How we use our finances reveals a lot about our relationship with the Lord. Although no one ever accused Jesus of being greedy or wanting to get rich, he talked about money quite a bit in his parables. Our faithfulness with how we handle money is directly connected to being a disciple.
Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won't be faithful in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities. 11 And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? 12 And if you are not faithful with other people's money, why should you be trusted with money of your own? Luke 16:10-12 (NLT)
Money exerts a powerful pull upon the soul. Either it will capture us or we will rule over it. Loving money and being a disciple are not compatible.
“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Luke 16:13 (NLT)
A first step in bringing our finances under Christ’s lordship is to practice tithing.
The Bible teaches that giving a tenth of our income or “increase” goes all the way back to Abraham, well before the Law of Moses was ever introduced. Therefore, tithing is not a form of legalism, if done with a proper attitude of heart, but something that God wove into the fabric of life. Even though tithing is not commanded, as such, in the New Testament, Jesus did refer to it.
What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. Matthew 23:23 (NLT)
This would have been the perfect time for him to say that the tithe no longer applies, but instead he stated that it is something we should do.
The New Covenant did away with the necessity of our adhering to the ceremonial and dietary laws of Moses. Jesus made it clear that all foods are now “clean,” and he fulfilled the ceremonial law of offerings, etc. making that aspect of the Law obsolete. However, the moral law still stands. It is built into the universe because it reflects the character of God.
Withholding the tithe is a form of stealing, as I will show later; therefore, tithing is connected to the moral law which is still in effect.
Interestingly, Jesus usually “raised the bar” when it comes to the moral law. Here is an example.
You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:27-28 (NLT)
God not only wants us to refrain from sinful actions, but he desires to set us free from sinful desires, too. I cannot think of an example when he reduced the demands of the moral law. Instead, he focused on the heart and made it clear that God’s standards are extremely high – so high that only Jesus could perfectly keep them.
It is inconceivable to me that in the matter of giving God would expect less of people who have the indwelling Spirit than he did of Old Covenant believers.
The tithe was necessary to support the work of the priests and Levites and the upkeep of the Temple. The tithe is how we support God’s church and work today, too. When we give a tenth back to God, we acknowledge His ownership of us and all we have. It shows that we understand that we depend on Him.
The tithe is an acknowledgement that God has authority over our finances and our lives.
The Bible teaches that the tithe belongs to the Lord: so, to withhold it is to rob God. The Jews were rebuked by the prophet Malachi for doing just that.
"Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, 'How have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings. 9 "You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you! 10 "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and 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 3:8-10 (NASB)
We learn two more things from this passage. Withholding the tithe will result in loss for us and giving the tithe opens the door to God’s abundant blessings.
Being generous puts us in a position to fully experience God’s generosity.
If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving—large or small—it will be used to measure what is given back to you." Luke 6:38 (NLT)
God loves a cheerful giver; so, it is important that we do not give reluctantly as a religious duty or to avoid being punished by God. Faith provides us with a proper motivation for giving.
Knowing that tithing is the right thing to do and believing that God will abundantly supply our every need, if we are obedient, will help us to be joyfully generous.
Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (NLT)
God’s lordship over our finances does not stop with the tithe, however. All our finances belong to God. He owns us and all we have.
Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT)
A disciple is called to lay down everything at the Lord’s feet, knowing that God will take care of us.
This brings us to offerings.
Offerings are donations we make to individuals or ministries over and above the tithe.
These are freewill offerings, completely under our discretion and direction, which are given as we are led by the Spirit. The tithe, on the other hand, should be given to the local church to which we belong and placed entirely under the direction of local church leadership as an acknowledgement of Christ’s authority over our lives. Tithing is a great blessing and privilege, but making offerings is even more fun. This is where we can see directly how our giving blesses others. Some have said that tithing opens God’s storehouse, but offerings determine how wide the door swings open.
The general principle is that we cannot out give God.
But lordship extends to more than just giving. It also concerns how we manage the money we retain. A disciple seeks to live wisely, as described in Proverbs, not spending up his reserves.
In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has. Proverbs 21:20 (NIV)
A wise person makes provision for the future as best he can, keeping in balance the need to live in constant trust in the Lord.
Sometimes God requires that we give away what we have saved so that our trust may be completely in Him. Wisdom and faith do not work against one another, but sometimes one may take precedence over the other.
A wise disciple has self-control in how he or she spends money, not living beyond his or her means. In a nutshell, a disciple uses money rather than the other way around.
Integrity in financial matters is essential.
There should be no hint of cheating or impropriety in our finances. There is no room for laziness or confusion in how we handle money.
We should carefully handle our finances God’s way because it is a proving ground for more important things, the stewardship of true spiritual riches.
Lastly, giving to the poor is extremely important as well.
If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD— and he will repay you! Proverbs 19:17 (NLT) Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor. Proverbs 22:9 (NLT)
Alms giving is close to the Lord’s heart and softens our own heart. Jesus told us to give to those who ask. (Matthew 5:42) We should allow the Holy Spirit to lead us in how we give, except in the case of the tithe, which is not ours to direct. Some people are dishonest and attempt to prey upon the generosity of the saints. Others are lazy and prefer to beg rather than work. We cannot always discern motives, but if we give with a pure heart, we should leave how our gift is used to the Lord. I believe it is a good practice to carry extra cash so that we can be generous when it is appropriate.
Questions for Further Study and Discussion
- What for you is the most challenging aspect of how God wants us to handle money?
- Do you think we should give as a regular habit or only when we can do so with a glad heart?
- How would you counsel a non-tither who has trouble making ends meet?
