God's Promise To The Generous

A good definition for generous is showing a readiness to give more money or time than is strictly necessary or expected. Generosity is a grace of God in the life of genuine believers (2 Cor. 8:1-12). In a self-centered world, we could use a few more generous souls among the Lord's people. God the Father is generous giving His Son. The Lord Jesus is generous giving Himself. The Holy Spirit is generous giving His graces and power. It stands to reason that anyone truly influenced by God will be a generous believer giving of themselves, their time, and substance to address real needs. It is so good for us to become more generous and giving, and God holds out a special promise for such believers. Note the words of the Apostle Paul to the Philippian Church,

"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philip. 4:19) 

The wisdom of God’s Word encourages us to LOOK TO CHRIST TO MEET ALL OUR NEEDS.  Notice the phrase, “by Christ Jesus” in Philippians 4:19. The New Testament writers were very clear in their understanding that Jesus Christ would meet all of our needs, regardless of the nature of the needs. It is always correct to look to God when we are grappling with a deficiency or need. Paul confidently promised the Philippian believers that God will indeed supply every facet of every need they had in accordance with His enormous supply! But, I remind you this is a promise for the generous believer and not the stingy self-centered greedy person!

The Promise Involves Great Clarity (Philip. 4:19)

The apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians, “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). Paul did not place any qualifications upon the kind of supply made available to us through Christ Jesus. There is ABSOLUTELY no human need that God is unable to meet -- in fact, He meets the needs far better than anything or anyone in this world.

A Promise to Supply Real Needs

Paul was once assured by Christ that Christ's grace was sufficient for every need (2 Cor 12:9). Yet God often sends "vertical" help through people helping one another on the "horizontal" level. God had met Paul's need through the generosity of the Philippian church. This assurance of the divine supply of the Philippians' needs implies that they had given so liberally that they actually left themselves with a real “need.” 

Sacrificial giving with a right attitude is possible only for those Christians submitted to God. In the United States, giving sacrificially is almost unknown.  Worldly attitudes have clouded our thinking and dulled our sensitivity to others.As I said before, God will not allow His work to tarry for lack of funds; He will simply redistribute the necessary funds to Christians who have the correct attitudes—primarily those who are seeking His will and are willing to sacrifice their luxuries for the needs of others. ” — Larry Burkett 

A Promise Based on Generosity

Yet it is true that those who share generously with others, especially to advance the work of the Lord, are promised a divine supply of anything they might lack because of their generosity (Prov. 11:25; 19:17; Matt 5:7). God would more than repay that generosity by supplying the “need” of the Philippian church. This is just as true for us today! Note what the Lord says in His Word.

Proverbs 11:25, The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.

Proverbs 19:17, He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.

Matthew 5:7, Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Yes, the Lord repeatedly states the generous individual will be compensated according to their liberality to others. This is especially true of the sacrificial giver. This is not the individual giving out of their ‘extra,’ but the person who lives rather frugally in order to be generous in the Lord’s work. They even sacrifice or ignore their own needs to give more to the Lord. Such merciful believers will receive mercy from the Lord in return. He will honor their hearts of kindness towards others. Mr. Burkett, a trusted authority on financial management and godly stewardship, notes how we cannot ‘out give’ God in his book, The Complete Guide for Financial Management for Young Couples saying,

The budget helped to establish a surplus and a plan for the surplus. The surplus is our abundance. It is easy to fall trap to feelings of contentment, slipping away from God in our abundance. Many do so because they fear having to share with others. To share from this surplus requires great love; it really means a greater love for God than for money.
Giving out of love makes sharing our abundance possible. Scripture defines at least two levels of love. One is phileo and another is agape. Phileo is a brotherly love. It is based on mutual compatibility or the sharing of common interests. In other words, it is primarily a love of emotion. When love is given, it is returned; but when one withholds love, no love is returned. Agape allows one to give love regardless of the response. What the other person does will not really affect me if I am in true agape with God.
Therefore, when we give out of abundance, we cannot give phileo, expecting that God will return it. We must give out of agape, simply because we love God and expect no reward. To share out of abundance means you have much and want to share with others who need much. Although God has no obligation to return what is given, He wants to do so. Once you have shared out of your abundance, you will find that you cannot out give God. The more you give, the more He multiplies. (Larry Burkett, 1989)

