Christian Giving: August 2007
Table of Contents
The Motive for Giving
One of the wonderful characteristics of this present dispensation is that God has revealed Himself as a giver. He was always a giver, in one sense, as Paul could say to the Athenians, “He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things” (Acts 17:25).
However, in the Old Testament, God was testing man to see if there was any good in the natural man and ultimately proved to him that there was none. God gave to Israel, as His chosen people, every possible advantage in government, law, prosperity and a relationship with Himself, asking only obedience in return. We all know the result — they corrupted themselves to the point where God had to allow them to be carried away into captivity. Finally He sent His Son, whom they rejected and crucified.
But was God going to be frustrated in His purposes of love? No, for as a result of the work of Christ on the cross, “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Rom. 5:20). Now God has come out as a giver, not only of salvation through the blood of Christ, but also of “all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3). These are ours to enjoy now, while we look forward to “the ages to come” when He will “show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:7).
The Exhibition of His Character
In view of all this love and grace, God calls us to exhibit His character in this world as givers and presents to us the most touching motive for this. In 2 Corinthians 8:9 we read, “Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich.”
The One who has saved us and made us rich became poor in order to do this, and it was poverty such as none of us can ever experience. We know that our blessed Lord was a poor man on earth in natural things. He had to ask for a penny when He wished to use it for an illustration. He could say to one who asked to follow Him, “The Son of Man hath not where to lay His head” (Luke 9:58). We know that He received the charity of others at times, for we read of “certain women . . . which ministered unto Him of their substance” (Luke 8:23). All this is most blessed and touches our hearts, as we think of who He was and how He humbled Himself.
However, this kind of poverty, touching though it is, could never put away our sins. His poverty in natural things, although displaying the love of God, could never make us rich. Even His sufferings at the hands of man — the mocking, scourging, buffeting and the crown of thorns — while they show us how much He loved us, could never make us rich. No, the poverty necessary to make us rich was in the three hours of darkness, when He suffered at the hand of God for our sins. Here is a depth of poverty to which none of us could go, yet our blessed Saviour went there, in order to make us rich. God shut out the eye of man from that sacred scene, while He laid upon His Son the judgment that was ours. What love and grace beyond our understanding!
The Right Motive
It is this giving of the Lord that Paul uses as a basis for exhorting the Corinthians in giving, and it is the basis of giving that God sets before our own souls. We may sometimes give “grudgingly, or of necessity” (2 Cor. 9:7), but the only right motive for giving that Scripture presents is love to Christ — love that flows from a sense of His love and grace in our souls. Our Lord was the merchantman of Matthew 13:46, “who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” When we consider how much He gave for us, how can our hearts help but respond in love and take on the character of givers too?
If His love really laid hold of our souls and if we had a greater sense of what He has done for us, surely our hearts would respond by being ready to give everything for Him. If we remember the price that was paid for us, we would be more ready to embrace what Scripture tells us: “Know ye not . . . that ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Cor. 6:19-20).
W. J. Prost
Giving in the Character of Grace
“Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not away” (Matt. 5:42). In this verse we have a grand principle for the Christian. It comes at the close of the exhortation to resist not evil, but rather to suffer it. Christ is the pattern for the disciple, and no sound exposition can explain His Word away, however distasteful to flesh and blood. The new nature goes along with it loyally as the perfect law of liberty, and only the fleshly mind seeks to evade it.
The disciple learns from God that he is a debtor to grace, not only in the outward mercies of every day, which he shares with all mankind, but in that still-deeper love which quickened him when he was a child of wrath by nature. Whether Jew or Gentile —it made no difference — all were hopeless before God. Those whom Christ then addresses had tasted already that the Lord is good. Soon they were to be brought into its fullness when He died, rose, ascended on high, and sent forth the Holy Spirit to guide them into all truth. The Lord, having before Him such fullness of grace which we were to receive, looks for our appreciation of it by faith and the action of the Holy Spirit on our souls. As He said elsewhere, “Freely ye have received, freely give” (Matt. 10:8). It is the mind of heaven reproduced on earth — an earth which was full of sordid selfishness. None were more characterized by covetousness than the Jews, who, having for the time lost their place as witnesses for God, sought an excuse for their energy in heaping up wealth. No wonder that souls so blessed by grace should be called to an entirely new walk and an equally new worship, unintelligible to those who do not enter into the Christian calling and hope. Yet the Apostle says plainly that “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works” (Eph. 2:10).
