Five Frequently Asked Questions About Giving

After my previous article on giving to God, I wanted to follow up with responding to five frequently asked questions about tithing, generosity, or giving to the church.

1. Will God reward my faithful giving or punish my lack of giving?

A person’s giving to God reflects the posture of their heart. Lovers lavish gifts upon each other to express their love. Likewise, generous and sacrificial giving to God is an expression of our love. We give because he first gave to us—generously and sacrificially (2 Cor. 8:9).

All that we possess is given to us as a trust.

A person who does not treasure God and his work on earth will not treasure giving, while a person who loves the Lord and desires to see his name known across the land will give generously and sacrificially. Thus, faithful giving is a sign of one’s piety and lack of giving is a sign of self-centredness. Jesus said, “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:21).

Failing to Give is a Failing of Love

God does consider failing to give as a sin against him. When Israel failed to rightly pay tithe, he accused them of robbing him and cursed them (Mal. 3:8-9).

All that we possess is given to us as a trust. The true owner is our sovereign Lord. When we fail to give to God what we rightly owe him, we behave as unfaithful stewards (Luke 12:42-48).

Jesus said, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Mark 12:17). If tax evasion is a serious crime in our land with serious consequences, is it not all the more serious to withhold what belongs to God?

The Lord requires us to be wise stewards.

However, Caesar operated out of scarcity, greed, and the brutality of the law. We give to a gracious King who has no need of our giving. Rather, he gives us the privilege of giving out of what he first gave to us. So we are free to give cheerfully—not reluctantly or under compulsion (2 Cor. 9:6:-8).

The Lord requires us to be wise stewards. He wants us to invest generously in eternal things, not temporal (Matt. 6:20; Luke 16:10-12). Therefore, God would be most loving to discipline an unfaithful steward—as a father disciplines a child (Heb. 4:6).

Nothing should motivate and organise our financial giving more than the unmerited grace of God, freely given to us in Christ Jesus.

Giving is Its Own Reward

Jesus is no miserly master. He will not fail to recognise and reward his people’s faithfulness in stewarding their financial resources. In the parable of talents, he stated that our reward in eternity is directly related to our stewardship of the resources God has entrusted to our hands (Matt. 25:14-30).

Jesus delights in a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:7). No matter how small a contribution, God notices it (Matt. 6:4). When Jesus saw the poor widow putting in two small copper coins, he acknowledged her giving (Luke 21:1-4). It is for no reason that Jesus said, “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

False Teaching About True Promises

Sadly, in the last century, spurious televangelists and prosperity teachers have abused this truth. They have twisted it out of proportion—promising earthly riches and gain in exchange for “sowing by faith” in their ministries.

Biblical giving is meant to nourish Christ’s church. It provides for the ministries of God’s kingdom on earth. Therefore, biblical giving rejects any and all fraudulent distortions that want to turn giving into a transactional economy.

We do not give to God so that we may receive from him. We give because he first gave to us. So, biblical giving is a relational act of love. It is ultimately an act of worship.

2. Is giving to causes and para-church ministries the same as giving to the church?

God has mandated that one gives the tithe to the church. It was instituted to provide for the priests of Israel, whose job was to serve God and his people (Num. 18:21).

In the New Covenant, God has mandated that ministers of the gospel—known as presbyters or pastors—be supported by the members of the church (1 Cor. 9:7-11; 1 Tim. 5:17-18). Thus, it follows logically that it is incumbent upon the church members to meet this financial requirement.

Jesus delights in a cheerful giver.

Apart from the tithe, all other giving would be broadly classified as offerings. The individual is free to decide how to disperse their offerings. Whether it is a local orphanage or global missions, each Christian must prayerfully discern how to invest in God’s kingdom work on earth.

3. When I move, do I conclude giving to my previous church and start giving to the next one?

The general principle to apply is that you are obligated to give to the local church that you call home or belong to as a member. It is in this church where the ministry of the Word and sacrament feeds you spiritually. It is here that the pastor cares for you as one who is accountable to Jesus, the chief shepherd (1 Pet. 5:3-4). Therefore, there is an obligation on your behalf to support the ministry and ministers of this church.

Make giving part of your financial planning.

You are free to support your previous church with your offerings. However, once you have moved to another city or transferred your membership, there is no binding obligation upon you. Nevertheless, it is always pleasant to give to a place and support the ministry that God used to impact you and cause you to mature in your faith.

4. My donation to the church is not tax deductible. Now what?

Suffice it to say, the Christian does not give to receive tax benefits but because of what God has given to them.

5. What are practical ways to ensure I give faithfully?

Start by setting aside the tithe from your salary as soon as it is credited into your bank account. Let giving to God be the first thing you do, not something you do with the leftovers at the end of the month. Cultivate this habit early on in your career so that it becomes a lifelong ritual.

Be consistent in your giving. Christian giving is not random acts of kindness. Rather, it is a lifestyle of consistent giving. Make giving part of your financial planning.

When deciding how much to give, seek to emulate God and give sacrificially.

As C. S. Lewis said, “I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare.”