Note: recently I was asked to guest preach at a church I’ve spoken at several times before. It was a one-off message, and the pastor indicated that he would like the subject to be “generosity.” We eventually decided to focus attention on parts of 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, where Paul is giving instruction on his desired collection for the good of the believers in Jerusalem.

Preaching on generosity as a guest speaker is a special challenge. Folks are often already predisposed to be resistant to any sermon that is construed as an appeal for money. Plus, as a guest speaker, I see my role that week as primarily one of encourager, not to be issuing a strong challenge to the saints. After discussion with the pastor, I settled on “How generosity displays the gospel.” Here is a brief summary.

How generosity displays the gospel – 2 Corinthians 8:9; 9:6-15

One: Generosity is the pattern of divine grace – 8:9

“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 by his poverty might become rich” (2 Cor 8:9)

Here, Paul frames the grace of God in Christ in terms of wealth and poverty. Though many terms in the Bible describe our plight before God – lost, dead, ignorant, sick, enslaved, and many other images – here, we are described as spiritually poor.

In the grace of God, Christ chose to become poor for us. Rich with the wealth of his divine being, he took on flesh and humbled himself to death on a cross, that “we might die to sin and live to righteousness” (1 Pet 2:24). This generosity is the pattern of divine grace.

When we are generous, we show the open-handedness of the gospel. “Freely you have received; freely give,” Jesus instructed (Matt 10:8).

Two: Generosity displays the overflowing joy of the Godhead, 9:6-7, 9

There is a sowing and a reaping – not the self-interested give-so-you-will-get kind of reaping that the charlatans promise. Instead, we are to be joyously generous. God loves a cheerful giver, because he is a cheerful giver.

Verse 9: He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” God gives out of the overflow of joy he has within himself. In creation, he made all things accompanied by shouts of joy (Job 38:7). Christ came to share this joy with us – “so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete” (Jn 15:11). For “the joy set before him” (Heb 12:2), Christ endured the cross.

Earlier, Paul commended the Macedonian church: “their abundance of joy…has overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part” (8:2). When we are joyfully generous, we put on display that divine joy that overflows to all who receive him by faith.

Three – Generosity exalts God as Provider of all things – 9:8-11

The promise is that if you purpose in your heart for joyous generosity, God will provide the way for you to do that. Every time we are open-handed with our time, our talents, or our treasure, we should be reminded that all we have and all we are comes from the hand of our God who provides.

Verse 10. He is the “supplier of seed to the sower.” He will not only supply, but multiply. But notice the multiplication is not primarily for our benefit. He will “multiply your seed for sowing.” This is not a matter of “give more so you can get more.” “Give, to get out of poverty.” It is not self-serving. Instead, generosity fuels more generosity. Verse 11. He enriches us to be generous in every way.

Now, let’s keep things in balance. The God who provides so that we can be generous also “richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (1 Tim 6:17). So, yes, take delight in what you have, with thanksgiving. When God supplies, it’s OK to enjoy it. Spend time with loved ones. Get a second car without guilt. Make memories. It may be a matter of wisdom to make a lifestyle change. However, increase does not always mean a lifestyle increase. Perhaps our first thought with any multiplication should be to abound, not in possessions, but in “every good work” (9:8).

This is because it is God’s nature to be generous and provide for his people. And the gospel calls us to emulate Jesus, who kept nothing for himself, but gave us all things, including himself.

Four: Generosity unifies the church Christ came to save – 9:12-15

This endeavor of Paul’s, this collection for the Jewish saints in Jerusalem, could rightly be called, his “big project.” He wrote about it in several of his letters. Notice how he describes this mission to his readers: Verse 12. The project will do two things: supply their needs, and overflow with thanksgiving and worship.

Verse 13. They will glorify God, approving of what the Corinthian church had done. Notice the wording here – the Corinthians’ submission to God in this matter comes from their confession of the gospel of Christ. Their generosity does not arise from obligation or reluctance. Paul is certain that will be the case. The gospel fuels generosity; generosity displays the gospel.

Now, look at how this ends up. Verse 14. The grace of generosity flowing toward Jerusalem reciprocates and flows back to Greece. Think about that. Paul here appeals to a largely Greek Gentile church to supply the needs of Palestinian Jews. What greater demonstration of the unity of the church could there be than this?

Christ came in part so that Gentiles who were separated from the covenant and alienated from God could be reconciled to him. “But now in Christ Jesus you who were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility” (Eph 2:13-14).

This unity is not mere sentiment; it is not abstract. By sending this generous gift to the saints in need in Jerusalem, the Gentile church demonstrated that in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek. Generosity unites the church Christ came to save.

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Paul closes this passage with doxology. “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” (9:15). In the end, we can’t help but think of God’s generosity to us. Our thoughts don’t first turn to worry: how is God going to provide? We don’t turn to planning: how will we spend our money? How will we invest? To what will we give? In the end, our first and highest thoughts are consumed with Christ’s generosity to us – that while he was rich, for our sake he became poor, so that by his poverty we might become rich.

ταύτην εἶναι ἀληθῆ χάριν τοῦ θεοῦ εἰς ἣν στῆτε.

This is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.