God’s Character
But Christ came to save not only from wrath but ruin, not only from penalty but from sin, and to form a new character in those that hear His voice and follow Him. It was and could only be His own character. What was the character of those like Socrates, Antoninus Pius, Gautama Buddha, or Confucius? Only shades of vanity or pride, in comparison with Him who never did His own will. He came into this world of sin to give Himself up as a sacrifice, thus bringing God into it and putting sin out of it.
Therefore, as a part of the spiritual process, He would impress on His own the character of grace. Was there ever a need, a want, a suffering presented to Him without an answer of divine grace and power, and in all human tenderness? He that was about to give Himself up to God for us, what of good did He ever withhold? Money was too small and mean to give, save as meeting the temple tax. “Take that [from a strange bank!], and give unto them for Me and thee” (Matt. 17:27). Hence the words in Luke 6:38, “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.” It is literally “they shall give,” but Luke often states truths impersonally, as it is really pointing to God. Thus His grace produces its like in others.
Reproducing His Grace
We know that if we strive to reproduce such giving, we will soon be weary. Only Christ set the example, and only He gives the power. Before we can think of giving of our means, we must have come to Him, as those who were the neediest of all, to receive of His fullness. Only then, when we have Him as our unfailing treasure, will we have the faith and love to make to ourselves “friends of the mammon of unrighteousness” (Luke 16:9). Only then will we be able to give with a single eye and liberal heart, for “God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7). He is able to make every grace abound toward us, that, having in every way always all sufficiency, we may abound to every good work.
W. Kelly, adapted from
The Bible Treasury, Vol. N4
What Have We Done Today?
We shall do so much in the years to come,
But what have we done today?
We shall give our gold in a princely sum,
But what did we give today?
We shall lift the heart and dry the tear;
We shall plant a hope, in place of fear;
We shall speak the words of love and cheer,
But what have we done today?
We shall be so kind in the afterwhile,
But what have we done today?
We shall bring to each lonely life a smile,
But what have we done today?
We shall give to truth a grander birth,
And to steadfast faith a deeper worth;
We shall feed the hungering souls of earth,
But whom have we fed today?
Waterman
Giving With Simplicity
“He that giveth, let him do it with simplicity” (Rom. 12:8). He whose gift is riches and who gives of his substance for the needs of the poor or the work of the Lord is to do it with simplicity. We must pay attention to this important point, for nothing is more difficult than to distribute money according to this word from the Lord. “Simplicity” here has the thought of “singleness of heart.” How searching is the Word of God! It guards against ostentation, the love of praise, wrong motives, and improper objects. On the other hand, it warns us against all evasive pretexts, such as, “It is not convenient; I have so many demands made upon me; I am not able to give.” Also, the Christian is only a steward, and he is entitled to look for “simplicity and godly sincerity” in the recipient as well as in himself. There are many needs presented to us, which, when carefully examined, are found to be neither simple nor sincere. He must also watch against the artful pleader who puts the soul of the giver in bondage and makes him unhappy. There is only one remedy for all the difficulties connected with giving, as for all other things. The giver must walk before the Lord with purity of motive, free from all improper designs, and waiting to do His will with an honest, impartial simplicity. When the eye is single, the whole body is full of light. Perplexity with darkness goes away, the mind of God is discerned, and the clear light of heaven shines on the steward’s way.
A. Miller, adapted
Giving
God is the great giver. He “spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32).
God gives as He “purposeth in His heart . . . not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7).
Like Father like Son: “The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). As children of the Father, He wants us to be like Himself.
The Lord observed how the poor woman who cast in two mites reflected the Father’s heart: He spared not His own Son, and “she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living” (Mark 12:44).
God will never be indebted to any man. What is given for Him is always repaid with interest. “Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting” (Luke 18:29-30).
The Lord’s program on giving produces permanent, personal wealth. “Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow Me” (Matt. 19:21). Are we giving what we cannot keep while gaining what we cannot lose? Time will tell.
Dorcas
Tabitha, or rather Dorcas, has become well-known among believers, as one who helped to alleviate the sufferings of the poor by providing for some of their needs. Let us examine her history and see what instruction the Spirit of God intended for us.
