The Three Tests of a True Christian

Posted on June 4, 2013 by PS

Have you ever debated whether someone you know is a true Christian or not?  You might argue that s/he has a strange belief or does a potentially immoral practice.  In the end, only God knows, but that doesn’t mean that the He doesn’t provide guidance on what defines a Christian.  2 Corinthians 13 tells us to “examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves”, so test your own life before considering your neighbors’.

In Matthew 7, Jesus tells His audience that not everyone who calls Him “Lord, Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven.  He goes on to say that those who hear and what He says are wise and build their life on a rock.  The book of first John gives us more specific guidance on what makes a true Christian and includes three tests – the theological test, the moral test and the test of the Spirit.

The theological test is a test of belief or correct doctrine.  1 John requires us to believe that Jesus is the Christ (2:22), that He is God (or more specifically the Son of God) (4:15, 5:5, 10), that He came in the flesh as a man (4:2) and that the Father sent His only Son to make propitiation for our sins (9-10).

The moral test is a screen for our behavior.  1 John 3:6-10 requires us to stop sinning and practice righteousness.  He tells us to keep God’s commandments (3:24a) and goes on to repeatedly emphasize loving our neighbor (3:10, 4:7-8, 16, 19-21).

The last of John’s tests is the Spirit’s witness within our heart (3:24, 4:13).  He is the one who allows us to hear and obey the truth (2:20, 4:6).

Where do you stand with the three tests?  Is your doctrine correct?  Are you living out God’s commands?  Do you have the testimony of the Spirit affirming that you’re in the family of God?  If you fail any of these tests, you must seek to know God has He’s revealed Himself in the Scripture, seek His help to obey His commandments though trusting in Jesus to keep them perfectly and call to God for His’ Spirit to confirm that you’ve been born again.

Source: Grounded in the Gospel (Chapter 6) by JI Packer

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Order of Redemption – Part 2

Posted on June 1, 2013 by PS

This article is the second part of John Murray’s order of redemption continuing with sanctification and concluding with glorification.  As a refresher, the order follows these eight steps.  The concept of union with Christ is covered as a bonus at the end.

Effectual calling -> regeneration -> faith / repentance -> justification -> adoption -> sanctification -> perseverance -> glorification

5. Sanctification: the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.  The process begins with regeneration and is grounded in justification.  Its aim is to eliminate all sin and achieve complete conformity to the image of God’s Son in knowledge, righteousness and holiness.  Sanctification involves the concentration of thought, of interest, of heart, mind, will and purpose upon the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus and the engagement of our whole being with those means which God has instituted for the attainment of that destination.

  • Recognition of sin and conflict with it
    • Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? – Romans 7:24
    • I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes. – Job 42:5-6
  • Sin is not master of us
    • Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness… But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed,… But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. – Romans 6:12-13, 17, 22
  • Progressive maturation into Christ’s likeness
    • Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. – Philippians 2:12-13
    • And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. – Philippians 1:9-11

6. Perseverance: a guarantee that the persons given to Jesus shall continue in Him unto death and cannot be snatched away.

  • and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. – Matthew 10:22
  • All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. or I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. – John 6:37-39
  • I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”- John 10:28-30
  •  In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. – Ephesians 1:13-14

7. Glorification (immortality): it is the attainment of the goal to which the elect of God were predestined in the eternal purpose of the Father and it the consummation of the redemption secured and procured by the vicarious work of Christ.  It occurs at the resurrection of the body, which produces the complete and final restoration of human nature (body and spirit) in conformity to the image of the risen, exalted and glorified Redeemer’s glorified human nature.  It will be an instantaneous change that will take place to the whole company of the redeemed when Christ comes again the second time and will descend from heaven with a shout of triumph over the last enemy bringing the realization of God’s redemptive plan.

