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The Right Use of Money
The Right Use of Money
Since money is a tool that can be used
for good or bad, it is important that we understand the Bible's instruction on how
we are to use it. The Bible gives directions and principles about the way we should
use our financial resources. But, before considering the specifics, we need to understand
God's perspective and what He does for each one of us.
God reveals He is the Creator of heaven and earth. As such, everything belongs to
Him. ". . . All the earth is Mine," He declares (Exodus 19:5).
This includes all precious metals (Haggai 2:8), animals (Psalm 50:11) and people
(Ezekiel 18:4).
When God made man in His image (Genesis 1:26-27), He "put him in the garden
of Eden to tend and keep it" (Genesis 2:15). Adam's job was to care for the
garden.
After Adam sinned by eating of the forbidden fruit, God told him: "Cursed is
the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.
Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb
of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the
ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return"
(Genesis 3:17-19).
Like Adam, we must work to sustain our lives. Human beings, however, are not self-sufficient.
God continues to help us, providing for us in ways we cannot. "He causes the
grass to grow for the cattle, and vegetation for the service of man, that he may
bring forth food from the earth," He tells us (Psalm 104:14).
When we enjoy the fruit of our labors, we should remember that everything we have
is ultimately a gift from God, the Maker of everything. "As for every man to
whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive
his heritage and rejoice in his labor -- this is the gift of God" (Ecclesiastes 5:19). With a few exceptions (see "The Bible and Work," page 11), working
hard and enjoying the resulting fruits of one's labor are godly principles most people
understand and accept as a fundamental part of life.
The work of God
Yet humans are not the only ones who work. Jesus Christ said God the Father works
(John 5:17). As a spirit being (John 4:24), God does not need food, shelter and clothing
to survive. His work is spiritual and humanitarian. John 3:16 summarizes God's motivation
for everything He does toward mankind: "For God so loved the world that He gave
His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting
life." This work of God, which He began before the foundation of the world (Matthew 25:34; Revelation 13:8; 1Timothy 1:9), continues.
Similarly, God expects spiritual and humanitarian work of us. Just as we work to
sustain ourselves physically, we must work for a greater spiritual purpose. The apostle
Paul tells us, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good
works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). We cannot earn salvation by human efforts, but God makes it clear that we
were also created to do "good works" that have a vital spiritual dimension.
The money we earn from our physical and mental efforts can be profitably used to
support important spiritual concepts and endeavors. Let's examine and understand
an important biblical principle the early Church practiced.
Our financial priority
Throughout the ages God has seen to it that a true message of hope has been preserved
and spread. He first used His patriarchs, prophets and priests. Now, in this age,
He uses His Church, His called-out followers. Jesus Christ commissioned His followers
to proclaim the "gospel of the kingdom of God" to all nations (Mark 1:14-15;
Matthew 24:14; 28:19-20). Christ's message -- "the gospel"ņis far more extensive
than many understand. (To discover the biblical truth about the message Jesus Christ
brought and taught, be sure to request your free copy of the booklet The Gospel
of the Kingdom.) Dedicating a portion of our incomes to this noble cause can
make it possible for the good news, this message of hope, to be proclaimed throughout
the world.
When Jesus sent out His disciples to spread the gospel of the Kingdom (Matthew 10:1),
He said, "Freely you have received, freely give" (verse 8). The disciples
did not have to charge others to provide for their physical needs because those needs
were voluntarily supplied by those who heard their message (Matthew 10:11; Luke 9:3-4).
As Paul later wrote, "Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the
gospel should live from the gospel" (1Corinthians 9:14).
The question naturally arises, how much should we contribute to further Christ's
commission to proclaim the gospel? People may debate this answer endlessly, but God
has already given a specific answer -- 10 percent, also called a tithe (Leviticus 27:32).
In instructing the ancient Israelites how to manage their financial affairs, God
said, "all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the
fruit of the tree, is the Lord's. It is holy to the Lord" (Leviticus 27:30).
This passage shows us that this tithe belongs to God; it is His. It is not ours to
do with as we please. Because God owns everything, He has the right to retain whatever
He chooses. In reality, He is requesting only that we return to Him a portion of
what He has already given to us.
God allows us to keep the greatest portion of the physical blessings He provides
us. He asks only that we return a percentage, a tenth, to Him in acknowledgment that
He is the source of all good things. If we ignore this principle, we will rob ourselves
of God's blessings (Malachi 3:8-9).
During His earthly ministry, Jesus Christ upheld the practice of tithing (Matthew 23:23) and encouraged His followers to "lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal"
(Matthew 6:20). Because tithing is a fundamental biblical principle for a more abundant
life, let's examine this scriptural practice in more detail.
