Giving- A Spiritual Ability
By D.M.M. 2/12/2007
This treatise is a summarization of a topical study which I did by studying popular Bible verses from the topic of generosity and giving.
The following are points of note derived from my original longhand notes:
1.) Defined as a gift, Romans 12:6-8 “We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.” (Romans 12:6-8). So, if there’s any question as to whether giving is a spiritual ability/ gift, then, this verse answers such a question emphatically by listing giving alongside prophecy and teaching. This verse also brings up some major concepts in the subject of giving. That is: generosity, giving, and contributing. Just because a person has a generous nature doesn’t mean that such a person is giving. He might be wasting all his abundance on wasteful living and giving little or nothing to others. And, just because a person is giving doesn’t mean that he is contributing to the Lord’s work. A person can be giving a lot of time and money to worldly causes and contributing nothing to Christ’s work, or even detracting from the Lord’s work. So, just as prudence is the ability to actually exercise wisdom (Reference Item#95e in the Teaching Section) and do the right action not just discerning the right action, I’m understanding the spiritual ability of giving as actually being able to contribute to the Lord’s work (not just wanting to give, or arbitrarily throwing money at a situation). Be careful to whom you give your money. It’s a direct measure of your time and effort (or to the time and effort of your ancestors if you’ve obtained your wealth by inheritance).
2.) The gift of giving explained, II Corinthians Chapters 8 & 9 “We want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most extreme trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with the Lord’s will. So we urged Titus, since he earlier had made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But just as you excel in everything- in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us-see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” We should understand that Chapters 8 and 9 of II Corinthians contain major principles on giving and are a must study if researching New Testament giving. The following points are noted:
a.) “…the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches” (vs 1). As in Item#1 above, giving is defined and presented as a grace gift. Let’s not beat about the bush! Giving is a grace because of two reasons. First, it allows us to participate in God’s work on earth which is proceeding from his throne of grace. Secondly, there’s a miraculous side of giving, similar to the miracle of the loaves and fishes, since many Christians (including the Macedonians) give beyond their means. And, let's not adhere to satan's lies. If something is impossible, but God accomplishes it, then it's a miracle. So, giving proceeds from God's throne of grace and is a miraculous grace gift.
b.) “Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and extreme poverty welled up into rich generosity” (vs. 2). This verse has the miracle of giving broken down for us. There are two sets of opposites. Severe trial is turned into overflowing joy, while extreme poverty is turned into rich generosity. Do you see the miraculous side of giving yet? Can you conclude with Paul that it’s a grace gift? I believe that this is what Paul is so excited about- that he saw the miracle. That’s why he said, “I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability” (vs. 3). I normally breeze over this verse and assume Paul is just saying something nice concerning the Macedonians. But, No! Paul is testifying of the miracle of giving, that they were able to give beyond their means and not be bowled over by financial problems. One wouldn’t need to testify about normal occurrences. A person submits testimony to verify the abnormal or miraculous, as was the Macedonians' case.
c.) Opposites within the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ- “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (vs. 9). So we see that the Lord did not just obtain redemption for us at the cross, but also the ability to fill us with grace gifts (Ephesians 4:7&8). And, the overflowing joy and rich generosity, mentioned above, are not just temporary feelings but lasting attributes of who we are. I try to explain giving from the perspective of the Lord and His angels looking down on us. Spiritual beings, and even people close to us can see the type of people we are. Are we generous or are we stingy. We’re generous if we give, and more generous if we give more. And, we're "walking on the mountain top" when we give beyond our means- remember what the Lord said about the widow's mite (Mark 12:42-43). How does a person give the Lord all she had for living expense, and still make do? That's faith! She's living on faith and the grace of God? And, many Christians have lived like that for decades. The sooner we realize that we are like the widow, totally dependent upon the Lord for all our support, the sooner we can actually see the Lord working around us- grace from his throne. Furthermore, if we’re actually contributing to the Lord’s work then we share in His ministry through others and will obtain additional eternal reward. (Please see Item#3 below.)
d.) “..to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part” (vs. 6). It’s obvious from I Corinthians 16:1&2 (See Item#8 below), that Titus was involved in the collection for the believers at Jerusalem, who were under severe persecution at this time, and would have recently had to endure the famine prophesied by Agabus in Acts 11: 28. Paul felt that this collection was not yet completed. Especially Paul wanted them to abound in the charis of giving as well as those gifts already mentioned in the I Corinthians letter- faith, speech, knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in love (I Corinthians 12:8-10 and 13:1). Paul is also teaching herein that giving requires the responsibility to see the work through to completion. He says, “Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.” (vs. 8:11). Now here are three important principles of giving: a view toward the contribution to and completion of the work (Please see Items#1&2f.), an eager willingness to give (Please see Items#2g&5.), and giving according to our means (Please see Items#2e&9.).
e.) “For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have. Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: ‘He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little’.” (I Corinthians 8:12-15). This is a very important verse especially for young people and new believers. While the focus is still on the overall needs of Christ’s Church, this verse will keep us from falling into the error of giving too much. I fell into that error as a new believer with a young family, as many young people do. It took me years to get out from under that debt. And, sadly, I had a Christian mentor who at that time was advising me correctly, not to give to the Lord any more than what I could put in savings. I wasn’t putting anything in savings, but rather running into credit card debt. We cannot give so much so that we begin amassing debts. And, giving to the Lord should be much planned giving, in addition to spontaneous giving (Matthew 6:3), and giving from our first fruits. (Please see Items# 8, 7, & 11 below for planned, spontaneous, and first fruits giving respectively.) God does not want us to be in debt. Debt is bondage; and bondage is from Satan. (“The borrower is servant to the lender”- Proverbs 22:7.) A person should avoid giving “according to what he does not have”- the Lord does not want us to go into debt.
f.) 1st century auditors! Regarding Titus, “He was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord Himself and to show our eagerness to help. We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men.” (II Corinthians 8:19-21). It’s important to handle the Lord’s money in a fair and God honoring way. We should note that the above verse contains four principals of accountability: there’s a person handling the offering, there’s a separate man administering the offering, care is taken in the administration of the gift in the eyes of God- personal integrity, and care is taken to avoid criticism in the administration of the gift in the eyes of men- public integrity. Nowadays, after some bad experiences, notably by televangelists and the like, many Christian charities subscribe to the ECFA- the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. “ECFA is an accreditation agency dedicated to helping Christian ministries earn the public’s trust through adherence to seven Standards of Responsible Stewardship. ... ECFA’s Standards of Responsible Stewardship focus on board governance, financial transparency, integrity in fund raising, and proper use of charity resources.”[1] If a charity is not a member of the ECFA then we have the duty to the Lord to perform due diligence to ensure our money is being expended in truly contributing to the Lord’s work and not misappropriated for some other use. And due diligence is also needed to ensure each charity is indeed doing the Lord’s work, not merely in exercising the whim of some quirky cleric. ECFA or other agency approvals still shouldn’t determine whether we approve of a certain charity. We also should determine that a ministry is truly the Lord’s will, and then pray about it, then we can know that we’re contributing to the Lord’s work.
