Chapter 7
PENTECOSTAL GIVING
"And ye are not your own; for ye were bought with a price" (I Cor. vi. 20).
This grace is one of the stars of the first magnitude which adorned the firmament of the
Pentecostal Church, but which, like many of its other lights, has been obscured by clouds. In order
to view it in its beauty, the following facts must be kept in mind:
1. Pentecostal giving is not spasmodic giving, prompted by appeals or extreme cases of
need.
2. It is not ostentatious giving, to be seen of men, blazoned in the papers or inscribed on
temples or costly windows.
3. It is not competitive giving, to outvie a rival in business or religious circles.
4. It is not selfish giving, hoping to receive again.
5. It is not indiscriminate giving, sowing with a reckless hand whenever and wherever
caprice or pressure may dictate.
6. It is not Jewish giving, bestowing a tenth of receipts, as a matter of duty, and no more.
Lest any should be encouraged by this statement to diminish giving, let it be remembered that
one-tenth for God's work is the very least that any one can give and not rob Him.
The Jews were required to pay one-tenth as a tithe tax and another tenth as offerings, so
they really paid two-tenths. Therefore he who pays but one-tenth is only hat! a Jew, and he who
withholds that is as actually a thief as if convicted and behind prison bars; yea, even more
criminal, for he has robbed the Lord God Almighty and His Son Jesus Christ. Tempted by Satan,
who is ever active to lead men to this crime, and thus lessen the resources of God's kingdom, men
have long sought to shield themselves in this sin under the plea of inability to give so much. If that
be true, then God is unjust, for He certainly did require it of the Jews, and more than that, they
prospered as no other nation when they obeyed, and perished when they withheld. (See "God's
Financial Plan," by Shaw.)
While the above is true, yet it is evident that one-tenth is not the limit of Pentecostal giving,
for the following reasons:
I. It was not under the Old Testament. Another tenth was required for offerings, and
promises and precepts were continually extended to those who, in addition, would give to the
poor: "The liberal soul shall be made fat"; "He that giveth to the poor shall not lack," and kindred
instructions lured all who had means above the payment of required offerings to thus invest them.
2. Men are clearly commanded not to lay up treasures for themselves on earth. If they gave
only one-tenth, many persons would violate this commandment.
3. Because it is impossible to even enter the kingdom of God without giving more than
one-tenth. "He that forsaketh not all that he hath can not be my disciple."
4. Because neither Christ nor His apostles ever even hinted that a tenth was the rule under
the Gospel dispensation, but taught that all was to be dedicated to God, and that every man should
give "according to his ability."
5. The young man that came to Jesus was commanded to sell all that he had, and the rich
were instructed to "be ready to distribute," and under the influence of Pentecost men sold their
possessions and distributed as every man had need, their own ability and the needs of the case
being the standard.
That the Christian's duty and privilege, under the light of the new dispensation, is confined
to the giving of one-tenth, there is not a shadow of proof from the Word. It is true that in response
to the claim of the Pharisees that they paid tithes, Jesus said, "This ought ye to have done," but it
must be remembered that He addressed them as Jews under the old dispensation, not as Christians,
and even if He had spoken to them as such, it would be no proof that no greater privilege and
requirement had not been included, as the greater always includes the less.
Thus the New Testament teaching on the subject of giving, as the gospel the law,
supersedes and excels it, as the full-blown rose does the opening bud. In this chapter we can not
do the subject justice, but will call attention to the following facts:
New Testament Giving Is Based On Stewardship, Not Ownership. -- The parable of the
talents (Matt. xxv. 14-30) is not a lesson of the results of accepting and rejecting salvation, but a
graphic picture of two classes of people, i. e., believers who practice the principle of Pentecostal
stewardship, and those who decline to. It shows that we are not musters, but servants. The King
does not charge them in regard to their own possessions, but intrusts them with "his goods." They
were to invest them in His name, and for His glory, in the bank of leaven, as they believed He
would have done if present. Not one-tenth for Him and the balance for themselves, but all for Him.