  • But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. – Philippians 3:20-21
  • When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality – 1 Corinthians 15:54a
  • even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—  and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus – Ephesians 2:5-6
  • and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. – Romans 8:17

Bonus topic – Union with Christ: it is the application of the efficacy of His death and in the virtue of His resurrection leading to a deliverance from the power of sin.  Union occurs at our calling and binds us to the efficacy and virtue by which we are sanctified with the ultimate fruition as glorification as Sons of God.  We are “in Christ”:

  • Elected:  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him… In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace – Ephesians 1:3-4, 7
  • Redeemed in death and resurrection:  But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,- Ephesians 2:4-6
  • Created anew: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:10
  • Christian life: I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge – 1 Corinthians 1:4-5
  • Dead: For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. – 1 Thessalonians 4:16
  • Glorified: For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. – 1 Corinthians 15:22
  • Analogies that illustrate our relationship to being ‘in Him’: building stones and corners tone (Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:4-5), Adam and humanity (Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:19-49), husband and wife (Ephesians 5:22-33), head and other members of body (Ephesians 4:15-16), vine and branches (John 15) and members of the Trinity (John 14:23; 17:21-23)
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Order of Redemption – Part 1

Posted on May 30, 2013 by PS

The process through which God saves His people, brings them into His family and conforms them to His image is known as the order of redemption.  The beginning through the end of redemption is seen in this passage from Romans 8, but with the key ‘milestones’ of calling, justification and glorification, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” (28-30).  According to John Murray, author of Redemption Accomplished and Applied, redemption consists of eight ‘steps’ in the following order:

Effectual calling -> regeneration -> faith / repentance -> justification -> adoption -> sanctification -> perseverance -> glorification

This article explains the first five (calling through adoption) based on Murray’s work with the associated Biblical references.

1. Effectual calling: the sovereign act of God’s grace and power addressed to our conscience, whereby we are given a high, holy and heavenly summons to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the Gospel

  • For many are called, but few are chosen. – Matthew 22:14
  • God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. – 1 Corinthians 1:9
  • Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. – 2 Peter 1:10
  • Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, – 2 Timothy 1:8-9
  • I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called – Ephesians 4:1

2. Regeneration: an inward act of God’s grace that enables us to yield to God’s call with the appropriate and necessary response.  It is an act of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which renews our hearts and minds after the image of God (in faith and repentance, love and obedience) and delivers us from the defilement (power) of sin

  • Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” – John 3:3-8
  • Also see John 6:44-65

3. Faith/repentance (conversion): our response to God’s call enabled by His regeneration. It’s the fusion of knowledge, conviction and trust. Faith is knowledge passing into conviction and is conviction passing into confidence (see more about the components of faith). It is entrusting ourselves to Him and is inseparably bound to repentance and together result in conversion

  • Knowledge: We don’t trust a person of whom we know nothing. We must know who Christ is, what He has done, and what He is able to do… Otherwise faith would be blind conjecture at the best and foolish mockery at the worst. There must be apprehension of the truth of Christ. (Romans 10:17)
  • Conviction: Faith is not only an assent to the truth respecting Christ but also a recognition of the exact correspondence that there is between the truth of Christ and our deeds as lost sinners…It is conviction registers the verdict that Christ is exactly suited to all that I am in my sin and misery and to all that I should aspire to be by God’s grace
  • Trust: Faith cannot stop short of self-commitment of Christ, a transference of reliance upon ourselves and all human resources to reliance upon Christ alone for salvation. It is receiving and resting upon Him.
  • See the repent and believe verses such as Mark 1:15 along with Ephesians 2:8 and Hebrews 11

4. Justification: our legal acceptance before God as righteous as a result of faith.  An act of God’s free grace, wherein he pardons all our sins, and accepts us as righteous in His sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.

5. Adoption: a (legal) act of God’s free grace as a consequence of regeneration, where we are transferred from an enemy of God to His family with the right to all the associated privileges

  • But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.  – John 1:12-23
  • For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”  The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. – Romans 8:14-17
  • And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. – Galatians 4:6-7
  • See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.  – 1 John 3:1

The second part of this article covers sanctification through glorification.