Good Works
In the first place, we notice that her activity was not confined to clothing the naked. “This woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did” (Acts 9:36). This is a wonderful memorial for a saint of God. It was recorded by the unerring pen of the Holy Spirit, and, therefore, those good works could only have been produced in the energy of the Spirit of God. It is profitable to remind ourselves of what are really good works. We have been taught the danger of restless activity and occupation with service, and we have been led to admire the good part which Mary chose (Luke 10:42). However, we would also remember the words of Paul, “This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men” (Titus 3:8). Philanthropic efforts of many kinds are often dignified with the title of “good works” and deceive many simple souls, but good works — those that are such before God — can only flow from the power of the Holy Spirit, and therefore in accordance with His mind and will. They can thus be done only by believers, and only by believers as animated by divine power and in subjection to the Word of God.
Rich in Good Works
The “almsdeeds” of Dorcas are recorded as well as her good works. No doubt these consisted in the ministration of money or food to those that were in need. Paul, writing to Timothy, says, “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal [rather, on that which is really] life” (1 Tim. 6:1719). Dorcas acted in the spirit of this exhortation. She was rich in good works, and she was ready to distribute, willing to communicate of her substance. She had learned “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that we through His poverty might be rich” (2 Cor. 8:9). By that same grace she had become His representative in the world.
Beneficiaries
The objects of her ministry are distinctly specified. When Peter arrived and entered the chamber of death, we read that “all the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them” (Acts 9:39). We note also that these widows are distinguished from the saints (vs. 41). It may well be that she labored for widows as a class, and her charitable activities were not solely expended upon believing widows. As one who knew the heart and mind of God, she sought to minister to need wherever it might exist, while owning the special claims of the household of faith.
It is clear that Dorcas had the mind of God in the work to which she was devoted. What service could be more blessed than to clothe the naked and feed the hungry? The Lord Himself, in the judgment of the living nations, when He shall sit on the throne of His glory, speaks of these kinds of things as services rendered to Himself in the person of His “brethren.” He says, “I was an hungred, and ye gave Me meat . . . naked, and ye clothed Me” (Matt. 25:3536). This, as He explains, done unto one of the least of His brethren, was done to Himself. How unspeakable then the privilege to feed and clothe Christ in the person of one of His members!
Individual Work
Several lessons may be learned from the account of Dorcas. First, it should be observed that the work of Dorcas was individual. There is not the slightest trace of any association with others. Evidently it was the special service to which the Lord had called her and to which she willingly yielded herself. Her example cannot, therefore, be cited for anything beyond her individual line of service. Nothing is more blessed in Christian activity than fellowship—fellowship in the Lord. But the great danger of a day like this is association — association with others to obtain an object through the energy of cooperation rather than in the power of the Spirit. Satan often succeeds in this way in arresting even what might have been at the outset the action of the Spirit of God. The Lord may have laid some special thought of service upon the heart of one of His people. However, instead of going forth to its accomplishment in the power of Him who has called to it, the effort is often made to associate others with it, or even to form a society for the end in view. Immediately the service, even if outwardly prosperous, is on the road to failure. Moses may well be a warning to us here. He complained to the Lord that the burden of the people was too heavy for him. The Lord permitted him to have seventy associates, but He took of the Spirit that was on Moses and put it on them (Num. 11:11-17). There was no gain of power by the association, for the Lord had given to him all the power he needed to do the work appointed to him. Service is intensely individual, for every servant is individually responsible to the Lord. He cannot afford to subordinate his convictions to those of another or to seek to walk upon the level of another’s faith (be it higher or lower).
Leisure Time
Second, this history affords distinct guidance for sisters as to the occupation of their leisure time in their homes. It is to be noted very specially that if Dorcas spent any of her time in fancy-work (and surely she had liberty to do so), the results of her labor in such a direction are not mentioned. It is “the coats and the garments” only that find a place in the Word of God — teaching us that it is labors of this kind that command the Lord’s approbation. Her loss was so keenly felt by the disciples that they sent for Peter, “desiring that he would not delay to come to them.” The Apostle went and was permitted to restore her to life, and “when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive” (vs. 41). Thus the Lord interposed at the cry of His people and comforted their hearts.
Christ the Object
A last instruction may be added, namely, that the work of Dorcas was for cases of need. There is some danger of our seeking to gratify ourselves in ministry of a Dorcas character — of expending our efforts upon selected cases, or of choosing such as commend themselves to us in one way or another, so that it will often happen that the needs of some of the poor saints are abundantly met, while those of others are almost entirely overlooked. The antidote is to have Christ Himself before us as the object of our ministry, remembering that as it was not our merit but our necessities that drew forth His heart in service for us, so likewise the only incentive to our loving ministry to His own should be their needs. In other words, all our service must be drawn forth by the constraining love of Christ. It is possible to bestow all our goods to feed the poor and yet to be without divine love (1 Cor. 13), and hence without any promptings of the heart of Christ. Christ must be the motive, Christ must be the object, and Christ must be expressed in all our service.
