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                                                                                       Tithing

 

 

 

Teaching post from the Elder Rev. Simon Kidd the chief Elder for all nations as of 2026 the old Church of God ordains a Elder for life  as lone as they are called an Elder as the Bible says they are.

 

This biblical truth one has to recap  and read over and over to get it clear as to how many can be fooled into thinking the tithe is for us today.

 

The truth is it was never money at all. so God made it so men could not turn His work on earth in to a money making thing and still be doing His work.

 

The Tithe was a law in the Old Covenant that fed the Priesthood at the Temple !!!! Read about it in the scripture. Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are divinely inspired, verbally and completely inerrant in the original writings and of supreme and final authority in all matters of faith and life. We recognize the value of traditional Jewish literature, but only where it is supported by or conformable to the Word of God. We regard it as in no way binding upon life or faith.

 

Read about it here. It was only food, not money! “ Note” It is a great thing when people help their church. Tithe as Food? Lev 27:30-32 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s. It is holy to the Lord. If a man wants at all to redeem any of his tithes, he shall add one-fifth to it. And concerning the tithe of the herd or the flock, of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the Lord. Workers never paid any such thing as a Tithe.

 

 

Only Land holders. In the Old Testament, Israel was required to give a tenth of either the animals or the fruit of the land. Not the money they had, not the money they made.

 

They were not to give anything from their other possessions or from any other form of wealth. To keep up the Priest Hood. God would neither accept money nor goods. Learning the truth about why this is important will help you understand what giving means to God. My hope is that you will be rewarded with understanding once you complete the reading of the scripture for yourselves.. You will find that the law about the tithe was not given to the Called Shepherds of the New Covenant , God says He would call them like this and they would not be the same Priest hood, called like this Jer. 3:15-16- Rom. 10:14-16. The tithe wasn’t directed at New Covenant believers. Giving was to be from our hearts and where God sees us in the giving of Alms

 

The Heart of the Giver: It is not just about the amount, but a sacrifice made in love without expecting repayment . It should be done in secret to avoid public praise, as noted in Matthew 6:2-4

 

The Greek word translated alms in the New Testament originally meant mercy or kindness, then came to represent the kind deeds caused by mercy and kindness. So it came to mean charitable giving to the poor -- or giving motivated by love. Many times this word is translated as "charitable deed." Alms are not offerings to worship God, or support His ministers. Alms are charitable deeds -- gifts to the poor and needy. Helping people who are in trouble. Alms are important to God.

 

They are an act of love. We are not made right with God by giving, or any works we do, but only through what Jesus did for us.

 

But as children of God we should help care for others who God also loves. SAY THIS: Alms are gifts of love to help people in trouble. A "Cheerful Giver": St. Paul emphasizes that giving should be voluntary and not out of reluctance or pressure,, as God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7). Proper Motivation: Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for giving alms while neglecting justice and the love of God (Luke 11:42), highlighting that outward giving must match inward righteousness, says We are Christians. We live after the Cross. We are not Jews under the Mosaic Law.

 

The Jews would laugh at us for even reading the Law. We were not invited. We were outsiders. They viewed non-Jews, Gentiles, as pigs and dogs who were unworthy of Law observance (see Ephesians 2:12, Matthew 7:6). What’s more, if someone wants to use the Law to establish a number to give, there were three types of tithing not just one, which equaled close to 23%, not simply 10% (see Numbers 18:21-26, Deuteronomy 14:22-27, 14:28-29).

 

 

Tithing was, and is, a matter of the old Law. The Law is not still in full force for unbelievers, and not for believers (see Matthew 5:17-19, 1 Timothy 1:6-11). Human Kind and Christians are not under the Law because the New Covenant has come to our world, we who do believe in Jesus (see Galatians 2:19, 3:12, Romans 6:14, 7:4). Are not the on;ly ones set free in the Savior who is Jesus . There are only two mentions of the tithe in the New Testament.

 

 

Neither are commanding a Christian to give 10% nor an offering above a mandated 10%. Here are both: Please take the time and read them. Luke 11:42, Matthew 23:23. This is the same event written through the perspective of two different people. Both Luke and Matt are referring to food, not money for a church.

 

The first church building wasn’t even erected until approximately 200 years after Christ. So “giving to your church, and/or ministry of choice” is off base. In these passages, Jesus is chewing out self-righteous Pharisees for neglecting weightier matters of the Law. What does that tell us? Tithing is included with the Mosaic Law. And again, Christians are not under the Law (see passages from above, as well as 2 Corinthians 3). This is before the Cross and Jesus is speaking to Jews under the Law.

