GENEROSITY, OPENHANDEDNESS AND GIVING.

All of the above are acts of worship.
Christians are to present themselves as living sacrifices and our possessions to God, not only to praise Him but also to serve others.
Giving to others in The Body of Christ (The Church), is a priesthood service unto God because they are also part of the family in The Kingdom of God.
Christians should not neglect to do good and share not only with believers but also to the needy and strangers as well, especially widows and orphans, with our material objects, our time, our energy and our hospitality.
The Bible says giving has to be methodical, a regular means of support to God's ministries that He has placed over us; He also requires us to be merciful to the poor.
Believers are to give to God's house. Giving is serving God, like prayer and fasting. God has given us all, His Mercy, His Forgiveness, His Love, His Son, He provides everything for us, the air we breathe, the food we eat. His Creation is for our enjoyment. He has provided for our entire spiritual and physical needs.
He willingly gave us His First born, His only Son, Christ Jesus, to die for us. He is a generous giving God.
God wants us to give in ways that exalt Him-willingly-generously-gladly-sincerely and not in a boastful manner.
Compassion is shown by taking care of our fellow person's necessities. Christians should love others the way Christ loves, with complete self-giving. God loves us by His continual giving.
Hospitality is showing kindness and care to others by inviting them into our personal homes, especially other members of The Body of Christ; this is also giving to others. Christians should be gracious whenever possible to foreigners and the needy.
GOD HAS SO FREELY GIVEN TO US, CHRISTIANS SHOULD REACT AUTOMATICALLY IN RESPONSE TO THAT LOVE BY LOVE FOR HIM AND FOR EACH OTHER

God is honoured and pleased by our gifts.
Generous giving is reverence for God.
Giving can help others live.
We have a responsibility to support Christian workers
Wealthy people should use their wealth for God's Work.

.OUR RESPONSIBILTY-
As Christians, it is vital to support God's ministries for the Gospel of Christ, not only those who are in our local churches, but to those who are sent all around the world for the Knowledge of Christ to reach others. Christians have a responsibility to pray for those lost outside of His Kingdom and support materially those whom God sends to inform them. Christians are responsible for the physical needs of the preachers of the Gospel, and help any servant of God who gives their time and energy for the spiritual need of others. God expects those of us who have benefited from the Gospel of Christ and His Word to share our material goods and wealth with those who minister to the people.
Our giving helps us to be fertile, fruitful and productive people. Giving to others teaches us that God is our supply for all our needs.
Our accountability is to give materially according to The Word of God and not to be concerned with what is going to happen to what we have given; our part is to obey The Word of God and then those who are in ministry are accountable for it.
GOD PROVIDES
Everything we have, and in return he asks for 10% to be set aside for His Works, to be given to the local church or wherever your spiritual storehouse is located, where you get fed spiritually, where you worship regularly. This is called THE TITHE. The other 90% is up to us to wisely use on what we like, but God does expect us to help the poor, needy, widows and orphans. We are to be good stewards with what He has entrusted us with and He requires us to give to Him first.
Giving the first (first fruits), and offerings to God are at the beginning of The Bible in Genesis with Cain and Abel.
Abraham paid tithes to God and Jacob was a tither. All physical Israel tithed and gave alms and offerings before The Law of Tithing of firstfruits was given to Moses 1500 years before Christ was born. A blessing is promised to those who tithe. How much more should God's principle be respected by Christians who are spiritual Israel?
AN OFFERING is a monetary gift beyond the tithe. This is a free-will contribution.
ALMS are works of mercy or charitable gifts to the poor, orphans and widows.
THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE OLD TESTAMENT ARE CARRIED OVER TO THE NEW TESTAMENT UNDER THE NEW COVENANT
JESUS TAUGHT
of tithing and giving freely as an attitude of the heart. Giving with a genuine, generous heart pleases God and so does obeying Him when He prompts us to give. Christians should not expect to be rewarded for giving but God does promise blessings. We are to share what we have, believers first, using wisdom and commonsense.
Clinging to earthly wealth can sometimes lead to the love of wealth, which perhaps could take the place of God, and everlasting wealth.
Jesus taught not only tithing but giving to the poor. Jesus also taught those who minister were to rely on their needs being met as he sent His disciples out two by two during His earthly ministry; they were not to take any provisions with them.

JESUS COMMENDED
the teachers of The Law in His day for their tithing, but condemned them for not being merciful or having understanding. Jesus said tithing should be done without leaving the others undone and taught that a Christian's righteousness should EXCEED their righteousness. It must be of the heart. Christians are to render unto the government what belongs to the government (taxes) and to God what belongs to God.
The Book of Hebrews in The New Testament teaches on tithing and giving under The New Covenant and the Apostle Paul also taught of tithing and giving to the needy. Paul, like Christ, makes it clear that God intends those in ministry are to have their needs met by those who benefit from their pastoral care.

Tithing is revealed all through the New Testament. Those who can not see this fact want to believe that tithing is not a principle under the New Covenant. Tithing is the first yield that belongs to God, as a way of acknowledging God's provision and abundance. Israel as a nation was the firstfruit of the nations; his special possession. Anyone touching this nation, which was His special increase would suffer the consequence, unless it was His judgement.

The same is true of the firstfruit of the Church, as the New Testament records. Paul teaches tithing, he also teaches giving to the poor and needy, which is the collection for those in Jerusalem during time of famine. In 1Corinthians 9:11-14, Paul is literally asking for tithing and refers to the Temple practice.

1Corinthians 9:11-14 "11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? 12 If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more? but we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 Don't you know that those who work in the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? 14 In the same way the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.

Tithing is part of belief and trust as well as obedient living. Tithing confronts a believer with a reality of choosing masters; money is the hardest thing for humankind to part with, even though the first tenth is not theirs. Tithing expresses that God is the True Source.

TITHES ARE STRICTLY FOR THE MINISTRY AND NOTHING ELSE. IT IS FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE KNOWLDGE OF CHRIST AND THE WORD OF GOD.

God has made all of us custodians over everything we have. We own nothing. People are stewards of His possessions. Christians are to be faithful with what God has entrusted to them, for they are co-heirs with Christ and are to be faithful over that which God has put in their charge. This will develop Christians in preparation for God's Kingdom at Christ's Return.

GREED BRINGS TROUBLE BUT GIVING REFLECTS GOD'S LOVE.

SCRIPTURES 1 Timothy 6:7-19, Genesis 4:4, 14:17-20, John 52:49, Hebrews 6:20,7 Acts 6:1
QUESTIONS 1] How does God benefit by our generosity and giving? 2] Were offerings and tithings before the Law? 3] Are believers to give tithes to their High Priest via His appointed storehouses? 4] Are believers to support God's workers? 5] Was giving taught in the Old Testament and the New Testament?

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Managed by Stefan Kreslin,Last updated August 2017