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him to receive it. They got credit for it-because they wanted to give it. We only get credit in heaven for th a t which we gladly give. The largeness of the gift is not the test w ith God, bu t the love in the gift. Two mites, if it rep resents our all, is as much as a million. ‘ God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9 :7 ) and He looks afte r th a t so rt of a giver. Bunyan says: “A man th ere was; some though t him mad; The more he cast away, the more he h ad .” and John Dods, a wealthy man, testi fies: “The more I made, th e more I gave; The more I gave, th e more I made.” W h a t a blessing to the world is a spontaneous giver, and what a blessed church such a church would be. I t was sp iritu al giving, vs. 5. 6: “ And this th ey did, not as w e hoped, but first g a v e their ownselves to the Lord, and unto us by the w ill of God. Insomuch that w e desired T itu s, that as he had begun, so he w ould also finish in you the* sam e gra ce .” This was the foundation of th eir liberal giving,*—they gave themselves. If one has yielded his will to God, if he has surrendered himself, giving things will be easy. A surrendered soul is God-centered and God’s will is the law of th a t life. Through such a soul the grace of God can flow unhindered. The lives of these believers were in th eir gifts. This constitutes tru e giv ing. There are many who would give everything else rath e r th an give them selves. I t is useless to preach cream and live skim milk. The sp iritual law of giving— having given ourselves-—is: F irst,— “Lay by in store th e first day of th è week” (1 Cor. 16 :2 ). That is, be systematic. Systematic giving is easy giving. Laying aside small sums in a definite manner has a large in fluence upon the life of th e individual and of th e family. Have a tim e to set aside God’s portion, and then observe it faithfully.
Second,— “Every one of you.” There i*' no exception to th is rule,— no plead ing poverty, no inventing of excuses. All are to give something. Under th e law it was a lamb, a kid, a tu rtle dove, a handful of flour. There is no substi tu te for giving. N q singing, shouting or grandstand playing will take the place of giving. Even praying must be an abom ination to God if th e man be mercenary. Third,— “As God h ath prospered.” The appeal is to the conscience. As God commits, He expects. “F o r unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required.” (Luke 12:48) The question as to how much, what proportion, is left here w ith the indi vidual believer. You can settle it by getting the mind of the Lord if you are so minded. It was stim u lating giving, v. 7.: “ Therefore, as ye abound In everyth ing, in faith , and u tterance, and know ledge, and in a ll diligence, and in you r love to us, see that y e abound in this gra ce also.” It is perfectly lawful to stim ulate others to give. We are to provoke one another to good works (Heb. 10 :24 ). Paul uses the example of the Mace donian churches, and the giving of His life by the Lord Jesus, as a means to stim ulate the Corinthians to do their best. They have been graced w ith many gifts from God,— with faith, love, knowledge. Now he w ants th eir grace of giving also to be enlarged. He calls giving a grace, a service, a manifesta tion of h ea rt life. To give is as much an obligation on the believer as to pray or to perform any other duty to God. This was manifested in the highest character by God in the grace of giving His Son, and by th e Son in giving Him self. He was rich (Col. 1:16) “ F o r by him . all things w ere created, that are in heaven, and th a t.a re in earth, visible and invisible, w h ether th ey be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or pow ers; all things w ere created b y him and fo r him.” yet He became poor (Isa. 53:2) _
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