“We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints― and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.” 2 Corinthians 8:1-7

This is a tremendous text on giving. Many lessons here and we will try to point out some the key lessons below. The main point though is that sacrificial giving is an act of God that results in the believer acting like God! Grace yields grace. God’s grace in the believer produces a graciousness from the believer. As God gives, so does the believer. It is grace that causes the believer to give; it is grace that the believer is giving. From grace to grace!

• Notice that Paul attributes the giving of the Macedonians to God’s grace because there is no other human explanation. These believers are in a season of affliction and poverty. Paul is receiving funds to help the saints in Jerusalem. One would expect these saints to say, “Hey, we need help too!” Instead, they say, “Here is all we have to give, but wait, we want to give more!” Grace!
• Paul says they are in a “severe” test of affliction and “extreme” poverty. Paul is being intentionally very emphatic. This is not normal trouble; this is severe. This is not being below the poverty line; this is beyond just poor. That’s why the next phrase catches the reader totally off guard. What do believers who are in “severe” affliction and “extreme” poverty do? Paul says they “overflowed in a wealth of generosity.” They gave so much it shocked Paul!
• Their motive was God and His glory. Paul says they gave according to their means (in other words, what you would expect a poor person to give) but then they gave beyond their means (in other words, they then gave what little they had left). Why would these poverty-stricken, suffering believers give what very little they did have? Paul says they begged for the favor of taking part in God’s work. Later he restated it as giving themselves to God first and then to the apostles. They were totally lost in God, His Kingdom, His glory. Their possessions were NOT their possessions, but God’s. Their lives were NOT their lives, but God’s.
• Paul identifies this overflowing, surprising act of giving as an act of grace. In fact, he encourages the Corinthian believers to follow suit. The Corinthians were excelling in faith, speech, knowledge, and love, but they could use some more attention to grace. What grace? Giving!

So grace from God resulted in gracious, sacrificial giving that went so beyond the norm that Paul called it grace, not giving!

Now it’s interesting to note that in between describing the Macedonians as in severe affliction and in extreme poverty, Paul also describes them as having an abundance of joy! That should take us back. Imagine this. They are suffering horribly. They are completely broke financially. And yet, their joy is to such a degree that Paul calls it an abundance!

How in the world did that happen? How in the world does that happen? Because joy is normally far from me during the slightest ailment or the least bit of financial strain. So how in the world does this happen? Well, it doesn’t happen in the world! It happens in the heart, and it happens by the grace of God!

The Macedonian believers had nothing else to take joy in besides the grace of God, but that was sufficient not only to supply joy but to supply an abundance of it. The grace of God that produced the gracious giving was the grace of salvation, the grace of forgiveness, the grace of new birth, the grace of transformation, the grace of keeping, the grace of provision, the grace of fellowship, grace, grace, grace, grace. Everywhere they turned, they saw God’s grace. They didn’t see relief from suffering. They didn’t see a pay raise. But they did see eternal, saving, justifying grace. And it made them joyful, suffering, poverty-stricken givers!

Let us take Paul’s words to the Corinthians close to heart and follow in the steps of the Macedonians. Has God graced you? Is God’s grace at work in you? The way to find out is to take a look at our giving! Our joyful giving is in direct correspondence to our joy in God’s grace lavished upon us.