E. Dennett, adapted from
The Christian Friend, 1881
Money and True Riches
Luke 16 is to let in the light of another world upon God’s ways and dealings in this. The whole world is bankrupt before God, so that man is now trading with another’s goods. We should, therefore, dispose of everything now in reference to the world to come. If we are serving money, we shall not get the blessing of serving God. If you have not been faithful with the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? If you are loving money, you cannot have your heart filled with Christ. We are not to be “slothful in business,” but “fervent in spirit, serving the Lord,” and for this He opens heaven to us. He has shown heaven unto us, having opened it to us in grace. It is the revelation of grace that gives power over earthly things.
J. N. Darby, adapted
Practical Giving
In other articles in this issue, the motives and character of giving are discussed. However, there are often questions about the practical side of giving. How much should we give? How do we have funds available to give, and how do we decide to whom to give? I believe that the Word of God addresses these questions for us.
Good Stewards
First of all, we must understand that everything we have to use for the Lord down here is entrusted to us as stewards. The Lord Jesus could say, “If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?” (Luke 16:11). What we have down here the Lord called “that which is another man’s,” while He referred to spiritual blessings as “that which is your own” (Luke 16:12). We are not to dispose of anything down here as if it were our own, but rather we are to seek grace to be good stewards of it. In the same way Peter could tell his listeners to be “good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10). We will not be given spiritual riches if we are not faithful in the stewardship of natural things.
Also, it is not only money that is in question; we are to be good stewards of whatever is committed to us, whether time, energy, spiritual knowledge, or a particular gift, as well as material resources which may be represented by money. If the love of God is really enjoyed in our hearts, then that love will constrain us to want to give our energy, time and abilities to the Lord, as well as our money. Sometimes time is very valuable, when it is spent with someone who needs a visit, and sometimes practical help in some particular way is much more acceptable than money. Let us always be ready to use whatever we have for the Lord.
How Much to Give
Many believers have raised the question about how much to give. Our natural hearts tend to like a simple rule, but this is not the character of Christianity. Under the law, giving a tenth was required, as well as the additional tithe rendered every third year. Many believers have adopted this rule, but we do not find it anywhere in the New Testament. Rather, it is stated, “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give” (2 Cor. 9:7). If our hearts are right before God, giving will never be “grudgingly, or of necessity,” but will be done cheerfully, as unto the Lord.
On the other hand, let us never excuse ourselves by saying that, since we are not under law, we are not bound by such a rule, and so can give much less. Would we give less under grace than the Israelite was required to give under law? Have we so little appreciation of what Christ has done for us that we would give less than this bare minimum? Surely God does not need any of our resources or money, but rather gives us the privilege of taking the better part, for “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).
Future Gain
More than this, we all know that we cannot take anything with us when we leave this world. However, while we are here we can use it to provide “a treasure in the heavens” (Luke 12:33) which nothing can take away. Our riches can be used only in this world, and we can use them either for our own pleasure, or to place a deposit in heaven that will abide for all eternity. The same principle is brought out by the Lord Jesus in Luke 16:8-9, where the Lord commended the unjust steward who had lost his stewardship, because he used his position to make friends with the “mammon of unrighteousness” (money). The Lord was not condoning the steward’s wrongdoing (He calls him unjust), but rather is illustrating the principle of using present advantage for future gain. The story, no doubt, brings before us the use of our money for the Lord in this world so that we will have treasure in heaven when that money is no longer there.
Money Available
Then there is the question of how to have money to give, as well as time and other resources. There are many demands made on us today, and one of Satan’s most effective devices among believers is to take away all of their available time, as well as their money, so that there is nothing left for the Lord. We all know how easily this can happen. I believe that the Word of God gives us an important principle that applies here. When Paul was exhorting the Corinthians to give for the poor saints in Jerusalem, he instructed them as follows: “Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him” (1 Cor. 16:2).
If we do not put something aside for the Lord, we will find that, when a need arises, we will have nothing with which to meet it. Again, no amount or percentage is specified, for it must be from the heart. We must purpose in our heart as to how much to set aside, while not, of course, making the amount we have set aside the limit of our giving. If a greater need arose, we might use other money that had not been specifically set aside, in order to respond to that need. The same principle may be applied to our time and other resources, for it is easy to have all of our time and energy allocated to our own purposes, leaving nothing for the Lord. We must plan ahead, making sure that time and other resources are given for the Lord. Again, this does not limit us, for we can always give more to the Lord if the need presents itself.