g.) “For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them since last year you in Achaia have been ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. … Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given. Remember this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (vs. 9:2-7). I don’t need to sum up this passage because Paul, by the Holy Spirit, already has. He said, “For God loves a cheerful giver”. One point that stuck out to me is that Paul’s definition of generosity hinges upon whether the gift is given grudgingly or not, and not upon the size or even the relative size of the gift. So generosity requires an attitude, not just an act. And, if we verify that a ministry is truly the Lord’s work and that the workers are being proper stewards of the Lord’s provision, then a generous attitude is easier to have. Romans 12:8 also urges that the Spirit ability of giving is to be performed with a willing and generous heart, per Item#1 above.
h.) “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: ‘He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.’ Now he who supplies seed for the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing with many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you,because of the surpassing grace God has given you.” (vs. 9:8-15). Herein, Paul expounds on how this grace of giving impacts the giver, the receiver, and the observers. Isn’t this typical of any grace which proceeds from the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). We don’t have to be an angel in order to be administrators of the true grace of God. In fact Ephesians 4:8 says, “When He ascended on high, He… gave gifts to men”. Indeed, verse 9 above says, “He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor”. These gifts at the basest level speak of “bread for food”; but the primary gift being discussed is the gift of giving. This is accentuated when the Scripture promises, “He… will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion…”. This grace gift is described as “the surpassing grace of God”. Strong’s[2] renders “surpassing” as the Greek word “huperballo”, which means to throw beyond the mark. If you already have the Spirit ability of giving, exercise it and don’t let it diminish. If you don’t have this gift, “see that you also excel in this grace of giving” (vs 8:6). The enlarging of our “harvest of righteousness” will be worth far more than gold at the judgment seat of Christ.
See that you also excel in this grace of giving!
3.) Giving is a form of fellowship with God, Philippians 4:15-19 “Moreover as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” The Philippians aided Paul in his work. And, since Paul was obeying his call as an apostle by the grace of God (I Corinthians 3:10), the Philippians were serving alongside Paul and the Lord in that work. This is a form of true fellowship. “Our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ” (I John 1:3). And so, when Paul refers to their gift as “a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God”, I’m reminded of the fellowship offering of Leviticus 3. Leviticus 3:1-5 says, “If someone’s offering is a fellowship offering, and he offers an animal from the herd, whether male or female, he is to present before the Lord an animal without defect. He is to lay his hand upon the head of his offering and slaughter it before the Tent of meeting. Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood against the altar on all sides. From the fellowship offering he is to bring a sacrifice made to the Lord by fire; all the fat that covers the inner parts or is connected to them, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the covering of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys. Then Aaron’s sons are to burn it on the altar on top of the burnt offering that is on the burning wood, as an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.” This sacrifice made to the Lord by fire which becomes an aroma pleasing to the Lord is not the entire fellowship offering, but rather the fat and the inner parts. (The major portions of the fellowship offerings were eaten by the priests- Leviticus 7: 15.) This fat and inner parts are then burned on top of the burnt offering (which is a completely different Levitical offering). Well a study of the Tabernacle will show that all five of the Levitical offerings are types of Christ (Reference Item#16 in the Prophecy Section). But, what about this fat and inner parts burned to form a pleasing odor to the Lord? Well these are our life events done in and through Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. These are not merely good works. These are manifestations of God’s grace through us, by the power of his Holy Spirit- “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). This is why Paul could remark that the Philippians’ giving was “a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice”, because the giving was done through the power of Christ and the Holy Spirit present in the Spirit gift of giving.
Verses17 and 23 can be combined to form the theme of the Philippians letter. “Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account” (vs. 17). Paul was seeking that the Philippians be rewarded eternally and to grow in this “charis” of giving (which is obviously not the only form of God’s “charis”). Did you ever give a lengthy explanation to something, and then, feeling that you’ve run out of words, you merely blurt out your main point in a one line sentence at the end of your discourse. I do that a lot with the hope that the main point of my statements would be emphasized. It seems to me that this is what Paul is doing when he ends the letter with verse 23: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.” (This is also the ending verse of the Bible- Revelation 22:21.) What’s being expounded by Paul is the Spiritual ability of giving, not just why we should give money.
4.) We’re commanded to give, Matthew 5:42 “Give to the one who asks you and do not turn away from the one who borrows from you” This is a very tough verse, whether you are wealthy or poor. Isn’t there a line that we should draw somewhere, or should we just always give/ lend to anyone who asks us? Well, I’m not going to teach against God’s Word, so I can’t tell you not to obey this command of God. As well, “some people have entertained angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:2). Inevitably people use this verse regarding an instance when approached by a beggar on the street. I am very careful in these instances because there are professional panhandlers, drug addicts, and alcoholics- all begging for money. I believe the subject verse is primarily intended for people that we’ve known previously, because the passage surrounding Matthew 5:42 discusses revenge, law suits, someone compelling you to do things, and loving your enemy. So, when a street person approaches me for money, I try to dig a little deeper into their situation, which is the caring thing to do. Most Christians would not give money to street beggars, but would buy them a sandwich (which is a good idea). When a person that you do know asks you for money, again try to get insight into their situation because Matthew 5:42 says “give”, but being a good steward requires acting responsibly. I think it’s a good idea to say a silent prayer for wisdom in circumstances where there’s gray areas (James 1:5), but don’t be surprised if, after praying for wisdom, the Lord merely recalls Matthew 5:42 to your mind. There are many abusers of people’s generosity, so being a good steward of what the Lord has given us is important.
