NINE - # 3 OF THE FOUR PURPOSES

By Stephen Phinney

There is a plan of economy presented in the Bible which is not influenced by recessions, depressions, topless inflation or the value of the global dollar. As you might have guessed, it is God’s financial plan and economy that is utmost important.  It involves the control and management of all of the affairs of mankind – including his choices on how to spend his money. God’s plan of spending has very little to do with the benefits here on earth, but rather building up “eternal weight of glory” in His Heavenly bank account. In the end, God’s plan actually reconciles with all earth’s treasures, resources, and capacities and man’s role in stewarding each. This must include the eternal purpose in the mind of God as He created all. In other words, money should reflect the face of God. If it doesn’t, the earth and all that is in it – including mankind becomes out of balance.

PURPOSE THREE – Multigenerational Giving: Man’s economic systems collapses because he has been selfish in their spending and has failed to include in his “economic principles” those matters vital to the Kingdom of God – the Four Purposes of Money. Man’s greatest error in handling money is that he has not reckoned with his r
esponsibilities to the God of the universe, the One who made all resources. The other big mistake is that mankind does not reckon his responsibility to human kind – marriage, family, community, state, nation and then the world (see diagram). Instead, he has trafficked his available resources to his immediate advantage and then has the gull to sign the name of Christ to their reasons of insanity. The result has been the destruction of resources necessary to the whole family of God.



Our level of giving reveals our level of depth of spirituality with our Heavenly Father. If we have a greedy eye, our whole worldview will be greedy – what I get out of life. On the other hand, if we are giving and generous, our worldview will not only be a Biblical Worldview but it will be transformational.


A man with an evil eye hastens after wealth, and does not know that want will come upon him. (Proverbs 28:22 NASB)

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. "The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! (Matthew 6:19-23 NASB)


The price for mankind NOT obeying the foundational rules of God’s plan of economy is very high. If you and I do not submit ourselves to the Matthew passage, the whole balance of economy will be out of order, plus this is what will give the Antichrist the opportunity to place God’s children in slavery once again. Paul reminded the wealthy Romans of this:


“Contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.” (Romans 12:13 NASB)


God specifically calls each believer to care for our fellow Christians before giving outside of His fellowship. The way that most Christian churches function is to suffer their own congregation by allowing their own members to go hungry, while at the same time spending the “lions share” of the offering on staff benefits, programs and overseas missions.  When God said to us the those who don't take care of their own household are worst than unbelievers, He wasn't joking.  The same principle applies to the church.  Meeting the needs of your own household first is what unites the body of Christ.



CHRISTIAN ONENESS: Back when the NT church was being formed, the Jews had no social dealings with the local Gentiles. God’s remedy to this dilemma was to set forth a severe famine that caused many Jewish Christians to suffer, the result – Paul challenged every Christian Gentile church to collect an offering for their Jewish brothers and sisters. God used this offering to dissolve the spiritual, psychological and physical barriers that had been built out of ignorance. As expected, God’s plans of economic equality work miraculously. Paul later shared the dynamics of this happening to the Corinthian church:


At this present time your abundance being a supply for their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for your need, that there may be equality; (2 Corinthians 8:14 NASB)


TO DEMONSTRATE TRUE CHRISTIANITY: Where there is greed – there is war! It is impossible to pursue peace with all men when one party is seeking to care for their own needs according to their own advancement. The confusion and consternation among the global society are but a magnification of what is going on in the hearts of the people who live within its boundaries. The Antichrist has always snuck in when the deceit of man’s system of greed corners himself – when his rudeness of selfish rules of economy has finally imprisoned him. Just as greed marks the foreheads of unbelievers – so does giving mark the hearts of true indwelt Christians.


When a true Christian gives from the integrity of his heart, God grants them special desire and power to multiply all of their efforts in their day-to-day lives. This is why it is so important for a Christian to give – even if they don’t “feel” like it. God is able to share His grace toward Christians in those moments when they are most tempted to keep their funding to themselves. God sees each and every sacrificial gift offered – particularly when it hurts the most!


TO ACTIVATE A THANKFUL HEART: Giving to the needs of fellow Christians cause others to thank God for providing for them. Each and every gift offered puts the other in a position of glorifying God directly and indirectly. This is why giving activates expediential growth in the body of Christ. Giving that is empowered by the Holy Spirit not only meets practical needs, but result in an overflowing tide of thanksgiving to God and to the one who does the giving.


You will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. (2 Corinthians 9:11 NASB)


One of the basics of elementary Christianity is that praise and thanksgiving are the building blocks of growing Christians, which is the church of God.


BRODENS THE POTENTIAL OF GIVERS: Does God have anything to say about the world’s greedy and political plan of economy? Without question He does! He has always had something to say about mankind supporting the Antichrist system of debt mentality and greed investments. It always amazes me how some “Christians” justify using their tithes and offerings to invest in ungodly and corrupt stocks/companies that use their profits to murder babies, kill off the elderly or worst, proclaim their hatred toward our God and not feel one once of guilt – all under the banner of “providing security for their family or future.” God warned us about stealing from His investments throughout the Old Testament but one passage in particular clearly marks this warning:


"Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, 'How have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings. "You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you! “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. (Malachi 3:8-10 NASB)

Dear reader, you can push this passage aside, call it legalism and continue spending God’s money on personal gain and investing His resources (your money) in earthly treasures that provoke Him BUT you will never be able to escape the mandates of the New Testament. If you carefully study the NT regarding the issues of spending, if you’re like me, you will be shocked as to how much is required out of the followers of Jesus Christ when it comes to the topic of giving but I can assure you – it is FAR beyond the 10% spoken of in the Malachi passage (Matt. 19:21; Luke 12:33).


God’s plan of economy cannot be explained by man or his rules of engagement! It is my prayer that both you and I find it impossible to respond to these simple principles with a casual shrug of the shoulders. I desire for these writings will challenge and change the lives of each reader. At the same time, I hope that these works are imperiling any life-style which disregards the will of God as man’s supreme ruler/measuring stick and cause an encounter which will result in partaking in God’s perfect plan of economy!



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