The increase and inexpressibly glorious reward of those that were faithful was because of their
loyalty to this principle. The deprivation and doom of the other was because of failure to thus
invest. All who do as he did, like him are guilty of hiding God's talent in the earth. He confessed
that the property belonged to God, and not to himself, a striking picture of hosts of professors who
admit God's proprietorship but refuse to deliver His goods, and of whom it will soon be said, as in
this warning example, "Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the bankers, and at my
coming I should have received back [not my tenth but] mine own with interest ... Cast ye out the
unprofitable servant into the outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and gnashing of teeth"
(Matt, xxv. 27-30).
New Testament stewardship is not like renting a farm or store and paying the owner a per
cent. of rent and doing the work in our own way and under our own name, and expending the
profits for ourselves, but just the opposite. It acknowledges the proprietorship of Jesus Christ,
labors solely under His instructions, and renders all to Him who owns it, with the explicit
understanding that all profits above actual economical expenses of food, raiment, shelter, needful
stock, etc., shall be given "in His name," as near as can be estimated, as Christ, the Proprietor
Himself, would give it were He personally present. What an honor to be thus associated with the
King of Heaven in the distribution of His goods! What perfidy to betray this sacred trust and
expend them on ourselves or friends, or to "lock them up" for selfish purposes in banks, or stocks,
or lands! Such riches is robbery, and every dollar thus devoted will prove a weight to sink some
soul to hell unless it be restored. This crime has paralyzed gospel efforts and deferred the
millennium centuries. The New Testament standard of stewardship which supersedes all others
will remedy this wrong, and should be warmly welcomed.
It involves great personal responsibility. God trusts us and throws us upon our honesty and
honor. Do we deal with Him as conscientiously as we require our servants to deal with us? Can
we consistently chide them for misappropriation of time or money with which we trust them while
we are thus robbing God? If they would be answerable for making investments of our funds in
ways contrary to our written instructions, how much more are we if we thus use any of the means
with which He may have intrusted us contrary to His word, in any way which we know to be
displeasing to Him? Can any one invest money for liquor or tobacco in His name and for His
glory, or in worldly orders, or for gewgaws with which to feed the pride of a carnal heart? In the
face of His commands to give to the poor, and to disciple all nations, and plain instructions to
refrain from everything questionable, or injurious to soul, mind or body, such investments are a
criminal betrayal of sacred trusts which will sink the soul to a hotter hell than the negative crime of
hiding the talent in the earth. The worse than wasting time or money at theaters, races, worldly
fraternities, or in unprofitable conversation and employments, invites kindred guilt and punishment.
Bible conversion with proper enlightenment brings one to acknowledge this stewardship; entire
sanctification unfolds its privileges and imparts grace which enables the soul to delight in it.
Such stewardship secures the benefit of Divine wisdom in its investments. God is the
Proprietor, and His will as revealed in His Word may be learned and done in everything. His
infinite wisdom is available where otherwise there would be human plans. An all-wise Father
knows so much better what investments would be profitable than His little finite children that they
love to trust in Him with all their hearts, and lean not to their own understanding. Glorious
privilege to be members of a firm whose Manager is none other than Almighty God.
It secures God's blessing and co-operation. We become co-workers with Him. Like Jesus,
we go about our Father's business. Whatsoever we do in word or deed, we do all in His name. It is
to His interest to prosper His own work. So whether He may lead to plant potatoes or make soap
or train children or preach the gospel God will give "good success." If visible prosperity is
sometimes withheld, it is that some greater spiritual good may be bestowed. All who thus "water
others" as the servants of God in Jesus' name, shall themselves "he watered."
Accumulation of property for self is absolutely prohibited.
