GIVING TO THE NEEDY - "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."
When the sun sets upon the landscape and tenure of our lives, what legacy will we leave? Will we be labeled as a giver or taker, selfless or selfish? Giving is a critical component within the foundation of faith we commit to as born-again Christians. Giving allows us the opportunity to share in the bounty of what God has graced us with, and the satisfaction of knowing we are doing something good for others. Where giving becomes twisted and misconstrued lies completely on the heart's motivation. For we can easily donate our time, energy and finances to churches, missions and other charitable organizations, but is the source of our compulsion rooted in the idea, "What's in it for me?" We must ask ourselves introspective and convicting questions in order to reveal whether we're giving to be recognized, to receive praise or reward, or to appease guilt. Jesus said, "For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks" (Luke 6:43-45). The fruit we bear provides testimony to the inward change produced in our hearts at salvation. Therefore, from God's perspective there can be no mistaking those who are genuinely transformed by the saving grace of Jesus Christ, because the heart's motivation is pure and selfless, just as He was.
When we last studied the book of James, we learned that the relationship between faith and works is paramount to the Christian faith. "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead" (James 2:14-17). We must be clear though that works do NOT play a role in saving a person from eternal separation from God. Works testify to the fruit produced as a result of our salvation. "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:8-10). Allowing works to have any influence whatsoever regarding whether we spend eternity in heaven diminishes the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross when He shed His blood to pay the penalty of our sins. It is perhaps the most prideful statement we could ever make! Therefore, let us not be baited into doing good works as if they had any power to save us. They don't! Only Jesus can. "Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God" (2 Corinthians 3:4-5).
Assuming we have a proper perspective concerning works, we can now shift our attention toward the manner in which we express our faith. Jesus' primary focus in Matthew 6:1-4 is hypocrisy and the impact it has on our personal relationship with God. Indirectly, it has everything to do with how we express our faith in a world that is closely monitoring our every move. Unbelievers typically view self-proclaimed, born-again Christians through the lens of authenticity/genuineness to determine whether we practice what we preach (and rightfully so!). Therefore, if we say we are sold out for Christ and seek praise and glory for ourselves by manipulating spiritual disciplines to shine a more favorable light on our benevolence, we have lost our moral compass and inflicting more damage than good. Scripture reminds us, "If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:3), in order to amplify the heart's condition and sift it's true intent. But Paul also warns, "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good" (Romans 12:9). Consequently, we must determine the root of our rebellion which twists saving faith into religious hypocrisy, for "the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever" (1 John 2:17).
Keep in mind, Jesus does not condemn giving. He simply rebukes those of us who do the right thing for the wrong reason. Giving is an expression of our faith, poured out in thankfulness because of what Christ has done for us. It should never be expressed with selfish intent, but to bless others. Our responsibility as Christians is to wisely manage and administer the resources God has given us, and determine how and where they may be best utilized. However, we must be aware that with great wealth comes great responsibility. "Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more" (Luke 12:48). The Lord's provision is intended to both provide for our needs and test our priorities. For if our motivations are selfish, we will hoard God's blessings for ourselves with little to no regard for the overwhelming need and evangelistic opportunity surrounding us. But if our intentions are pure and our giving rooted in unconditional love, God will provide multiple avenues of expression for grace to abound far beyond our comprehension. "The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work" (2 Corinthians 9:6-8).
When we allow God to work in us and through us for His glory, miracles happen. Hearts are changed, needs are met, and blessing overflows, yet many of us are reluctant to allow God full access to our checkbooks, bank accounts, etc. We doubt whether choosing to tithe is a wiser decision than holding back our resources to cover down on practical needs (which monopolize our attention). In those moments, we must remember that God is faithful and His Word is absolute, challenging us to step outside our comfort zone and trust His promises. For the Lord declares, "Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need" (Malachi 3:10). Most likely, this covenant compelled Jesus to use the widow's offering as an example of what our hearts should look like if we proclaim ourselves as Christians. "Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, 'Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on'" (Luke 21:1-4). The widow did not give to be praised and adored for what she did. She simply obeyed God's Word and quietly gave all she had.
We must be keenly aware that giving exposes our hearts. What we typically overlook is that when our hearts are exposed, the genuineness of our faith is on full display for all to see. Make no mistake, hypocrisy is a cancerous sin within the body of Christ, constricting light and exposing darkness to those who are lost and skeptic. That is why Jesus amplified His message on giving; not as an exhortation to give more, but a warning to give selflessly. Far too often we quench the Holy Spirit by seeking recognition for what we've done, completely clueless that we're actually robbing God of His glory. May this never be! Rather, let us repent of any inclination within our hearts that seeks glory for ourselves when we give, that we may be cleansed of our impure motivations and made whole by the gracious forgiveness of our Lord. The church of Jesus of Christ will forever be constricted from reaching its full potential if we allow hypocrisy to reside in our hearts. But if we cast off selfish intent and embrace our fears by quietly giving far beyond our comfort level, we will begin to experience healing and transformation from the inside out that will impact the world around us and proclaim the Gospel to lost souls. Humility is the key. May we never lose sight of how critical genuine submission and obedience to Scripture truly are in the life of a Christ-follower, when we freely give of ourselves and our resources for God's glory. "Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you" (Luke 6:38).
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