When you give, give out of what you have. At times the Lord will impress you deeply with the need to act on a need He has made you aware of. Just follow through obediently to honor Him and satisfy the need. Do not worry about what somebody else has to give, or what they are not giving. Give out of the abundance that God has supplied you. Some will even have the grace to live extremely frugal lives in order to give more to the Lord’s work. Be assured the Lord Jesus is pleased with such sacrifices and will honor our generosity accordingly (See also 1 John 3:17-18; James 2:14-16; 2 Corinthians 8:11-12).

A Promise Based on Divine Wealth (Philip. 4:19)

Not only would God supply all our needs, but he will do it “according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (or his glorious spiritual riches). Whether the Scriptures have God’s resources in Heaven in mind or the wealth of His infinite glorious character has been debated in other places. I understand the phrase to be a reference to God’s extraordinary character and glorious Person. God is infinitely wealthy in glories, perfections, and majesty! There is no calculating how prosperous the Lord God is in and of Himself. Beloved, this is your heavenly Father…. It is a magnanimous God who makes this incredible promise to compensate the generous. There is zero fear of being let down or disappointed with what He provides.   

Note carefully that His supply is not merely out of His wealth! The phrase “according to” conveys the idea that God’s supply of the need will not be merely from or out of  his wealth but in some sense appropriate to or commensurate with it. To supply from out of  His wealth implies depleting storage and resources, but to supply in a way fitting to His wealth means infinite storage and supply. 

Yes, it is “according to” His grand infinite wealth that He supplies all our needs! There is no threat at all of God ever running out of supplies and resources from which to meet our needs.  As believers we cannot even begin to comprehend the vastness of God’s wealth in glory—His riches are limitless, comprehensively infinite. Since it is “according to” the Lord’s wealth in “glory” that believers' needs are met, we could rest assured that God would indeed meet every need, no matter how large, desperate, or hopeless it seems. The Lord will remember the faithful generous giver.

To further ponder God’s ability to compensate the giver, think about a multi-millionaire giving ten cent to the church for his weekly offering. He would be giving out of his wealth.  But if he gave five thousand dollars on a weekly bases he would be giving according to his wealth! Likewise God supplies according to His wealth!

Beloved, sacrifice is an essential attitude for every Christian to adopt. Begin to sacrifice a small portion from your wants or desires for the needs of others. Ask God to lay their needs on your heart. Strive to be generous towards real needs; may our expression equal the commitment in our heart.  We must share and work into a pattern of living that characterizes the generous life of Jesus Christ. If we, who are so mightily blessed, are not willing to sacrifice any of our desires for others’ needs, God will simply reallocate the supply to those who are. (See Luke 3:11; Mark 10:29; Luke 21:1-4).

The Promise Involves A Complete Provision (Philip. 4:19)

This could only happen “by Christ Jesus.” That is, because of believer's faith-relationship with Christ, we have access to God and can come boldly and freely to His throne of grace and there consistently obtain mercy and grace to help in our times of need (see Heb. 4:16). In other words, Paul did not say that Christ Jesus would only meet spiritual needs, or physical needs, or financial and material needs. God provides most comprehensively for any and all needs we may have in full accordance with His will and timing. He achieves this "by Christ Jesus," the Lord of glory. We are assured in the most profound way of complete provisions. 

Christ Meets All Needs

Paul wrote that Christ Jesus meets all manner and types of needs.  Some of the needs that we have today are physical, emotional, relational, financial, material, and spiritual. You and I never make a mistake by turning to the Lord Jesus first concerning needs. He will supply us directly, direct us to a resource, or give us the grace to live without it. In such instances He affords peace and contentment. We are changed deep within as a result of realizing His great sufficient grace in new areas of our lives.