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust doth consume, and
where thieves break through and steal" (Matt. vi. 19). Every great fortune that is not consecrated to
God and used for His glory is a standing monument of the sin of its possessor. While great
enterprises require capital, if they are legitimate they should be dedicated to God and run for His
glory. If they can not be they should be at once abandoned. All selfish gain is proof of
covetousness, which is a violation of God's law, and will sink a church-goer to hell as speedily as
grosser sins will damn his fellow mortals of the slums. The wisdom of God's law against selfish
accumulation of wealth is seen from the following results which flow from its violation:
(a) Thieves rob, fire consumes, and floods destroy.
(b) When property is left to children it usually enervates and dissipates them, and leads to
contentions, and often is exhausted in legal contests.
(c) The care and love of accumulated property draws the heart world ward instead of
Christward.
(d) A life devoted to gain is certain to end in ruin. They that desire to be rich fall into a
temptation and a snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts, such as drown men in destruction and
perdition" (I Tim. vi. 9). If this be true of those who desire to be rich, much more does it apply to
those who hold wealth for themselves instead of using it for God. Such neglect will certainly
condemn its possessor at the Judgment. "Go to, now, ye rich, weep and bowl for your miseries that
are coming upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and
your silver are rusted; and their rust shall be for a testimony against you, and shall eat your flesh as
fire" (James v. 1-3). If I hoard gold for myself, the use of which would save men, then I, by such
neglect, become guilty of their murder, and God declares that the rust of that gold will be a swift
and sure witness against me.
(e) It is a great barrier to salvation. "He that is faithful in a very little is faithful also in
much: and he that is unrighteous in a very little is unrighteous also in much. If therefore ye have not
been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye
have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? No
servant can serve two musters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will
hold to one, and despise the other. Ye can not serve God and mammon" (Luke xvi. 10-13). Few
rich men have ever given evidence of Scriptural salvation. They often cling to a were profession,
but seldom so experience salvation that it makes them glad and free. "The rich he hath sent empty
away" (Luke i. 53).
(f) Riches are unsatisfying. A little wealth, like a little liquor, simply creates a thirst for
more. Fortune drunkards are more frequent than any other kind. He who hoards treasures for
himself alone is as really drunk with covetousness as the slaves of other vices with lust and liquor.
The soul was created to be satisfied with God, and nothing else will hush its cries.
(g) It leads to fraud and oppression. "Behold, the hire of the labourers who mowed your
fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth out: and the cries of them that reaped have
entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth" (James v. 4). It holds the faces of the poor on the
grindstone of want, and frequently practices frauds, under the cloak of shrewd bargains, such as
would send a poor man to the penitentiary.
Neglect to use it for God and His cause will bring hopeless condemnation at the judgment.
"Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire
which is prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I
was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed
me not; sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer, saying, Lord, when
saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not
minister unto thee" (Matt. xxv. 41-44)?
(h) Withholding from God is a source of temporal poverty. It led Haggai to exclaim: "Ye
have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled
with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it
into a bag with holes ... Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home,
I did blow upon it. Why? saith the Lord of hosts. Because of mine house that lieth waste, while ye
run every man to his own house." The "hard times" which blights earth is doubtless due to this
cause.
Wealth hoarded inevitably damns the soul. "And he said unto them, Take heed, and keep
yourselves from all covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things
which he possesseth. And he spake a parable unto then, saying, The ground of a certain rich man
brought forth plentifully, and he reasoned within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have
not where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build
greater; and there will I bestow all my corn and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou
hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry. But God said unto
him, Thou foolish one, this night is thy soul required of thee; and the things which thou hast
prepared, whose shall they he? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward
God" (Luke xii. 15-2b. The sin of this man was that he neglected to honor God with his substance,
and laid up treasure for himself. Keep in mind that these words were Christ's answer to a
money-seeking man. Christ clearly shows that he, and all who follow in his steps, are fools-busy
fools! prosperous fools! troubled fools! shortsighted fools! perplexed fools! summoned fools!
surprised fools! deceived fools! and, finally, eternally-damned fools! See story of Dives, in Luke
xvi. 19-31, which is a part of Christ's answer to the rich churchmen, who scoffed at His claims of
stewardship. "So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."