Examples of righteousness
The first mention of tithing in the Bible is in Genesis 14. Here, Abram (later renamed
Abraham; Genesis 17:5), the same person later extolled as a model of behavior for
Christians (Galatians 3:29; Romans 4:11), engaged in a rescue mission to free his
nephew, Lot, who had been taken captive (Genesis 14:1-14).
After successfully rescuing Lot and recovering various goods, Abram met with Melchizedek,
"the priest of God," and "gave him a tithe of all" (verses 16-20).
Note that Abraham tithed on everything -- not just agricultural produce as some have
concluded.
Later we read of Abraham's grandson Jacob making this promise to God: ". . .
Of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You" (Genesis 28:22).
The practice of tithing, we see, predated the ancient nation of Israel and the national
covenant God made with the Israelites.
As time passed, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob grew into the nation
of Israel. After rescuing them from slavery in Egypt, God instructed the Israelites
on how to be a holy nation (Exodus 19:6). Part of their obedience that would make
them "a special treasure to Me above all people" (verse 5) entailed tithing
on the "increase" God gave them year by year (Deuteronomy 14:22).
This basic biblical principle applies in our world. A farmer has certain expenses
like seed, fertilizer, fuel, cost of equipment and perhaps rent for the land he farms
before a crop is sown. The amount of increase is determined by subtracting the costs
of doing business from the payment he receives for his harvest. Similar calculations
would apply in most endeavors, whether we are self-employed or work for someone else.
Change in the law's application
After determining the tithe, or tenth, of one's increase, God instructed that this
increase was to be given to the Levites, who were responsible for taking care of
the tabernacle (Numbers 1:50-53). After receiving the tithes, they, too, were expected
to tithe on their increase (Numbers 18:26; Nehemiah 10:38).
Since Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, He has "become High Priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek" (Hebrews 6:20). Jesus serves in the same
priestly order as Melchizedek, to whom Abraham paid tithes long ago. This change
from a Levitical priesthood back to the Melchizedek order required other changes.
As Hebrews 7:12 says, "For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there
is also a change of the law." The physical priesthood of the Levites was replaced
by the spiritual priesthood of Jesus Christ. The priestly services at the temple,
which were supported
by tithes, came to an end when the Romans captured Jerusalem and destroyed the temple
in 70 A.D. Today Jesus Christ is our spiritual High Priest, and His ministers have
the responsibility of serving God's people. God's tithes are now to be given to those
who are faithfully continuing His work.
Acknowledging God's blessings with His tithe and honoring Him with offerings is the
first step in setting up a financial plan grounded in biblical principles. As Proverbs 3:9 tells us: "Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits
of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will
overflow with new wine."
Providing for the needy
Early in the history of mankind, God intended for us to be our "brother's keeper."
Though Cain failed to understand this principle (Genesis 4:9), God made it clear
in His instructions to Israel: "For the poor will never cease from the land;
therefore I command you, saying, 'You shall open your hand wide to your brother,
to your poor and your needy, in your land'" (Deuteronomy 15:11).
The principle of helping the needy goes back to God's original instruction for people
to care for each other. Jesus Himself said that serving others (Matthew 25:31-46)
and having love for one another were honorable, identifying characteristics of His
followers (John 13:34-35).
As we are able, at times we need to provide additional help to the needy. As the
apostle John wrote: "But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother
in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth"
(1John 3:17-18). Proverbs 3:27 adds, "Do not withhold good from those to whom
it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so."
When we give to people in need, we follow the example of our Creator, whose nature
is love toward others (John 3:16; 1John 4:8). God wants us to develop the same loving,
caring concern He has for all humankind. Describing this giving attitude, Paul wrote,
"Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his
hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need" (Ephesians 4:28).
Charitable giving is another fundamental step in a godly financial plan.
Supporting your family
Let's turn our attention to the family. Paul wrote about the need to provide for
your nearest of kin: ". . . If anyone does not provide for his own,
and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than
an unbeliever" (1Timothy 5:8). God expects families and relatives to take care
of each other if they are able, before asking others for help. Refusing or neglecting
to obey this principle is an affront to God and His instruction.
Jesus Christ roundly condemned any who would neglect God's instruction to care for
their families (Mark 7:8-23; also see "What Is Corban?," page 15). Regrettably,
some fail to support their families. Fathers and mothers who refuse to provide for
their children violate God's most basic financial responsibilities and principles
and bring untold hardships on their offspring. The same is true for children who
refuse to help their aged parents when they are in need.
Jesus used the principle of providing for family members to illustrate God's love
for us as His children: "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts
to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things
to those who ask Him!" (Matthew 7:11).
Now that we have an idea of how God expects us to use our financial resources, let's
look at specifics on how to establish and maintain a workable financial plan.
©1999 United Church of God, an International Associtaion
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