The Church: Giving

Mine or His?

Early in life, children understand what is “mine” as they learn to take responsibility for things they own. In Salvation and the scriptures, we encounter a different concept: nothing is “mine,” and everything is God’s.

We are servants. Every member of the human race is born into slavery to Satan, the prince of darkness, and many spend years toiling for him with no hope of redemption. But Jesus has set up another Household. He paid the price of His own life to purchase the children of God and bring them into His Kingdom as sons and daughters. According to the Apostle Paul, we are bondservants to Christ (Philippians 1:1).

That picture illustrates that we are not owners of this world’s goods or our lives. God owns us; He owns everything, and He has graciously trusted us as stewards or administrators of what He has created.

This stewardship is not an optional accompaniment to life in the Kingdom. It is a dutKingdomGod does not look lightly upon those who refuse to fulfill it. The parables indicate that such a one will be “cast into the outer darkness,” Matthew 25:14-30.

On the other hand, God has also promised rewards to those who steward His affairs well. Honor the Lord from your wealth, and the first of all your produce; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine, Proverbs 3:9-10. Not only does God promise rewards in this life to the faithful steward, but ultimately, those who follow His example and instructions will be promoted to places of honor at His side, where they will rule and reign with Him forever, Hebrews 12:1-3; Revelation 3:21;22:5.

What We Are To Steward

The Bible gives specific examples of the goods we are to manage, including the following.

• Our lives. God Himself gives to all life, breath, and things; Acts 17:25; Deuteronomy 30:20.
• Our Talents. Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights… James 1:17.
• Our Time. The fear of the Lord prolongs days… Proverbs 10:27.
• Our Treasure. For all things come from Thee, and from Thy hand we have given Thee, First Chronicles 29:14.

What a Good Steward Looks Like

Because the things entrusted to us are valuable, a good steward must be faithful, steadfast, dedicated, dependable, and worthy of trust, First Corinthians 4:1-2. We can only accomplish those traits by obeying the Word of God and keeping His commands.

Obedience is also vital to proper stewardship. Once again, following God’s Word is the only path to obedience, and He promises that if you carefully obey the voice of the Lord, your God

… (He) will bless you just as He promised you, Deuteronomy 15:5,6.

To obey and to be faithful, we must trust God. We must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him, Hebrews 11:6. We must put our hope in the Word of God itself, which says, ‘Test me now in this,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows,’ Malachi 3:10.

Tithes and Offerings

Jacob made a vow, saying, …‘This stone which I have set up as a pillar will be God‘s House… and of all that thou dost give me, I will surely give a tenth to Thee,’ Genesis 28:21–22. This tenth is called the “tithe,” a principle laid down in the Old Testament and supported in the New Testament. Jesus scolds the Pharisees because even though they have paid their tithe, they have neglected other matters of the law, Matthew 23:23.

Giving the first-fruits of our income to the Lord is an act of worship, and it signifies that everything we have belongs to God. It is not sufficient to offer God ten percent, pay our bills, and then hoard the remaining cash in our hands as “our money.” God is the source of all our strength to work, abilities, gifts, and income — therefore, all the income we produce belongs to Him. Beyond the tithe, we must inquire of Him concerning other offerings or uses for “His money.”

When we obey God in this area of tithe and offering, we declare that we believe He is a God who keeps His promises. Our reverence and love for Him will then grow as we see Him honor His Word, Deuteronomy 14:22-23.

Purpose of the Tithe

The Bible states that tithes and offerings are to be brought into the storehouse, the local church, Malachi 3:10. There, they provide for the practical needs of the House of God. Salaries, building maintenance, mission outreach, special projects, and brotherly care are all funded from this source under the direction of the local church leadership. Bringing our resources to the storehouse indicates our trust in God and our faith in the leadership to hear God and properly distribute His resources to advance the Kingdom.

Many people believe they can not afford to tithe due to a heavy debt load or unexpected expenses. On the contrary, tithing during financial difficulty allows God to show His mighty power and fulfill His Word. It expresses faith in God’s ability to intervene supernaturally in difficult or impossible circumstances. Therefore, when we come to God with our tithe or offering, we are to come cheerfully, willingly, generously, and with a loving and thankful heart, Second Corinthians 8:2; 9:7-13.