One of the best
parts of a Church gathering to me is the testimonies. I love to hear how God is
helping people in their health, finances, families and so on; I love it when a
couple who have been expecting a baby for years finally get pregnant. I love
when families get reunited after years of estrangement. I love it when people
come and testify about getting a promotion in their jobs. While all these
things do not prove God’s love for us- the cross is our proof, it does feel
good to know that our father takes delight in the prosperity of his children.
However, a trend
I find disturbing amongst many of these testimonies is the emphasis of what
they gave as a form of ‘seed’ that then germinated into an ‘harvest’ of the
breakthrough they were seeking. This to me is one of the most prevalent forms
of legalism in Christian circles. I must confess that I fall for this
sometimes, especially when it comes to finances. I personally believe that this
is because money is so important in human dealings that once a shortage occurs
in our pockets; we automatically go into panic mode and immediately begin to
tell ourselves something must be done. In such panic moments, we will latch on
to any teaching or encouragement that seems to suggest that by giving
something, “God will let go of our blessings”. Why? It affirms our sense of
responsibility. Plus I honestly think many of us don’t believe God is good
enough to give us things freely. We believe he requires some sacrifice.
“What
then shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not
also, along with him GRACIOUSLY
give us all things…..” Romans 8: 31-32(NIV) (emphasis mine)
Brethren, God is irrevocably and
unrepentantly for us. He demonstrated that eternal support for you when he sent
his only Son; the only one who pleased him thoroughly and eternally, to become
a man, live for you, suffer untold anguish for you and ultimately die for you. God
has got your back unconditionally; he is not waiting for you to release what is
in your hands before he releases what in his hands. In fact, the verses quoted
above tell us that God has already graciously given us all things along with
Jesus. In other words, when he sent Jesus, he sent everything. The word ‘graciously’ can be translated ‘freely’.
He freely at no charge gave us everything. He freely included us in the
fellowship of the Father, Son and the
Holy Spirit; to partake
of the Divine nature and to freely experience the unlimited self-sufficiency in
Christ’s sufficiency
At this juncture
I must state clearly that I believe in giving. I believe a Christian has received
the same generous spirit that God has; thus a Christian who is not willing to
give to the local Assembly and the community at large has not grasped of
what spirit he is. We are to give spiritually, emotionally, AND FINANCIALLY. As
we grow in all aspects of Grace, we are instructed to also grow in the Grace of
supporting our ministers and brothers in need (2 Cor. 8 and 9). My argument is
that the motive for our giving must change in charismatic circles. Our giving
is not supposed to be a way of buying miracles, security, or warding off
curses. It is an act from a pure regenerated heart that has become as generous
as our father in heaven. If you are being blessed at your local assembly, then
it behooves you to support that assembly in any way. We do not need to be
manipulated by fear or pity to give. Neither do we need to engage in any giving
in order to access or qualify for the blessing
The idea that
God needs something from us as a form of sacrifice makes God no different from
the idols and demons our ancestors used to worship. They always demanded a
price to be paid for their favours; and after giving the favours, they would
still inflict damage on them and their descendants.
“and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[ to share in the inheritance
of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For
he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom
of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the
forgiveness of sins….” (Colossians 1: 12-14 NIV) (Emphasis mine)
The whole point of this series is to
point out that the Father has already qualified us; How? He rescued us from
darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. In other
words, the Father loves and approves of the Son, and by the Holy Spirit has put
us in the Son. Therefore, the Father is fully approved of us and requires no
spiritual exercise on our part to bless us.
“Praise be to
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly
realms with every spiritual blessing in
Christ...” (Ephesians 1:3 NIV) (Emphasis mine)
In Christ, we
are blessed. We are not going to be blessed, we are not waiting to be blessed,
and we sure as heaven are not meant to strive or give ‘X” amount of money in order
to qualify for God’s blessing. So rejoice and give out of love, not out of fear
or compulsion. Give what you can, when you can. Most especially, DO NOT let ANYBODY guilt you into giving.
Grace be with you and continue to
bask in the Love of God
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