Christian Giving is God’s Character for Others

Christians have often been motivated by an obligation to give the church or to Christian causes, falsely believing they are required to do so by God’s injunction, and believing that the “all seeing eye” of God is watching them to determine if they measure up to the biblical commands of percentages of 10% or more. This kind of performance-based giving is fear-driven and focused on man attempting to please God and maintain favor with God. It is not Christian giving, but rather a form of fear-driven religious human performance.

Christian giving begins with Christ, for otherwise it would not be Christian. Christian giving is only derived from the Giver, God Himself. Christian giving is God’s character being expressed for others, that others may experience the Life of the Giver – Christ Himself. Christian giving is …“that others may live”! Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Christian giving is God’s loving and giving character of grace being expressed in and though the Christian toward others, and always unto God’s glory!  

God is a giver/lover, who is reaching out to other personal beings. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16). Therefore a Christian (Christ-one), is a giver/lover who knows his/her identity in Christ and chooses to “live like it,” allowing the giving and loving grace of God to be expressed through them toward others, “that others may live,” unto His glory.

The pre-requisite of Christian giving is first and foremost the receiving of the divine Giver and the subsequent giving of ourselves to the Lord (II Cor. 8:5). God is not interested in your gifts until He has your heart. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Christian giving comes from the heart of our identity in Christ. Christian giving is as “natural” for the Christian, as breathing is for a human being. Christian giving is effortlessly allowing the character of God to be expressed in and through the behavior of a person in whom God dwells. Giving is an act of faith – a Christian’s receptivity to God’s giving-activity.

Giving is the spontaneous desire of the Christian to allow for the manifestation of God’s loving and giving character to be expressed in and through his behavior toward others. “Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). Giving is selfless and thus best understood as God’s unconditional love or action for others. "The love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" (Romans 5:5).

We love, we give, because the loving, giving God is living and working in us. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). The point being made is that Christian character is always derived from the character of Christ. Therefore, Christian love is an expression of God's loving character and God's giving character, which has been given to us by the presence of the Spirit of Christ indwelling us.

The will of God for the Christian is always to allow the life of Jesus Christ to be “lived out” in giving to, loving, and serving others (II Cor. 8:5).

As Christians, we are to prayerfully discern what God’s giving intent is for us, to determine how He desires to give through us: when He wants to give, to whom He wants to give and how much He wants to give. It is never a question of whether a Christian will give, only when, how much and to whom.

The Christian has a choice to give or not to give! We do not have to give as an obligation or requirement. The Christian desire to give is because the Giving God who is love, is always giving of Himself “that others may live.” There is always a sowing and reaping in life (Gal. 6:7). “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Cor. 9:6). Giving is the privilege of the Christian to participate with God in all of His giving activity as we give ourselves to His purposes. Don’t miss God’s opportunity to give, for it is the privilege of the Christian to be used as an instrument of God’s loving/giving character as a “cheerful giver” (II Cor. 9:7).

The motto of CrossLife Ministries is, “that others may live,” which expresses the giving heart of God as an integral part of our mission statement. We thank God for each one who has given and is participating as a vital part of this ministry. Your involvement in this ministry has touched a multitude of lives and expresses the giving/loving heart of Jesus. We say, “thank you” in advance to all those whom God will be prompting to give and participate in this ministry of grace, “that others may live”!  

© 2015 by Don Burzynski, www.cross-life.org

What is Christian counseling?

To those seeking counsel for situations in their lives, the question must be asked: What kind of counsel are you receiving? Is it focused on you and your problems or on Christ and His Life?

Many individuals seek help from a wide variety of counselors and therapists today. How do they differ? What is a Christ-centered biblical approach?

The following is a brief example of the counsel that we share at CrossLife Ministries. Whether in person or via the internet, Skype, text, email or phone calls, we communicate the love of Christ in the context of a non-condemning message of grace.

Recently a Christian leader inquired, “How does one deal with anger issues,” which he struggled with, and which on occasion would lead to rage affecting his marriage and ministry.

He had received “Christian counseling” that focused on psychologically understanding himself better, and in particular his emotions. He was counseled that the root of his problem was emotional. The counseling was directed at helping him to better understand his emotions/feelings, so that he might be able to discern what those feelings were intended for, and then give them a healthy expression rather than unhealthy expressions.

It was suggested to him that he would need long-term addiction counseling to conquer this problem, and that the counseling and therapy would be directed primarily toward dealing with “emotional pain.” By getting “in touch” with his emotional pain, he would allegedly find the answer to dealing with his addiction to rage.

He contacted me after having received this counsel, asking if I would advise him to continue in the therapy, and whether I though additional counsel would be helpful. (The treatment for 3 days had cost $5,000.00 and he was now being advised to do a nine-month program, which I am not sure of the cost?).  

In sharing my response, it is hoped that others will realize that Christ and Christ alone is sufficient for every problem we have or will face, and that unless we receive a revelation of Christ as our life we will never learn to live in victory regardless of our struggle with behavioral dysfunction. 

A CrossLife response:

Dear _________

As helpful as learning to express your emotions might be, and learning you’re not the only one with emotional challenges, and as a result there is not something wrong with you, there is more, "...much more, …we shall be saved by His life" (Romans 5:10).

True “life” experience is more than psychological functionality – knowing how to sort out all your thoughts and feelings and expressions (of the will). Important as that is, if that is the primary basis (and function) of who you are, it all depends upon YOU (learning to express your feelings), rather than Christ as your life and learning to walk by faith in spite of your feelings. 

