Oh boy… giving. This is the core value we have all been waiting for isn’t it? The great thing about writing an article on giving is the depth and clarity which scripture provides on the matter. The hard part about writing an article on giving is the reluctance we have in really taking scripture to heart and obeying it, especially in this matter. Nevertheless at the end of the day the question we should be most concerned with is, “What does Scripture say about the matter of giving for a follower of Christ?”
I want to spend the majority of this article explaining and fleshing out the following statement. Scripture provides no specific amount or percentage that a Christ follower is commanded to give, but there are conditions of the heart that are commanded and have an effect on our act of giving. In most churches, especially in the southern US, you will hear some version or other of our call to give 10% of our income to the church, otherwise known as tithing. Many preachers will use the Old Testament to command their congregations to give 10% at the minimum. And what is essentially communicated is, ‘Give 10% of your income and that is what you should be giving to be in God’s will and anything over 10% is icing on the cake but you aren’t necessarily commanded to give more.’ However, Jesus in fact only mentioned the tithe once and it was in regard to Pharisees keeping the rest of the law as well (Matthew 23:23 and Luke 11:42). He said that they should have kept the whole law by tithing along with offering justice and mercy. But the question in this instance for us is does this mean that we too should keep the whole law (also see Jesus command to offer gifts to the priests in Matthew 8:3-4)? In regard to keeping the practices which Jesus referred to in both those passages the books of Galatians and Romans makes it very clear that as Christians we are no longer bound to that Law. In fact in Acts 15 when the church was trying to decide whether new Gentile converts should become circumcised and follow the law they said, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.” (Acts 15:28-29) Tithing was not mentioned in that list of requirements nor is it commanded anywhere else in the New Testament. In fact Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:7 that “Each of you should give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” That is to say, that exactly how much you give is a matter to be settled upon in your heart through the Spirit’s guiding. And Paul even says explicitly that believers should not settle how much they are to give ‘under compulsion’. That is, don’t let someone else tell you how much you are to give. Now, Paul was specifically speaking of a collection he was taking to the church in Jerusalem so it may be said that this does not fall under the typical ‘Sunday-morning-pass-the-plate-offering’ category, but it is one of the most direct teachings on giving the New Testament provides, and the principle can be applied to other areas where scripture is less clear.
And while tithing is a non-issue in the New Testament (I say this with Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wycliffe, John Bunyan, Charles Spurgeon, the Quakers, and many other church leaders from our history) even though it has been made an issue by our church culture, the New Testament still calls us to give something. So the question remains: What does Scripture say about the matter of giving for a follower of Christ? We can see evidence throughout the Gospels and the letters in the New Testament that giving is supposed to be a common part of the life of faith and radical dependence upon God. Jesus commands us multiple times to ‘give to those who ask,’ ‘give to the poor,’ and ‘give to God the things that are God’s’ (Matthew 5:42, 6:33, Mark 12:17). Also, when Paul traveled to the various churches and wrote them letters he often had as one of his goals to collect money for other churches and urged them to give generously. Jesus also speaks about the heart issue concerning money when he said that where our treasures are our hearts will be as well. That is to say that if we cling to our money or possessions then it is a good indication that our heart is clinging to them rather than to Jesus. So how much are you supposed to give? Good question… in fact it is so good you should probably study scripture and take some time to pray about what God would have you give and to where it should be given. Giving is not an option for the believer, but how much we actually put in the offering plate is. Total Surrender is what God requires of you, how that gets lived out in terms of giving is different for all of us and it is your responsibility to listen to the Spirit’s guiding in what you should give. However, there are some guiding principles that we can take to heart when contemplating this spiritual discipline. The first is how much should I give? Now at first glance this seems to be an appropriate question, but I believe a much better question is, “How much should I live on?” You see when you have this question answered then every time you get an extra dollar here or there it has already been determined that you do not need it and it comes to you by default as something to be given away. In his book, Radical, David Platt suggests that believers put a lifestyle cap on their lives. That is to say that whatever situation you find yourself in now (type of car, size of house, number of toys, etc) is your baseline and you don’t ever need to go over that line. Resolving in your heart not to pursue the bigger and better things helps you put your treasure in Christ and the things Jesus is passionate about. John Wesley had 3 guiding rules he taught in regard to finances: 1) earn all you can (Yes it is ok to have a rockin job), 2) save all you can (not in a savings account, but save your money and buy cheap stuff and only what you need), 3) give all you can. You see when you are doing #1 and 2 then #3 is the natural and New Testament reaction.