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Complete Gospel

Posted on May 16, 2013 by PS

The Purtians maintained a robust, analytical and comprehensive understanding of the Gospel that covers a wider view of the doctrine of redemption that most of today’s Gospel presentations.  They went beyond today’s focus on sin and forgiveness and considered the roles of the persons of the Trinity, the nature of the law as a guide to sin and the destiny of the lost.  JI Packer describes their approach as, “preaching ‘Gospel sermons’ meant teaching the whole Christian system – the character of God, the Trinity, the plan of salvation, the entire work of grace….the good news of a restored relationship with God through Christ cannot be understood further than it is seen in a comprehensive context.”  Compare the three summaries from Thomas Manton, Thomas Goodwin and John Owen to what we hear taught from our pulpits.

Thomas Manton
All who, by true repentance and faith, do forsake the flesh, the world, and the devil, and give themselves up to God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as their creator, redeemer, and sanctifier, shall find God as a father, taking them for His reconciled children, and for Christ’s sake pardoning their sin, and by His Spirit giving them His grace; and, if they persevere in this course, will finally glorify them, and bestow upon them everlasting happiness; but will condemn the unbelievers, impenitent, and ungody to everlasting judgment.

Thomas Goodwin
The first part God the Father had the chiefest hand in, who drew the platform of this great work, contrived it, made the motion first to His Son…The second, God the Son, when He came down and took flesh and…transacted the redemption of the world according to that draft.  And after Him, came the Spirit, to apply what He had done, and all the benefits of it.

John Owen
The Gospel promises are: 1) the free and gracious dispensations; and 2) discoveries of God’s good-will and love to 3) sinners 4) through Christ; 5) in a covenant of grace; 6) wherein, upon His truth and faithfulness, He engaged Himself to be their God, to give His son to them, and for them, and His Holy Spirit to abide with them, with all things that are either required in them, or are necessary for them, to make them accepted before Him, and to bring them to an enjoyment of Him.

Quotes from JI Packer (A Quest for Godliness)

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Ten Steps to Repentance from Sin – Zachary Crofton

Posted on May 13, 2013 by PS

Zachary Crofton, a 17th century Puritan minister, provides ten steps for those who want to repent of their sin and turn to God:

  1. Sit with care, constancy and conscience under the word of truth and gospel of grace
  2. Study the nature of God…acquaint yourself with His attributes – His holiness, power, justice, mercy, etc.  Your souls will never be drawn from sin, or driven into a course of true repentance until God becomes your dread
  3. Sit close to the work of self-scrutiny…The worst of men, by a short conference with their own soul, would see the necessity of repentance
  4. Hold the world loosely…those who are truly repentant are pilgrims on earth
  5. See the brevity of life…Hopes of a long life, and thoughts of repenting later in life, help many a soul to hell
  6. Seriously expect approaching judgment
  7. Seriously apprehend the possibility…of pardon…it is a certainty if received with a prostrate soul, and asked for by serious repentance
  8. Soak the heart in the blood of Jesus – take every turn of meditation to daily contemplate the cross of Christ
  9. Speed will facilitate repentance – Linger not in what you will give up; for the longer you linger, the harder it will become
  10. Plead earnestly for repentance at the hands of God

“We sinners cannot change our own hearts, but we can employ means of grace (e.g., spiritual disciplines) through which God changes the heart.  A new penitent habit of heart will be proof positive that in and through Christ you have passed from death to life.” – JI Packer

Source: JI Packer (A Quest for Godliness)

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The Savior – Prayer

Posted on May 10, 2013 by PS

God of all grace,
You have give me a Savior
produce in me a faith to live by Him,
to make him all my desire, all my hope, all my glory.

May I enter Him as my refuge,
build on Him as my foundation,
walk in Him as my way,
follow Him as my guide,
conform to Him as my example,
receive His instructions as my prophet,
rely on Him intercession as my high priest,
obey Him as my king.

My I never be ashamed of Him or His words,
but joyfully bear His reproach,
never count it a glory if I take it patiently,
when buffeted for a fault,
never make the multitude my model,
never delay when Your Word invites me to advance.

May Your dear Son preserve me from this present evil world,
so that its smile never allure,
nor its frowns terrify,
nor its vices defile,
nor its errors delude me.

May I feel that I am a stranger and a pilgrim on earth,
declaring plainly that I seek a country,
my title to it becoming daily more clear,
my meetness for it more perfect,
my foretastes of it more abundant;
and whatsoever I do may it be done in the Savior’s name.