And, speaking of abuse of the system, there are charities to which I love to give, but who unwittingly violate the principle of Matthew 5:42. Here’s how they do it. Immediately after I give them a donation, sometimes included with their receipt, I get a communication asking for more money. They force me to turn away from them and sour my joy in giving. But I’ll be considerate and look beyond such faults to honestly review their missionary work and will give (or not) based on the whether they do the Lord’s work. However, I still feel multiple requests within a small same time period, or a request tagged on to a receipt, is not considerate of the purpose of Matthew 5:42, above. However, in full view of Matthew 5:42, I'm reminded of my old friend Clarence's saying, "You can't out give God." So, we should keep giving, even if we stumble into error; "because love covers over a multitude of sins"- I Peter 4:8.
5.) Freely, freely give, Matthew 10:8 “The kingdom of heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” In I Corinthians 9:7, per Item# 2g above, we saw that “God loves a cheerful giver”, and also that generosity is not just an act but an attitude. Well the same is true for our work in the Lord. Our ministry in the Lord’s work costs us time and effort, and Matthew 10:8 says that we are to give it freely with a generous attitude. The reason that we are to freely exercise our ministries in the Lord is so that the things of the Lord might be free to all according to his promises. “Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life” (Revelation 22:17). “For God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29).
I Chronicles 29:3-14 also emphasizes the joy of seeing others giving freely with a generous attitude: “The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly. David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,
‘Praise be to you, O Lord,
God of our father Israel,
From everlasting to everlasting.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power
And the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
For everything in heaven and Earth is yours.
Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom;
You are exalted as head over all.
Wealth and honor come from you;
You are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
To exalt and give strength to all.
Now, our God we give You thanks,
And praise your glorious name.
But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given You only what comes from your hand.’ “I get a sense of joy just reading about this. Joy overtook the whole nation, and it was sparked by the giving of David and his appointed leaders. Do you know that all this took place at the beginning of what became known as the “Golden Age of Israel”? Israel, until the Millennial Reign of Christ, would never again reach the pinnacle of wealth and prominence that it did under Solomon. Well, one could argue, “Which came first- the wealth or the generosity?” However, the point is that wealth and generosity go together. We must note that there is spiritual wealth as well as worldly wealth according to Matthew 6:20. Also, Item #10 the story of the widow’s mite does not disagree with the concept that wealth and generosity go together. The widow gave her all, but God is wealthy and has the ability to empower the Church to give great amounts of funds for his work. “The cattle on a thousand hills” are his and the wealth in every mine (Psalm 50:1). May such empowerment of generosity also come to each of us!
6.) Wealth as baggage for Christian service, Matthew 19:21 “Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, ‘Who then can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’ Peter answered Him, ‘We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?’ Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.’ “
It’s hard to escape the fact that wealth is usually a burden to a Christian servant, because the Lord Jesus really drives the point home in this passage. Perhaps we’d like to think that only that rich young man needed to divest himself of his worldly wealth. However, the Lord said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God”. Look at how and why the disciples were astonished. They had obviously been taught that wealth was something to be sought after, perhaps as a blessing from God. We can’t really say why, but it was probably worked into the Jewish teaching of the day. While money is a measure of our time and energy and should be carefully handled, wealth can become a great burden, especially when we compare ourselves to the wealth of others. Keeping up with the Joneses isn’t funny! Greed is the same as idolatry- Colossians 3:5. And, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (I Timothy 6:10). The Lord Jesus stated a simple solution to the problem- give the wealth away, and come follow Him. Now, if the Lord isn’t leading us to deal with our wealth by giving it away, then we must surrender our wealth to his use- because it’s his anyway. And, we also must contribute appropriately to the Lord’s work. When we realize that our wealth is from God and is all his for the using, then it’s not an idol to us, and we do not love the money. Also, we can then realize that our wealth isn’t by accident, but by God’s purpose to allow us to do his will. His will should entail giving to the Lord’s work, and also merely running an honest business, and being a fair and generous Christian testimony to the community around us. It appears to me that a large part of the grace of giving is comprised of the grace of receiving wealth enough to give. “What do you have that you did not receive?” (I Corinthians 4:7). “Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:16&17).
So, in my view, wealth is only given to a Christian in order to fulfill God’s purpose- and sometimes we can’t see that future purpose. Consider Joseph and why he was raised up to rule Egypt. God had a plan to preserve Israel and cause him to become a great nation, but even Joseph could only perceive a small inkling of God’s larger plan- “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:20).
7.) Giving without show, Matthew 6:1-4 “Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” It would be good to take some time and meditate on this passage, because it’s telling us how to preserve our reward in heaven. I’m currently working diligently on our retirement plans and find that I have to switch into a more hands on approach because there’s more assets involved as I get closer to retirement. So, I’m being very careful and putting a lot of effort into doing these investments. Well this is similar to the teaching in Matthew 6:1- “Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men. To be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven”. Be careful! Be careful! Be careful- your dealing with your eternal rewards!
When I think of this verse, I always remember a visit I made to a church in Oklahoma, during one of many trips to that state. On a Sunday I got up and picked a church somewhat randomly, just to be worshiping the Lord. After worship, instead of Bible preaching, the church had a member stand up and tell everyone why he had decided to give $10,000 to the building fund. His reasoning of why he gave the money seemed sound. However, from the passage above, I have to conclude that somehow he had been tricked out of his heavenly reward for the giving of that $10,000. I don't know why his clergyman had him do that. Perhaps the cleric didn't know what he was doing, even with his doctorate in evangelical studies- "hint, hint"! Thankfully for me, it won’t be up to me to decide such things before Christ’s judgment seat. However, “Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.”
8.) Planned Giving, I Corinthians 16:1&2 “Now about the collection for God’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, every one of you should set aside a sum of money on keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.” Planned giving is an important part of giving. We don’t always keep track of our spontaneous giving. So, it’s important to have a system of giving so that we maintain the appropriate level of fellowship with God in his work, and also that we won’t unknowingly become stingy in our lifestyle. Understand that this is a very important Christian issue and principle. There have been many times in my life, and one certainly can sense this, when I’ve posted many accounts receivables but received nothing. The income was trickling in, even though I was doing productive and successful work. It’s then that I know to look back and review my recent giving patterns, as to whether I was properly giving to the Lord. I cannot remember a time that the flood gates of income remained closed after I straightened out my giving to the Lord. Regarding planned giving, Scripture teaches tithing as the appropriate amount to give. “Just think how great he (Melchizedeck) was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! Now the Law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people- that is, their brothers- even though their brothers are descended from Abraham.” (Hebrews 7:4&5). (Please see Item#2d above, and Item #9 below). Of course, we have to ask ourselves the difficult question, “Ten percent of what?” This question is something we have to pray about. And remember that contributing to the Lord’s work requires that the organization to which we give is actually doing the Lord’s work. And, make no mistake, many, many people are giving their money away to the enemies of God- and in their own mind concluding that they are giving it to the Lord.
