Jehovah-Jireh

Theology of Grace Giving

“You prayed for the offering. But you didn’t pass the collecting-plate!” This is how a recent letter commenced, written by a visitor to our church last Sunday. ‘I learned later that that’s your church policy. he adds. I am sure many appreciate not being put in the uncomfortable position of being seen not putting tithes or offerings in the passing-bag/plate. I admire your (posture of) faith, trusting that the Lord will provide.”

However, our observant visitor also expressed his sadness over the exclusion. So are we! Giving of our tithes and offerings IS a part of our worship services, and truly a visible, expressive way to appreciate our Jehovah-Jireh (God-provideth) for all of His provisions. However…keep in mind that we’re in East Lost Angeles. Throngs, surges of new visitors come each week, visitors not accustomed to biblical principles in Christian giving and tithing and free-will offerings, most of them are aghast at the thought of anyone getting ‘ripped-off’ by the church. And I can’t blame them! In our and around our community alone, we have a profusion, an endemic onslaught of ‘protestant-churches’ that preach a bankrupt God, an impoverished God that needs our help for Him to help us! What an absurd and blatant, biblical distortion, and all in the name of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And, so as not to be lumped together with some of these entities of deceit, we made a wonderful sacrifice just to trust the Lord completely.

About five years ago, corporately, Calvary Chapel Montebello (CCM) made a very bold move, a decision NOT to pass the plate. It’s a mind-blower, man! In our community this omission speaks a thunderous, muted testimony. God provides!

We have convenient “Agape boxes” at every entrance of our church-building. It would be trivial and trifling to describe what our pastors and elders discover at the end of the day in these love boxes; at times, the contents are so potent that it brings some of our pastors and elders to tears and praise and admiration by what the Lord does through His people.

A Grace-giving-theology handout is right next to every agape-box.:

Prescription for Grace-giving

1 Corinthians 16:1-2 “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must also do: 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. Giving should be regular - “First day of the week”

2. Giving should be systematic - “Lay something aside”

3. Giving should be proportionate - “As he may prosper”.

Attitude in Giving

1. Cheerful, not Grudgingly! 2 Cor. 9:7

2. Willingly, from the heart - (Exodus 25:2; 35-36:2; Ezra 2:68-69)

3. Non-Compulsive - By force, emotionalism, pressure, guilt! (Induces animosity)

4. Motivated by Love and Generosity. (Luke 21:1-4 widow’s mite; 1 Cor.13: 3)

5. Guarded and private: Matthew 6:3-4

6. Give with simplicity - Romans 12:8 NKJ

7. Give honestly

8. Give freely - Matthew 10:8

9. Give because of Agape Love - 1 Corinthians 13:3

What Grace-giving IS NOT

1. An “investing” formula for material goods and/or wealth

2. “To get something back”

3. Manipulated, motivated, or coerced by emotional appeals.

4. Compulsion by tradition, customs or ritual.

5. Out of peer-pressure, “Everyone is doing it!”

6. When giving is not in accordance to your prospering.

7. “Removing” guilt (thus the term ‘guilt- money’)

Grace giving Criteria

1. Regeneration- you must be ‘Born-Again!’ A personal-relationship with God.

2. Understand the Principles and Standards of Grace-giving- 2 Cor. 9:6-15

3. Must possess Christian maturity- 2 Corinthians 8: 5

4. “No strings attached” - giving without a hidden agenda. Matthew 6:2

5. Grace-Giving is something we are, not something we do.

Failure of honoring God with our giving

1. We rob God! (Read Malachi chapter 3)

2. Forfeit the blessings promised in Malachi 3:10!

3. Contradiction—to claim to have experienced the Grace of God in forgiveness and yet to be ungracious is a contradiction of New Testament truth. “Freely you have received, freely give.” Matthew 10:8

4. Suspended Growth - Failure-to-thrive to Christian maturity.

5. The Sin of Forgetfulness - See Deuteronomy 8:11-20

Give and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you." Luke 6:38