Giving

Christmas is the time of year that many people give financially more to the support of the church, the ministry and various charities.  We shouldn’t wait until a certain time of the year to give for the cause of Christ.  Whether it be tangible or intangible giving, it will not affect the population of heaven in the least.  All mansions will be populated because of the one perfect gift of the Lord Jesus Christ.  God gave His only begotten Son that we might have life and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10).  As a consequence of this giving, Jesus gave His life to save His people from their sins because of the great love He had and has for them.  “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”  (Titus 2:14). “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;”  (Eph. 5:25).  His people will be preserved in Christ unto the Heavenly kingdom without the loss of one, regardless of any giving in this life on the part of the child of God.

All true giving that is honorable should be motivated by love, and only a born again child of God has “agape” love abiding within their heart.  Love is the very first fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Gal. 5:22 in the nine fold fruits of the Spirit. It is the Spirit that is the instrument of the new birth. We are told to love one another with a “pure heart” fervently as one who has been born again.  (I Peter 1:22-23).  There is a blessing in giving because the apostle Paul quotes Jesus as saying, “…It is more blessed to give than to receive.”  (Acts 20:35).

We are called upon not to give because of necessity but because we lovingly desire to do God’s will.  We are not to do as is sometimes advocated and that is “to give until it hurts.” What does that mean?  Paul gives us the proper mode of giving: “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”  (II Cor. 9:7).  Giving should produce a good feeling and this is all of grace, and God is able to make that grace abound as Paul mentions in (II Cor. 9:8).  Jesus took special notice of the widow who put into the treasury her two mites in comparison to others who had given of their abundance. “And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.”   (Luke 21:3-4).  The Bible teaches that he that soweth sparingly will also reap sparingly, but he that soweth bountifully shall also reap bountifully.  (II Cor. 9:6).  Jesus said, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”  (Luke 6:38).  Picked peas and butter beans can be put in a basket and the basket will hold so much; however, shake the basket and it will hold more; press them down and the basket will still hold more.  This is the example of giving as God fulfills His promise to bless the giving.  We should not expect to prosper a hundred fold in giving because this is the wealth and prosperity doctrine taught by many. If one gives just because they think they are going to experience a hundredfold return, they are giving for the wrong reason.

There is not a stated amount to give taught in the New Testament.  We are not under the law covenant in which they gave a tenth of their increase to support the Levites. Paul tells us in Hebrews 7:12: “For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.”  Tithing is not a New Testament commandment. I have known of people who have put their family in jeopardy in order to fulfill their tithing pledge to the church of their affiliation. This is bondage just as those who were striving to establish their righteousness under the law were in bondage. Concerning giving and the collection for the saints, Paul instructs the church at Corinth to give as they purpose in their heart. There surely is a difference in purpose in heart and the requirement of law. Just remember that it is impossible to out give God.

We give other things besides our monetary means.  We give mercy to others and in return, we can expect mercy from God.  Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”  (Matt. 5:7).  If we fail to give mercy, we can expect judgment from God without any mercy. “For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.”  (James 2:13).  On the other hand, the extending of mercy does good to the soul.  “The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.”  (Prov. 11:17).

We can give our love and time in a ministry to others.  God will not forget any righteous work, no matter how small or great.  We are not to give to be seen of men.  The hypocritical Pharisees did that, and Jesus condemned them. The Bible tells us, “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.”  (Heb. 6:10).  Once again, the motivating factor is love.

God doesn’t expect His children to give unless they have something to give.  We all have something to give, but let us give to honor God who has been so good to us as undeserving sinners.–December 14, 2012–Elder Larry Wise