In the Old Testament God gave the command for the Israelites to tithe to support the nation, especially the Levites and Priests in their duties. “And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’s. It is holy to the LORD. If a man wants at all to redeem any of his tithes, he shall add one-fifth to it. And concerning the tithe of the herd or the flock, of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the LORD” ( Leviticus 27:30-32).
The most significant point for us as we consider giving in the New Testament is the statement that the tithe “is the Lord’s.” God’s people have a responsibility to return a portion of what the Lord has blessed us with back to Him. It is the Lord’s! As Paul wrote, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”
Under Christ’s covenant, God gave some specific commands regarding giving. They are found in the context of preparing a benevolent gift to the indigent saints suffering in Judea. These thoughts came from Paul’s pen. “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come” (1 Corinthians 16:1-2).
Consider a few truths which come from this passage. First, the offering is from God’s people. There is no command, example or inference in scripture regarding raising money in any other way. God does not approve of asking for money from the world, He expects sacrifice from His people.
Second, the day of gathering this money is given, “the first day of the week.” What is specified is the day (Sunday). What does not seem to be specified here is the assembly. While it seems obvious that this day was chosen because of the called assembly, there is nothing to here that requires it be done in the assembly. We are told that Christians are gather together to break bread. We are told simply that Christians are to give on the first day of the week. Most congregations will pass the plate in the assembly, while others will have a collections box in the foyer to collect the offerings when brethren come to the building.
What should be acknowledged is that this offering is an act of worship. We are returning a portion of our goods back to the Lord, as we have been prospered. While the world thinks of such actions as the “church” trying to bilk believers out of money; we understand that it is a willing sacrifice offered freely.
Paul had more to say on the matter, “But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:6-8).
From this passage we receive more information about the act of giving. First is the principle of sowing and reaping. The indication here and in following verses is that the generous giver will be blessed greatly by God. Because of this principle, generosity is a Christian principle concerning monetary sacrifice.
As Paul noted, other truths follow. We are to purpose our giving. Obviously, giving will be more generous if we determine what to give beforehand. God doesn’t want our leftovers. He does not want Christians scrambling for their wallets before the contribution is taken, just to see what they have at the moment. Such treatment of the Lord is wholly inappropriate for any devoted child of God.
God does not want us to give because we have to. He does not want us to begrudge what we have to give to Him. He is our Lord. He expects our devotion to include our freewill offerings to Him. As such, He expects us to give cheerfully. This is important. God wants our love, not our robotic obedience.
It has been put simply: God expects us to give bountifully, and he expects us to like it! A sparing or grudging sacrifice has never and will never please Him.
This is the principle that governs our giving, not a percentage. The Israelites were required to give 10% as a physical kingdom. Many denominations take that as our rule as well. But like many aspects of the Christian life, God’s requirements for His children differ in their nature. What God expects of us is an embracing of the principles of love, generosity, compassion, sacrifice and duty. These principles are not what our nation asks for when we pay our taxes. We look at tables, and write the check, possibly as we complain about the IRS. That’s fine with the civil government.
God’s kingdom is spiritual. He expects more from us. Remember the widow who gave two mites in the temple? Jesus said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had” (Luke 21:3-4).
God is very unlike man. The total amount is not consequential. The important part is the heart. How much do you give? Is it sacrificial? Is it as you have been prospered? Is it offered willingly? Does your giving make you happy? When you offer your monetary sacrifice on the Lord’s day, will what you offer please God?
