by Rehema Jonathan | 2 March 2024 08:46 am03
Question: Why should we give offerings? Is it mandatory? And if someone doesn’t give, is it a sin?
Answer: Giving whether through offerings, tithes, or acts of generosity is an essential part of the Christian life. It reflects the heart of a true believer. A person who continually withholds and refuses to give demonstrates a lack of transformation, because the Spirit of God, which leads us into the likeness of Christ, is generous by nature.
God is the ultimate giver. From the beginning, everything we have life, breath, provision, salvation comes from His generous hand. He gives without expecting repayment. This is seen most clearly in the gift of Jesus Christ:
John 3:16 (NIV): “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
As believers, we are created in God’s image and called to reflect His character:
Genesis 1:26 (ESV): “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…'”
If God is generous, and we are made in His image, then we too are designed to be givers.
Giving is not merely a financial transaction it is an act of worship. It shows gratitude, trust, and surrender to God. In the Old Testament, offerings were required as part of covenant obedience (see Leviticus 27:30, Malachi 3:10). But even in the New Testament, the spirit of generous giving continues not as law, but as love and devotion:
2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV): “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
Proverbs 3:9 (NIV): “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops.”
The story of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4) teaches us that God does not just look at what we give, but how and why we give. Abel gave his best, and God accepted his offering. Cain gave without faith or reverence, and God rejected it.
Genesis 4:4-5 (ESV): “And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard.”
This shows that giving should come from a willing and faithful heart. When giving feels like a burden or a loss, it reveals a spiritual issue that needs correction. That spirit of reluctance and resentment is what led Cain down a destructive path.
We don’t give because we’re forced to. We give because we understand it’s our responsibility and privilege. True generosity flows from a heart changed by the Gospel. Jesus calls us to be perfect as our Father is perfect:
Matthew 5:48 (NIV): “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
And perfection, in this sense, includes walking in the fullness of God’s love and generosity.
Jesus teaches that neglecting to care for others or refusing to be generous has eternal implications. In Matthew 25:41–46, He warns that those who fail to show compassion and generosity are separating themselves from Him.
Matthew 25:45-46 (NIV): “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Ask yourself: if God gives you air to breathe, ground to walk on, sunshine to enjoy, all for free, why is it painful to give back even a small portion? We easily pay for utilities, food, and entertainment, yet struggle to give to the One who gives us everything. That reveals a deeper issue of the heart, not of the wallet.
Don’t run from your responsibility to give. Don’t wait for a command embrace it as part of your new identity in Christ. When we give cheerfully and generously, we not only bless others but align ourselves with God’s nature.
Source URL: https://wingulamashahidi.org/en/2024/03/02/why-do-we-give-offerings/
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