Christ's law of giving is derided by the rich. "And the Pharisees, who were lovers of
money, heard all these things; and they scoffed at him. And he said unto them, Ye are they that
justify yourselves in the sight of men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is exalted among
men is an abomination in the sight of God" (Luke xvi. 14, 15). Satan is prolific with excuses, with
which he persuades the rich to "justify themselves" in this betrayal of stewardship. But the
standard of the rich worldling and of God are as diverse as the two poles, and theirs is an
abomination to Him for the following reasons: It is wrong; it is selfish; it is unscriptural; it is
soul-destroying; it cheats its victims out of real joy here and out of heaven, and it damns their souls
forever.
Pentecostal Giving
Is cheerful giving. "God loveth a cheerful giver." Such giving is one of the special marks of
Divine sonship with which God is peculiarly pleased. It does not say He loves a large giver, for
large gifts are not always glad ones, but the cheerful or " hilarious" giver. The" upper room"
experience transforms the "I must" of legalism into the "I love" of delight. It makes giving as
spontaneous as the shining of the sun. Sighing over the duty is changed into shouting over the
privilege. A Pentecostal sanctification that is below this mark should examine itself, and undergo
repairs or replacement.
It is commanded giving. " Give to him that asketh thee" (Matt. v. 42). "Freely ye received,
freely give" (Matt. x. 8). "Upon the first day of the week let each one of you lay by him in store, as
he may prosper." Whatever the nature of New Testament giving is, this declaration proves it to be
divinely required, and if thus commanded, no more to be neglected than any other duty
It is systematic giving. "On the first day of the week." The time to stop, consider the matter,
settle the sum to be laid aside for specific purposes is divinely specified as definitely as the
pay-day of a business no use. If a merchant puts a man in charge of his goods, with the
understanding that he is to remit profits at certain dates, and he finds that he is neglecting to
observe them, how quickly he would discharge him. He who is less honest with God than he
would demand his servants to be with himself, should blush, repent, restore and amend.
It should be universal giving. "Each one of you." Not one in ten. Not one for another. Your
wife or children can no more do your giving than your eating or praying. Children should be taught
this early, and every believer practice it. Men who do all the giving for the family, and thus
deprive others of this luxury and spiritual exercise, should be labored with for robbery. All can
give something, if it is only part of a meal.
It is rewarded giving. "Give, and it shall be given unto you" (Luke vi. 38). Thus Christ
Himself declares that all who so give shall be rewarded.
Reward is proportionate to giving. "Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running
over, shall they give into your bosom. For with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you
again" (Luke vi. 38). If you would receive abundantly and freely, then give in this spirit. God will
flood your soul with spiritual blessings worth more than gold, and this promise also declares that
men will give in the same spirit to you. The writer has often verified this promise. God laid it on
his heart to announce that he would give The Revivalist without charge to all destitute persons who
would apply for it. He did so, and then the promise, He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack"
(Prov. xxviii. 27), was sweetly applied to his soul. Since then The Revivalist has prospered as
never before, and all its financial needs been bountifully supplied without any questionable
advertisements. To God be all the praise. In II. Cor. viii. 9, Paul paints a beautiful picture of
Pentecostal liberality. Get your revised New Testament and read it. Like a kaleidoscope, it
surprises with new beauty at every turn. He emphasizes the following among other of its beauties:
It is of God's grace. "Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God which
hath been given in the churches of Macedonia" (1 Cor. viii. 1). This kind of giving does not
characterize heathen lands, nor worldly minds, but is the result of the impartation of God's nature.
It is only when the dross of selfishness has been destroyed by celestial fire that it shines
undimmed.
Its exercise is prized by the poor and afflicted. "In much proof of affliction the abundance
of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality" (I Cor. viii. 2).
Often down in the deep, dark mines of affliction and poverty, this fair flower blooms with more
than earthly fragrance.
