Austin Bible Church
The spiritual gift of giving appears to be conveyed to relatively few believers in the Church Age. This gift is not synonymous with every believer's responsibility to give as unto the Lord as we are worshiping the Lord in the confines of the worship service. Each one of us is to give something from our finances based on whatever we are able to give as God has prospered us. This is for all believers. Giving is to be an expression of our love for the Lord and a commemoration of God's grace.
This spiritual gift of giving is giving with liberality, which means above and beyond normal giving. Those with this spiritual gift love to give of their finances to the work of the Lord. They do it above and beyond what the universal priesthood is able to do. Rom. 12:8.
"or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness." (Romans 12:8, NASB)
In Romans 12:8, the word “gives” is μεταδίδωμι (metadidōmi) in the Greek indicates prosperity in material wealth coupled with a grace mental attitude toward believers. The word “liberality” is ἁπλότης (haplotēs) and means singleness, simplicity, sincerity, mental honesty, one who is free from pretense and hypocrisy. Grace is always sensitive to the lack of others. The believer with this spiritual gift is able to supply their wants biblically with no fuss or fanfare and to give with no strings attached. They give without emphasis on merit and not as a loaning ministry.
This is a spiritual gift given to both rich and poor for the “liberal” giving of their earthly possessions in providing for the needs of the local church, to missions, to those who are financially helpless, and to individual believers. The Bible does not teach that you must give all your money through or to the local church. Giving to any people in need, even though not by means of the local church, it still true giving. You have a right to give your money directly to any number of organizations or people in need and it is legitimate Christian giving.
Some people recognize the needs of others and dig deeper of their own volition. They do not do so through coercion or begging as some churches have been known to do. Some churches send bills if your tithe has not been received! This is wrong! This is not giving as unto the Lord based on the Word of God resident in your soul! Spiritual giving in both the Old and New Testaments has never had any percentage attached to it. Tithing commanded in the Old Testament was taxation to support the government of the Nation of Israel just as we are to pay our taxes in the United States as required by law. See category on Tithing.
Some people with the spiritual gift of giving are thrilled to exercise their gift when someone is in need. They give over and above their regular giving under their priesthood. God graces out a few people with the spiritual gift of giving, making it possible for them to give sacrificially. Spiritual giving is first of all a mental attitude. You can give even though impoverished. You can still have the mental attitude of a giver even if you’re not able to give because of the superseding mandate from the Scripture which is to provide first for your family. Before you give to the local church, you have a responsibility to provide for your family! If a person has the spiritual gift of giving and he has a family, he is limited in how he can use his spiritual gift. 2 Cor. 9:7; 1 Tim. 5:8.
"Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:7, NASB)
"But 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." (1 Timothy 5:8, NASB)
A person with the spiritual gift of giving will give sacrificially whether rich or poor. If they have this gift, they will give sacrificially. As with most of the spiritual gifts, the gift you have been given at salvation will begin functioning once you reach a certain level of spiritual maturity even though you may not know you have the gift. You simply have to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and it will function automatically.
Giving sacrificially poses no problem for those who are single, wealthy, or have already provided for their family. If you have this gift, God will provide for the poor and for the rich to give sacrificially. Keep in mind that this is a spiritual gift provided to relatively few. If you do not have this gift, then God only requires that you have the mental attitude of a desire to give whether you are able to give or not. This is the grace attitude of true giving.
The spiritual gift of giving involves finances given to believers who are in dire straits. In Romans 12:13, the spiritual gift of giving is described by the word “contributing” and is the present active participle of κοινωνέω (koinōneō) and means to minister with money, to meet needs among believers. The word “needs” is χρεία (chreia) in the plural. It is the necessity to eat, drink, and wear clothing. The spiritual gift of giving has to do with believers only in a local church. The direction of the giving is believers. It is a very valuable spiritual gift during severe persecution. Job 5:20.
"contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality." (Romans 12:13, NASB)
""In famine He will redeem you from death, And in war from the power of the sword." (Job 5:20, NASB)
The spiritual gift of giving is designed to operate when the Angelic Conflict gets very intensified during times of war, famine, pestilence, or extreme deprivation. A believer with the spiritual gift of giving would motivate this type of offering. Acts 20:34; Phil. 4:16.
""You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me." (Acts 20:34, NASB)
"for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs." (Philippians 4:16, NASB)