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How Do Christians Spend Time With God?
Bible Study on spending time with God.

Technically, everyone spends one hundred percent of their time with God because God is everywhere and knows everything. But you understand that I am talking about spending time in devotion and service to God.

Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is going to church. This is one of the best ways to spend time in devotion and service to God. While assembled with the saints we sing, pray, study, give, and partake of the Lord's Supper. Singing, praying, studying, and giving (personally, apart from giving to the church treasury) are additionally done outside of the assembly. But giving, as commanded in the church, and partaking of the Lord's Supper are done in the assembly. Although we do these things together, we do them individually to the Lord. So, just because we show up at the assembly does not mean that we have worshipped God.

Besides worship, we gather for another reason. In Hebrews 10:24-27 we read: "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgement, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries."

In addition to worshipping God in the assembly, we also exhort one another to love and good works so that we do not sin. If we come together and leave without encouraging and uplifting one another to live in service to God, we have failed in assembling. And notice in Hebrews 10:24 that we do not assemble for selfish reason (considering ourselves), but we assemble considering one another. We assemble because of everyone else, and everyone has assembled because of me. So, if we wake up and do not feel like assembling or think we will not get anything from assembling, just remember that God wants us there for each other apart from self benefit.

The Bible records more about giving in Paul's commands and admonitions to the Corinthians than anywhere else in the New Testament. The command is given in I Corinthians 16:1-2 and Paul say: "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches in Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come." The command is to give, the day on which to give, and that the giving should be done in a manner so that it would be collected and ready for Paul's visit.

About a year later, Paul writes again and exhorts the Corinthians in Second Corinthians chapters eight through nine to finish that which they had desired - collect funds to be given to needy Judean saints. Notice that the principle of tithing is not taught to Christians anywhere in the New Testament. Tithing was a command to the Israelites and is referred to seven times in the New Testament only in relationship to Old Testament dispensational laws.

To the Corinthians, Paul does not teach tithing, but he teaches giving as something that is purposed and accomplished from the heart. This is completely different from Old Testament practices. In the Old Testament, tithing was a small part of the giving required by God. They also were required to leave fields ungleaned so that the poor would have food. And, during the Year of Jubilee they were required to give back, to the original owner, some things they had purchased since the last Year of Jubilee (Lev. 27:24). So, giving in the Old Testament was much more involved that just tithing ten percent. There were many more Old Testament Laws concerning giving than the few mentioned here. If you take all of the laws combined, the poorest gave ten percent and the richest could easily give upwards of fifty percent. If anything, this is what we learn from the Old Testament - the least ever required by God has been ten percent, but from the rich he expects more. Now, which of us living in this country are not rich? Are not the poor of this country rich compared to absolute poverty around the world?

What did Paul say about giving in his second epistle to the Corinthians? In II Corinthians 8:1-15 Paul refers to the example of the Macedonians and Jesus who voluntarily put themselves into poverty so that others may be rich. The Macedonians gave to their ability and even beyond their ability so that needy saints may become rich. Jesus was rich as Deity - the Son of God - but became poor so that we could become rich in eternal life. In my next article, Lord willing, we will discuss the proper attitude in giving from II Corinthians chapters eight through nine. In the mean time, think about your giving to the Lord. It is evident that we can give too little, but when have we given too much?

How does one spend time in devotion and service to God by giving? By giving, we turn all our financial efforts into service and devotion toward God because we are constantly working in service to Him - if not to give into the church treasury, then to provide for our families (I Tim. 5:8) or to have financial ability so that we can give to others who are in need (Eph. 4:28; I Tim. 6:17-19). What better way to work by the sweat of our brow each day than in service and devotion to God?