There is a HUGE contrast in the focal point between humanism and Christianity. In humanism man is the center, "the point of reference," (therefore everything depends on him – YOU); in Christianity – Christ is the center (everything depends on God). There is nothing wrong with feelings (God created you an emotional creature); they are always indicators of what you are thinking and potentially believing (that however is a choice). It's fine to allow Christ to reveal your soulical "variations” and why you have felt the way you have felt (understanding rejective memories), (why you rage, get angry, and what you use to mask your "addiction", alcohol), but understanding who you are in Christ and learning to function in your identity is not centered on yourself or your psychological feelings, or even your flesh patterns of dependency. Yes, let Christ help you process them, identify false thinking i.e. lies, but then choose to allow His truthful revelation, hearing His voice rather than "the voice of the emotions," remind you of “who you are” and “how you are to behave” consistent with the character of Christ as your life expresses your true identity. 

The safe place you felt (counseling center, counseling approach or counselor) should never be seen in a “person or place" other than Christ Himself (do not attribute the work of God to a process or place apart from Christ as the means of grace). If your "mind" focuses on anything other than Jesus as the source of your feeling safe, you are focusing on an idol. The greatest idolatry is humanism (self-reference), regardless how man has explained it or couched it. Identity is focused on who God is and who He created you to be, and you have to allow Him and His character to be your chosen expressions of behavior. 

No one can teach you how to walk by faith and no one can imitate God’s character. Faith is the receptivity of God's activity. Faith is you hearing God and participating with His grace activity. Faith is you allowing for His character to be acted out through you even when you feel like “raging”. Faith is learning to "touch" the “unseen” and eternal, not your emotions. Because all you have known is an emotionally fleshly reaction to the seen which focused on circumstances. Walking by faith is an “unseen reality” of Christ as your life. Until you choose to depend on Christ in the moment (faith) and experience His character of grace, the fruit of the spirit, love joy, gentleness, kindness, understanding and the Godly control of self, you will most likely continue to walk after the flesh which has been angry and full of rage. That's why Paul wrote, “we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7).

You need to be careful that psychological counseling does not cause you to become more self-conscious than you already are. Biblical Christ-centered healthy counseling or therapy should always cause you to walk away more Christ conscious (in awe and in worth-ship of Him) rather than self-conscious (soulically conscious or emotionally conscious). The problem is that you can and have become much more in touch with your soul than your spirit. Being a Christ-one is not primarily a psychological reality. Man has always focused on the soul, rather than the spirit, on your thinking, your emotions, and your will, which you are far more familiar with than you are the spirit realm (unseen). It is vitally important to “listen under” (the meaning of New Testament – “obedience”) the Spirit of Christ and what He is saying to you. Nothing should substitute “hearing the voice of God” and walking by faith (John 10:27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me”). Christ is your life – NOT a better understanding of your emotions and how to relate to them. 

It is a matter of your "Point of Reference." Who is the beginning point; who is the starting point; who is the pivot point – Christ or your emotions?  Christ is the Alpha and Omega, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Rev. 22:13). Christ is to be the basis of your functioning spiritually, psychologically and physiologically as He intended – NOT you’re best effects to understand yourself emotionally or your best effects not to rage again.  

Jesus said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

I hope these thoughts prove to be helpful as God in Christ Jesus reveals Himself to you, as He is your only ability to experience LIFE. Keep in touch.

Your brother in Christ, Don Burzynski, 

CrossLife Counseling, Vero Beach, Florida 

www.cross-life.org  

© 2015 Don Burzynski 

The meaning of CrossLife?

It’s about identity! Who we are! 

The purpose of the ministry of CrossLife is to help a Christian understand their identity in Christ. The center point or point of reference of the gospel is Jesus Christ and what it means to be Christian. Christianity begins and ends with the “Cross-Life” of Jesus Christ! 

The death of Jesus Christ on a cross is the pivot point of history and the central focus of the Christian gospel. In His death on the cross Jesus was taking the death consequence of sin for all mankind.

Jesus as the God-man, who as man could experience the death consequences of sin, and who as God could restore divine life to man spiritually, allows man to once again be in relational fellowship with God.

The death of Jesus on a cross was absolutely necessary for man to be indwelt by the very life of God. The Cross reveals the two fold purpose of 1) death and 2) restoration.  He went to the cross, that we might have His Life! The “cross” and “life” are inseparable, therefore, “Cross-Life”. Without the cross there would be no life. The cross was a means to an end, “He came that you might have His Life.” The presence of Christ within a human spirit, union-life which is spiritual solidarity.

When Jesus said, "It is finished" we were "crucified together with" Him, this refers to our spiritual union or solidarity with Him.  When Jesus died on the cross He died there for you and me, but He also died there “as you” and “as me”. When He died, “we died”. We were "in Him" when He died. The entire human race was represented by Jesus when He took the death consequences for sin upon Himself, but that spiritual-union or solidarity only becomes personal for you and me when we receive Jesus Christ by faith.

As a Christian understands who they are in Christ, they can begin to choose to live consistent with what Christ as their life is doing in them, allow His character to be manifest through them which is the behavioral expression that every Christian desires to experience. The counseling, leadership training, mission opportunities, and interactive gatherings of Christian fellowship at CrossLife is based on the living reality of Christ as your life, or as we call it the “CrossLife.”

God has been working through CrossLife since our establishment in Vero Beach, Florida in 1993 to teach and encourage people to function by the dynamic of God's grace in Jesus Christ.

Visit our website www.cross-life.org  for valuable training material or visit us in person at 2501 27^th Ave. Suite A-9S, Vero Beach, FL. 32960