“Just say a little prayer,” one of Dionne Warwick’s popular songs, is not something you’ll find in the Bible. Yet countless people have been promised “If you say a little prayer, you are saved.” Billy Graham once said he thought only a fourth of those who said the sinner’s prayer at his crusades were really born again. In 2011, a George Barna survey seemed to confirm that; the survey showed that nearly half of all adults in America have prayed a little prayer and believe they are going to heaven, even though, afterward, they never attended a church or read the Bible.
In the parable of the sower, the seed that fell on rocky or thorny ground couldn’t take root and it died. Paul described true believers as those who are firmly rooted and then built up in Christ (Col. 2:7). A seed that doesn’t take root doesn’t grow. But why do some seeds take root while others don't?
The answer is simple. The Bible says “with your heart you believe” (Ro 10:9). Only God can open the heart. And if the heart is not genuinely open to receive the seed of Christ, it will never be rooted. So, the little prayer is not the issue. As A.W. Tozer said, “It isn’t the wording that’s important; it’s the state of the heart of the one saying it.” Paul says you will always reap what you sow (Gal. 6:7). But you cannot reap from a seed that never got planted in the first place.
We all know the Old Covenant required a tithe of 10% (Leviticus 27:30). But did you know that the New Covenant requires no tithe—but something greater: generous giving! In fact, Paul admonishes the Corinthians to sow generously, explaining that each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:6:7). Only God knows if we are being generous and cheerful in our giving.
But think of this. You could be giving a tithe—10% of your income—and not be giving generously. Or you could be giving a tithe under compulsion, not cheerfully, but with a “have to” approach. I think this “have to” mind-set is evidenced by the question: “Should I (do I have to) tithe on my gross or net income?” For many wealthy people, giving a tenth is probably of little consequence to their disposable income. On the other hand, giving a tenth may be sacrificial for a poorer person.
This story about John Wesley captures Paul’s philosophy of giving. When John Wesley made thirty pounds, he lived on twenty-eight pounds and gave away two. Then when he made sixty pounds, he knew he could live on twenty-eight pounds, so he gave away thirty-two. The next year, his income rose to ninety pounds, but he still lived on twenty-eight pounds and gave away the rest. He understood that the tithe is not the real issue. It’s whether you believe it all belongs to God.
Some years ago, I counseled a young Christian man who was depressed because of an ongoing, unresolved conflict with his ‘live-in,’ non-Christian girlfriend. As I sat there listening to him, I wondered how he could be so ignorant of God’s moral standards. Either that, or he was terribly presumptuous to think there would no negative consequence for his immorality?
Many times in my counseling ministry, I encountered people who were suffering the consequences of their sin—sometimes because of ignorance. My job was to help them ‘connect the dots’ between their choices and the consequences, teach them Biblical principles, and encourage better choices. What I saw in my counseling office epitomized a larger problem of widespread ignorance and unbelief. And, unfortunately, some have interpreted grace in a way that fosters permissiveness.
I believe there is an explanation for this “consequential” carelessness. If a person does not see immediate negative consequences for his wrongdoing, he “imagines” he has gotten away with it (1 Pet. 3:4, 8-9). The fallacy in this logic, of course, is thinking that judgment delayed is judgment averted. Evidently, some of the Christians in Galatia had become ambivalent about consequences. So Paul warns: “Don't be misled. Remember that you can't ignore God and get away with it. You will always reap what you sow” (Gal. 6:7 NLT)
But the principle of “sowing and reaping” has its moral equivalency—good conduct (obedience) has its rewards, “for the present life and the life to come.” (1 Tim. 4:8) And just as vehemently as we are warned against sowing to the flesh (Gal. 6:8), we are urged to sow to the spirit, with this promise: “he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully” (2 Cor. 9:6). If you really believe you reap what you sow, would you be sowing more? Would you change what you are sowing?
