Romans 12:8b - God's Gracious Gift of Contribution

In Psalm 86 in the OT, ancient Israel’s great King David aims to renew his commitment to God. He’s aware of his own sins and shortcomings, and he cries, “Teach me Your way, O LORD, that I may walk in Your truth.”

That’s a common request in the Scriptures. But then David says something less common. He writes, “Unite my heart to fear your name.” He admitted the division in his own heart that undercut His reverence for God. Even God’s appointed shepherd-king – a man after God’s own heart – was pulled in two directions: God’s holy way and his own sinful way.

This is true even of those who are in Christ. We desire to honor God and serve others, yet we also want to serve ourselves. Even regarding whatever spiritual gift or gifts God has bestowed on you, you will naturally experience an internal tug-of-war with every gift. Use it to glorify Christ or use it to glorify yourself? Build up God’s people or build up earthly treasures?

But if you are in Christ, something else is true. He sets us free from slavery to sin. Therefore in and through Him we have the power to choose God’s way. The next spiritual gift on Paul’s list is the gift of contribution. This is the gift of sharing generously in and with the body of Christ.

The sinful nature is stingy and fearful. But those who are born again are no longer enslaved to the sinful nature. We are no longer enslaved to stinginess, no longer enslaved to greed, no longer enslaved to the fear of giving and living generously.

And in that freedom, all believers should share generously – and especially those spiritually gifted by God to do so. Christ uses this spiritual gift of contribution to build us up in faith, hope, and love. And like the other gifts, it demonstrates and teaches us about God’s grace.

But how? Notice your outline. The generosity of God's grace is displayed as God provides generously for His church and its work through our abundance;
The wisdom of God's grace is displayed as God provides wisely with what is best
at the time; And the personal nature of God's grace is displayed as God provides personally through those who possess His Spirit.

Now first of all, the generosity of God's grace. Back in verse 6 of Romans 12,
Paul says we have “gifts that differ according to the grace given to us.” 19th century Dutch Reformed theologian Herman Bavinck wrote that in “local churches Christ pours out a wide assortment of gifts, not only the saving gifts of rebirth, conversion, faith, and so forth but also the spiritual gifts known as charismata.”

All believers should share and give. Our values have been redeemed, our desires have been made new in Christ, and so as it relates to our money and possessions, we should give. Each one contributes to the ministry of the church as an act of worship. But some among us have been especially gifted by God for contributing. Just as have some have been especially enabled to preach, serve, teach, or exhort, some have been especially enabled by Christ to give.

Notice again this next part of verse 8: “the one who contributes, in generosity.” In other words, with liberality, with an open-hand, giving freely. One who contributes in this way shares out of his or her abundance. This is the act of giving part of what you have for the sake of the body of Christ.

The fact that this goes against our nature is evident from the time we’re very small. Among the first lessons we learn in life is that we should share. We automatically think, “I have this. I must protect and keep it.” Why? “Well, this might be all I get. And when it’s gone, it may be all I ever have. First and foremost, this is mine. Do you want proof? It’s in my hands!” Children do this with toys and candy and snacks.

Now, even very young ones expect others to share with them – but at the same time they feel strongly that they shouldn’t have to share with others! So, sharing must be learned, and society plays some part in this as we get older. What I mean is, we learn to share in part so we don’t look bad. But the fear of not having enough never fully goes away.

This is why generosity can feel dangerous. The idea brings a sense of uncertainty. We think, “I can’t give some away today. What if I need it tomorrow?” Or “What if I have to go without something I gave to someone else?” Those are legitimate questions. It stands to reason that you would have more if you gave none away.

Christ addressed our fears on many occasions during his earthly ministry. For example, in Luke 12, “he said to his disciples,” – that is, to those who had given up things to follow Him – “Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?”

We’re anxious because we have divided hearts. “Teach me Your way, O LORD, that I may walk in Your truth. Unite my heart to fear your name.” Jesus doesn't deny that giving away possessions means having fewer possessions. Nor does He dismiss our concern about our material needs. But He directs our attention to the provision that comes from God the Father. Christ describes Him as generous, concerned, trustworthy.

The further development of the New Testament church shows that God provides through our abilities and opportunities to earn a living, and our abilities and opportunities to be good managers of what we have, but also, God provides through our contributions pooled together for gospel ministry. The members of the local body of Christ give to support the church – and according to the need, we give to support each other.

