As with everything else in the Christian life, generosity starts with the gospel. The gospel is the greatest demonstration of generosity, because God has given himself to us in Jesus Christ. God gave us the greatest gift possible at the ultimate cost to himself, knowing we did not deserve it and we could never pay him back. Paul sums it up wonderfully in 2 Corinthians: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” (8:9). This is the essence of gospel generosity.
Our generosity is a response to God’s extravagant generosity to us. When our giving is motivated by grace rather than guilt, we will give generously, faithfully, and sacrificially as an expression of the joy we have in our salvation and the blessings we have received because of our relationship with Christ and His church. We invite you to consider how you might contribute to the mission and vision of Second as you respond to God’s grace by giving generously.
In the paper Stewardship at Second, Pastor George Robertson answers difficult questions that Christians face in considering individual giving. He emphasizes the importance of viewing stewardship as a “joyful response to grace,” highlighting that a worshipful heart is necessary to all giving. Furthermore, he uses Biblical principles to help establish practical guidelines for stewardship, while illustrating the many blessings that God bestows on those who worship Him through joyful giving.
