecution, nor were they desperate financially. They were well off, like us. Teaching wealthier people to give is hard because they think they are losing something. But Paul, by the example of the Macedonians, was showing that giving wasn’t impoverishing them but enriching them, not something they dreaded but something they sought after. All of the Christian’s life ought to be an expression of grace. Add giving to the list of grace expressions. Do you excel in it?