All of us are called to work in this world and make a living. In fact Paul in 2 Thessalonians 3 tells us that if someone is unwilling to work then they should not eat and other believers should stay away from them. This would put a cramp on the social life of some young adults in our church culture if this command was followed through. Jesus also said that to the person who is faithful with a little will be placed in charge of much (Matthew 25:21). Later in that same passage there are pretty severet consequences for those who neglect opportunities that God gives them. If you are looking for work do not turn your nose up at any job unless it is immoral. Do not think of yourself as better than others who work those same jobs. And in that passage the King’s servants were not given opportunities for themselves but in order to expand the dominion of the King. So when thinking about giving consider how you can use your skills and jobs to make more to be used for the Kingdom of God and not on yourself. And as we consider the amount we should be giving I believe the new testament response is , ‘as much as we can.’ Jesus came to give His whole life and calls us to a deep dependence upon Him as we lose our own lives… Why would we even think of holding on to our money for our own kingdom-less pursuits?
To whom should I give? This is a legitimate question in our day and time as we continue to see the misuse of funds within the secular and relgious arenas alike. Jesus commanded that we give to those who ask us and to the poor. I believe the best way this happens is when you give to a person and not an organization. When you have to look a person in the eye that is suffering and/or hungry you have a much richer opportunity to be Christ-like than you do when writing a check and putting it in an envelope. However there are plenty of opportunities to see people helped across the world by mailing a check or giving online.
Should I give to a local body of believers? Yes. In some form or fashion if a local church is to have community there will be a sharing of resources. This can range from a small donation or the time and resources spent preparing a meal to helping a college student afford tuition. Sharing resources with a community of believers is a way we live out Acts 2:45 and our love for one another. However we aren’t simply called to have community. We are a group of people who have a common mission, namely to see people reconciled to God through Christ. So if we are serious about completing that task then we should put our money where our mouth is. When natural disasters occur in our world today it doesn’t take long at all before people have been motivated to respond by giving. It is almost instaneous: disaster, the red cross gets involved, and then you can txt a donation straight to them. We see people in peril and we want to respond. How much more should we desire to see the mission God accomplished and people saved from eternal peril?! Where your treasure is indicates where your heart is and I want my heart to be about expanding the dominion of the King in the hearts of people here and abroad, and this is best accomplished through the local church. So should you give to a local body of believers? Yes. And if you don’t feel that the local church you are apart of is worth giving money to in order to better accomplish this mission then you should probably find one that is.
Now, at the risk of making this article too long I want to include the benefits of giving. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians, “the one who sows sparingly reaps sparingly and the one who sows bountifully will reap bountifully.”. Later Paul says that when you sow abundantly you harvest righteousness. The question is this: Where is your heart? If it is in seeing God’s Kingdom take root in the hearts of people who were once far from him then you will be willing to sacrifice your resources (time and money) to see that happen. If your heart is still focused on yourself then you will not care about asking God what you should give but will toss a few dollars here and there to fulfill a sense of obligation, and you will have your reward. In closing, I can say this, I have never regretted giving sacrificially to the mission of the church or to the poor, but I have many regrets from holding on to a few meager dollars when I could have been blessed with righteousness.
Remedy, I am asking you to search your heart and ask yourself if God has the whole of it. Is your heart set on accomplishing the mission He has set before us of seeing 18-35 year olds in our community come to Christ and become transformed and radical disciples of Jesus Christ and then to see our community used so that racial walls can be broken down, the Good News can be taken to other communities and cultures, people can be freed from modern day slavery, and poverty might be abolished. How much is it worth it to you? If Christ has your whole heart then it is worth more than you could ever give.
Very well said!!!