It is spontaneous. "For according to their power, I bear witness, yea and beyond their
power" (II Cor. viii. 3). They realized that such giving was simply investing in a gold mine that
would yield infinite returns, and so were willing to bankrupt themselves for stock in such an
enterprise. A burning rebuke to the spirit of this age, which banks its thousands and millions
instead of investing them in the interests of Christ's kingdom. What folly to lock money up in
worldly schemes for the meager interest they return, when God can give greater interest in this
world and eternal dividends hereafter.
It is glad giving. "Of their own accord, beseeching us with much entreaty in regard of this
grace" (I Cor. viii. 4). It coaxes to give instead of being coaxed. Instead of having to be locked in
like some modern crowds, to be kept from running away from the collection, they press Paul lest
he should leave without taking it. What a contrast to dainty believers who get nervous because of
the "collection," and to the spiritual traitors who disgrace church records with their names, yet stay
away from public services because they are too stingy to give, and too proud to publicly decline.
It is co-operative giving. "The fellowship in the ministering to the saints" (I Cor. viii. 4). It
anoints one's eyes to see that the communion honors of such fellowship is worth more than that of
all the worldly fraternities that Satan has ever tried to substitute in its stead. It pleads for a place in
such select company, and prizes it above human expression. It abhors the crime, so often
perpetrated, of substituting lodgianity for Christianity, and thus wasting time and money, for which
the cause of Christ is suffering.
It is consecrated giving. "But first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us by the
will of God" (1 Cor. viii. 5). Pentecostal giving is from givers who are fully consecrated to God.
No others can enjoy its complete blessedness nor share its full rewards. Under God they also
honored the ministers whom He sent to take the offering.
Ministers should teach and preach it. "That we exhorted Titus, that as he had made a
beginning before, so he will also complete in you this grace also" (II Cor. viii. 6). Possibly Titus
had preached on this subject once, and had desisted because of criticism that he preached from
sordid motives. Hence Paul exhorted him to persist until the saints were perfected in this grace.
It is abounding giving. "But as ye abound in everything, in faith, and utterance, and
knowledge, and in all earnestness, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also " (I
Cor. viii. 7). It is ranked with faith, utterance, knowledge, earnestness, brotherly love, and like
graces, whose mighty overflowing streams are to water the earth and fill it with spiritual fertility.
The streams of Pentecostal giving are fed from the exhaust less fountain of abounding and
overflowing liberality. A so-called Pentecostal experience which is defective here should, for the
sake of Christ, have its name or nature changed.
It is proof of love. "Shew ye therefore unto them in the face of the churches the proof of
your love, and of our glorying on your behalf" (I Cor. viii. 24). It is not only a proof of the
sincerity of love (see verses 5-8), but of its very existence. It is the first-born child of love. Its
absence is positive proof of the absence of its mother. Penuriousness is a positive proof of the
absence of perfect love. Coppers in the collection are often an index to covetousness in the soul
and brass in the testimony.
It is proof of sincerity. "I speak not by way of commandment, but as proving through the
earnestness of others the sincerity also of your love" (I Cor. viii. 8). Talk is cheap. Men who say
and do not are condemned. People invest in what they believe in. Superficial investments in God's
cause are positive proof of superficial faith and sincerity. If you give a dime where you could give
a dollar, when it strikes God's counter it rings out the size of your faith.
It is available giving. "And he looked up, and saw the rich men that were casting their gifts
into the treasury. And he saw a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a
truth I say unto you, This poor widow cast in more than they all: for all these did of their
superfluity cast in unto the gifts: but she of her want did cast in all the living that she had" (Luke
xxi. 1-4). From this we learn that a poor widow may give what is more in God's sight than the
legacies of the luxurious. Her mite may be more than their millions.
