GOD'S View Of Money

The Holy Spirit Testing The Money

All the money that is given, even in a time when the Holy Spirit is moving mightily, is not given under His inspiration. But it is all given under his holy supervision, and He will from time to time, to each heart that honestly yields to Him, reveal what there may be wanting or wrong.

Listen: "Barnabas having a field, sold it, and brought the money. But Ananias sold a possession and kept back part of the price, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the the Apostles' feet." Ananias brought his gift, and with his wife was smitten dead.

What can have made the gift such a crime? He was a deceitful giver. He kept back part of the price.

He professed to give all, and did not. He gave with half a heart and unwillingly, and yet would have the credit of having given all 

In the Pentecostal Church the Holy Ghost was the author of the giving: his sin was against the Holy Ghost. No wonder that it is twice written: "great fear came upon the whole Church, and upon all who heard it." 

If it is so easy to sin even in giving, if the Holy Spirit watches and judges all our giving, we may well beware and fear.    

And what was the sin? Simply this: he did not give all he professed. This sin, not in its greatest form, but in its spirit and more subtle manifestations, is far more common than we think 

Are there not many who say they have given their all to God, and yet prove false to it in the use of their money?

Are there not many who say all their money is their Lord's, and that they hold it as His stewards, to dispose of it as He directs, and yet who, in the amount they spend on God's work, as compared with that on themselves, and in accumulating for the future, prove that stewardship is but another name for ownership? 

Without being exactly guilty of the sin of Judas, or Caiaphas, or Pilate, in crucifying our Lord, a believer may yet partake with them in the spirit in which he acts. 

Even so we may be grieving the Holy Ghost, even while we condemn the sin of Ananias, by giving way to the spirit in which he acted, and withholding from God what we have professed to give Him. 

Nothing can save us from this danger, but the holy fear of ourselves, the very full and honest surrender of all our opinions, and arguments, about how much we may possess, and how much we may give, to the testing and searching of the Holy Spirit. Our giving must be in the light, if it is to be in the joy of the Holy Ghost.   

~Andrew Murray~

 

Christ's Estimate Of Money

Jesus watched how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And a certain poor widow came, and cast in a farthing. 

Jesus called His disciples, and said to them, This poor widow has cast more in than all the others: for all they cast in out of their abundance; but she in her lack cast in all that she had, even all her living. Mark 12: 41.

In all our religion and our Bible study, it is of the greatest consequence to find out what the mind of Christ is, to think as He thought, and to feel just as He felt.

There is not a question that concerns us, not a single matter that ever comes before us, but we find in the words of Christ something for our guidance and help.

We want today to get at the mind of Christ about money; to know exactly what he thought, and then to think and act just as He would do. This is not an easy thing.

We are so under the influence of the world around us, that the fear of becoming utterly unpractical if we thought and acted just like Christ easily comes upon us

Let us not be afraid; if we really desire to find out what is His mind, He will guide us to what He wants us to think and do.

Only be honest in the thought: I want to have Christ teach me how to possess and how to use my money.

Look at Him for a moment sitting here over against the treasury, watching the people putting in their gifts. Thinking about money in the church, looking after the collection: we often connect that with Judas, or some hard-worked deacon, or the treasurer or collector of some society.

But see here -- Jesus sits and watches the collection. And as He does it, He weighs each gift in the balance of God, and puts its value on it.

In heaven He does this still.

Not a gift for any part of God's work, great or small, but He notices it, and puts its value on it for the blessing, if any, that it is to bring in time or eternity.

And He is willing, even here on earth in the waiting heart, to let us know what He thinks of our giving.

Giving money, is a part of our religious life, is watched over by Christ, and must be regulated by His word. Let us try and discover what the scriptures have to teach us.

Money giving a sure test of character.

In the world money is the standard of value. It is difficult to express all that money means. It is the symbol of labor and enterprise and cleverness. It is often the token of God's blessing on diligent effort. It is the equivalent of all that it can procure of the service of mind or body, of property or comfort or luxury, of influence and power. No wonder that the world loves it, seeks it above everything, and often worships it.

