Six Principles for Giving Under Grace

C. Hodge – Money ‘is like manna—it won’t bear hoarding.’

Francis Bacon – ‘Money is a lot like manure, good for nothing in a heap; only when it is spread out as fertilizer does it produce anything.’

J. Piper – ‘God is not glorified when we keep for ourselves (no matter how thankfully) what we ought to be using to alleviate the misery of the unevangelized, uneducated, unmedicated, and unfed millions. The evidence that many professing Christians have been deceived by this doctrine is how little they give and how much they own (p.163)… The issue is not how much a person makes. Big industry and big salaries are a fact of our times, and they are not necessarily evil. The evil is in being deceived into thinking a $100,000 salary must be accompanied by a $100,000 lifestyle. God has made us conduits of His grace. The danger is in thinking the conduit should be lined with gold (when) copper will do.’ – Desiring God (p,167)