It insures freedom from corroding care. "But seek ye first his kingdom, and his
righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matt. vi. 33). This does not promise
the supply of all temporal needs on condition of idleness or slackness, or half-hearted service, or
even tithing, but upon "seeking first His kingdom." Who does this will find a never-ending chain of
duties in the service of the King. If the soul be adjusted to them, and to the whole will of God, like
birds to their spheres and like lilies to earth and air, then like them all, food and raiment will be
provided without "anxiety." The writer wishes to witness here that under what would, from a
worldly view, have been peculiarly pressing circumstances, he has proved, and is proving, the
truth of this promise.
It is exemplified by God. God gives us light, life, air, food, raiment, friends, protection,
His Son, His Word, His Spirit, salvation, pardon, sonship, sanctification, the gifts of the Spirit,
power over the enemy, kingship and an eternal home in heaven. Indeed, He is the Giver of every
good and perfect gift. There are no limits to the overflow of His infinite love. One-tenth of what
He has bestowed would be infinitely above all human merits, yet His love can not thus be bound.
We are to be the "followers of God." Then we must be like our Father, and our liberality like the
light.
It is exemplified by Jesus. "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he
was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might become rich" (I Cor.
viii. 9). "As he is, so are we in this world." "If any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of
his." Paul, divinely inspired, writing on the subject of giving, points to Jesus as our example. Jesus
laid up no money for Himself. He renounced a crown and kingdom for others.. As His Father sent
Him into the world, so sends He us. He gave not one-tenth, or two-tenths merely, but all for others.
He gave till He felt, and died feeling it. "If we suffer with him we shall reign with him." How
contemptible unwilling offerings of paltry pennies and compromise tithes appear as we sit at the
feet of Him who, though "Lord of all," had nowhere to lay His head, and whose dying couch was a
rugged cross. For the "joy set before him" Jesus did this, and offers scepters, crowns and kingdoms
to all who choose to tread in His steps.
It glorifies God. "Appointed by the churches to travel with us in the matter of this grace,
which is ministered by us to the glory of the Lord" (1 Cor. viii. 19). Pentecostal giving glorifies
God as really as praying, testifying or shouting; in fact, they all go together. The minister who has
not learned to take a collection to the "glory of God," should tarry longer at the feet of Paul.
It is an artesian well, not a force-pump. "For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is
superfluous for me to write to you: for I know your readiness, of which I glory on your behalf" (I
Cor. ix. I, 2). Instead of tugging away at the pump handle as ministers so frequently do with
congregations beneath the Pentecostal line, Paul had but to place the pail under the flowing current
and it was quickly overflowing. While Pentecostal giving is so free, yet it is not indiscriminate
giving, at the beck of every passer-by, but, as dispenser of trust funds, the giver bestows his
benefactions when and where he feels will bring the largest returns for God.
It is adjustable giving. "For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according as a man
hath, not according as he hath not" (I Cor. viii. 12). God can not be deceived. He reads the heart,
and its beats register the character and worth of the gift in His sight. A newsboy's copper may be
more acceptable than the wealth of a baron.
It is contagious. "And your zeal hath stirred up very many of them" (I Cor. ix. 2). The large
and enthusiastic contributions at Pentecost and at modern Pentecostal gatherings, in which the
people unite like the drops of a resistless river, are examples of this contagion. Prompted by the
same Spirit, with kindred motives and desires, Pentecostal people are one in heart and one in this
celestial grace.
Meager giving insures a meager harvest. "But this I say, He that soweth sparingly shall
reap also sparingly; and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully" (I Cor. ix. 6). The
writer, when a farmer boy, delighted to sow largely, in prospect of an abundant harvest. Thus all
who liberally sow for God are insured a spiritual harvest of abundant blessing. The man who sows
his means on the rocks of worldly gain, burning sands of self-indulgence or black bogs of worldly
pleasure, will reap a harvest of death, both here and in hell. He who boards them in the granary of
greed will reap no harvest of blessing, and be punished forever for his crime. He who sows
sparingly, as most unsanctified believers and mere lip professors of sanctification do, will reap a
meager harvest; but all who possess the Pentecostal baptism, which electrocutes stinginess and
leaps over the old Jewish mill-dam of only a tenth, and sow bountifully, shall reap bountifully. In
them Omnipotence has wrought a work that has transformed the old "how can I afford to give?"
into "how can I afford to withhold?" A lost world, a crucified Redeemer, the promised harvest,
and, above all, the pure, burning love of God within their hearts, prompts them to invest with joy
their all.
