Giving

We serve a God who is lavish in His generosity. So when we consider the spirit and motive of giving, we should pause and consider the model we find in our Triune God. The Father freely gave us His Son, freeing us from the enslavement of sin and death. The Son freely came and laid down His life, bringing us into the household of God. The Spirit freely poured out Himself upon us, sealing us until the day of our full redemption. Therefore, when we give, it should be motivated and modeled after what God has first done for us.

The Apostle Paul says that Christians don’t have an option when it comes to financially supporting the work that Christ is doing in His Church. However, rather than merely commanding Christians to give, Paul reminds us that giving is to be done freely and even cheerfully. So how is this done?

First, we must grasp the vastness of God’s grace toward us. When we do this, we are free to give in such a way that reflects that grace. Second, we must remember the words of our Lord in Matthew 6— we only lose that which we keep. By keeping Kingdom work in the forefront, we lose nothing invested for the extension of His Kingdom. Third, the Apostle John tells us in 3 John that those who financially support others, specifically, preachers and missionaries, are likewise fully sharing in that work. As a result, we give so we can be part of the worldwide work of Jesus in bringing many sons and daughters to glory.