9.) Tithing, Malachi 3:9-12 “’You are under a curse- the whole nation of you- because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there might be food in my house. Test me on this,‘ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,’ says the Lord Almighty.” Now we were reminded in Hebrews 7:5, per Item#8 above, that the Levitical priesthood was to be fed by the tithe offerings of the Israelites. The Lord, through Malachi, is reminding Israel that disobeying His tithing law was bringing a curse upon them, and that they were essentially robbing Him. We as the Church of Christ are no longer under the Law. However, we are also reminded in Hebrews 7:4&5 that the tithing concept, as a proportional consideration in giving, came before the Law. So tithing is an important measuring mark in giving.
I heard one preacher speak, though and he said that God doesn’t want our 10%; He wants our all according to Romans 12:1 (and Matthew 10:38&39). I agree with said preacher. My position with my Lord has been that tithing is merely a measure. And, if by giving our all to follow Christ we become unfavorably employed, or are persecuted, or become old and sick and just plain run out of gas, so that we cannot give a proper tithe, we are still obedient to the Lord’s New Covenant- “because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1). We are not under the curse of the Law, because “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’ “ (Galatians 3:13). However, as in most cases of Law versus grace “do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather serve one another in love.” (Galatians 5:13). Grace is not just that in occasions of persecution we aren’t bound to tithing. Grace is also as was stated above (Item#2), that we are to excel in this grace of giving. Grace doesn’t merely include mercy and forgiveness; grace brings power to do God’s will. And, in my own personal experience, sometimes I have a problem in tithing because I'm spending too much or not focusing on making enough revenue. So, tithing become a valuable indicator/ reminder in our finances.
10.) The widow’s mite- giving all that you have, Luke 21:1-4 “As He looked up Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. ‘I tell you the truth,’ He said, ‘this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.’ “ Well, the great question here is, “How does the Lord conclude that the widow gave more than all the others?” Being a fan of plain speech, I perceive that the Lord explained that the magnitude of giving is measured by what you have available, not by the amount that you give. As was stated above The widow had little and gave all; the others had much but gave a small percentage. This explanation by the Lord goes along with the concepts explained above- that giving involves a heart attitude and relying upon and practicing the grace of God (See Items# 1, 2a, b, c, &h, 3, and 5). It has always seemed to me that implied within this story are two other salient facts. The widow was a regular visitor to the temple; and she had already been emptying her wallet to others for several years. So, the widow gave all she had for decades. That's an excellent challenge, to give all we have, in terms of time and effort and money, until we drop or the Lord comes. That's like a runner sprinting for the finish line, but the finish line is twenty years away. "With God all things are possible"- Matthew 19:26.
11.) First fruits, Ex23:14-19, Deuteronomy 26:1-11 “When you have entered the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance and have taken possession of it and settled in it, take some of the firstfruits of all that you produce from the soil from the land that the Lord your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the Lord your God will choose for his name and say to the priest in office at the time, ‘I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come to the land the Lord swore to our forefathers to give us.’ The priest shall take the basket from your hands and set it in front of the altar of the Lord your God. Then you shall declare before the Lord your God: ‘My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt with a few people and lived there and became a great nation, powerful and numerous. But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer, putting us to hard labor. Then we cried out to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression. So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with miraculous signs and wonders. He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, O Lord, have given me.’ Place the basket before the Lord your God and bow down before him. And you and the Levites and the aliens among you shall rejoice in all the good things that the Lord your God has given to you and your household.” Now in the times of the nation of Israel, they had a place where the Lord claimed for his name- whether the Tabernacle or eventually the Temple. In the New Testament times we don’t really have a specific place, and we certainly don’t have a physical altar; “because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (Hebrews 10:14). (Our altar is Jesus Christ, Himself- Hebrews 13:10&15.) However, we can still give with a grateful heart to the Lord’s work, especially when we taste of the firstfruits of some financial endeavor. This concept of giving of firstfruits seems only fitting if we are to be considered thankful people. I don’t see a particular New Testament teaching on this concept. Never the less, it is a Biblical concept worthy of note and practice by Christians who want to live in a victorious and excellent manner. And, the giving of first fruits always, to me, connotes giving in a cheerful manner, because we recognize all the Lord is doing for us. "For God loves a cheerful giver"- II Corinthians 9:7.
Concluding this study of generosity, let me give out the same challenge that the Apostle Paul gave out to the Corinthians, “Just as you excel in everything- in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us- see that you also excel in this grace of giving” (II Corinthians 8:7). So, in this study of giving, as in the study of the other grace gifts, we can look for the first and last items for increased perception of what the Lord would teach us. First, giving is a grace gift; and the term "see that you excel" means that we can develop and nurture this gift within us. Secondly, we should cheerfully celebrate the fruits which God gives us by giving a portion to his work.
SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT POINTS
Lest someone misconstrue, or even deliberately twist, the results of what’s being concluded from this study, the following summary points are noted:
1.) The Scripture, which cannot be broken according to the Lord Jesus in John 10:35, defines giving as a Spirit manifested ability ranked with prophecy and other gifts. (The above items reference this: Nos. 1, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2h, & 10.)
2.) Giving is a Spirit manifested ability that all Christians can have. All Christians are urged to “excel in this grace of giving”, so we can work to improve this grace of giving. (The above items reference this: Nos. 2c, 2h, 3, 6, 7, 8, & 9.)
3.) The Spirit’s work in us through the charis of giving is so that we will have fellowship with God by contributing to his work, and also, He works in us so that we will grow in grace and be rewarded in eternity. (The above items reference this: Nos. 1, 2a, 2c, 2d, 2f, 3, 5, 6, 7, & 8.)
4.) There is a proper attitude in giving which is summarized by II Corinthians 9:7 “God loves a cheerful giver”. (The above items reference this: Nos. 2b, 2d, 2g, 4, 5, 10, & 11.)
5.) There are three types of giving taught in Scripture: spontaneous giving, planned giving (tithing), and giving of first fruits. (The above items reference this: Nos. 2d, 2e, 8, 9, & 11.)
End HOME
[1] www.ECFA.org- “About ECFA”- “What is ECFA?”
[2] James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (McLean, VA: MacDonald Publishing Company) p. 74 (No. 5235) of his Greek Dictionary of the New Testament.