– Valley of Vision

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Balance Beam Illustration – Francis Chan

Posted on May 7, 2013 by PS

Francis Chan uses a judge scoring a balance beam routine as an illustration of our life being judged by God.  His point is that if we life safe little lives and never take any risks to serve God, we will not be judged to have a well lived and faithful life.

This is Chan’s most viewed video on YouTube

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Brief Summary of Muslim Beliefs

Posted on May 4, 2013 by PS

Here’s a brief summary of Islamic beliefs with specific attention to how they related to Christianity to help you understand the points of similarity and difference between the two religions.  The references in the parentheses are passages in the Qu’ran.

Muslims believe that there is one God, Allah (the word for God in Arabic), who is merciful (16:18).  Oneness and mercy are the two distinguishing attributes of him.  Allah created man good and uncorrupted, but not in his own image (42:11) because he is too completely transcendent to share any attributes with his creatures. Creation serves as a proof of his existence (2:164, 3:190). Through the prophets Noah, Abraham (3:67), Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David and John among others (4:163), he gives a law to submit to, but we forget to follow it.  Islam accepts that the Torah (tawrat) was revealed through Moses (3:93, 6:154) and provides guidance (6:91), that the Psalms (zabur) were given through David (4:163, 17:55, 21:105) and that the Gospel (injil) revealed by Jesus.  They argue that these documents were corrupted by the Jews.

Muslim scripture, the Qur’an, was written by Mohammad in Arabic through supposed direct revelation (dictation) from God.  They consider the book to be a miracle because of its unmatched Arabic literary quality.  Mohammad was born in 570 AD, died in 632 and received his first revelation in 610.  He moved to Medina in a journey known as the hijrah in 622 and this year marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar.  He is believe to be the last prophet of Allah (33:40) and brought the Qur’an to all people (2:176, 5:19). The Qur’an is a collection of revelations from God to Mohammed and consists of 114 surahs (chapters) from longest to shortest (rather than in chronological order).  The first surah (al-Fatiha) is a summary of Islam and consider the greatest.  The Qur’an confirms confirms (yusaddiqu) (2:91, 3:3, 81; 4:47) and explains (yufassilu) the Torah and Gospel (6:114, 10:37; 12:111), but supersedes (muhaymin) them (5:48).  The Qur’an is only Allah’s word in Arabic (12:2, 20:113, 39:28, 41:2-3, 42:7), but is seen as the message to all nations (21:107, 38:87, 68:52, 81:27).  Muslims are witnesses of the truth of God to the world (2:143, 22:78).  There is also a second set of scriptures that they use to drive their beliefs called the Hadith.  The Hadith is narrative teaching and practice of Mohammad compiled by his followers.  Many Muslim laws are derived from following the pattern of Mohammed’s life rather than from the Qur’an itself.

The law is central to Islam and everyone is to submit to Allah’s rule.  The word Islam itself means submission.  Muslims hold that Allah is merciful and forgives us if we repent (4:110, 5:39), believe in him and do good works.  The good works of  prayer, fasting, alms giving (zakat), and pilgrimage (hajj), (4:122; 5:9, 93) form four of the five pillars of the religion with the declaration of faith (shahada) being the fifth. People are directly accountable their own actions and no one, such as Jesus, can intercede in our place as a mediator (1:48, 123; 17:15).  People can make up for bad deeds with good ones (11:114).  Allah’s nature allows him to forgive sins directly without punishment or justice for breaking his law and he has mercy on whom he wills (2:284, 3:74, 135, 193; 5:41).  The atonement provided by the cross is therefore unnecessary.

