Giving – TGN

God’s Blessings Are Not For Sale

Enoch Anti — Mon, 11 Feb 2019 09:27:24 +0000

Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! (Acts 8:18-20).

Simon–not Peter–we are told in the narrative was a magician. Not only a magician but one held in high repute by the people. Scripture records his “magical exploits thus: “But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.” (Acts 8:9-11).

Here was a magician who has bewildered the people of Samaria with his magic and left them fixated on him for a long time and indeed considered him as somebody from God. But things will change when by the sovereign will of God, the people of Samaria encountered the gospel through the ministry of Philip the evangelist:

But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed (vv.12-13).

The gospel liberates and in the preaching of it lies the power of God to save and liberate from bondage and deception. Now, permit me to consider the activities of Simon and Philip as a clash of powers, though it is not, for the Sovereign Lord and King, ruler of the heavens and earth has no equal and competitor; but for the sake of argument, we see magic and the power of God through the preaching of the gospel coming face to face. And the power of God prevailed, so that “Even Simon himself believed.”

In response to this great move of God, Peter and John were sent to Samaria to reinforce the faith of the Samaritans so to speak (vv. 14-17). Hands were laid by the apostles on these new Samaritan believers and they received the Holy Spirit. That was when the state of the heart of Simon now an ex-magician was revealed. It appears he had not fully overcome the love for power hence he wanted what the apostles had by offering money. Peter rebuked Simon the magician pointing out to him that the gift of God–the Holy Spirit — cannot be bought with money: “you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!”

Sadly, what Peter rebuked has become the model for many so called Christian ministries. Money has become a conduit for God’s blessings and gifts. People are promised all kinds of blessings from God if only they will sow a seed—give money. It is common these days to hear preachers arrogantly speaking blasphemous words about money and the blessings of God: “If you want my anointing, sow a seed.” “If you want your ministry to grow like mine, sow a seed.” Everything you want and desire, you are told “sow a seed.” All around us the word of God and his blessings are up for sale by preachers who merchandise the gospel.

It is crucial for us to come to an understanding that God’s blessings cannot be purchased. Everything we receive from God is a result of his grace and mercies. Whatever spiritual gifts we have has been freely given to us by God (Matt.10:5-8; Jn 3:27; Eph. 2:8-9; Jam. 1:5; 1Cor. 12).

What then must be our attitude towards ministers of the gospel and money? Any minister that ties the blessings of God to money must be avoided. He is a false teacher teaching unsound words (1Tim.6:1-10). Does God bless our generosity at all? One may ask. The answer is yes. However, our generosity must not be transactional in our Christian journey. By all means give to support Christian ministry. Give for the cause of the gospel. Give to the poor and needy. However, don’t engage these in a transactional manner because God’s blessings cannot be bought.

Many people give with the hopes of receiving back. It is true that God loves a cheerful giver. But our giving must be influenced by our love for God and the example of Christ that he loved us and he gave himself for us. Amen.

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To Tithe or Not To Tithe?

Ebenezer Foster-Nyarko — Mon, 15 Feb 2016 13:53:27 +0000

There are many ordinances and practices under the Old Testament Law for which we’ll often ask whether they are relevant or mandatory to the Christian or not?

Tithing is one of such. Some modern day Christians remark that we have said goodbye to the law because we are under Grace. They take John 1:17 as a contrast between the law and Grace. But a careful study will reveal that these two are never set up as opposites in the Scriptures. John 1:17 does not mean that Grace does away with the law; in fact one of the purposes of Salvation is to enable us to live the life that is intended by the Holy standard of God (the Law).

In an online article, The Threefold Use of The Law, R.C Sproul set forth the relationship between the law and the New Testament believer. He wrote:

Our redemption is from the curse of God’s law, not from our duty to obey it. We are justified, not because of our obedience to the law, but in order that we may become obedient to God’s law. To love Christ is to keep His commandments. To love God is to obey His law.

What Christ did was that he fulfilled the law for us. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes (Rom 10:5). This implies Christians are no longer under the law (because He has already fulfilled it for us); and hence we cannot be condemned by the Law (Romans 8:1-2). But the Bible continues to teach that although we have been released from the Old Testament Law (Rom 7:4, 6; Gal 2:19; Eph 2:15; Rom 6:15); we have been brought under the law of Christ, which the Bible also describes as the law of love (1Cor 9: 21 and Gal6:2).