By D.M.M. 2/12/2007
This treatise is a summarization of a topical study which I did by studying popular Bible verses from the topic of generosity and giving.
The following are points of note derived from my original longhand notes:
1.) Defined as a gift, Romans 12:6-8 “We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.” (Romans 12:6-8). So, if there’s any question as to whether giving is a spiritual ability/ gift, then, this verse answers such a question emphatically by listing giving alongside prophecy and teaching. This verse also brings up some major concepts in the subject of giving. That is: generosity, giving, and contributing. Just because a person has a generous nature doesn’t mean that such a person is giving. He might be wasting all his abundance on wasteful living and giving little or nothing to others. And, just because a person is giving doesn’t mean that he is contributing to the Lord’s work. A person can be giving a lot of time and money to worldly causes and contributing nothing to Christ’s work, or even detracting from the Lord’s work. So, just as prudence is the ability to actually exercise wisdom (Reference Item#95e in the Teaching Section) and do the right action not just discerning the right action, I’m understanding the spiritual ability of giving as actually being able to contribute to the Lord’s work (not just wanting to give, or arbitrarily throwing money at a situation). Be careful to whom you give your money. It’s a direct measure of your time and effort (or to the time and effort of your ancestors if you’ve obtained your wealth by inheritance).
2.) The gift of giving explained, II Corinthians Chapters 8 & 9 “We want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most extreme trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with the Lord’s will. So we urged Titus, since he earlier had made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But just as you excel in everything- in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us-see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” We should understand that Chapters 8 and 9 of II Corinthians contain major principles on giving and are a must study if researching New Testament giving. The following points are noted:
a.) “…the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches” (vs 1). As in Item#1 above, giving is defined and presented as a grace gift. Let’s not beat about the bush! Giving is a grace because of two reasons. First, it allows us to participate in God’s work on earth which is proceeding from his throne of grace. Secondly, there’s a miraculous side of giving, similar to the miracle of the loaves and fishes, since many Christians (including the Macedonians) give beyond their means. And, let's not adhere to satan's lies. If something is impossible, but God accomplishes it, then it's a miracle. So, giving proceeds from God's throne of grace and is a miraculous grace gift.
b.) “Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and extreme poverty welled up into rich generosity” (vs. 2). This verse has the miracle of giving broken down for us. There are two sets of opposites. Severe trial is turned into overflowing joy, while extreme poverty is turned into rich generosity. Do you see the miraculous side of giving yet? Can you conclude with Paul that it’s a grace gift? I believe that this is what Paul is so excited about- that he saw the miracle. That’s why he said, “I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability” (vs. 3). I normally breeze over this verse and assume Paul is just saying something nice concerning the Macedonians. But, No! Paul is testifying of the miracle of giving, that they were able to give beyond their means and not be bowled over by financial problems. One wouldn’t need to testify about normal occurrences. A person submits testimony to verify the abnormal or miraculous, as was the Macedonians' case.
c.) Opposites within the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ- “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (vs. 9). So we see that the Lord did not just obtain redemption for us at the cross, but also the ability to fill us with grace gifts (Ephesians 4:7&8). And, the overflowing joy and rich generosity, mentioned above, are not just temporary feelings but lasting attributes of who we are. I try to explain giving from the perspective of the Lord and His angels looking down on us. Spiritual beings, and even people close to us can see the type of people we are. Are we generous or are we stingy. We’re generous if we give, and more generous if we give more. And, we're "walking on the mountain top" when we give beyond our means- remember what the Lord said about the widow's mite (Mark 12:42-43). How does a person give the Lord all she had for living expense, and still make do? That's faith! She's living on faith and the grace of God? And, many Christians have lived like that for decades. The sooner we realize that we are like the widow, totally dependent upon the Lord for all our support, the sooner we can actually see the Lord working around us- grace from his throne. Furthermore, if we’re actually contributing to the Lord’s work then we share in His ministry through others and will obtain additional eternal reward. (Please see Item#3 below.)
d.) “..to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part” (vs. 6). It’s obvious from I Corinthians 16:1&2 (See Item#8 below), that Titus was involved in the collection for the believers at Jerusalem, who were under severe persecution at this time, and would have recently had to endure the famine prophesied by Agabus in Acts 11: 28. Paul felt that this collection was not yet completed. Especially Paul wanted them to abound in the charis of giving as well as those gifts already mentioned in the I Corinthians letter- faith, speech, knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in love (I Corinthians 12:8-10 and 13:1). Paul is also teaching herein that giving requires the responsibility to see the work through to completion. He says, “Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.” (vs. 8:11). Now here are three important principles of giving: a view toward the contribution to and completion of the work (Please see Items#1&2f.), an eager willingness to give (Please see Items#2g&5.), and giving according to our means (Please see Items#2e&9.).
e.) “For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have. Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: ‘He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little’.” (I Corinthians 8:12-15). This is a very important verse especially for young people and new believers. While the focus is still on the overall needs of Christ’s Church, this verse will keep us from falling into the error of giving too much. I fell into that error as a new believer with a young family, as many young people do. It took me years to get out from under that debt. And, sadly, I had a Christian mentor who at that time was advising me correctly, not to give to the Lord any more than what I could put in savings. I wasn’t putting anything in savings, but rather running into credit card debt. We cannot give so much so that we begin amassing debts. And, giving to the Lord should be much planned giving, in addition to spontaneous giving (Matthew 6:3), and giving from our first fruits. (Please see Items# 8, 7, & 11 below for planned, spontaneous, and first fruits giving respectively.) God does not want us to be in debt. Debt is bondage; and bondage is from Satan. (“The borrower is servant to the lender”- Proverbs 22:7.) A person should avoid giving “according to what he does not have”- the Lord does not want us to go into debt.
f.) 1st century auditors! Regarding Titus, “He was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord Himself and to show our eagerness to help. We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men.” (II Corinthians 8:19-21). It’s important to handle the Lord’s money in a fair and God honoring way. We should note that the above verse contains four principals of accountability: there’s a person handling the offering, there’s a separate man administering the offering, care is taken in the administration of the gift in the eyes of God- personal integrity, and care is taken to avoid criticism in the administration of the gift in the eyes of men- public integrity. Nowadays, after some bad experiences, notably by televangelists and the like, many Christian charities subscribe to the ECFA- the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. “ECFA is an accreditation agency dedicated to helping Christian ministries earn the public’s trust through adherence to seven Standards of Responsible Stewardship. ... ECFA’s Standards of Responsible Stewardship focus on board governance, financial transparency, integrity in fund raising, and proper use of charity resources.”[1] If a charity is not a member of the ECFA then we have the duty to the Lord to perform due diligence to ensure our money is being expended in truly contributing to the Lord’s work and not misappropriated for some other use. And due diligence is also needed to ensure each charity is indeed doing the Lord’s work, not merely in exercising the whim of some quirky cleric. ECFA or other agency approvals still shouldn’t determine whether we approve of a certain charity. We also should determine that a ministry is truly the Lord’s will, and then pray about it, then we can know that we’re contributing to the Lord’s work.