Sometimes it’s money, sometimes it’s meals, sometimes possessions. Look around at all that we have and use here in the covenant community. Many had to contribute, and clearly the contributions were generous. That is a credit to our gracious God who redeemed us. God provides generously for His church and its work through our abundance. Therefore, “the one who contributes” should do so “in generosity.” Not sparingly, but bountifully. For how generous has your God been to you?

Now also, the wisdom of God's grace is displayed through this gift. God provides wisely for His people with what is best at the time. One of the clearest examples of this in Scripture is in Exodus 16 in the OT. Moses recounts how God provided ancient Israel with enough for each day rather than giving them an enormous supply to store up. God was generous, but His provision was also wisely measured. The purpose of this was to teach them to depend solely upon Him.

God knows not only what His church needs materially, but also what we need spiritually.
Proverbs 30 says, “Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.” God’s gracious provision doesn't always mean abundance. Sometimes He may provide much; sometimes perhaps little. But always He provides according to His wise purpose.

Our church experienced this in the years leading up to our arrival at this property. We began in my home in 2016, then went to the upstairs in the Boxwood office building, then to Briggs Elementary School. Then during Covid, we went to the field at Boxwood, then to what was the Mission Mart building on West Palmetto, then finally to this property graciously given to us – which we were able to have renovated out of our abundance. What we thought might be a short time at the Mission Mart building turned out to be 16 months. But God had a wise timeline. He was putting a deal together before we even knew it. And He strengthened His people in faith, hope, and love as we waited and watched.

What about in your own life today? How is God’s provision at this time what is actually best for you? What might God be doing in your heart and mind at this time? After all, we need money and possessions, but life is more than that. Paul wrote that Christ is our life.

Are your circumstances revealing a division in your heart that stands to undercut your reverence, your worship, your devotion to and love for Christ? “Teach me Your way, O LORD, that I may walk in Your truth. Unite my heart to fear your name.” If you are in Christ, you are His disciple, and therefore, He is teaching you. Through whatever your circumstances, you are a learner in the school of the one, true, gracious and living God.

And He has provided this place for you, where Christ is proclaimed to you. This place – where every Lord’s Day you may feast with and on Christ, where He continually ministers to you by His Word and Spirit, to form His character and ways in you, to conform you to His holy image.

God has provided this place through the abundance of many, and He provides wisely with what is best at the time. God is at work in and among His people here. This work must continue. Therefore, “the one who contributes” do so “in generosity,” giving freely to His church and its work.

Now finally, the personal nature of God's grace is displayed through the gift of contribution. The true God is not impersonal. He’s not detached or distant. He is with us, providing personally through those who possess His Spirit. Through regular people who have the desire and means to bless His church. Through regular people who have the desire and means to see the church grow in its worship and work. People giving out of their abundance at just the right time.

Christ doesn’t command that you give away all you have, but He does command that you have an open-hand before Him with all you have. And to make you able to be open-handed, Christ open-handedly gave His earthly life for your salvation. In Philippians 2, Paul says, “though he was in the form of God, [he] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped” or, held on to.

What are you holding on to, with a firmly closed hand before your gracious God? The event of the manna in Exodus 16 “happened to them as an example…written down for our instruction.” The body of Christ in these Last Days does not look for provision in that manner. We look for God to provide through the abundance of His people – through those who are born again and possess His Holy Spirit within them. But there is Bread from Heaven that has come down and will come down again.

Notice again the points provided for you. How has God provided most generously for His church and its work? Well, in and through the work of Christ. The hand of God the Father generously gave His eternal Son for your redemption. In Romans 8, Paul echoes the sentiment. He writes, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”

And how has God provided most wisely with what was best at the time? Is it not also in and through the work of Christ? Galatians 4 says, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son.”

And how has God provided most personally through One who possessed His Spirit? Again, is it not in and through the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, about whom John wrote when he said, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Our God is giving God. Oh what gifts He has bestowed on us! So many blessings, but none greater than Christ who is our life!

Do you know that life? Do you have that life? If so, rejoice. If not, receive that life today. Trust in Christ. Believe on Him, and be saved!

Let’s bow together in prayer before we go to His table.