 

This is not a commandment for a Christian to tithe. We cannot use this passage for such because such is not the context. Start from the beginning of the chapter, read down, and it’s clear to see who Jesus is barking at–legalists who say, “Look at how much I give.” Hebrews 7. Abraham is mentioned tithing a tenth of his spoils of war to a priest named Melchizedek, who appeared before the Law was established

 

This is not cash, check, or credit to a church, but booty from a plunder. It’s people’s stuff Abraham took after a battle, not food, not money. Melchizedek was an early appearance of Christ in the Old Testament, more than likely (see Genesis 14). This chapter, Hebrews 7, is saying Jesus is greater than the Levites because the Levitical priests came from Levi, and Levi came from the loins of Abraham. Abraham tithed Melchizedek, honoring him. Law, which is represented by Levi, honored grace by honoring Melchizedek with the tithe. Jesus is grace (see John 1:17).

 

Grace is represented in this mystery priest because he had no human lineage like Abraham did. Therefore the New Covenant is greater than the Old Covenant. Grace is greater than Law. Read all of Hebrews 7 to see this. Hebrews is written to the Jews–the Hebrews–not us Gentiles, like the other letters such as Ephesians, Romans, Corinthians, Colossians, and more. Gentiles were never given the Law, so the author of this book never had to unsell us from what was established in the Torah, the first five books of the Bible. The Jews were stuck on what Moses wrote and refused to believe in Christ as Messiah.

 

This chapter has nothing to do with a Christian tithing. It’s a comparison for the Hebrew people to see Jesus as the greatest person ever. Why? So they would repent from believing in all of their religious patriarchs and turn to believing in Christ the Savior. So, that’s it. No more references of tithing in the entire New Testament. Don’t you think that if tithing was so important,

 

Paul, James, John, Peter, Jude–any apostle–would have mentioned it when writing their epistles? Yet it is completely absent. Am I saying don’t tithe? No, that’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying let’s not put a number on our giving. Let’s remove the word tithe because that’s a number and God isn’t looking for a number. Give, don’t tithe. Our churches will survive and they’ll survive for the right reasons. I’m saying what Paul said, “Give freely, from the heart, not under pressure” (see 2 Corinthians 9:7). The tithing pressure doesn’t work anyway. It only creates fear and anxiety, or hypocrisy, none of which are from God.

 

 

 

The reality is, most don’t tithe and those who give don’t give a full 10% I’ve also heard, “The tithe is just the beginning for New Covenant believers, we are to give more than 10%.” This is not true. Such would make the New Covenant more stringent than the Old, which had 613 regulations to follow in order to be blessed perfectly (see Deuteronomy 4:2, Matthew 5:48).

 

We can’t do this. That is, make Christ a slot machine by creating New Covenant Law. And is only done by evil men out to make the bucks and live large on the Saved People. Friends, we don’t give up. We don’t give to be blessed. We don’t give because a really good salesman on stage says God will give us a promised return on our investment.

 

We don’t give because a person is going crazy on stage either, sweating profusely, or telling us about their success from giving..

 

God isn’t pleased with them. His blessings can’t be bought. Nor do we give because the person up front is nice, gentle, and calm while explaining how God will give success back to you through your giving.

 

This creates just as much pressure as the guy with the sweat-rag. Some people deliver pressure in a berserk way, some in a smooth way, some in a funny and entertaining way, and others in a passive-aggressive way. It’s all pressure the same. Pressure is a red flag for Christians to pause. It was for freedom that Christ set us free and pressure took our freedom away, momentarily, in our minds (see John 8:36, Galatians 5:1). One last thing. Tithing does not break any curses.

 

That threat by pastors must stop. Tithing was a matter of the Law and Christ took on the full curse of the Law in Himself so that we believers could be free from any curses (see Galatians 3:10-13). Today the Saved , the true Children of God cannot be cursed. It’s impossible because of the Cross.

 

In fact, we’ve been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus (see Ephesians 1:3). So today, my friends know this: We give, not tithe, God forgiveness does make us give to the things He is doing, but because we are giving people at heart, because we have new hearts–hearts like God. By having the same heart of God we are natural givers because He is the greatest giver ever (see Ezekiel 36:26, Romans 6:6-10, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 2 Peter 1:4, John 3:16).