The crucial point is that Christ’s death does not lower the standard for the believer. In fact, it raises it. A careful look at Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount as He expounded the law silences those who suppose that under Grace we are to do less than those under the law. Bearing this in mind, how do we tackle the question of tithing as it relates to the Christian?

We note that Abraham was the first to tithe in the Bible long before the giving of the law. However, under Moses (with the introduction of the law), it was actually taught as a covenantal practice for God’s people Israel. We also note that Biblical revelation is progressive i.e. before the law, under the law, then Christ’s work and the teachings of the Apostles (which Acts 1:1 makes us know is a continuation of Christ’s work on earth). The newer revelation always enhances our understanding and practice of the old; sometimes modifying or replacing it completely. The question that needs addressing is whether there is a newer revelation with regards to tithing in the NT i.e. by the teachings of Jesus or the Apostles, noting that we are no longer under the law?

Some have taken our Lord’s statement in Luke 11:42 (also recorded in Matt 23:23-24) as an endorsement of tithing for the New Testament believer. However, from the context we see that Jesus was addressing the Pharisees on their misunderstanding and imbalanced application of God’s Law. His statement was “You should have practiced the latter (past tense) without leaving the former undone.” He did not set a new law or re-enforce tithing for His followers as it were. Compare this with Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:2-3 for instance and it immediately becomes apparent that Jesus expected that His disciples will give to support the needy.

Others hold that the writer of Hebrews, in chapter 7:8 teaches tithing in the New Testament. However, careful study of the context reveals that the aim of the writer is to establish the fact that Christ as the priest of the New Covenant is superior to the Levitical priesthood of the old covenant (who received tithes from the people of God).

The purpose of the tithes in the old covenant was primarily to support the Levites, who were not allowed any inheritance amongst the people of Israel. Thus we read in Malachi 3:10a to “bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house” – obviously for the sustenance of the Levitical priesthood of the time. In addition, people were required to give gifts for the worship in the tabernacle (Exodus 36:2-7).

Although in the NT the Levitical system is done away with, there is still the need to support (pay) servants of God who give their lives to the full time teaching of God’s word; and also to finance the work of the ministry. 1Tim 5:18 teaches this clearly when it says “Do not muzzle the ox whilst it is treading the grain; and the workman is worthy of his wages”.

The New Testament teaching is that:

Giving is worship (Philippians 4:18).

Paul describes it as a fragrant offering (worship) which is pleasing to God. We don’t give merely as an obligation or a sense of duty, but as worship – out of love and appreciation of Christ’s loving sacrifice on the cross of Calvary to redeem us from our sins (2Corinthians 8:8). Since we are under a better covenant, we are expected to give more than those in the old covenant. It therefore comes as no surprise that the Apostle did not reiterate the giving of tithes in the New Testament.

Giving Must Be Cheerful and Sacrificial (1 Corinthians 9:7).

We see the sacrificial nature of giving in the New Testament illustrated in two Bible stories – the widow who gave her all (Mark 12:41-44) and that of the Corinthian Church (2 Corinthians 8:1-5). In the first story, Jesus remarked that the widow “out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” Similarly, Paul writes of the Macedonian Church that “out of their extreme poverty, they gave, even beyond their ability.” How sad it is that today giving is mostly taught as a quick means to gain riches. The Apostles and the early Christians did not give merely for what they would get in return; instead, they gave willingly, even in the most extreme situations of lack, to support the work of God.

Giving Must Be In Proportion To God’s Providence (1Corinthians 16:1-2).

It is possible to give less when we are privileged to earn more than when we earned little (disproportionally), if we don’t look at it in proportion to how God has blessed us. The truth is that if we give the same proportion after an increment in income as we were giving before, then we are not giving sacrificially; we are in effect giving less, and not acting in obedience to 1Corinthians 16:1-3. Paul’s teaching here also shows that our giving must be planned. We are to set aside money to give in support of God’s work, especially that of missions.

To tithe or not? My response is that we should do so much more! No longer as a law, no longer with legalities, but with this understanding of the new covenant in Christ. Donald S. Whitney, Pastor and Author put it so aptly when he said “Giving 10% is not a ceiling of giving to stop at, but a floor to move from.”

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