g.) “For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them since last year you in Achaia have been ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. … Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given. Remember this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (vs. 9:2-7). I don’t need to sum up this passage because Paul, by the Holy Spirit, already has. He said, “For God loves a cheerful giver”. One point that stuck out to me is that Paul’s definition of generosity hinges upon whether the gift is given grudgingly or not, and not upon the size or even the relative size of the gift. So generosity requires an attitude, not just an act. And, if we verify that a ministry is truly the Lord’s work and that the workers are being proper stewards of the Lord’s provision, then a generous attitude is easier to have. Romans 12:8 also urges that the Spirit ability of giving is to be performed with a willing and generous heart, per Item#1 above.
h.) “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: ‘He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.’ Now he who supplies seed for the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing with many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you,because of the surpassing grace God has given you.” (vs. 9:8-15). Herein, Paul expounds on how this grace of giving impacts the giver, the receiver, and the observers. Isn’t this typical of any grace which proceeds from the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). We don’t have to be an angel in order to be administrators of the true grace of God. In fact Ephesians 4:8 says, “When He ascended on high, He… gave gifts to men”. Indeed, verse 9 above says, “He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor”. These gifts at the basest level speak of “bread for food”; but the primary gift being discussed is the gift of giving. This is accentuated when the Scripture promises, “He… will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion…”. This grace gift is described as “the surpassing grace of God”. Strong’s[2] renders “surpassing” as the Greek word “huperballo”, which means to throw beyond the mark. If you already have the Spirit ability of giving, exercise it and don’t let it diminish. If you don’t have this gift, “see that you also excel in this grace of giving” (vs 8:6). The enlarging of our “harvest of righteousness” will be worth far more than gold at the judgment seat of Christ.
See that you also excel in this grace of giving!
3.) Giving is a form of fellowship with God, Philippians 4:15-19 “Moreover as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” The Philippians aided Paul in his work. And, since Paul was obeying his call as an apostle by the grace of God (I Corinthians 3:10), the Philippians were serving alongside Paul and the Lord in that work. This is a form of true fellowship. “Our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ” (I John 1:3). And so, when Paul refers to their gift as “a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God”, I’m reminded of the fellowship offering of Leviticus 3. Leviticus 3:1-5 says, “If someone’s offering is a fellowship offering, and he offers an animal from the herd, whether male or female, he is to present before the Lord an animal without defect. He is to lay his hand upon the head of his offering and slaughter it before the Tent of meeting. Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood against the altar on all sides. From the fellowship offering he is to bring a sacrifice made to the Lord by fire; all the fat that covers the inner parts or is connected to them, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the covering of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys. Then Aaron’s sons are to burn it on the altar on top of the burnt offering that is on the burning wood, as an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.” This sacrifice made to the Lord by fire which becomes an aroma pleasing to the Lord is not the entire fellowship offering, but rather the fat and the inner parts. (The major portions of the fellowship offerings were eaten by the priests- Leviticus 7: 15.) This fat and inner parts are then burned on top of the burnt offering (which is a completely different Levitical offering). Well a study of the Tabernacle will show that all five of the Levitical offerings are types of Christ (Reference Item#16 in the Prophecy Section). But, what about this fat and inner parts burned to form a pleasing odor to the Lord? Well these are our life events done in and through Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. These are not merely good works. These are manifestations of God’s grace through us, by the power of his Holy Spirit- “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). This is why Paul could remark that the Philippians’ giving was “a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice”, because the giving was done through the power of Christ and the Holy Spirit present in the Spirit gift of giving.
Verses17 and 23 can be combined to form the theme of the Philippians letter. “Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account” (vs. 17). Paul was seeking that the Philippians be rewarded eternally and to grow in this “charis” of giving (which is obviously not the only form of God’s “charis”). Did you ever give a lengthy explanation to something, and then, feeling that you’ve run out of words, you merely blurt out your main point in a one line sentence at the end of your discourse. I do that a lot with the hope that the main point of my statements would be emphasized. It seems to me that this is what Paul is doing when he ends the letter with verse 23: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.” (This is also the ending verse of the Bible- Revelation 22:21.) What’s being expounded by Paul is the Spiritual ability of giving, not just why we should give money.
4.) We’re commanded to give, Matthew 5:42 “Give to the one who asks you and do not turn away from the one who borrows from you” This is a very tough verse, whether you are wealthy or poor. Isn’t there a line that we should draw somewhere, or should we just always give/ lend to anyone who asks us? Well, I’m not going to teach against God’s Word, so I can’t tell you not to obey this command of God. As well, “some people have entertained angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:2). Inevitably people use this verse regarding an instance when approached by a beggar on the street. I am very careful in these instances because there are professional panhandlers, drug addicts, and alcoholics- all begging for money. I believe the subject verse is primarily intended for people that we’ve known previously, because the passage surrounding Matthew 5:42 discusses revenge, law suits, someone compelling you to do things, and loving your enemy. So, when a street person approaches me for money, I try to dig a little deeper into their situation, which is the caring thing to do. Most Christians would not give money to street beggars, but would buy them a sandwich (which is a good idea). When a person that you do know asks you for money, again try to get insight into their situation because Matthew 5:42 says “give”, but being a good steward requires acting responsibly. I think it’s a good idea to say a silent prayer for wisdom in circumstances where there’s gray areas (James 1:5), but don’t be surprised if, after praying for wisdom, the Lord merely recalls Matthew 5:42 to your mind. There are many abusers of people’s generosity, so being a good steward of what the Lord has given us is important.