 

When you hear these words, “You can’t afford not to tithe!” There should be a ring in your head. Something is off here.

 

 

Because , This is a lie from someone who sees God as a graceless, merciless, two-faced, give-to-get deity. They most likely live the life of Got not give. Even if they won’t admit it, this is how they’re painting our Heavenly Father A God under them , not over them.. It’s lies like these which confuse a lot of Christians, and plainly stated, makes the world hate us even more when we try to help others, most think we are just out to put on a show. It’s not the gospel to put on a show to get one’s name in the news..

 

It’s not Jesus. It’s aggressive, pressure-filled, twisted garbage–no different than pagan tribal religions. It’s just plain wrong but it’s coming from self-proclaimed Christians. I’m not saying they aren’t Christians, I’m saying their theology isn’t biblical. The truth is, tithing was grain, not cash for church members, in the passage from Malachi 3. Yes, the tithe was more than simply grain, it was animals and spices too, but in Malachi 3, grain is the context.

 

 

That’s why it says storehouse as this is where grain was stored. Also in Malachi 3, the floodgates being opened was rain for crops, not financial success. That’s why it says there will be no room to store it. Store what? Grain. Grain needs water. God provides rain.

 

 

Floodgates for rain come from the sky. God controls the sky, and rain. Therefore, give your grain to the Levites and stop robbing God. This go-to chapter for the “tithing principle” was about storing grain so the Levitical priests could have food.

 

They weren’t allowed to work so this was how they ate. People tithed food to the priests from the tribe of Levi. Malachi was delivering God’s message to Jewish people who were struggling with greediness. The concept of "robbing God" in Malachi 3:10 refers to withholding this food from the storehouse, resulting in the Levites having no food. It was not ever so the Clergy could have a bank account. Biblical tithing was primarily an agricultural system of food (crops and livestock) given by ancient Israelites to support the Levites, the poor, and for religious festivals. It was not a 10% cash income. In fact the poor and those who just worked for a living never paid a Tithe at all.

 

Now a recap- Read this for yourselves. Once we read what the Bible says about tithing for ourselves, there’s no denying the facts: Tithing was a temple ordinance of the Mosaic Law to the people of Israel, not a mandate to the Christian Church.

 

                                                         Tithing wasn’t money, but food and animals from the land of Israel.

 

Tithing was separate from the first fruit offering, which also wasn’t money, and was a very small basket of food or the firstborn of one’s flock.

 

 

 

The poor, the widowed, the orphaned, the foreigner, and the non-landowner were exempt from the tithing ordinance, and the poor were actually supported by the tithe as well as gleaning laws. Whenever Jesus did talk about money, it was to condemn and rebuke the Pharisees and the money changers at the temple for financially exploiting the poor and the widowed, and to urge His disciples to sell all their possessions and give everything to the poor. While abusive churches twist passages from the Bible out of their context to manipulate and coerce Christians into donating more, it is not God’s will that they do this. A plain and contextual reading of Scripture reveals that God provides for and protects the poor, while the Pharisees, the money changers, and the abusive shepherds of Israel exploited, extorted, and devoured them. Jesus tells them this is not what God has said..

 

When it comes to their teachings on tithing and money, most of our local churches in America today resemble the abusive, exploitative behavior of the Pharisees, not Jesus Christ. The Lord does not want the church to have something for sale all the time . We shouldn’t be using the story of the Widow’s Offering to take a poor Christian’s last two dollars

 

. And we should tell all who are there to read 1 Timothy 5:5-8 and that it is the will of God that we take care of our own homes first under the All Christian and all New Covenant Jesus condemned the Pharisees for devouring widows’ houses.

 

I think we ought to do the same. So check your churches, dear Christians. Don’t contribute to the exploitation of the poor by regurgitating the lies our churches have brainwashed us with about tithing and money. Examine everything your church teaches, confront the lies, and tell the truth about tithing. AGAIN READ ABOUT Tithing This was an Old Testament concept. The tithe (or tenth) was a requirement of the law in which the Israelites were to give 10 percent of the crops they grew and the livestock they raised to the tabernacle/temple (Leviticus 27:30; Numbers 18:26; Deuteronomy 14:24; 2 Chronicles 31:5). If God wanted it to be so under the all Chrisian and all New Covenant we can be sure He would have told us so.

