Charity - part I

Before we talk about the first of three different areas that Christ talks about in these verses,  let's bring to mind the warning that accompanies all of them. This is something that we do together every Sunday, yes, but this morning the reason why we do so will (hopefully!) become more apparent as our sermon unfolds.

In all three areas of Christian living that He teaches on; charity, prayer, and fasting; He prefaces each one with a warning about hypocrisy. ‘Do not act like the hypocrites’ He says, for everything they do is a show. A production of scripted lines, meant to turn the glory they were designed to give to God, inward upon themselves. Refusing to admit their good works aren’t good enough to save them; the hypocrite turns their entire identity into a role they fill, and perform for applause. 

They are talking masks, living costumes they have customized for the adulation of the audience they screen ahead of time, becoming mockeries of their former selves. The hypocrite does all they can to ensure their self-righteousness is hidden between the lines of every prayer, or stuffed safely inside of the offering envelope. Be on guard against such intricate liars, my friends, refusing to be an audience member of their life.

But what is the actual Christian; those who are innocent in the eyes of God; to do when the temptation to pageantry arises? When the desire to take center stage of your own life prompts you to “show off” your faith; you carry out your righteous actions in ways that are a secret from yourself. How? By always remembering; and reminding yourself when you don’t; that when God saved you…He remade you. You aren’t the “old you” anymore. There is real, honest, and authentic change that takes place within your very soul when God saves you. He doesn't simply clean you up, and then forgive you. He changes you by forgiving you.

A new ‘you’, broken yet whole; sinning yet justified; who hates even the idea that people will glorify you instead of God; is how we can give charity without hypocrisy.

Opening: Read → Matthew 6:1-4 & Opening Prayer

As we have read these verses together for the past few weeks, if you are reading from a different translation than I am (NKJV), you might have noticed something. When we read “charitable deeds” in the NKJV, the ESV and NASB (working off of a different set of Greek manuscripts) use “righteousness”. 

Now a lot can be said about different Greek Manuscripts resulting in different word choices in English; but the reality that either word (“charity” or “righteousness”) conveys Christ’s warning about hypocrisy in the context of our financial choices, is evidenced when we take all of Scripture into account. Before I show this to be true, think on this idea for just a moment my friends.

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The God of the Universe, knowing sin has affected and broken our thoughts (The Noetic effects of sin) as much as it has our hearts, gave us over half a million words spread out over 66 different books, from the pens of 42 different authors, in 3 different languages, written over the course of 2,000 years, on 3 different continents; covering every topic, circumstance, and situation that humanity could ever encounter in order to live in ways He approves of.

If we move through life in a fallen world thinking that a single sentence, or a single word, can make or break a doctrine; we will be searching for truth with our eyes closed. We need the entire canon of Scripture to build or break any teaching.

And were the reality of the Bible we have in our hands not enough for us to study and grow from; we are so overwhelming blessed that we have it in more than 800 different languages; it is accessible to both prince and pauper, and those in between; and every letter, syllable, word, sentence, stanza, paragraph, chapter, and book; has been studied, examined, and intricately combed through by every generation, by people from every walk of life.

Now when we take all of Scripture into account in order to understand Christ’s teaching in these verses, we must start where all teachings start; the foundation.

When God irresistibly calls His children to repentance (Jn. 6:37), forgiving them at the price of His own blood (Mt. 26:28), accounting their sin to Him and His righteousness to them (2 Cor. 5:21)…it becomes who they truly are (2 Cor. 5:17). Deep into the very fibers of your soul, fellow Christian, because God saved you, you are now someone loved, owned, and dedicated to the God of the Universe. You are no longer your own, but belong; body and soul; in life and death; to your faithful savior, Jesus Christ. As Paul tells us in Rom. 14:7 & 8 → “For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. [8] For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.”

And as we go through life as His precious possession; temptation will crash against us from without or be born from within; sins will be enacted against us, and we will sin against others; but all the while, God is going to use all of it for our good (Rom. 8:28) as He changes us more and more into the image of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18).

Plainly stated: Now that your heart has been changed by God, you are inside of a lifelong process; brought to completion with your dying breath; where everything about you and your life will begin to grow more and more Godly. 

You will begin to love and hate the things that God loves and hates. Your opinions, feelings, tastes,  giftings, skills, and abilities will still be “yours”, of course, because God knew what He was doing when He created you, the parents who raised you, and theirs before them going all the way back to the Garden. And the way He created all of you was customized in accordance with the life and works He ordained for you to live before the foundations of the World. Look at what Eph. 2:10 says → “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Did you read that? The good works you were created to carry out…existed before you. 

And all of it; everything about you as a person; will grow more Godly…because God doesn't quit. He doesn't give up because you are too stubborn or stupid; and your laziness or lust will grow less and less…because God always finishes what He starts. “Be…confident of this very thing” my friends: “that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 1:6).