Jesus is held in highest regard in Islam, and is second only to Mohammad, yet was merely a special prophet/messenger (4:171, 5:74) among many prophets who proclaimed Allah’s law throughout history.  Though they believe that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary (3:39, 47) and lived a sinless life, they do not believe that He is not the Son of God because Allah cannot have children (3:62, 4:171), nor can God take on human flesh because he would never lower himself in that manner. Jesus was created with the same nature as Adam (3:59) and isn’t eternal (3:59). He slept and needed to eat, neither of which would be needed of God.  Allah is one being and does not have ‘partners’ (5:72-73), so the idea of ascribing the Son and Spirit (or Mary as some Muslims think Christians believe) as  ‘partners’ to God (the Trinity) is the highest heresy (4:48, 115-116; 5:72-73).  They think Jesus’ Gospel message (5:46) was about submission to Allah and was consistent with what the previous prophets taught.  His message was proclaimed to Israel only (3:48-57), but the disciples corrupted it.  Jesus didn’t die on a cross (4:157); instead someone who looked like Jesus was crucified in his place. He ascended to heaven without dying (4:158).  They expect him to return to judge those who made Him a partner with God (4:159).

People will receive their due wages on the Day of Resurrection (3:185). Paradise is the reward for those who do righteous deeds (sawab, 3:136, 198; 4:57). Hell (a torment of fire) is the destiny of those who don’t believe (3:191, 4:14) or obtain enough sawab. Muslims have no assurance of whether they’ll go to heaven or hell after they die.

If you’d like to learn more, listen to this 15 minute Islam 101 discussion from Desiring God or read The Prophet and the Messiah by Chawkat Moucarty, which much of this post is based on.  For the best doctrine-by-doctrine comparison of Islam and Christianity see Rick Brown’s article Muslim Worldview and the Bible.  Additional helpful articles can be found in the International Journal of Frontier Missions.

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The Earth Stood Still – Video and Lyrics

Posted on April 25, 2013 by PS

This is a beautiful song about the incarnation.  The lyrics are below and the video is from Harvest Bible Chapel though the original song is from Future of Forestry.

A teenage girl and her soon-to-be.
A simple trip far as they could see.
The sky was clear and the hour serene.
But did they know what the night would bring.

Lonely hearts strung across the land
They’ve been waiting long for a healing hand.
My heart was there and I felt the chill
Love came down and the earth stood still
Love came down and the earth stood still

Shepherds stirred under starry skies
Tasting grace that would change their lives
The angels trembled and the demons did too
For they knew very well what pure grace would do.

The hope of the world and a baby boy.
I remember Him well like I was there that night.
My heart was there and I felt the chill.
Love came down and the earth stood still
Love came down and the earth stood still
Love came down and the earth stood still

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On Wealth and Worry – Blomberg

Posted on April 23, 2013 by PS

In his article On Wealth and Worry, Craig Blomberg explains Jesus’ teaching on money from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6).  The whole paper is worth reading, but the summary at the end is particularly helpful.  Blomberg’s analysis about money is captured as follows:

A major barometer of spiritual maturity and obedience involves one’s financial priorities. Careful scrutiny of a person’s checkbook ledger may be more telling than various outward forms of piety, if one is trying to determine who is truly committed to Christ. Matthew 6:24 suggests that materialism may be one of the greatest competitors with God for human allegiance. A. Kodjak elaborates persuasively: mammon “is the most direct channel for self-assertion, the establishment of security, the acquisition of a sense of superiority over other mortals, and thus the presumed removal of the curse of mortality.” Second, it has a lasting power outliving the one who accumulated it and thus functions as a “surrogate immortality.”

…The mentality which promises God a certain percentage and then assumes one is free to do whatever one wants with the rest is seriously misguided. We need to recover a sense of “whole-life stewardship.” Scripture never mandates a tithe (or any other percentage of giving) for the NT age (i.e., after Jesus’ death and resurrection), but it does call believers to give generously and sacrificially, which for most everyone in the middle-class or above surely ought to suggest ten percent as a bare minimum. Most should seriously consider giving far more either to churches or to other Christian organizations and individuals. The concept of a graduated tithe seems to fit well with Paul’s understanding of believers’ responsibilities in 1 Cor 16:2 and 2 Cor 8:12-13. In other words, the more money one makes, the higher percentage one would give away.

If this is a topic that interests you, Blomberg’s book Neither Poverty Nor Riches expands on the topic by surveying all of the verses in Scripture on wealth.  Also, read about other articles about Christian giving.

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