 

The Old Testament law required Israelites to tithe at different times and for various purposes—to support the Levites (Numbers 18:21, 24), to celebrate the feasts (Deuteronomy 14:22–27), they have all been fulfilled as well and He has said and to care for the poor of the land (Deuteronomy 14:28–29). Some understand the Old Testament tithe as a method of support to provide for the needs of the priests and Levites but some do not . The truth is, we have no such Priesthood today. Jesus Christ fulfilled the Mosaic Law. It is no more in the church work on this earth today. And the laws are now in the hearts of the saved people of God.

 

We have a new Priesthood. New Order. Jesus is that Order. John 3:16- Acts 4:12 It is easy to read this for yourselves. Jesus Christ fulfilled the Mosaic Law.

 

The shadow of the ceremonial system was completed in Him. The temple was no longer needed for worship. Instead, “the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4:23). Collectively, all who put their faith in Christ make up the New Covenant all Christian church, which was instituted . The church is both global and uniquely expressed in local gatherings of believers. As part of the Mosaic Law, the tithe ended with the fulfilling of the law. New Testament believers are not mandated to give 10 percent to feed the Preacher or the New Covenant Clergy. , but we are still called to financially participate in the work of the church and to care for those who spiritually care for us. First Corinthians 9:13–14 explains, “Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.” First Timothy 5:17–18 says this, but it is not talking about making the preacher a money man. “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.

 

 

 

But then do not do this for money. But no truly called Elder will take a Tithe of the People. For Scripture says, ‘Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,’ and ‘The worker deserves his wages.’” Our giving is also intended to support the work of missions (Philippians 4:10–19) and help those in need (2 Corinthians 8; 1 Timothy 5:3). Unfortunately, I would argue most Christians don’t know the basics about what the Bible teaches on tithing, freewill offerings, and Christian generosity because of the lies their churches have repeatedly taught them. I didn’t either until just a few years ago. While money is mentioned in the Bible, it was never part of the tithe, and it was used to support the Temple. This food tithe had it Purpose: The tithe was intended for the Levites (who did not have land), widows, orphans, and travelers. It was like this: The tithe consisted of grain, wine, oil, and livestock. Frequency: The tithe went to the temple every third year, not weekly. Law vs. Grace: The tithe was part of the Mosaic Law, which is not considered a mandate for the modern Christian Church, which emphasizes voluntary giving.

 

 

The Question was, Why don’t we emphasize tithing for today's church people.? The topic of tithing has gotten very much attention from our Readers . since it is often emphasized by churches across America and around the world so men can make money from God’s people. . What is surprising, however, is the fact God only had the tithe as food for the Priesthood to feed them, , people had money and the work of God on this earth at that time had a Treasure, and people gave money into it but it was not called a the tithe , only farmers gave this tithe and it was only taken up there near the Timple and placed in a Store house.

 

 

Facts are that the New Testament never requires us to give a tenth of our income as an offering to the Lord. You can look back for yourself. It just isn’t there. If tithing is so important why isn’t it mentioned several times in the New Testament? It is okay to give to your church but as an offering not tithing. Next question? Why is tithing not commanded in the New Testament?

 

The word “tithe” refers to a tenth of produce and livestock prescribed by the Old Covenant as the duty of every Hebrew to pay in order to support the Levite priesthood who were not permitted to earn wages; to pay for maintenance of the temple; and to provide sacrifices in worship. All these needs have been done away with under the New Covenant initiated by Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. All believers are priests because we are children of God by faith in Jesus Christ. Each believer is now the temple of God since God gives us the Holy Spirit to indwell us at the moment of regeneration.

 

There is no need to make sacrifices to cover our sin because through Christ’s one sacrifice of Himself all of our sins (past, present and future) are forgiven. Since the national system of worship in Israel is obsolete, the role of the tithe is ended. That is why the Bible does not require believers under the New Covenant to tithe. It’s just not there. (Eph. 3:12; I Cor. 6:19; Heb. 10:14) Next question?

 

 

What about the example of Abraham? The only other time “tithe” is referred to is the incident where Abraham paid a tenth of his goods to Melchizedek. However that was a one time gift Abraham gave of his own free will as a public act of thanksgiving for a military victory, not as an act of obedience to a command of God.

