When we become members of Trinity Church Kennesaw, we enter into a Covenant with one another and with God, pledging to do several things for the good of our church family and for the good of our souls. Our earnest desire is for every Trinity member to wholeheartedly live out all the pledges of the Covenant.
In this article, we will focus on our pledge of generosity. In our Covenant, we pledge to “joyfully and sacrificially contribute from our resources, according to God’s gift, for the maintenance of a faithful and biblical ministry among us, for the support of the poor, and for the spread of the gospel.”
We understand that Christians are in different places with giving. Many, I am sure, give sacrificially and cheerfully (praise God), while others struggle with generosity, with trusting God and believing what God’s word says about money. Some are fearful of depleting their resources or going without. Our hope and prayer is that God will work powerfully to move us all toward joyful, sacrificial, and eager generosity.
We always want to be informed by God’s Word, and the Bible has much to say about money and giving. Here are five truths from God’s word on the subject of financial giving:
1. God owns everything and is the giver of every blessing.
“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.” – Psalm 24:1–2
“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is – to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.” – 1 Chronicles 29:11–13
These passages teach that God not only created and owns everything but also bestows gifts and abilities on his people. Our very ability to lift a finger to earn a living comes from God’s hand. This reality should tamp down our pride in our own possessions and our confidence in our own strength.
2. God has ordained that his people should support his kingdom purposes.
In the Old Testament, God commanded his people to give portions of their income—produce, grain, livestock, oil, and wine—to support the Levites (Lev. 27:30), to fund festivals (Deut. 12:10–18), and to help widows and orphans (Deut. 14:28–29). God also commanded “freewill” offerings, which were to be in proportion to one’s income (Deut. 16:10).
In Malachi 3:8-12, God sharply rebuked his people for “robbing him” by neglecting to bring their full tithe into the storehouse. And the Lord challenged them to test him in their giving.
In the New Testament as well, God expects his people to support the work of the ministry among them and to use their resources to serve those in need.
In 1 Tim. 5:17, Paul says, “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,’ and, ‘The laborer deserves his wages.’” Being a minister of the gospel, caring for a flock, and preaching God’s Word is hard work. There is no higher calling. The laborer deserves his wages.
1 Corinthians 16:1-2 and chapters 8 and 9 in 2 Corinthians are key passages that reveal the proper attitudes and expectations for Christian giving. The context was the collection Paul was undertaking for the suffering saints in Jerusalem. Paul had been soliciting funds from several churches he had founded, including the church in Corinth. It was a perfect opportunity to articulate expectations and attitudes toward generosity and giving. A careful examination of these passages shows us at least nine expectations for Christian giving: We are to give regularly, proportionally (1 Cor 16:1-2), eagerly, joyfully, sacrificially (2 Cor 8:1-7), bountifully, decisively, willingly, and cheerfully (2 Cor 9:6-7).
In 1 Corinthians 16:1-2, Paul emphasizes the importance of regular and proportional giving, encouraging believers to set aside contributions on the first day of the week based on their means. In 2 Corinthians 8:1-7, he praises the Macedonian churches for their sacrificial and joyful giving, despite their severe poverty, reminding us of the poor widow who gave all she had (Mark 12:41-44). Finally, in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, Paul reinforces the principle of generous, willing, and cheerful giving, assuring that those who give bountifully will be blessed in return. These passages establish the biblical model for Christian giving—consistent, proportional, sacrificial, and joyful.
3. The righteous instinctively bless others.
It should be part of a Christian’s DNA to want to bless others. Consider Psalm 112:4-5 which describes the righteous man who fears the LORD:
Light dawns in the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.
It is well with the man who deals generously and lends;
who conducts his affairs with justice.
Similarly, in Acts 20:35, Paul says: “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
These verses teach the general principle that God’s people should have a natural desire to bless others with generous giving, sharing, and lending. We are to remember that we are simply stewards of God’s money – conduits through which God blesses others. When we bless others materially in the name of Jesus, God gets the glory, and we get the joy of participating with God in his work.
4. Generous giving is the fruit of a pilgrim mindset.
The greatest deterrent to giving is the illusion that this world is our home. Maybe you’ve heard the illustration that your life on this earth is like a pinpoint on a yard stick. What is your life? For you are like grass that quickly fades and dies (Psalm 103:15-16; Isa 40:6-8), or you are a mist that appears for a little time and vanishes (James 4:14). This very short life on earth should be thought of as a training ground for eternity.