And, speaking of abuse of the system, there are charities to which I love to give, but who unwittingly violate the principle of Matthew 5:42. Here’s how they do it. Immediately after I give them a donation, sometimes included with their receipt, I get a communication asking for more money. They force me to turn away from them and sour my joy in giving. But I’ll be considerate and look beyond such faults to honestly review their missionary work and will give (or not) based on the whether they do the Lord’s work. However, I still feel multiple requests within a small same time period, or a request tagged on to a receipt, is not considerate of the purpose of Matthew 5:42, above. However, in full view of Matthew 5:42, I'm reminded of my old friend Clarence's saying, "You can't out give God." So, we should keep giving, even if we stumble into error; "because love covers over a multitude of sins"- I Peter 4:8.
5.) Freely, freely give, Matthew 10:8 “The kingdom of heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” In I Corinthians 9:7, per Item# 2g above, we saw that “God loves a cheerful giver”, and also that generosity is not just an act but an attitude. Well the same is true for our work in the Lord. Our ministry in the Lord’s work costs us time and effort, and Matthew 10:8 says that we are to give it freely with a generous attitude. The reason that we are to freely exercise our ministries in the Lord is so that the things of the Lord might be free to all according to his promises. “Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life” (Revelation 22:17). “For God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29).
I Chronicles 29:3-14 also emphasizes the joy of seeing others giving freely with a generous attitude: “The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly. David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,
‘Praise be to you, O Lord,
God of our father Israel,
From everlasting to everlasting.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power
And the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
For everything in heaven and Earth is yours.
Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom;
You are exalted as head over all.
Wealth and honor come from you;
You are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
To exalt and give strength to all.
Now, our God we give You thanks,
And praise your glorious name.
But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given You only what comes from your hand.’ “I get a sense of joy just reading about this. Joy overtook the whole nation, and it was sparked by the giving of David and his appointed leaders. Do you know that all this took place at the beginning of what became known as the “Golden Age of Israel”? Israel, until the Millennial Reign of Christ, would never again reach the pinnacle of wealth and prominence that it did under Solomon. Well, one could argue, “Which came first- the wealth or the generosity?” However, the point is that wealth and generosity go together. We must note that there is spiritual wealth as well as worldly wealth according to Matthew 6:20. Also, Item #10 the story of the widow’s mite does not disagree with the concept that wealth and generosity go together. The widow gave her all, but God is wealthy and has the ability to empower the Church to give great amounts of funds for his work. “The cattle on a thousand hills” are his and the wealth in every mine (Psalm 50:1). May such empowerment of generosity also come to each of us!
6.) Wealth as baggage for Christian service, Matthew 19:21 “Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, ‘Who then can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’ Peter answered Him, ‘We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?’ Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.’ “
It’s hard to escape the fact that wealth is usually a burden to a Christian servant, because the Lord Jesus really drives the point home in this passage. Perhaps we’d like to think that only that rich young man needed to divest himself of his worldly wealth. However, the Lord said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God”. Look at how and why the disciples were astonished. They had obviously been taught that wealth was something to be sought after, perhaps as a blessing from God. We can’t really say why, but it was probably worked into the Jewish teaching of the day. While money is a measure of our time and energy and should be carefully handled, wealth can become a great burden, especially when we compare ourselves to the wealth of others. Keeping up with the Joneses isn’t funny! Greed is the same as idolatry- Colossians 3:5. And, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (I Timothy 6:10). The Lord Jesus stated a simple solution to the problem- give the wealth away, and come follow Him. Now, if the Lord isn’t leading us to deal with our wealth by giving it away, then we must surrender our wealth to his use- because it’s his anyway. And, we also must contribute appropriately to the Lord’s work. When we realize that our wealth is from God and is all his for the using, then it’s not an idol to us, and we do not love the money. Also, we can then realize that our wealth isn’t by accident, but by God’s purpose to allow us to do his will. His will should entail giving to the Lord’s work, and also merely running an honest business, and being a fair and generous Christian testimony to the community around us. It appears to me that a large part of the grace of giving is comprised of the grace of receiving wealth enough to give. “What do you have that you did not receive?” (I Corinthians 4:7). “Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:16&17).
So, in my view, wealth is only given to a Christian in order to fulfill God’s purpose- and sometimes we can’t see that future purpose. Consider Joseph and why he was raised up to rule Egypt. God had a plan to preserve Israel and cause him to become a great nation, but even Joseph could only perceive a small inkling of God’s larger plan- “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:20).
7.) Giving without show, Matthew 6:1-4 “Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” It would be good to take some time and meditate on this passage, because it’s telling us how to preserve our reward in heaven. I’m currently working diligently on our retirement plans and find that I have to switch into a more hands on approach because there’s more assets involved as I get closer to retirement. So, I’m being very careful and putting a lot of effort into doing these investments. Well this is similar to the teaching in Matthew 6:1- “Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men. To be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven”. Be careful! Be careful! Be careful- your dealing with your eternal rewards!
When I think of this verse, I always remember a visit I made to a church in Oklahoma, during one of many trips to that state. On a Sunday I got up and picked a church somewhat randomly, just to be worshiping the Lord. After worship, instead of Bible preaching, the church had a member stand up and tell everyone why he had decided to give $10,000 to the building fund. His reasoning of why he gave the money seemed sound. However, from the passage above, I have to conclude that somehow he had been tricked out of his heavenly reward for the giving of that $10,000. I don't know why his clergyman had him do that. Perhaps the cleric didn't know what he was doing, even with his doctorate in evangelical studies- "hint, hint"! Thankfully for me, it won’t be up to me to decide such things before Christ’s judgment seat. However, “Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.”
8.) Planned Giving, I Corinthians 16:1&2 “Now about the collection for God’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, every one of you should set aside a sum of money on keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.” Planned giving is an important part of giving. We don’t always keep track of our spontaneous giving. So, it’s important to have a system of giving so that we maintain the appropriate level of fellowship with God in his work, and also that we won’t unknowingly become stingy in our lifestyle. Understand that this is a very important Christian issue and principle. There have been many times in my life, and one certainly can sense this, when I’ve posted many accounts receivables but received nothing. The income was trickling in, even though I was doing productive and successful work. It’s then that I know to look back and review my recent giving patterns, as to whether I was properly giving to the Lord. I cannot remember a time that the flood gates of income remained closed after I straightened out my giving to the Lord. Regarding planned giving, Scripture teaches tithing as the appropriate amount to give. “Just think how great he (Melchizedeck) was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! Now the Law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people- that is, their brothers- even though their brothers are descended from Abraham.” (Hebrews 7:4&5). (Please see Item#2d above, and Item #9 below). Of course, we have to ask ourselves the difficult question, “Ten percent of what?” This question is something we have to pray about. And remember that contributing to the Lord’s work requires that the organization to which we give is actually doing the Lord’s work. And, make no mistake, many, many people are giving their money away to the enemies of God- and in their own mind concluding that they are giving it to the Lord.
