God’s Economy: Giving in Faith

The Word is very clear that you are blessed in every area: salvation, health, favor, finance and success. Right now! However, believers don’t just walk around living blessed lives on accident! Just like every other promise in the Word of God, financial blessing must be received through your faith. Read on to discover how giving in faith is a vital component of God’s economy.

You Are Blessed

As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.

– 2 Peter 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

– Ephesians 1:3

Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.

– 1 Timothy 6:17

You are blessed! Right now, whoever you are, wherever you are. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you are blessed! He has already provided everything you could ever need, and more than enough of it! (Feel free to reference our article entitled A Better Covenant with Better Promises for more teaching on the blessing of God on your life.)

In fact, it is part of your very identity as a child of God to live a blessed life! You don’t have to do anything to be blessed by God other than believing on Jesus. As His child, it is simply who you are. However, the blessing and favor of God won’t just jump on you without your cooperation! It is vital that you not only know and understand the promises of God, but also walk in faith. You must have the uncompromising knowledge that they are yours!

God Is Able

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

– 2 Corinthians 9:8

Notice that 2 Corinthians 9:8 says that God is able. It does not say, “You will always, by default, have all sufficiency in all things and have an abundance for every good work.” Yes, God is able, but just like every other promise in the Word of God, it takes faith to receive and walk in it! Every single promise has been provided for you at the cross. However, each one of those promises God has made must be appropriated by your faith.

¹ Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

– Romans 5:1-2 (emphasis added)

The Word of God teaches us that we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8), that it was through faith and patience that the examples for us in the Old Testament received the promises of God (Hebrews 6:12), and that faith just plain pleases God (Hebrews 11:6)! God’s goal is for you to have enough for your family’s needs, and also an abundance for every good work. He is able!

A Blessed Identity

If it just “takes faith” to receive from God that abundant provision to give to every good work, then what part does giving play? Doesn’t that mean you have to do something to receive, when earlier we said that you didn’t?

Imagine yourself a character in a fairy tale. You were born to the King and Queen, but you were stolen away and raised in the slums as a servant. Your clothes are tattered and worn. You walk with your eyes downcast, meekly following orders, but never giving orders of your own. To everyone, including yourself, you seem to be a nobody, entitled to nothing.

However, one day, you are found! You are taken to the palace, cleaned up, dressed in royal clothing, and presented to your parents, the King and Queen. They are overjoyed to have found you, and you are amazed at the instant change in your circumstances. They pamper you, and train you to assume new royal duties. Your head begins to rise, you begin to make eye contact with those around you, and you even walk differently, with a boldness and confidence you’ve never had before. Now, you are ruling and reigning, and you have unlimited resources to perform the assignments you have been given!

Part of your new identity as a child of the Most High God is your position of authority and the resources available to you. If the Holy Spirit prompts you to give, your true identity says, “No problem! My Dad will cover it!” Giving flows naturally when you know your Source. It isn’t something you do in order to become blessed. Giving is what you do because you are blessed!

Giving In Faith

When believers give to one another, through faith we all open ourselves up the unlimited ability of God to prosper us! With every dollar we give in faith, we can have the expectation of a one hundredfold return, a harvest that keeps producing year after year. In this way, the entire Body of Christ can boast the same supernatural blessing of increase and financial abundance. (We encourage you to read our article entitled God’s Economy: The 100-Fold.)

Still, why doesn’t God just increase what we have, rather than what we give?

Because giving puts us into a position of faith! By giving out of what you have, you are denying any power the natural system can have over you. When you give, even in the face of lack, you are rejecting the lie that you need those dollars to provide for your own needs. You are adopting your true identity as a child of the Most High God. It is a physical act, prompted by your faith, in submission only to the leading of the Holy Spirit, to acknowledge the truth that God is your source.

James 2:26 tells us that faith without corresponding actions is dead. When you give joyfully, even in the face of lack, that step of faith is evidence that you believe the promises of God. It shows that you have stepped into your new identity as a beloved son or daughter of the King. (We encourage you to read more on this subject in our article entitled Faith Takes Action: Faith Without Works Is Dead.)

Faith Takes Action

If you knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that burying a dollar bill in your backyard would produce a money tree, you wouldn’t hesitate for a moment to go plant ten of them! You’d go to the bank and withdraw enough dollar bills to pack out every spare bit of land in your yard. You would plant as many as possible!

Why would you do that? You believed that when you planted there would absolutely be a harvest that exceeded your seed sown! In the same way, when you embrace your identity as a child of God, it won’t be so challenging to plant seed when the Holy Spirit directs you to. You will realize that the resources are available to you because of your identity. You will also have complete peace that there will also be a harvest!

Break the Church’s Glass Ceiling

Okay, please don’t actually break anything fragile in your church building! For the most part, Christians have become stuck—we’ve reached a glass ceiling of our own making—based on the limitations of logic and the acceptance of the world’s system. It is time to realize that God does not do things the way the natural world does! Kingdom principles are spiritual, and they will only be effective when approached with a spiritual perspective.

Why rely on your own efforts to produce increase for yourself when you can lean upon the promises of God? It is time to fully embrace God’s economy. A large part of it is giving one to another, in faith, knowing that God will provide our needs! Allow the Holy Spirit to direct your giving, rather than by rules and regulations, traditions or natural logic. There are no longer specific guidelines for giving, like being limited to a 10% tithe. Our giving goes beyond that!

However, if this is a new idea for you, we do recommend tithing as a starting point! It will help to jump-start your faith in this area of giving. Please go back and read our 3-part series on tithing, which begins with this article entitled Is Tithing for Today?

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