No wonder that it is the standard of value not only for material things, but for man himself, and that a man is too often valued according to his money.

It is, however, not only thus in the kingdom of this world, but in the kingdom of heaven too, that a man is judged by his money, and yet on a different principle.

The world asks, what does a man own? Christ, how does he use it?

The world thinks more about the money getting; Christ about the money giving.

And when a man gives, the world still asks, what does he give? Christ asks, how does he give? The world looks at the money and its amount, Christ at the man and his motive.

See this in the story of the poor widow. Many that were rich cast in much; but it was out of their abundance; there was no real sacrifice in it; their life was as full and comfortable as ever, it cost them nothing. There was no special love or devotion to God in it; part of an easy and traditional religion.

The widow cast in a farthing. Out of her want she cast in all that she had, even all her living.

She gave all to God without reserve, without holding back anything, she gave all.

How different our standard and Christ's. We ask how much a man gives. Christ asks, how much he keeps. We look at the gift. Christ asks whether the gift was a sacrifice.

The widow kept nothing over, she gave all; the gift won His heart and approval, for it was in the spirit of His own self-sacrifice, who, being rich, became poor for our own sakes. They out of their abundance cast in much: She, out of her want all that she had.

But if our Lord wanted us to do as she did, why did He not leave a clear command about it? How gladly we then would do it.

Ah! there you have it. You want a command to make you do it: that would just be the spirit of the world in the church looking at what we give, at our giving all.

And that is just what Christ does not wish and will not have. He wants the generous love that does it unbidden. He wants every gift to be a gift warm and bright with love, a true free will offering.

If you want the Master's approval as the poor widow had it, remember one thing: You must put all at his feet, hold all at his disposal.

And that, as the spontaneous expression of a love that, like Mary, cannot help giving, just because it loves.  

All my money giving -- what a test of character! Lord Jesus! Oh give me grace to love Thee intently, that I may know how to give.

~Andrew Murray~  

 

The Grace Of GOD And Money

If we have God's grace in us it will show itself in giving. If we want new grace, we must exercise what we have in giving. And in all we give we ought to do it in the consciousness of the grace of God that works it in us.

The Grace of God teaches to give liberally. "Their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality, for according to their power, yea, beyond their power, they gave of their own accord, beseeching us with much entreaty in regard of this grace." 2 Cor. 8:2. What a sight! And what a proof of the power of grace!

These newly converted Gentiles in Macedonia hear of the need of their Jewish brethren in Jerusalem -- men unknown and despised -- and at once are ready to share with them what they have.

It is remarkable how much more liberality there is among the poor than the rich.

It is as if they do not hold so fast what they have: they more easily part with all; the deceitfulness of riches has not hardened them; they have learned to trust God for tomorrow.

Their liberality is not indeed what men count such; their gifts are but small. Men say it does not cost them much to give all; they are so accustomed to have little. And yet the very fact of their giving it more easily is what makes it precious to God; it shows the childlike disposition that has not yet learnt to accumulate and to hold fast.

God's way in His kingdom of grace on earth is ever from below, upwards. "Not many wise and not many noble are called. God has chosen the weak and the base things." 

And even so He has chosen the poor in this world, as they give out of their deep poverty, to teach the rich what liberality is.

Far beyond their power gave they of their own accord, beseeching us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift."

If this spirit were to pervade our churches and men of moderate means and of large possessions were to combine with the poor in their standard of giving, and the Macedonian example became the law of Christian liberality, what means would not flow in for the service of the kingdom

The Grace of God makes our giving part of the Christlike life.

See that you abound in this grace also, for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor." (8:9.)

Every branch and leaf and blossom of the mightiest oak derives its life from the same strong root that bears the stem. The life in the tiniest bud is the same as in the strongest branch.   

