You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. "For God loves a person who gives cheerfully." - 2Corinthians 9: 7 (NLT)
This is the heart of the New Testament teaching on giving. We decide with God how much we will give. The church does not decide. Your pastor does not decide. You decide in consultation with the Holy Ghost inside of you. I firmly believe that pastors that insist on enforcing tithing are actually showing a lack of faith. If we ever left this matter up to the individual and the Holy Spirit, I am sure there would be more than 10% given. God does not want us to be reluctant or angry about the business of God!
Lastly, while giving can be a focus of worship, it should not be a focus of doctrine. I remember my former pastor spoke on giving about one time per year and that sermon was never condemning in nature but rather to remind people of the privilege God gives them when it comes to giving. Or to discuss sowing and reaping. It was never to twist arms but rather to teach correct doctrine. When one turns on TBN or whatever passes for Christian television these days this is simply not the case in prosperity circles. Their week in and week out message centers on money in one form or another. Count how many times Joel Osteen uses the word "bless" or "blessing" in a half hour sermonette. Even when he gets around to dragging a Scripture out it is only used to support his money focused message. What is the bottom line difference?
Is the emphasis for giving on self or on God?
This is what it all comes down to beloved. What is the theological focus on when giving is discussed? Listen to the parade of false prosperity preachers and you will only hear how giving helps you. How God is just waiting to bless you if we would only speak it into existence or demonstrate some level of faith, which inevitably comes back to giving as well. If you are listening to a solid biblical preacher however, all you will hear is how giving glorifies God or advances the cause of the kingdom. There is a lost concept in modern Christianity. It is about Christ. It is not about us at all other than the fact that we were once lost but now we are found!
So we come full circle and the question still remains:
Is it doctrinally sound the believe that as you give financially God will bless you financially?
What have we learned about giving today? We learned that sowing and reaping is a principle in action but that the reaping side may not necessarily be financial in nature. We learned that giving is an intimate form of worship. We learned that we are supposed to be cheerful givers - not coerced or reluctant. That it is an honor to be able to give to the work of the kingdom that should lead to more people coming into the eternal kingdom of God. Lastly, we learned that giving should not be a repeated form of doctrinal preaching. That if giving is discussed to emphasize self then we can rest assured that it is not of God.