Pentecostal giving is from the heart. "Let each man do according as he hath purposed in his
heart; not grudgingly, or of necessity" (I Cor. ix. 7). "Let" him, not make him; "each man," not a
select few; as he "purposeth in his heart," not as some one else constrains him; "not grudgingly,"
wishing he could evade it or get it back; "or of necessity," because of a tithe law or any other
pressure but that of love compels it.
God provides for the Pentecostal giver. "And God is able to make all grace abound unto
you; that ye, having always all sufficiency in everything, may abound unto every good work" (I
Cor. ix. 8). Here mountain-peak above mountain-peak of Divine provision rises one above the
other, until the tops are lost in the infinite height.
"God -- all grace -- abound -- all sufficiency -- in everything -- may abound -- unto every
good work." Bear in mind that this is a special text on Pentecostal giving, and only to Pentecostal
givers. The reason many fail to get much out of it is that they do not meet the conditions. This
promise is God's guarantee for support in every work to which He calls His people.
God multiplies the ability to give. "And he that supplieth seed to the sower and bread for
food, shall supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness"
(I Cor. ix. 10). Thus He guarantees to those to abandon all to Him that all their needs, temporal and
spiritual, shall be supplied "according to his riches in glory," and that He not only will supply
means for giving, but "Multiply" them, and intensify spirituality and fruitage "increase the fruits of
your righteousness."
Pentecostal giving enriches the giver. "Ye being enriched in everything unto all liberality,
which worketh through us thanksgiving to God" (II Cor. ix.). Banks of England and Klondike gold
mines are straws compared to the wealth here bequeathed to Pentecostal givers. They can enrich
only with metal and what it will buy; but can not save the soul or bestow a single spiritual comfort,
and usually wreck instead of bless while this legacy, available to all who will abandon everything
to God, will "Enrich In Everything," spiritually, temporally and eternally." Unto All Liberality," a
climacteric grace; and thus invests its recipient with a wealth that is infinite.
It awakens thanksgiving to God. "For the ministration of this service not only filleth up the
measure of the wants of the saints, but aboundeth also through many thanksgivings unto God; seeing
that through the proving of you by this ministration they glorify God for the obedience of your
confession unto the gospel of Christ, and for the liberality of your contribution unto them and unto
all" (I Cor. ix. 12, 13). It inspires joy among believers that people are thus being true to the spirit
of the Gospel, and this awakens concerts of praise from many hearts, which in gratitude offer
thanksgiving unto God. In proportion as we sink below the Pentecostal standard of giving, in just
that proportion we rob God of this thanksgiving.
It secures the prayers and love of those blessed by it. "While they themselves also, with
supplication on your behalf, long after you by the exceeding grace of God in you" (I Cor. ix. 14).
Are not the prayers and love which are thus secured big interest on such investments?
It is the "exceeding grace" (verse 14). It may be that it is thus divinely named because it
brings such exceeding blessings, or because of its exceeding cost, or because it bursts the hounds
and barriers of tithing and cuts a mighty channel of its own, or because it is the glorious river of
perfect love overflowing its banks, exceeding its limits and watering and refreshing the world.
God counsels his children to put their capital in the bank of heaven. While He forbids its
accumulation for self, He counsels its investment for the interests of His kingdom. His counsel
should be sufficient warrant, but this is enforced by the following additional reasons:
It is safe. No one can steal it, and heaven's bank will never break.