Hospitality
One of the areas on which Scripture places a high priority is hospitality. Paul could exhort those in Rome to be “given to hospitality” (Rom. 12:13), while Peter could tell his listeners to “use hospitality one to another without grudging” (1 Peter 4:9). It is particularly in connection with hospitality that Peter tells us to be “good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10). In these days when husband and wife often both spend considerable time outside the home and when our lives are filled with many responsibilities, it is important to make time for the extension of hospitality to others.
Where to Give
Finally, there is the question of where to give, or to whom. Again, Scripture does not give us any rule about this. It is a privilege to give as an assembly, and no doubt this was in Paul’s thoughts when he exhorted the Corinthians, as we have seen. Some might feel that they would simply put all their money into the collection box on Lord’s Day, leaving it to the assembly to distribute before the Lord. This has a scriptural sanction, for in the early church, men were set over the business of distributing the resources committed to the assembly (Acts 6:16). They were trustworthy men, and the assembly committed to them that responsibility.
Our Time and Energy
However, the work of the Lord in Scripture is always carried on by the energy of the Spirit of God in the individual, and thus the Lord may lay on our own hearts some work to do for Him. This may include using our time, energy and gift, and surely may include the use of our money as well, whether for a work which we undertake or to help another. The Lord said in Luke 19:23, concerning the wicked servant who kept his pound in a napkin, “Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?” If the servant did not use the pound himself, by putting it into the bank he would make it available to another who needed it. One application of this is the giving of money to another in order that he or she might be helped to serve the Lord in some capacity.
Thus we see that God does not limit us, for if we are walking with Him, we will have guidance in all these things. If our hearts are full of His love, they will respond in every way, and we will be like the early disciples, who did not say that “ought of the things which he possessed was his own” (Acts 4:32). Rather, we will look upon all as belonging to Christ, to be used for His glory, for His interests down here, and for the blessing of His people.
W. J. Prost
Christian Giving
My dear brother: Since you ask how the subject of Christian giving is presented in Scripture, I will try to give something of how the matter has been brought before my own mind in reading the Scriptures. Many of the people of God have little appreciation for the subject of Christian giving, though it holds a large place in the Word of God.
While very many seem to have little or no exercise about giving, it is a comfort to know that there are not a few faithful, self-denying givers, who are blessed of God in their own souls and who are a blessing to others. These in their measure are imitators of God, the great Giver, who spared not His own Son but delivered Him up for us all and who can be counted on, with Him, also to freely give us all things (Rom. 8:32). It is known by those who have observed these things that these liberal givers, as a rule, are enriched in their own souls, proving the truth of Proverbs 11:25: “The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.” And it is just as noteworthy that a Christian who does not give is dried up in his spiritual affections and, although he may have abundance of earthly treasure, suffers from what Scripture calls “leanness of soul.”
Israel and Christianity
It is well to note the difference in the order of blessing known to Israel and that known to Christianity in the New Testament. Christianity connects itself with the rejection, death, resurrection and ascension to heaven of the Messiah. While our faithful God and Father supplies His people now with creature mercies, it is in a scene out of which His Son has been cast and where He does not allow us to settle down with the thought of finding our blessing where His Son found only a cross and a grave. Our blessings now are in Christ and where He is. They are spiritual and heavenly. In keeping with this and having in view His own rejection in Israel and in the world, the Lord said to His disciples, “Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth . . . for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Luke 12:33-34).
How blessedly this was carried out in the beginning of Acts when all hearts were still fresh in the love of Christ! “All that believed were together, and had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.” “Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made to every man according as he had need” (Acts 2:44-45; 4:34-35).
No Legal Exaction
There was no bondage in this. It was not a legal exaction. It was the freewill offering of hearts touched by the love of Christ and energized by the power of the Holy Spirit. With Ananias it was not so, but the ambition, perhaps, not to be behind the others, and it is in connection with his case we are distinctly told there was no bondage. “Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? And after it was sold, was it not in thine own power?” (Acts 5:4).
No doubt there was a special call at that time on account of the many thousands detained at Jerusalem by the wonderful work of God. But why should we not hold all our possessions as subject to the Lord’s disposal and to be used for Him as He may guide? We ourselves are the Lord’s, bought with a price, and all we have is His, held by us as stewards, to be used for Him and His glory.