In Hebrews 11, the hall of faith, the faithful saints had a pilgrim mindset. “…they were strangers and exiles on the earth… seeking a homeland. … they desired a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.”
All Christians are called by God to a pilgrim mindset, to “seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. To Set our minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Col. 3:1-2) The way we use money reveals our mindset, whether earthly or heavenly.
When Jesus calls us to store up treasure in heaven, and not on earth, he says, “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” When you earn, spend, and give your money in ways that show you value Christ more than money, then your heart, your mind, your desires will be heavenward. A pilgrim mindset will transform you to be more generous.
5. When we are generous, we imitate our infinitely generous God and bring him glory.
God’s most generous act was to give us his Son as our Savior. Romans 8:32 says “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”
In 2 Corinthians 9:10-15, Paul tells the Corinthian Christians that their generous contributions to the collection for the Jerusalem saints will produce thanksgiving to God and bring glory to God. Because the recipients will be offering up prayers of praise and thanksgiving and will be praying for the Corinthians. What a beautiful picture of saints helping each other, rejoicing, and praying for one other, all the while giving glory to God!
The crescendo of this beautiful section is verse 15: Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift! – The gift of Jesus! Our Heavenly Father is supremely generous, and as his children, our generosity brings him glory.
Conclusion
These truths from God’s word about money and giving make his will for us clear. And yet we fall short. Much of our problem — though we are born again — is that we are conformed to the patterns and values of this world. In a word, we are worldly.
The world has its patterns, its value system, and its structured arguments about security and happiness. We are immersed in an exceedingly affluent and worldly culture, and we have adopted many of the values of this world. We have bought in to much of the world’s happiness propaganda, conveyed through our entertainment industry, social media, and advertising.
What would the world want us to believe about money? That it is all mine; “I earned it in my own strength and power… I need money to be safe and secure – especially in my retirement…If I only had this or that toy or trinket, I would finally be satisfied…”
What might be the remedy for this? As Christians, we are called to think differently than the world. It’s a fundamental Christian responsibility that our thoughts are to be independent from the world.
How do we do this? Mainly by perennially absorbing the Scriptures. Reading scripture regularly, slowly, thoughtfully, and hearing preaching and teaching attentively transforms us by the renewing of our minds. As God’s word permeates us, we begin to think like God thinks and embrace how the gospel informs and influences every aspect of our lives, including how we handle our finances. So we must read our Bibles. We can start by meditating on the passages in this article. And we can take full advantage of all the other means of grace afforded by membership in our church and the fellowship of our church family.
If you are giving regularly, proportionally, and cheerfully, praise God! May God bless you abundantly. However, if you’re not giving, we encourage you to start. Here are a several things to consider as you give:
- The tithe is a good starting point. Although the tithe is not explicitly commanded in the New Testament, the principle of setting aside a portion of your income regularly to the work of the ministry is a clear Biblical expectation as we have seen.
- We believe your giving should be right off the top of your income, the first fruits – not the leftovers after all the bills are paid (Proverbs 3:9).
- We believe Christians should always give first to the local church before giving to other organizations. God has ordained that the church be the primary vehicle through which we grow in our faith and spread the gospel here and abroad.
- The affluent among us should be careful not to check the box at 10% thinking that 10% fulfills the obligation. Affluent people should give more than 10%. There are many wealthy people who give 60, 80 even 90 percent.
- We should give immediately and generously when God brings additional income – an inheritance, a bonus, proceeds from a sale.
- If you struggle with letting go of money, bring it to God in prayer and beg him to help you loosen your grip on money.
- If you are struggling financially or having trouble managing your affairs, please talk to your elders and let us come alongside you and help you. We greatly desire to care for you in this way.
By God’s grace, Trinity will continue to be a powerful outpost for the gospel of Jesus Christ in greater Kennesaw. By his grace, we will pay our pastors and staff well; we will cover the cost of facilities in and through which we can do God’s work; we will minister to the poor and needy – especially those among us; and will generously support the spread of the gospel through local and global missions partners.
We offer these exhortations for your joy. We want your generous acts to be credited to your account. We want you to store up treasure in heaven. We want this for the prosperity of your eternal soul, knowing that you will only ever be optimally happy when your entire being, including your finances, is surrendered completely to God.