 

 

Furthermore, the fact that something was practiced before the Law does not make it a permanent command of God. If we use Abraham as an example for tithing then we need to follow him in other areas as well, such as circumcision and animal sacrifice. It’s funny that those last two areas are rarely mentioned along with tithing. (Gen. 14, 15 & 16) The real point of this incident as quoted in the New Testament is to show the supremacy of our priesthood in Christ represented by Melchizedek over the priesthood of Levi, a descendent of Abraham. (Hebrews 7:1-10) Next question? If we don’t have to tithe, why give at all? In other words, what is God’s pattern for giving under the New Covenant? The pattern is Jesus Christ Himself (2 Cor. 8:9). He walked as a living sacrifice in total dependency on the Father (Phil. 2:5-8).

 

What are we to do? The very same thing (2 Cor. 8:5; Romans 12:1-2). So then our giving of money is to be a natural overflow of God’s love in service to others as we are controlled by His Spirit. Can that be 10% of everything we make? Certainly, and perhaps more or less as God works in our hearts individually. That is the freedom we have in Christ. For your own study read 2 Corinthians 8 and 9. 2 Corinthians 9:8 “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

 

1. Tithing was a temple ordinance of the Mosaic Law for the people of Israel. No, it’s not the first ten percent of your income that goes to the local Christian church, and it’s not for “all believers” either. It was a temple ordinance, not a Christian ordinance, that originated in the Mosaic Law to be practiced by the people of Israel and no one else. (Deut. 1:1-3; Lev. 27:34; Neh. 10:28-29; Num. 18:25-26) 2. Tithing wasn’t money; it was food and animals grown and raised in the holy land of Israel. Tithing also wasn’t money.

 

 

 

Church leaders conveniently neglect this biblical fact when telling us it comes from money. It didn’t come from the Israelites' monetary salaries, and yes, they had them. God specifically instructed the Israelites to tithe from the increase of the holy land of Israel, and nothing else.

 

 

Of every description of the tithing ordinance in Scripture, not a single one describes tithing as money. It had to be taken from the increase of the holy land of Israel. (Deut. 12: 17; Num. 18:25-31; Neh. 10:37-39; Luke 11:42)

 

 

3. Tithing was separate from the first fruits offering and the freewill offerings. Not only is tithing not a Christian ordinance according to the Bible, nor is it money, it also wasn’t the first ten percent of the increase of the land of Israel either.

 

The first fruits of the Old Covenant between God and Israel were actually separate from the tithe and consisted of a small basket of produce or the firstborn of a herdsman’s flock in the land of Israel. It was not a part of the tithe and it was a very small portion, but just like the tithe, it wasn’t money either. It was food and animals from the land of Israel.

 

In the New Testament, the first fruits of the New Covenant are Jesus Christ Himself and the first believers. This should give you a good idea of what that means New Covenant tithing comprises. Here’s a hint: it’s about faith, not food, animals, money, or anything else. (Deut. 26:1-4; Lev. 23:17; Num. 18:13-17; 2 Chron. 31:5; 1 Cor. 15:20-23; ) 4.

 

Tithing was only to be given to the Levitical and Aaronic Priests of Israel.

 

 

Biblical tithing was specifically instructed by God to be given to the priests of the tribes of Levi and Aaron, and no one else. It was their inheritance from God. If anyone else received the tithe or even went near the tabernacle, they would be put to death. According to Scripture, no one except the Levitical and Aaronic priests can accept the tithe. For Christian pastors today to twist the tithing ordinance and take it for themselves is to twist God’s Law for dishonest financial gain.

 

 

This is the literal definition of fraud. (Numbers 18:20-22) 5. Only landowners and herdsmen that could afford the tithe were required to tithe. People of different vocations, such as carpenters, fishermen, tax collectors, and craftsmen were not required to tithe. Additionally, the poor, widowed, orphaned, and foreigners were exempt from the tithe. Instead,

 

God provided for the poor and supported them through tithing and gleaning laws. Biblical tithing was not for “all believers” in Israel, nor for all the citizens of Israel. It was strictly for herdsmen and farmers within the land of Israel with enough land and herds to tithe while still providing for their own families.

 

 

This excluded people without land and herds of animals, and the poor. In fact, not only were non-landowners, the poor, the widowed, the orphaned, and foreigners exempt from the tithing ordinance, but they received from the tithe and were further provided for by gleaning laws as well. The gleaning law allowed the poor to pick from the gleanings of anyone’s harvest in the land of Isreal. (Deuteronomy 24:19-21; 26:12; Lev. 23:22; Isaiah 52 & 55) It’s these last little-known facts about biblical tithing that brings us to the purpose of this post: Why Jesus didn’t tithe.