So when you feel that your habits, hobbies, careers, and interests begin to change, its ok…because they are not who you are…they are just things you do. My friends, you are more than a lump sum of statistical information or combination of social characteristics. You are a child of God, bought by the blood of Jesus Christ. All of those other things? They are simply the blessings He gives to those who love Him.

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We could very easily continue down this road to speak about a number of different truths from Scripture, each one more precious than gold and silver. But the truth of a sovereign God and the work that He does as the foundation of our life, tells us that if the translation you read from this morning says “Charitable deeds” or “righteousness”, it teaches that

How you spend your money, reflects the righteousness

that God gave you when He saved you.

Do you believe that you belong to God? In every aspect? Every hobby, every relationship, every career…and every penny? Does the standard of your life rise and fall based upon you and your work and your paycheck? Or does God cause His sun to rise, and His rain to fall on both the wicked and the good (Matt. 5:45)? Do you go to God for salvation and forgiveness, no matter the depths of your evil and be forgiven; set free from an eternity in righteous fire…but then white-knuckle your bank account like your life depends on it? Really?

Do you consider your finances to be some manner of sectioned off aspect of life; not that God doesn't have authority over it, of course; but that He isn't necessarily concerned with? 

Or at the least, He is only concerned when you spend money on things you ought not, right? You aren't buying drugs or sex, you aren't gambling it away, or spending it on nonsense while your bills are overdue…so therefore, it doesn't have anything to do with God.

Well…is that you? Or do you spend your money on sex and drugs?

Do you enjoy all the entertainment you can afford with the money God has given you…while the house He gave you to care for is falling down around you?

Do you have a well-funded retirement plan, while turning up your nose at someone in their hour of financial need?

Are your hobbies or comfort or little luxuries of life, a line-item in your budget, while your Church struggles to heat the sanctuary before the snow even arrives?

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Now, lest you think a teaching like this doesn't apply to you because you really don’t have any money to do such things; God had already ordained your financial situation when He gave you the same Bible as He gave to the wealthy. When the widow gave half a penny to the Temple in Luke 21:1-4, it wasn't the amount that was worth noting. It was the fact that she gave everything → “And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, [2] and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. [3] So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; [4] for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.”

An impoverished widow put her entire livelihood in the hands of God. In other words: She didn't hold anything back because she was poor.

So I will ask you this morning my friends; can you look upon that which God has blessed you with, regardless of how much or little it may be, and say: “It's all yours God, guide me in how I can give it back to you.”?

When Jesus spoke aloud these verses in Mt. 6:1-4, His words were a double edged sword, discerning the thoughts and intents of the heart. He was warning us about hypocrisy, yes, but He was also confronting a sin that has been present in every generation since The Garden; the heretical idea of human wealth being proof of divine favor.

In fact, assurance of divine favor was so closely related to human wealth, that later on in Mt. 11, when John the Baptizer was asking about Jesus and if He really was The Messiah, we read this in v.2-6 → “And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples [3] and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” [4] Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: [5] The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. [6] And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.””

Poor people being given the offer of salvation; being shown that God has not forsaken them, despite what the arrogant may vomit forth; is not only offensive to human ears, but is paired in the same breath with paralyzed people walking, deaf people hearing, and even dead people coming back to life!

“What do you mean my money isn't proof that God loves me more than poor people!”

While this thought is one which we really should be on guard against, and Scripture gives us plenty of teaching to do so; it is nothing more than fallen humanity looking for anything tangible; anything they can control and calculate and increase and use; to fulfill the lie we believed in The Garden.

“Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord.” (Jer. 9:23 & 24)

The people of His day (and perhaps some of us?) believed that having earthly wealth means that God loves you more than He does those in poverty. And taking the truth that God gives blessings to whomever He wants, but running with it beyond the borders of Scripture; the people would intentionally make a show of their giving.

And what does our verse say would happen once the credits rolled and the show ended?

“That they may have glory from men” …and “they have their reward.”

It worked. They got the reward they were after.

Remember last week! Remember that mankind was designed to glorify something or someone; that God created us with an innate understanding of Him being the one our glory ought to go to; and that sin has broken it. And remember that when we are tempted to glorify anything, our sinful nature draws us towards that which looks, acts, sounds, and feels Godly. 

And if wealth is an indicator of God’s special love towards someone, as they were being taught, and that person is giving more money than us…it must mean that God loves them more. To speak as a fool for a moment; if you want other people to think that you love God or God loves you, make sure you tell them how much money you give to your Church.

How you spend your money, not simply what it is spent on, is directly related to the kind of heart you have. There is no getting around this truth. Do you have a heart that wants people to glorify you? To think you are a higher level of Christian? Or do you want nothing more than God to be glorified through you, and how and why you spend your money?

Do you want every penny you spend to speak of the God who saves sinners?

Are you spending your money in ways that God approves of?

