All right, so it is not my favorite topic, nor is it anyone’s favorite subject. It is, however, a subject that permeates the Bible. Adam heard it; so did Noah. Sacrifices were prescribed for all. Moses and his people heard it, and some of them probably did not like it, either.
In most church buildings you will see a board that records the numbers of attendance and of contribution, but they do not tell the whole story about this subject. The whole story is written and told in our hearts.
We all know it: “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him.” The words are found in your Bible as well as mine, in 1 Corinthians 16:2. Written to the church in Corinth, Paul said these and other admonitions applied “every where in everychurch,” 1 Corinthians 4:17. These inspired instructions were not given just for Corinth, but for Christians “every where in every church,” including those of us here in Dripping Springs.
Our nation has been suffering through some very rough days economically, and some of us are having a hard time making our funds last all month long. God is certainly aware of that, just as He is aware of how we give for the work of the local church. God knows how much we are able to give, and He knows how much we have given, 2 Corinthians 8:1-7. He knows that how much we give shows how much we love Him, 8:8.
He does not expect us to give beyond our capability, 8:12-15, but that we give in direct proportion to what we have and can give. The Corinthian Christians had been talking about giving for some time, but had not done anything about it. In 2 Corinthians 9:11 Paul told them, “Now therefore perform the doing of it,” or, as we might say, “put your money where your mouth is.” It is not enough for us to “talk” or “promise,” we must do it!
Just as in many families, businesses, even our
Government, things are tight right now. It is also true in the church. When contributions go down, the church’s ability to fulfill our own promises is affected. Our ability to give aid to those in need is diminished. Those we support in other fields are facing the same problems we face, and if we falter, souls may be lost because we never sent someone to them with the gospel.
None of us wants the gospel’s proclamation to suffer, and God has never expected man to do more than he is able to do or to give. The needs of families and the church, must be met. We are not here just to exist, just to “keep house,” but to give the lost an opportunity to hear what God says to them. The gospel is God’s “power” unto salvation, Romans 1:16, and we have that to do, because heaven and hell are in the balance.
How much must each person give? No, God did not require of Christians a certain percentage. Under the Law of Moses the Jews gave between thirty and forty percent of their goods in sacrifices and tithes. How much then should we give? How much do we love the Lord? How much do we want the lost to hear the word of God? God knows how much we can give, and that should motivate us to give as we are “prospered.”
Consider what we know about this subject:
- We must give as we are “prospered.”
- We should give cheerfully, proportionately and willingly, 2 Corinthians 8-9.
- We know that our generosity brings blessings to us from God, Philippians 4:17, Acts 20:35.
- We know that what and how much you give
proves the “sincerityofyourlove,”
2 Corinthians 8:8.
- We know that “covetousness” is a form of “idolatry”, Colossians 3:5, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10.
- We know that God knows our hearts, our thoughts, 2 Corinthians 8:11.
When Paul wrote to those Corinthians we see that they had been
talking a lot about giving for a good cause, but they had not gone beyond the talking stage. That is when and why the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to tell them to quit talking and start giving. I wonder what God would say to us, and how that would motivate us.