Care for the Lord’s Servants
First Corinthians 9:14 tells us the Lord has “ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.” This is the same principle as the tithes given to the Levites. Indeed, the context refers to this. The Apostle did not use this right for himself, though he did receive from assemblies, but he gives it as that which the Lord ordained as a general rule. And, of course, this lays upon the saints at large the responsibility to care for those devoted to the gospel. There is no question of salary or hire, but there is the question of caring for such. The servant who devotes himself to gospel service or service in spiritual things leaves himself in the Lord’s hands for his support, waits upon Him, and counts upon Him. But the Lord has laid upon the saints the responsibility to think of these and to minister to them of their substance, as the Lord enables and leads. “Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things” (Gal. 6:6). “To do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Heb. 13:16).
As to the general responsibility of Christian giving, its importance may be seen from the fact that two entire chapters in 2 Corinthians are devoted to it — chapters 89 — to say nothing of many other passages bearing on the subject.
A Willing Mind
When we examine these New Testament scriptures, although we see the same general responsibility to give, we see also a marked difference from many of those in the Old Testament. There it was law — legal exaction — everyone bound to giving according to a fixed rule. Here it is grace: “Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich.” And so in writing to the Corinthians, the Apostle says, “Therefore, as ye abound in everything, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.” He calls it “grace” because it is the fruit of grace in the heart. And being grace, it connects itself with “a willing mind.” “If there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.” It is not here a legal ten percent, as under the law, that he must pay, but according to his willingness and ability. There is a deliberate weighing of the matter. What can I devote to the Lord? How much am I able to spare? How much ought I to give to this purpose or that? “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”
Under the law the tithes were exacted whether a man was willing or unwilling, gave cheerfully or grudgingly. But here God counts on the hearts He has touched with His grace and expects them to give willingly and cheerfully, leaving it to the love He has put into these hearts to say how much shall be given. Nothing else suits Him now. He loves a cheerful giver, and unless we give thus, He does not want our giving.
Sowing Bountifully
But let us here take heed, for the deceitfulness of our wretched flesh is ever ready to take advantage of His grace. If we would enjoy abundant blessing in our giving, we must sow plenty of seed, for it is written, “He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” How many are dried up in their souls, because they sow “sparingly”! God Himself supplies the seed, and He delights to have us sow bountifully, and He is able also to “minister bread for your food” and to “multiply your seed sown” and to “increase the fruits of your righteousness.” Why, then, should we give grudgingly? Why not give cheerfully and bountifully, counting on all grace from Him?
Setting Aside Funds
Another point of great importance comes out in 1 Corinthians 16:2. It is connected with the same special occasion, but it gives us a general principle on which to act in view of giving. “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him.” Here it is providing a store, out of which can be given as the occasions arise. It is like the tithes first devoted to the Lord, but in view of being given to the Levites. Our devoted money is thus laid aside in store, and from this we can draw to give to the poor, or for the spread of the truth in books and tracts, or to give to a servant of the Lord to help on the work.
If the saints generally acted on this principle in faithfulness to God, I am sure the matter of giving would be greatly simplified, and there would be abundance in the treasuries for the various needs. A dear brother once told me he had a bag which he called “the Lord’s bag,” in which he placed what he habitually laid aside, and he said it was never empty. There was always something in it from which to draw in time of need.
If the saints would faithfully lay aside on the first day of the week, as the Lord prospers them, how many precious stores of money there would be to meet the many calls to give! How many poor and needy and tried ones would be made to rejoice through the bounties of God’s people! How many servants of the Lord, ready to faint under pressure, would take fresh courage and go on with thankful hearts! And would not the Lord be honored? Would not fresh blessing be the result — the windows of heaven be opened? Who can doubt it?
Giving Liberally
Let us not suppose, either, that because a tenth is not exacted, it does not matter whether we give that much or not. A tenth was Jacob’s measure and a tenth was the portion for the Levites, but an Israelite under the law had to give much more than that to meet its requirements. And why should not a Christian give as liberally? Grace does not exact it, but if the heart is living in the sunshine of Christ’s love, will it not yield up its stores more bountifully than under law? Where the Israelite was faithful in giving, the Lord blessed him in his basket and in his store. And while the Christian’s blessing is of another order, the Lord will honor such as are faithful in this responsibility.
May the Lord stir us all up to give, according to the grace we have received, our hearts aglow with the love of Him who loved us and gave Himself for us, and in whose presence and glory we shall soon have our part, leaving behind us all that is of earth and all that we have failed to devote to Him, and finding, as treasure above, all that has been given as unto Him.
Yours affectionately in Him,
A. H. Rule, from a letter