In order to give in a way that pleases God, we need to turn our attention to the Scriptures to find out what God-honoring giving looks like.

Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, ²that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. ³For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, ⁴begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, ⁵and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God. ⁶So we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work as well. ⁷But 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. ⁸I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also. ⁹For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

-          2 Corinthians 8:1-9

Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. ⁷Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; ⁹as it is written, “HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER.” ¹⁰Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; ¹¹you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. ¹²For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. ¹³Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all, ¹⁴while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. ¹⁵Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

-          2 Corinthians 9:6-15

1. Giving that honors God is motivated by God’s grace, 8:1, 9; 9:13
   The proper response to grace received should be grace given to others.  Paul begins this passage in chapter 8, talking about the grace of God that motivated the Corinthians’ selfless giving.  It is the general pattern in Scripture to respond to God’s work with the same kind of work back to God and others.  Paul tells us in Romans 12:1 that those who give their lives as a living sacrifice are those who recognize the mercies of God (specifically, that Christ gave Himself as a living sacrifice, Rom 5:8).  God says in 1 Peter 1:16 to “Be holy, for I am holy.” Jesus says in Luke 6:36, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”  So in this passage, we could say, “Give, since God has given to you.”
2. Giving that honors God is sacrificial, 8:2, 3; 9:13
   Despite the Corinthians being in a “great ordeal of affliction” (v. 2), they overflowed in liberality.  Biblical giving is not done only when times are good.  Giving that honors God takes place no matter how difficult the circumstances (even in spite of their “deep poverty”).  This is also evident in verse 3, where it says that they gave “beyond their ability.”  It’s easy to give God the leftovers, or something that is worthless to us, but that is not what God wants.  He wants us to give as a “confession” that we believe in the gospel (9:13).  When David needed to buy some land so that he could build an altar, Araunah offered to give the land to David, but David’s response should match the reflection of our heart when it comes to giving to God, “No…I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing” (2 Sam 24:24).
3. Giving that honors God is joyful, 8:2, 8, 9:7
   Paul says that they did it out of an “abundance of joy” (8:2).  God expects that we do it out of heart that is “cheerful” (9:7)…a heart that reflects the grace that we’ve received.
4. Giving that honors God is proportionate, 8:3; 9:7
   The Corinthians gave “according to their ability.”  We ought to give to God according to what He has given to us.  In order to determine the amount, we should consider the following: 1) What is my annual income? 2) What are my annual expenses? 3) Is there any indication that my income will increase or decrease? 4) Am I wasting any of the resources that God has given to me?  After asking ourselves these questions, we should do just as we have purposed in our heart (9:7).
5. Giving that honors God is voluntary and planned, 8:3, 4; 9:7
   Paul says that they “gave of their own accord” and they did it as they had purposed in their heart.  God does not want us to give “grudgingly or under compulsion.”  That is because giving is a privilege.  It is an expression of our love for God.  We recognize that God is the One who has given to us everything that we have, and so we give out of love, not compulsion.  In 8:4, Paul says that they were “begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints.”  The Corinthians’ desire to give was completely voluntary, and ours should be as well.
6. Giving that honors God is an act of worship, 8:5
   In 8:5 we find that they “first gave themselves to the Lord.”  We will never give as much as we should until we first give ourselves completely to the Lord.  If we live a life that is not marked by faith and obedience to God, we should not expect ourselves at any time to be willing to give of our resources.  That is because giving is ultimately an act of worship to God.  When we give, we are saying, “God, I gladly give this to you as a small token of my affection for what you have given to me.”
7. Giving that honors God is rewarding, 9:8-15
   Giving is rewarding for both the giver and the receiver.  1) Rewarding for the giver.  “God is able to make all grace abound to you…so that you may have an abundance for every good deed.”  God gives  back to those who give, so that they can continually give of themselves to others.  Giving is also 2) rewarding for the receiver.  The gifts from the Corinthians “produced thanksgiving to God.” Why? Because it fully supplied the needs of the saints, which overflowed with many thanksgiving to God (vv. 11-12). 

 These last two verses (9:11-12) teach us why giving is God honoring.  When we give of our resources to advance the work of God, He uses our gifts to supply for the needs of others, who in turn respond with honor to God.  And giving that comes from a sacrificial, joyful heart honors God because it shows Him that we gladly recognize the grace that He has given to us.  It is a confession of our belief in the gospel.  Let’s give so that God is honored in it!