We are branches in Christ the Living Vine; the very life that lived and worked in Him. Of what consequence that we should know well what His life is, that we may intelligently and willingly yield to it.

Here we have one of its deepest roots laid open

Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he become poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

To enrich and bless us, He impoverished Himself.

That was why the widow's mite pleased Him so; her gift was of the same measure as His: She cast in all she had.

This is the life and grace that seeks to work in us; there is no other mold in which the Christ-life can be cast.

See that you abound in this grace also; for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus, that he became poor.

How little did the Macedonian Christians know that they were, in their deep poverty, and in the riches of their liberality, giving beyond their power, just acting out what the Spirit and grace of Jesus was working in them. How little we would have expected that the simple gift of these poor people would become the text of such high and holy and heart-searching teaching.

How much we need to pray that the Holy Spirit may so master our purses and our possessions, that the grace of our giving will, in some truly recognizable degree, be the reflection of our Lord's.

And how we need to bring our giving to the cross, and to seek Christ's death to the world and its possessions as the power for ours.

So will we make others rich through our poverty, and our life be somewhat like St. Paul's: "poor, yet making many rich."

~Andrew Murray~ 

 

Money Giving A Continual Help On The Ladder To Heaven

You know how often our Lord Jesus spake of this in His parables. In that of the unjust steward He said, “Make friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness, that they may receive you in the eternal habitations.”

In the parable of the talents He said, “You ought to have put my money.” The man who had not used his talent, lost all. In the parable of the sheep and the goats, it is they who have cared for the needy and the wretched in His name, who shall hear the word -- “Come, you blessed of my Father.”

We cannot purchase heaven -- as little with money as with works. But in your money giving, heavenly-mindedness and love to Christ, and love to men, and devotion to God's work, are cultivated and proved -- the "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom," will take count of the money truly spent on Christ and his work. Our money giving must prepare us for heaven. 

Oh! how many there are who if heaven and holiness could be bought for a thousand pounds would give it.

No money can buy it.

But if they only knew, money can wondrously help on the path of holiness and heaven. Money given in the spirit of self-sacrifice, and love, and faith in Him who has paid all, brings a rich and eternal reward. 

Day by day give as God blesses and as He asks -- it will help to bring heaven nearer to you, it will help to bring you nearer to heaven.

The Christ who sat over against the treasury is my Christ. He watches my gifts. What is given in the spirit of wholehearted devotion and love He accepts. He teaches His disciples to judge as He judges. He will teach me how to give, how much, how lovingly, how truthfully.

Money -- this is what I want to learn from Him above all -- money, the cause of so much temptation and sin, and sorrow and eternal loss; money, as it is received and administered and distributed at the feet of Jesus, the Lord of the Treasury, becomes one of God's choicest channels of grace to myself and to others. In this, too, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 

Who gave a farthing, and gave her all. Lord! give Your Church, in her poverty, give us all the spirit of the poor widow. 

~Andrew Murray~ 

 

Money Giving A Wonderful Power For GOD

What a wonderful religion Christianity is. It takes money, the very embodiment of the power of sense of this world, with its self-interest, its covetousness, and its pride, and it changes it into an instrument for God's service and glory.

Think of the poor. What help and happiness is brought to tens of thousands of helpless ones by the timely gift of a little money from the hand of love. 

God has allowed the difference of rich and poor for this very purpose -- that just as in the interchange of buying and selling mutual dependence upon each other is maintained among men -- so in the giving and receiving of charity there should be abundant scope for the blessedness of doing and receiving good.

He said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." What a God-like privilege and blessedness to have the power of relieving the needy and making glad the heart of the poor by gold or silver.

What a blessed religion that makes the money we give away a source of greater pleasure than that which we spend on ourselves. The latter is mostly spent on what is temporal and carnal -- that spent in the work of love has eternal value, and brings double happiness, to ourselves and others too.