 

Why Jesus Didn’t Tithe Given the biblical definition and facts surrounding tithes and offerings, we know Jesus didn’t tithe. First, like His earthly father Joseph, Jesus was a carpenter. He was not a landowner with herds and crops.

 

Therefore, He literally couldn’t tithe according to Scripture. As we’ve already well-established, only herdsmen with the land and crops to tithe were required to tithe. Those of other trades didn’t tithe. (See #5 above) Second, just like His parents and most of His disciples, Jesus was also poor. Contrary to what most churches teach us, the poor, just as those of different trades without land and animals, were exempt from the tithing ordinance. In fact, as we’ve already established, the poor were supported by the tithe and the gleaning laws God established in the Mosaic Law.

 

How do we know Jesus was poor and therefore not only exempt from tithing but also supported by it? Jesus’ parents paid the smaller offering of the poor when He was born. (Luke 2:22-24; Lev. 14:21)

 

Jesus and His disciples benefited from the gleaning laws for the poor. If Jesus or His disciples weren’t really poor, they would have been stealing from the poor by gleaning.

 

 

The Pharisees scolded them for gleaning on the Sabbath, but not stealing from the poor.

 

Therefore, Jesus was poor and had the right to eat from the gleanings of anyone’s harvest in the land of Israel. (Deut. 24:19-21; Matt. 12:1-2; Mark 2:23-24; Luke 6:1-2) briefly reviewed them below: 1. Give To The Poor There are a plethora of Scriptures featuring Jesus’s heart for the poor, so let’s first go back to God’s book of wisdom. Proverbs 19:17 states,

 

 

“Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.” If this Scripture is true, which I believe it is, then any giving to the poor is merely a loan to God—and God never fails to make good on His promises. In Luke 12:33-34, Jesus says, “Sell your possessions and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

 

This Scripture along with many others (Matthew 5:42, Matthew 25:35-45, Matthew 6:1-4) are all pieces of a system of generosity that lead up to this incredible statement that our Lord makes in Luke 6:38 regarding giving: “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.

 

 

” In theological circles, this is called the Law of Reciprocity. Jesus wraps up His entire heavenly economic system with this gigantic promise. Interestingly, many Christians ignore it. Instead, they go about calling themselves victims to unfortunate financial circumstances when in reality they are only meeting the financial rebound of their own choices. In other words, those of God’s children who are not generous are generally wanton and greedy. It reveals their very heart, they cannot let go of their treasure, they simply do not have enough faith to engage this passage.

 

 

 

Now, this scripture is not allegorical, it is a direct promise of our Lord and a confirmation that your generosity (to any of these three categories) will be paid back generously in some capacity. Is it claiming to be repaid strictly in money? No. However, the Lord does affirm, that in some way, whether relationships, opportunities, money, or sustenance you who give will be paid back in blessing from on High. Do you seek out the poor?

 

Do you make it a priority to give to those in need around the world? Let me spare you from the very real circumstances many are facing this moment while you read this article from the comfort of your bearable life. The Lord says what we do for the poor, we do for Him. Sponsor a child, support a Christian charity, give to the poor in your own city, after all, you are simply lending money to God. 2. Give to Needs of the Saints Romans 12:10-13 says,

 

“Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.” This is one among many passages that command Christians to meet the needs of the saints.

 

 

This is also a principle clearly upheld throughout the New Testament by the overwhelming number of “one-another commands” given to the Church to carry out with our Christian brothers and sisters. Sadly, most churches have nurtured a culture that inhibits the closeness and connection required to hear about needs and facilitate an opportunity for those needs to be met. It is now common to have large congregations in churches full of people who are digging themselves further into debt. Now, I am not ignoring the need for biblical financial stewardship. However, I am pointing out that when churches are small, close, and relationally connected the needs of the local saints begin to surface.

 

I say this because the command discussed above in the Romans passage is the universal doctrine for the church that is intended to be played out locally. Not to say that international giving is wrong, but it should not replace the call to meet the needs of the local saints in your own life.

 

The question you might consider asking yourself is: “Am I meeting the needs of those around me?” Better yet, “Am I close enough with people at my church that they would express their needs to me?” Romans 12:11 tells us to “not lack in diligence” in fulfilling this passage, meaning this is something we should pursue in our communities. Like Christ, we are called to meet people’s needs. Generosity is one of humanity’s greatest forms of love.

 

To receive what you didn’t earn in some way is a reflection of the Gospel. It is another form of continuing the grace that the Lord has bestowed on each of us.