Even Intangible Needs

If we are truly honest with ourselves, we will admit the things we desire most in life are the intangibles that cannot be purchased and are not man-made: health, loving relationships, joy, peace, contentment, security, fulfillment and meaning in life. Think about this for a second…. Only God can satisfy such powerful deep yearnings of our never dying souls. These needs are absolutely welded to who and what we are as human beings. We crave these essentials automatically and unconsciously in most instances. Other times we are keenly aware of our need in these areas and unrelentingly seek satisfaction. Nothing and no one else can even come remotely close to Christ’s ability to satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts.

Clearly Every Conceivable Need

Ephes. 1:15-18,  Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, [16] Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; [17] That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: [18] The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

Ephes. 2:7, That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Jesus Christ is ultimately the number one Source for all things that matter the most to us:

• ·     Wisdom and understanding into the things of God
• ·     Comprehensive health—spirit, mind, and body
• ·     Healthy sense of belonging and loving relationships with others
• ·     Fulfilling and meaningful ministry to others
• ·     Blessings that are material, emotional, and spiritual in nature
• ·     Hope, peace, joy, contentment, and unconditional love
• ·     Deepening spiritual insights and precious intimacy our heavenly Father
• ·     An accurate perception of ourselves and a sense of full acceptance because we are the beloved children of God
• ·     Deliverance from the power of sin and evil
• ·     Forgiveness of sin and restoration
• ·     Freedom from guilt and shame
• ·     A future of promise, power, and purpose

There is no reason to be reluctant or skeptical about God’s clear promise to resource and provide for the generous saints of God. Our part is to be generous indeed unto the Lord, and He will see to it that our needs are met adequately. This is not a promise that will automatically result in personal wealth or great financial prosperity, but it is a promise that God will supply the needs of the generous. Whatever the need, the Lord Jesus is our all sufficient Source always. We never make a mistake when we look to Him as our all sufficient Lord. Never!

A merchant of St. Petersburg at his own cost supported several native missionaries in India, and gave liberally to the cause of Christ at home. On being asked how he could afford to do it, he replied:
“Before my conversion, when I served the world and self, I did it on a grand scale and at the most lavish expense. And when God, by His grace, called me out of darkness, I resolved that Christ and His cause should have more than I had ever spent for the world. And as to giving so much, it is God who enables me to do it; for at my conversion I solemnly promised that I would give to His cause a fixed proportion of all that my business brought in to me, and every year since I made that promise it has brought me in about double what it did the year before, so that I easily can, as I do, double my gifts for His service.” And John Bunyan tells us,
A man there was, some called him mad, the more he gave, the more he had.
And there are truth and instruction in the inscription on the Italian tombstone, “What I gave away I saved, what I spent I used, what I kept I lost.” “Giving to the Lord,” says another, “is but transporting our goods to a higher floor.” And, says Dr. Barrow, “In defiance of all the torture and malice and might of the world, the liberal man will ever be rich, for God's providence is his estate, God’s wisdom and power his defense, God’s love and favor his reward, and God’s word his security. (Stories for Preachers and Teachers)

One more thought will suffice before I close this post. Recall the words of Paul concerning the Macedonian Churches inexplicable generosity, “And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God" (2 Cor. 8:5).

David Livingstone, before he had thought of being a missionary himself, devoted to foreign missions all his wages except so much as was required for his frugal needs. Many businessmen today turn over the major portions of their profits to the Lord's work. And have you ever noticed--those that give the most are often those that do the most for Christ. It is not as though they permit their money to do the work while they sit idly by. No, no. These are those who first give of themselves to the Lord, and then of their substance.” (Stories for Preachers and Teachers)

Beloved, take God’s promise to the generous to heart and give of yourself, your substance, and your time in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. He will ensure that you are properly cared for and compensated in accordance with His glorious and magnanimous Person! Remember, it is not possible to ‘out give’ God, and you never make a mistake by looking to Jesus first as your Source.