Perspectives to Christian Giving

Perspectives to Christian Giving

Giving is a purpose thing that forms the foundation of the Christian life and it's reason of being.

We were created unto good works. Good works may have no capacity to save us but we were saved to do good works. The good works we do is a sign of the new life within us.

[My Offline Bible] Ephesians 2
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

[My Offline Bible] Titus 2
11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

[My Offline Bible] 1 John 3
14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

The power of the new life shows in our love life and our love lives show in our giving lifestyle.

[My Offline Bible] 1 John 3
15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

We were equipped with the love nature of God to fulfill the purpose of doing good works. The world works to gain what their selfish desires crave, we work to satisfy what the new nature desires.

The divine nature is as powerful as the preaching of the Word in winning souls if engaged.

1 Peter 3:1-4 The same goes for you wives: Be good wives to your husbands, responsive to their needs. There are husbands who, indifferent as they are to any words about God, will be captivated by your life of holy beauty. What matters is not your outer appearance—the styling of your hair, the jewelry you wear, the cut of your clothes—but your inner disposition. (The Message)

Our love lives is the basic manifestation of divine eternal life and nature the believer received to become born again. We can't prove a church goer is born again if his bowel of compassion remains shut and His selfishness and self protection takes the larger size in his life...

This is where Christian giving is motivated from. It isn't about the largeness of possession but the largeness of the nature in us, such nature that has conquered self pleasure in order to manifest Godliness and fulfill God's purpose.

Giving isn't something a believer should be forced to do. It isn't something he does for reasons other than to fulfill purpose,  meet needs and express the divine nature.

He isn't giving to be seen, known or appreciated. He is just being alive unto God and living the life...and meeting needs in relevance.

Giving in love is definitely profitable but we don't give because of the profit. We have been blessed before we gave, we give because we are already blessed. The teachings that makes it looks as if we get only because we gave is not in sync with God's nature. God gave Adam everything he needed before he was made, He even went ahead to plant a garden for him... We can only love Him if He had loved us... We have no capacity to love or give Him first.

God would have all He needs to complete a project before starting... He counted the cost of our lives purpose fulfilment and had everything ready before we came... He loved us first.

[My Offline Bible] 1 John 4
19 We love him, because he first loved us.

We however have the tendencies of personal pride, that makes us think we can do or give enough to impress God. So we attach whatever we get and have to our own efforts in giving and not to  God's first loving us and giving to us.

This selfish mentality has so influenced Christian Giving in the last thirty years. People aren't being motivated by love and compassion in giving again but by what to get from it and so lose the power of divine eternal life that produces grace to give like God.

We have developed all sorts of philosophies alien to Christ to control giving. Now, we frown at people asking us, except when the man on the pulpit asks. If he asks it's not begging, but if a brother asks after service, it's begging and thou shall not be...

We judge people who don't have much and justify their poverty based on their inadequacies and failure. We don't care if we shame those who have not... After all its their fault, since our own blessings is our fault too and not about God

[My Offline Bible] 1 Corinthians 11
22 What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.

We therefore discourage giving to brethren in favor of giving to our religious institutions. It's always the fault of those who don't have amongst us and so we don't have responsibilities towards them so long we give to church.

We erroneously and subtly let people think giving to God is all about giving to church . And to give in love is to love God in giving to church. While that's not totally wrong it's also not the whole truth. How do we love God who we don't see when we do not love His people that we see said the scriptures.

[My Offline Bible] 1 John 4
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

We care more about how people treat our children in our absence than how they treat us when they see us, I'm sure we got that from God...

We won't fulfill God's purposes for our lives if we won't go back to scriptures and rightly dividing it to learn the ultimate reason for giving and to follow it.

It's against Christ, His character and teaching to see people in need and not to share what we have. We go to church and everyone tries in hypocrisy to look good and so we don't know who is hurting and dying in lack, and that becomes our excuse for not giving but when they ask, we say they don't have faith and should go read motivational books and work and shouldn't beg!

Such people sooner or later get their needs met and move on in life by God's providence but with a bad lesson that affects their relationship with God and with the poor.

We shouldn't for selfishness lose our essence as believers. We were redeemed for good works, we partake of divine nature to give in love like God. Without giving we lose purpose and relevance, the whole cross becomes a waste... He gave His best to a world that don't care about Him, we have His nature to do greater works of love for Him... Let's do it!

Good morning, happy Sunday, it's a great week!