In the "present evil world" with covetousness being so prevalent, do we not as Christians need a continual self-examination that we do not fall into the world’s trap? What characterizes this generation seems to be "me," "my," and "mine" to such a degree. How many appear to be egocentric! In view of this condition I would like to refer to some scriptures to guide our thinking.
First of all, God owns all money. Haggai 2:8 says, "The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of Hosts." Also, 1 Corinthians 4:7 says, "And what hast thou that thou didst not receive?" We really own nothing. So then, since all that we have is a gift from God and belongs to Him, should we not use care in handling what He has put into our hands as stewards of these material things?
Not only "money," but all was created by and for Christ. "For by Him were all things created … by Him and for Him" (Col. 1:16). We are not our own, but "are bought with a price" (1 Cor. 6:20). How could we then live selfishly and treat anything as though it belonged to us?
This brings to mind the question of giving "of our substance." Some have adopted the principle of tithing_of restricting what is given to the Lord to 10 percent. What about the other 90 percent? Is that not His also? Scripture teaches us that we are to fulfill our responsibilities in the support of our own (1 Tim. 5:8). We should do this as unto the Lord. We are to live modestly, without fleshly display, for we are in a wilderness and this is not our home. The Corinthians were reprimanded for living as kings. Surely the Lord gives varied abilities in accumulating money. It seems that some can be trusted with more than others.
The Lord knows the motives of our hearts. We may hoard riches with the excuse that we should do this for a "rainy day." Perhaps the Lord will send many rainy days to detach us from "things" and attach our hearts more to Him, Can it not be said, "It is not so much the amount God has been pleased to give us as it is what we do with what we have"? The widow in the temple is a good example. She had only two mites, all her living. Her heart was such that she gave them both. Later in 2 Corinthians 8 the apostle Paul commends the Macedonians, "How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality." So, again, it is a question of the heart.
The tendency to love money is such a subtle thing. We need to be exercised in the Lord’s presence that we be not self-deceived. Oh, it is so possible to be hypocritical in this. How often we can hear people say, "Well, if I had a million dollars I’d give a lot to the Lord." Would they? If we are not faithful in little, we will not be faithful in much.
The question arises as to whom this ministry of material goods should be given. In Romans 15:26 we read of the saints helping the poor saints in Jerusalem. In Acts 6 we are shown how the daily ministrations were handled as regards those in need. 1 John 3:17 (JND) says, "But whoso may have the world’s substance, and see his brother having need, and shut up his bowels from him, how abides the love of God in him?" And the Word tells us to do good to all, and especially to the household of faith. These are general exhortations and instructions which can be obeyed as an individual exercise or through the ministry of the assembly. Sometimes we may know of an individual need which is not the mind of the local assembly to supply. There is no reason that we cannot minister privately as the Lord lays it on our heart.
The supply of temporal ministry to those who go out in faith in a full time way needs to be given serious consideration. When there is one who announces that he feels that he is called to the Lord’s work in this way it is surely the responsibility of the assemblies to support such a one, with the following provisions:
1. If the gift claimed is teaching – are we edified by the ministry?
2. If a pastoral gift_are souls "shepherded"?
3. If the gift claimed is an evangelist_are souls saved through the ministry?
It is our responsibility before the Lord to support any whom we can discern as having a distinct gift from the Lord and living consistently. Conversely, we are not to support someone who obviously is going out on his own volition without an obvious gift. Surely, we should all encourage any who are seeking to serve the Lord. Perhaps in a future day the God-given gift will be developed and seen.
In Philippians 4:15 Paul responds to the Philippian assembly for the gift they gave him:"And know also ye, O Philippians, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I came out of Macedonia, no assembly communicated anything to me in the way of giving and receiving, save ye alone" (JND). First we see how the apostle’s heart was warmed by their giving from the beginning- Secondly, he says "ye alone." Are we to understand from this that other assemblies were derelict in their care for the Lord’s servant? When there are those who serve the Lord "full time" should not all the assemblies minister to them whether they are able or led of the Lord to visit them or not? If we would read the epistles of Paul on this subject I believe we would be guided into what is the mind of the Lord. It is so easy to rationalize when it comes to handling money, but simply human logic has no place in the Lord’s things.
As to ministry to others, I have been impressed with Paul’s discourse in 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 (JND). Especially impressive at this time are verses lOb and lla:"For this is profitable for you who began before, not only to do, but also to be willing, a year ago. But now also complete the doing of it.. . ."In other words, if the Lord has laid it upon your heart to minister to those who have gone out in faith, do it. Let us not handle the funds meant for the Lord’s servants in a haphazard way. It is the Lord’s money, and they are the Lord’s servants, with daily needs. I often think, "How would I appreciate it if my employer "forgot" to pay me for a month beyond "payday"? Brethren, this is a practical thing we need to consider. "Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it" (Prov. 3:27).
May we ever remember that the use of the money entrusted to our care is a privilege the Lord has given to us. It seems to be indicated in Hebrews 13:15,16 that our worship of the Lord (the fruit of our lips) is also connected with the practical use of our goods as a service of praise. Let us then "Be not weary in well doing" (2 Thess. 3:13).
FRAGMENT The Jews were required to give a tenth of their income, but the believer in Christ is privileged to give more than a tenth. The measure of our giving is to be "as God hath prospered" (1 Cor. 16:2). It is not so much a question of how much we are to give to God, but how much of what He has given us dare we spend upon ourselves.