15-11-01 Bountiful Giving II Cor. 9 5-15 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
In this passage we find several similar words that Paul uses to describe how giving should be bountiful.
Bounty – 2 Cor 9:5 – “makeup beforehand your bounty… as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness” – bounty has two meanings here; the first usage means “a monetary gift” and the second usage means “generosity, liberality.”
Bountifully – 2 Cor 9:6 – “he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully” – bountifully means “liberally or largely” – so when you sow liberally you reap largely.
Abound – 2 Cor 9:8 – “God is able to make all grace abound to you… that ye… may abound to every good work” – abound has two meanings here; the first usage means “to be in great plenty” and the second usage means “to be copiously supplied.”
Bountifulness – 2 Cor 9:11 – “enriched in everything to all bountifulness” – bountifulness means “the quality of being bountiful; liberality in the bestowment of gifts and favors” where bountiful means “free to give.”
Abundant – 2 Cor 9:12 – “abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God” – means “plentiful; in great quantity; fully sufficient.”
When you follow Paul’s discourse on giving through this passage of scripture, you find that giving is a very simple, practical matter.
A person starts giving with a “purpose in his heart” – 2 Cor 9:7 – it must start here. If it starts from a sense of obligation, guilt, or pressure then it is going to trouble him in time. If it starts from the heart then God is going to bless it. God loveth a cheerful giver. Never, never should giving be a matter of necessity; never should anyone give grudgingly
His purpose is followed by a monetary gift – 2 Cor 9:5 – Paul calls this “your bounty.” You simply put your money where your heart is.
His motive for the gift is his generosity not another’s covetousness – 2 Cor 9:5 – Paul calls this “a matter of bounty, and not… covetousness.” That is, he is motivated to give because of his own generosity that comes from the purpose in his heart rather than from the covetousness of the recipient.
The quantity he gives determines the quantity he reaps – 2 Cor 9:6 – Paul describes this as “he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” Lk 6:38; Prov 11:24-25. The Lord encourages us to give bountifully rather than sparingly.
The quantity he reaps affects the amount he continually sows – 2 Cor 9:8-10 – what happens is that you start out giving what you think is a bountiful amount of money. Over time you find that you increase your giving. Ut’s like farming. The grain you harvest allows you to plant more and more land in each successive year. Ultimately, the reason is that “God is able to make all grace abound to you… that ye… may abound to every good work.” Your sowing is not only monetary but involves every good work. And God gives you the abundance of his grace to be able to give and to do every good work.
His continual reaping increases the purpose in his heart – 2 Cor 9:11 – he is enriched in everything to all bountifulness. In other words, he becomes more conformed to the image of Jesus Christ in that he becomes more like the Lord in his bountifulness. Jesus gave it all. The purpose in your heart [2 Cor 9:7] becomes increasingly bountiful.
His continual sowing abounds in thanksgivings and glory to God – 2 Cor 9:12-15 – since God is the one who makes all grace abound to you he is the one the recipients thank and he is the one who gets all the glory. The more often you give the more often the recipients thank the Lord and the more that the Lord is glorified.
Conclusion: giving truly is a very simple, a very practical, and a very spiritual experiment in God’s grace [2 Cor 9:13]. You get with God and purpose in your heart that you want to do something for him. And then get started. You will find like millions before you that God’s grace is sufficient and that the increase in your bountifulness will yield an increase in your joy and in your fruitfulness [2 Cor 9:10]