Whose Money Is It Anyway? by John F. MacArthur

Author:John F. MacArthur
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

GIVING IN LOVE

And lastly, biblical giving is not done in a vacuum or in isolation from other Christian virtues. The Macedonians’ exemplary giving flowed out of the complete transformation God’s Spirit had wrought in their lives. For your giving to be biblical, it should occur in perfect harmony with all the other positive traits of your regenerate nature, “But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also” (2 Cor. 8:7).

If your giving is operating right along with other Christian virtues, you’re motivated by the greatest virtue of all, love (cf. 1 Cor. 13:3; 1 Pet. 1:22; 1 John 3:17–18). More than anything else, it underscores that your giving is biblical. You can give without loving (that’s merely legalistic, required giving), but you can’t love without giving (true affection leads to generosity).

Biblical giving is perhaps the surest way to demonstrate genuine love for others. Paul asks us again to measure ourselves against the example of the Macedonians to verify the quality of our own love, “but as proving through the earnestness of others [the Macedonians] the sincerity of your love also” (2 Cor. 8:8). The true test of sincere love is not positive emotions and good intentions, but tangible actions (James 2:14–18), such as the kind of biblical giving we have described throughout this chapter. Such giving proves that you love the Lord, His church, and those in need. It is the path to God’s abundant blessing, a path I trust you’re eager to walk.

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