New Testament Giving

As a Christian it is very important to grasp the importance and reality of giving. Giving is not just a nice gesture toward God and the Church because we have to give or are forced to give. Giving should come because we want to and because we love God. God teaches us through Scriptures that it is part of His character to give, which means we must imitate Him
The most quoted verse of the Bible is a proof that Almighty God is a giving God, "For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." God gave His very best to us, Jesus Christ, that we might become His children and have eternal life. It is my belief that we should give to the Lord and His church for the advancement of the Gospel throughout the world. We give because we love the Lord and we believe His message is true. We do not give to have points with God or to have access to God's presence someday, it is impossible to buy our way to heaven. Jesus Christ paid the whole thing for us in full in the cross of Calvary for us to be able to reach Him someday. We cannot earn salvation or pay for it. We give unto the Lord because we are members of His family. We give because in reality it is God who has given us our health, our jobs, and the ability to earn money to be able to give. The Apostle Paul left us in II Corinthians 9:6-15 an outline on giving,

1. God wants us to sow bountifully, we shall reap bountifully - Verse 6.
2. God loves a cheerful giver - Verse 7.
3. God is able to make all grace abound on the givers - Verse 8.
4. God wants us to support the poor - Verse 9.
4. God wants us to support our church - Verse 10.
5. God wants to bless us - Verse 11.
6. God wants us to support the missionaries - Verse 12.
7. God wants us to give to glorify Jesus Christ - Verse 13.
8. God gives us the gift to be able to give - Verse15.

We are to give of ourselves for the cause of Christ. We are to give our all to our Creator and Lord. We should give ourselves also to "prayer and fasting" - I Corinthians 7:5.
Giving is a big part of Christianity for the advancement of the Kingdom of God, but with all our giving we must also remember to give God thanks for all that He has done, for what He is doing and all that He will be doing. Let us pray and fast to ask God what he would have us to give Him this week.