What does Scripture teach about giving back to God? Does the motivation for our giving matter? Should believers systematically and/ or proportionately give based off an Old Testament ordinance? Or do we give back out of a grateful heart, as the Holy Spirit guides our lives? Is giving back limited to our resources? Or does it include other things such as our time, individual talents, and spiritual gifts?
The theme of the New Covenant is basically summarized with the following words of Saint John – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NIV) In other words, we give back out of thankfulness and gratitude to God. Giving of our resources is only one aspect of giving back. Throughout the Word of God there is no single set standard for giving back to God, other than having a pure heart and the proper motives. In the Book of Psalms, we find King David describing how a clean conscience before the Lord is an important part of any offering or sacrifice. The Apostle Paul reiterates this point by saying how we can offer up ourselves as living sacrifices as our spiritual act of worship.
“Oh Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” (Psalms 51:15-17 NIV)
“O Lord, I call to you; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to you. May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.” (Psalms 141:1-1 NIV)
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is you spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-2 NIV)
Scripture goes on to tell us that we no longer have the need for a temporal priesthood to make daily offerings to God on our behalf, since we have permanent priest [Jesus Christ] who made a one-time sacrifice by offering his life for the sins of the world. As a result, we are no longer under the Law of the Old Covenant, to include having priests offer daily sacrifices as a propitiation for our sins. Thus, the Old Testament ordinance of tithing has been made null and void by the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.
“Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, be he always live to intercede for them.” (Hebrews 7:23-25 NIV)
Some would say that the Old Testament tithe – ten percent of everything from the Israelites’ land, herds and flocks – should be the starting point for giving, which many equate to ten percent of one’s income. However, this position has several concerns as well as possible unintended consequences against the church. For starters, the Old Testament tithe was strictly restricted to a tenth of everything from the Israelites’ land, herds and flock. (Leviticus 27:1-2, 30, 32) Ninety percent of the tithe actually stayed with the Levites as part of their inheritance and rotational part-time temple duties, since their tribe did not receive any land inheritance in Israel. (Numbers 18:25-26, 28-29) In addition, the Old Testament tithe did not include the entire harvest from the Israelites’ fields, since it also included an ordinance of gleaning which instructed the harvesters to leave remnants from their harvests in the fields to help feed the poor. This ordinance was still practiced during the time of Jesus Christ’s ministry, as the gospels record how the Pharisees confronted Jesus Christ while going through the grain fields picking heads of grain with his disciples on the Sabbath. (Deuteronomy 24:19-21; Matthew 12:1-2) The Israelites who earned an income from a craft or skill gave freewill offerings, not tithes…since tithes always consisted of food. The poor also gave freewill offerings, as they were never required to tithe. As a result, suggesting a ten percent starting point for giving disproportionately hurts the poor. When it came to freewill offerings, the poor still gave less. Just look at the example of Jesus’ parents giving two turtledoves (or pigeons) instead of a lamb, as an offering, for his purification in the temple? (Luke 2:24; Leviticus 12:8)
When it comes to giving of one’s resources to God, the percentage is not relevant…but rather the heart or motive. In the Old Testament, we see how the patriarch Abraham responded to his obligation of giving a one-time war tithe to Melchizedek, the king of Salem. In response, Abraham refused to personally accept anything from the war spoils, other than what was already eaten or rightfully belonged to the men who served in the battle with him, because he wanted God to have the glory. (Genesis 14:18-20) Another patriarch, named Jacob, made a conditional vow to God that he would give a tenth of everything he received, if God blessed him. However, Scripture does not clarify how Jacob dispersed the tenth or to whom he gave it. (Genesis 28:18-22) As for both Abraham and Jacob, neither of them were required to give anything to priest or a temple, since both of them were priests as patriarchs of their own households who built alters and worshipped God directly. (Genesis 12:7-8; 28:18-22)
In the New Testament, there are various examples of people giving in relation to their motives. We see the story of the poor widow placing her gift of two small copper coins into the temple treasury. Jesus Christ used her example of giving to contrast how the rich people gave gifts out of their wealth, while the poor widow gave everything that she had to live on. (Luke 21:1-4) Jesus Christ also said we should help out the needy for the purpose of glorifying God, not bringing attention to ourselves. (Matthew 6:1-4) Likewise, the Apostle Paul gave instructions to the Corinthian and Galatian churches to have its congregants set aside a sum of money, in keeping with their income, in order that collections can be taken on the first day of the week for the purpose of helping God’s people. (I Corinthians 16:1)
Overall, when it comes to giving, we need to consider our priorities in life. First and foremost, we have to take care of our individual relationships with God by placing Him first and foremost in everything, to include our personal financial decisions. All we need to do is take a look at our personal budgets, beyond the basic needs of sustenance, and see how our personal priorities rank in relation to God’s priorities in our lives. After we figure out how to prioritize our own lives, we can take those Godly principles and apply them by helping our families understand the importance of having God in our lives. Once we begin to understand how the Holy Spirit works through our own lives and families, we can better help others learn about God’s grace by giving back to God, our churches, our communities and others. Giving back involves many aspects, to include our resources, time, individual talents and spiritual gifts. The Apostle Paul makes it clear that Christian leaders needs know how to manage their own families before taking care of other people, with the rhetorical question – “If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?” (I Timothy 3:5 NIV)
In summary, the key motive that distinguishes Christianity from all other world religions is that everything is done out of thankfulness and gratitude to God. The Apostle Paul reiterates this point by saying, “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (II Corinthians 9:7 NIV) With Jesus Christ as our mediator to God and the Holy Spirit as our comforter writing the laws on our hearts, we must not forget one of the most important aspects of Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death…believers can now offer their bodies as living sacrifices directly to God. (Hebrews 9:15; 10:15-16; Romans 12:1-2) Likewise, once we grasp the reality of being free from the former regulations of the Law, we can realize “…a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.” (Hebrews 7:19 NIV) Therefore, as a natural response, we will want to reflect God’s love in our lives by giving graciously and abundantly of our time, resources, individual talents and spiritual gifts to help support the work of the Lord, especially within the local church.
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