It brings big interest. God can get larger returns on money invested for souls than any bank
or insurance company. One thousand dollars invested in them may bring six per cent. interest. Put
in His kingdom, it will save scores of souls who will shout and shine in glory forever. "My
diamonds are restored to me," exclaimed a Christian lady, as she saw the tears of gratitude roll
down the cheeks of one who had been redeemed through her benefactions.
It guarantees the divine supply of every need. Paul, thanking the Philippians for their
bountiful benefactions declares, "And my God shall fulfil every need of yours according to his
riches in glory in Christ Jesus." This covers every possible exigency of the whole being. All who
abandon themselves and possessions utterly to the will of God are given this draft on the bank of
heaven. What folly to withhold anything when giving so enriches!
It draws heavenward. If our interests are invested in celestial stock, our minds and hearts
will be drawn that way. Any investment which thus throws the soul under the influence of heavenly
gravitation is to be coveted. Where men's treasure is, there their hearts are. If they invest in
insurance, they talk insurance more fluently than anything else; if in wheat, then they will talk
wheat; if in railroad stock, they will talk that. They think, talk and live what and where they largely
invest. Hence, if their investments are in the world and for it, then their affections will be there, but
if in the interests of the kingdom, then that will engage them. Celestial investments transform
material gifts into spiritual realities. The money, for instance, which has been invested in the
Holiness movement of this city has been transformed, under the touch of consecrated prayer and
labor and divine blessing, into fire-baptized souls, that are helping to girdle the globe with
salvation, and which will shine as gems in the crown of Jesus.
It is to be openly recognized and rewarded. "Then shall the King say unto them on his right
hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of
the world: for I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was
a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in
prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee
an hungered, and fed thee? or athirst, and gave thee drink? And when saw we thee a stranger, and
took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? And when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto
thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it
unto one of these my brethren, even these least, ye did it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them
on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil
and his angels" (Matt. xxv. 34-41). This declares future installments of the rewards of Pentecostal
giving that, like those already received, are transcendentally glorious. (1) Its public recognition by
Him in whose name and by whose grace it is done. Amazing grace that makes a duty delightful and
then rewards for doing it! (2) We give a loaf and get an eternal kingdom; we donate our little self
and get a King and all of His possessions. (3) Giving for Christ's cause, in His name and for His
glory, is a personal gift directly to Him, and is so received and rewarded. (4) Only those who thus
give are promised the above reward. Others may be saved, as by fire, but will miss this public
reception and gift. Then people will see and lament the shortsighted stupidity which led them to so
lock their purses as to lock themselves out of an eternal fortune. Weaklings who doled out their
dimes and tithes, instead of "giving according to ability," will lament their littleness. Ananiases
who "kept back a part of the price" which belonged to God will weep and wail. Judases who, for
money, betrayed the Master by neglecting his interests, will sink in eternal despair. In the light of
the final judgment it is a fearful calamity to fall short of the New Testament standard of Pentecostal
giving, and high treason to rob God of gifts which should be placed upon His altars.
During the civil war the government issued bonds to help subdue the seceding states. Some
said they would not be worth the paper on which they were written, and derided them; others
advanced their gold for them and thus helped sustain the government. Finally the Union was
preserved, the bonds were at a premium, their enemies chagrined and their holders rewarded. God
has issued similar bonds to suppress sin on earth, which is the most unholy civil war that ever
shocked the universe. Pentecostal giving is investing in these bonds. Soon the war will be over, the
last enemy conquered, earth restored and celestialized, and the flag of Prince Immanuel wave
triumphantly over it. Then these bonds will be at a premium, and all who have failed to invest in
them too late will regret their stupidity and sin.
May each reader of these pages be not an Achan, hiding God's gold; or an Ananias,
"keeping back part of the price," but a "faithful steward of the manifold grace of God," and prove
the preciousness of the promise which declares that such "shall be like a tree planted by the
streams of water, that bringeth forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also doth not wither; and
whatsoever he doeth shall prosper" (Ps. i. 3).