Or…are you spending it in such a way that might very well show that your own way of life, your own standard of living, is your highest priority? Or maybe you are spending in such a way that you want other people to see it and glorify you? Or maybe it's outright sinful…right? Maybe not wicked and illicit things, but are you wasting thousands upon thousands of dollars on nothing but entertainment or comfort? Are you spending the money you have in such a way that your own life is the highest priority?

If so…why?

You have the righteousness of God given to you because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Why doesn't it show up in how you spend your money?

Your sins earned you a place within the blood-stained caverns of Hell, and nothing you did could ever satisfy the God you sinned against. You “...were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:3-10)

If you trusted God with your salvation, then you should trust Him with your money.

To say that exact same thing in a different way; if how much money you have did nothing to make you holy; then you shouldn't be spending it to think it does.

“But pastor…if you are going to call out my spending money on junk food and faster internet while my Church’s budget is barely right-side-up; and then say I shouldn't be spending money to show off God’s love for me…how should I be spending it?”

If we are going to spend our money in ways that God approves of, we would do well to remember when Jesus warns us about hypocrisy here in Ch. 6…He says “when” not “if”. And the precedent we see in Scripture about the “when” is abundantly clear. 

Ps. 112:9 → “He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever…” Giving to the poor is evidence of enduring righteousness.

Prov. 14:31 → “He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, but he who honors Him has mercy on the needy.” Do you want to honor your maker? Have mercy on the needy.

Prov. 19:17 → “He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given.” Having pity on the poor, is spending your money on God.

James 2:15-17 → “If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, [16] and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? [17] Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” Is your faith dead? Well…are you giving to the poor?

All through Scripture, we see that the state of our heart is intimately related to the manner in which we view, spend, save, or waste our money…because everything we do flows from the heart we have. 

1 Jn. 3:16 & 17→“By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?”

The sacrificial atonement of Jesus Christ; His death that should have been yours; is directly connected to spending your money on those in need…because you, yourself, were poor and needy. You were a homeless orphan, broken by sin and bound for Hell, and nothing you did could save you. But God, being a God of charity and compassion, poured out His love towards us, as He poured out His wrath towards Christ in our place.

I'm not sure it can get any more clear.

There are numerous other passages; one which we will read together as we close; but Scripture is as clear as it is precise.

Is giving money to the poor evidence of righteousness? Yes.

Does it cause you to become righteous? No.

Is giving money to the poor always evidence of a new heart?

Not at all, that’s why Christ’s warning about hypocrisy must be understood. And those who think God will forgive their sins because of their financial choices, will have nothing but the glory of men to try and keep the flames of Hell away.

Will a new heart always give money to the poor? 

The answer to this one is a touch more complicated…right?

To ask that question in a different, softer, way; will a new heart want to give money to the poor? Of course. Will they be held back from doing so by things beyond their reach? Will they want to help the poor, but are too poor themselves? Will they want to relieve the burden of poverty towards someone in need, while they themselves are under its weight? Will the ‘want’ to show love towards the helpless, the same way that God loved you, still be there? When the opportunity to give finally does show up, will they be a cheerful giver? 

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!

If your name has been erased from the ledgers of Hell because Jesus Christ wiped it clean with His own blood…then give to the poor and needy.

But if you literally can’t, do whatever you can without sinning, to make it happen. Work hard, go beyond your comfort zone for the benefit of others, seeking every lawful opportunity to “make friends with unrighteous mammon” (Lk. 16:9) trusting that the Father who sees in secret, sees all of it. And do it all; the growing and the giving; quietly. Make no show or celebration about the amount you give, keep it a secret, even from yourself, by simply living how a Christian is supposed to live.

As we come to a close this morning, I'd like to bring in an example of a well-known hypocrite; Judas Iscariot. We read this in Jn. 12:3-8 → “Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. [4] But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot…said, [5] “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” [6] This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. [7] But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. [8] For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.””

Giving to the poor is how someone who loves God acts, yes, but in your giving, are you doing so to show off? Are you a hypocritical giver? Do you spend your money with the understanding that you are the only one in charge of it? Or that everything about your life is fully dependent on your bank account? If you don't, and you really do put an envelope in the basket every week, with more money than you feel comfortable with, are you doing so because you want people to glorify you? Or because you want God to be glorified?

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I pray that the relationship between your heart and your wallet has been made as clear as possible. If it hasn’t yet, you should understand that when Christ returns to Earth; when the sky is torn asunder by Him as He wears a bloodsoaked robe, and stands ready to make war upon the World…

He is going to talk to you about

how you spent your money. 

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. [32] All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. [33] And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. [34] Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: [35] for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; [36] I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ [37] “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? [38] When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? [39] Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ [40] And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ [41] “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: [42] for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; [43] I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ [44] “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ [45] Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ [46] And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Mt. 25:31-46)

Give to the poor and needy around you, children of God, not because it makes you righteous, but because you have already been made righteous. 

Rev. Jacob Marchitell

October 25th 2026