Think of the church and its work in this world; of Missions at home and abroad, and the thousand agencies for winning men from sin to God and Holiness.

Is it indeed true that the coin of this world, by being cast into God's treasury in the right spirit, can receive the stamp of the mint of heaven, and be accepted in exchange for heavenly blessings? 

It is true. The gifts of faith and love go not only into the Church's treasury, but into God's own treasury, and are paid out again in heavenly goods. And that not according to the earthly standard of value, where the question always is, How much? but according to the standard of heaven, where men's judgments of much and little, great and small, are all unknown.

Christ has immortalized a poor widow's farthing. It shines through the ages brighter with His approval than the brightest gold. It has been a blessing to tens of thousands in the lesson it has taught. It tells you that your farthing, if it be your all, that your gift, if it be honestly given as all you ought to give to the Lord at the time, has His approval, His stamp, His eternal blessing.

If we did but take more time in quiet thoughtfulness for the Holy Spirit to show us our Lord Jesus in charge of the Heavenly Mint, stamping every true gift, and then using it for the Kingdom, surely our money would begin to shine with a new luster. And we should begin to say -- the less I can spend on myself, and the more on my Lord, the richer I am. And we shall see how, as the widow was richer in her gift and her grace than the many rich, so he is richest who truly gives all he can.

~Andrew Murray~

                                                   

The Holy Spirit And Money

When the Holy Spirit came down at Pentecost to dwell in men, He assumed the charge and control of their whole life.

They were to be or do nothing that was not under His inspiration and leading. 

In everything they were to move and live and have their being "in the Spirit," to be wholly spiritual men. 

Hence it followed as a necessity that their possessions and property, that their money and its appropriations were subjected to His rule too, and that their income and expenditure were animated by new, hitherto unknown, principles.

In the opening chapters of the Acts we find more than one proof of the all-embracing claim of the Holy Spirit to guide and judge in the disposal of money.

If I want as a Christian to know how to give, let me learn here what the teaching of the Holy Spirit is as regards the place money is to have in my Christian life and in that of the Church. 

~Andrew Murray~ 

 

                                                    

The Holy Spirit Taking Possession Of The Money

All that believed were together, and had all things common; and they sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all according as every man had need. Acts 2: 44, 45. And again, Acts 4: 34: "As many as were possessors of land or houses, sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them at the Apostles' feet.

And Barnabas having a field, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the Apostles' feet. 

Without any command or instruction, in the joy of the Holy Spirit, the joy of the love which He had shed abroad in their heart, the joy of the heavenly treasures that now made them rich, they spontaneously parted with their possessions and placed them at the disposal of the Lord and His servants.

It would have been strange had it been otherwise, and a terrible loss to the Church.

Money is the great symbol of the power of happiness of this world; one of its chief idols, drawing men away from God; a never-ceasing temptation to worldliness, to which the Christian is daily exposed.

It would not have been a full salvation that did not provide complete deliverance from the power of money. 

The story of Pentecost assures us that when the Holy Spirit comes in His fulness into the heart, then earthly possessions lose their place in it, and money is only valued as a means of proving our love and doing service to our Lord and our fellow men. 

The fire from heaven that finds a man upon the altar and consumes the sacrifice, finds his money too, and makes it all ALTAR GOLD, holy to the Lord.

We learn here the true secret of Christian giving, the secret, in fact, of all true Christian living -- the joy of the Holy Ghost.

How much of our giving then has there been in which this element has been too much lacking. 

Habit, example, human argument and motive, the thought of duty, or the feeling of the need around us, have had more to do with our charities than the power and love of the Spirit. 

It is not that what has just been mentioned is not needful. The Holy Spirit makes use of all these elements of our nature in stirring us to give. There is a great need for inculcating principles and fixed habits in regard to giving.

But what we need to realize is that all this is but the human side, and cannot suffice if we are to give in such measure and spirit as to make every gift a sweet-smelling sacrifice to God and a blessing to our own souls. 

~Andrew Murray~