Randy Alcorn on the State of Modern Evangelicalism and Money

“Large segments of modern evangelicalism have succumbed to the heresy that this present life may be lived selfishly and disobediently without serious effects on the eternal state…Never have so many Christians believed that our monies and possessions are ours to do with as we please.”

Randy Alcorn in Money, Possessions, and Eternity (Wheaton: Tyndale, 1989) preface.

“If you love Christ and the work of His Kingdom more than anything else, your giving will show that. If you are truly submitted to the lordship of Christ, if you are willing to obey Him completely in every area of your life, your giving will reveal it.”

Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1991), 140, as quoted by Wesley K. Willmer in Revolution in Generosity (Chicago: Moody Press, 2008) 42.

“When captured by the depth of God’s gifts in the gospel, we discover that He frees us to participate in His work of grace, hope, righteousness, and love. This is the generous life; this is what belonging to God is all about.”

Kelly Kapic in God So Loved, He Gave: Entering the Movement of Divine Generosity (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010) 10.

“Churlish souls stint their contributions to the ministry and missionary operations, and call such saving good economy; little do they dream that they are thus impoverishing themselves. Their excuse is that they must care for their own families, and they forget that to neglect the house of God is the sure way to bring ruin on their houses…Selfishness looks first at home, but godliness seeks first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, yet in the long run selfishness is loss, and godliness is great gain. It needs faith to act towards our God with an open hand.”

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892) in the NIV Stewardship Study Bible notes on Galatians 6:6-10 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009) 1539.

“Generosity is at its core a lifestyle—a lifestyle in which we share all that we have, are, or will ever become as a demonstration of God’s love and a response to God’s grace. It is not enough for the church to talk about generosity, nor is it enough for individual Christians to simply commit to being generous. What makes generosity a real and powerful witness to God’s love is our actions. Generosity flows from an understanding that all we have, are, or will ever become is not ours to possess and it results in practically sharing what we’ve been given with others for the advancement of the kingdom and the glory of God.”

Jim Sheppard in “What is Generosity?” blogpost on churchplanting.com on July 16, 2012.

“We believe that God wants to take care of our needs and give us enough to share with others, too. Money is most valuable when it is put to work helping people. As individuals and as the church, it is our privilege to give generously to people in need: locally, regionally, nationally, and abroad.”

For more on The City Church visit: thecity.org/generosity

“When Francis, the man of God, saw that many were being inspired by his example to carry the cross of Christ with fervent spirit, he himself like a good leader of Christ’s army was encouraged to reach the palm of victory through the height of heroic virtue. He directed his attention to this text of the Apostle: Those who belong to Christ have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:24)

St. Bonaventure (Cardinal, 1221-1274) Ewert H. Cousins Bonaventure (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1978) 218.

“Remember how we have been created. All human beings have a common ancestor. Thus all human flesh has the same substance; there is no difference between the flesh of the nobility and that of peasants.

When we commit an act of charity, in which we use our excess wealth to help someone with too little, we are acknowledging our unity with others. After all, the rich and the poor have the same flesh, the hunger of the poor should cause pain to the rich; and the pain can only be soothed through assuaging that hunger.

Sadly, rich people often speak about charity, expressing their good intentions, but their deeds do not match their words. Good intentions give some cause for hope: they mean that the rich recognize their unity with the poor.

Our challenge is to persuade the rich to turn words into actions. Preachers must do this; and so also must everyone who has an opportunity to speak to the rich.”

John Chrysostom (349-407) from On Living Simply, Meditation 3.

“Those of us who live in the United States reside in the wealthiest nation in human history. We spend most of our time either making money or spending it. As Christians in the U.S., we can forget that Jesus had more to say about money than almost anything else. He identified his own ministry and person with those who were poor.”

Gary Vanderpol in Lazarus at the Gate: An Economic Discipleship Guide (October 2008), p. 3.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

“Why must we give ourselves fully to God? Because God has given Himself to us. If God who owes nothing to us is ready to impart to us no less than Himself, shall we answer with just a fraction of ourselves? To give ourselves fully to God is a means of receiving God Himself. I for God and God for me. I live for God and give up my own self, and in this way induce God to live for me.”

P. Johanns, S.J. as quoted by Mother Teresa in her Explanation of the Original Constitutions of the Missionaries of Charity, The Little Way, Light of the East Series, No. 15 (Calcutta: F.G. Gomes at the Bengal Litho Press), 90-92.