9.) Tithing, Malachi 3:9-12 “’You are under a curse- the whole nation of you- because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there might be food in my house. Test me on this,‘ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,’ says the Lord Almighty.” Now we were reminded in Hebrews 7:5, per Item#8 above, that the Levitical priesthood was to be fed by the tithe offerings of the Israelites. The Lord, through Malachi, is reminding Israel that disobeying His tithing law was bringing a curse upon them, and that they were essentially robbing Him. We as the Church of Christ are no longer under the Law. However, we are also reminded in Hebrews 7:4&5 that the tithing concept, as a proportional consideration in giving, came before the Law. So tithing is an important measuring mark in giving.
I heard one preacher speak, though and he said that God doesn’t want our 10%; He wants our all according to Romans 12:1 (and Matthew 10:38&39). I agree with said preacher. My position with my Lord has been that tithing is merely a measure. And, if by giving our all to follow Christ we become unfavorably employed, or are persecuted, or become old and sick and just plain run out of gas, so that we cannot give a proper tithe, we are still obedient to the Lord’s New Covenant- “because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1). We are not under the curse of the Law, because “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’ “ (Galatians 3:13). However, as in most cases of Law versus grace “do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather serve one another in love.” (Galatians 5:13). Grace is not just that in occasions of persecution we aren’t bound to tithing. Grace is also as was stated above (Item#2), that we are to excel in this grace of giving. Grace doesn’t merely include mercy and forgiveness; grace brings power to do God’s will. And, in my own personal experience, sometimes I have a problem in tithing because I'm spending too much or not focusing on making enough revenue. So, tithing become a valuable indicator/ reminder in our finances.
10.) The widow’s mite- giving all that you have, Luke 21:1-4 “As He looked up Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. ‘I tell you the truth,’ He said, ‘this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.’ “ Well, the great question here is, “How does the Lord conclude that the widow gave more than all the others?” Being a fan of plain speech, I perceive that the Lord explained that the magnitude of giving is measured by what you have available, not by the amount that you give. As was stated above The widow had little and gave all; the others had much but gave a small percentage. This explanation by the Lord goes along with the concepts explained above- that giving involves a heart attitude and relying upon and practicing the grace of God (See Items# 1, 2a, b, c, &h, 3, and 5). It has always seemed to me that implied within this story are two other salient facts. The widow was a regular visitor to the temple; and she had already been emptying her wallet to others for several years. So, the widow gave all she had for decades. That's an excellent challenge, to give all we have, in terms of time and effort and money, until we drop or the Lord comes. That's like a runner sprinting for the finish line, but the finish line is twenty years away. "With God all things are possible"- Matthew 19:26.
11.) First fruits, Ex23:14-19, Deuteronomy 26:1-11 “When you have entered the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance and have taken possession of it and settled in it, take some of the firstfruits of all that you produce from the soil from the land that the Lord your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the Lord your God will choose for his name and say to the priest in office at the time, ‘I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come to the land the Lord swore to our forefathers to give us.’ The priest shall take the basket from your hands and set it in front of the altar of the Lord your God. Then you shall declare before the Lord your God: ‘My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt with a few people and lived there and became a great nation, powerful and numerous. But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer, putting us to hard labor. Then we cried out to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression. So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with miraculous signs and wonders. He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, O Lord, have given me.’ Place the basket before the Lord your God and bow down before him. And you and the Levites and the aliens among you shall rejoice in all the good things that the Lord your God has given to you and your household.” Now in the times of the nation of Israel, they had a place where the Lord claimed for his name- whether the Tabernacle or eventually the Temple. In the New Testament times we don’t really have a specific place, and we certainly don’t have a physical altar; “because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (Hebrews 10:14). (Our altar is Jesus Christ, Himself- Hebrews 13:10&15.) However, we can still give with a grateful heart to the Lord’s work, especially when we taste of the firstfruits of some financial endeavor. This concept of giving of firstfruits seems only fitting if we are to be considered thankful people. I don’t see a particular New Testament teaching on this concept. Never the less, it is a Biblical concept worthy of note and practice by Christians who want to live in a victorious and excellent manner. And, the giving of first fruits always, to me, connotes giving in a cheerful manner, because we recognize all the Lord is doing for us. "For God loves a cheerful giver"- II Corinthians 9:7.
Concluding this study of generosity, let me give out the same challenge that the Apostle Paul gave out to the Corinthians, “Just as you excel in everything- in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us- see that you also excel in this grace of giving” (II Corinthians 8:7). So, in this study of giving, as in the study of the other grace gifts, we can look for the first and last items for increased perception of what the Lord would teach us. First, giving is a grace gift; and the term "see that you excel" means that we can develop and nurture this gift within us. Secondly, we should cheerfully celebrate the fruits which God gives us by giving a portion to his work.
SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT POINTS
Lest someone misconstrue, or even deliberately twist, the results of what’s being concluded from this study, the following summary points are noted:
1.) The Scripture, which cannot be broken according to the Lord Jesus in John 10:35, defines giving as a Spirit manifested ability ranked with prophecy and other gifts. (The above items reference this: Nos. 1, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2h, & 10.)
2.) Giving is a Spirit manifested ability that all Christians can have. All Christians are urged to “excel in this grace of giving”, so we can work to improve this grace of giving. (The above items reference this: Nos. 2c, 2h, 3, 6, 7, 8, & 9.)
3.) The Spirit’s work in us through the charis of giving is so that we will have fellowship with God by contributing to his work, and also, He works in us so that we will grow in grace and be rewarded in eternity. (The above items reference this: Nos. 1, 2a, 2c, 2d, 2f, 3, 5, 6, 7, & 8.)
4.) There is a proper attitude in giving which is summarized by II Corinthians 9:7 “God loves a cheerful giver”. (The above items reference this: Nos. 2b, 2d, 2g, 4, 5, 10, & 11.)
5.) There are three types of giving taught in Scripture: spontaneous giving, planned giving (tithing), and giving of first fruits. (The above items reference this: Nos. 2d, 2e, 8, 9, & 11.)
End HOME
[1] www.ECFA.org- “About ECFA”- “What is ECFA?”
[2] James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (McLean, VA: MacDonald Publishing Company) p. 74 (No. 5235) of his Greek Dictionary of the New Testament.