Giving In The New Testament

Giving In The New Testament

REFERENCE SCRIPTURES:  Genesis 3: 8-10.

• Understanding the Origin:

Giving was designed by God as a way for humanity to acknowledge Him as giver of everything. Money or food was not the first thing that God requested from man when he created Adam and Eve, rather the only form of giving was for Adam to make Himself available in the right state to meet with God in the cool of the day, it was not for Adam to get some orange or banana and be waiting for God in the evening to give Him, in the first instance He created them all, so His demand in giving is not first material but the Person.

So it was not the fruit that excites him, it was the right presence of Adam and Eve, So we must first have this understanding that giving is beyond physical money, it is a worship for believer and not just money and anything that is worship implies that we must first present ourselves as living sacrifice before we bring it.

After Adam and Eve missed the target the next intent of God was not just getting something rather He wanted to make the whole Israel a Kingdom of Priest and as Priest let’s look at what type of giving the Lord demand in Exodus 19:6- And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

But God could not achieve this purpose on Israelites because they could not stay on the mountain for God to complete this.

Question 1 : What was the giving required of a Priest ?

Answer:  I will say God required their lives as His. They had no inheritance among the other tribes.

• And it can also be seen, that is the rules for priesthood in – Leviticus 21: 1-23, Deuteronomy 18:1-2, Joshua 18:33.

If the Lord had made all a kingdom of Priest then God would have been their portion and the demand of priest was for God to own him forever. One thing we must know all through the Bible is the Intent of God has never changed from generations but it may be revealed to us with progressive revelation, with this we know that the intent of God before creation, Old Testament and New Testament never change, but he takes His time to reveal it to us progressively.

Because the Levites do not have inheritance in Israel God design an economy for the people to bring one-tenth to the house of God, and most Patriarchs like Abraham also gave one-tenth to God and God also require the children of Israel bring one-tenth to God but all these were progressive revelation to take them back to the state where they don’t have to give one-tenth but to give all.

Malachi 3:10- Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.

Leviticus 27:30-‘Thus all the tithe of the land, of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord. Genesis 14:18-20- And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. He blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”

He gave him a tenth of all. From these verses you could see that there was a requirement and a personal inclination to pay tithe in the old testament, but no single verse in the new testament mandate us to pay tithe, or with a topical on tithe, rather where they were mentioned in the new testament they were passive. The reason being that in the new testament God demand for greater than tithe from us.

Question 2 – In the new testament lets start from the disciples ? What did the disciples gave Christ?

Answer –They gave themselves.

They left all and followed Christ. Nothing in terms of possessions.

Matt. 4:18-22-Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee. He saw two brothers. They were Simon (his other name was Peter) and Andrew, his brother. They were putting a net into the sea for they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Follow Me. I will make you fish for men!” At once they left their nets and followed Him. Going from there, Jesus saw two other brothers. They were James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were sitting in a boat with their father, mending their nets. Jesus called them. At once  they left the boat and their father and followed Jesus.

They left all and followed him, so there was never a discussion of tithe NEVER among the Apostles because there was no need for it, they left all and followed Him, it is someone that own something that discuss tithe, a person that owns nothing does not talk of tithe.

• After Jesus left let’s review the life of the Apostles : Acts 2: 44 – 47-And all that believed  were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

So there was no need for tithe because they sold all and brought it to the Apostles feet. Therefore let’s see God Injunction about our life in the New Testament- 1Cor. 6:20 “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”  Also in Romans. 12: 1- I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

The above two scripture states that; I have been bought with a price, so how could someone already bought thinks he owns what he have and can give God a certain percentage.

Therefore in the New Testament the Lord demands our ALL.

Does that mean you have to give God all your salary? No rather you live with a consciousness that you never own any of these things and anytime he demand 100%, 70% or 30%, no hesitation, you give it with joy because he already owns you. It will be a rebellion to give God 10% when the Holy Spirit is requiring 50%. Remember what drives us in the New Testament is the Holy Spirit and not the law.

If you decide that you will be giving God 10% irrespective of any demand by the Holy spirit that is good but be rest assure that you are not giving God on the pretense that you have giving Him His own share, you don’t have a share, God owns everything. It would be funny if we see a child of God that God does not make demands on to meet certain need in the place of prayer. Our life should be lived with the protocol of heaven, we have nothing here, he owns all and when he makes demand we give them all to the Lord.

Your giving to God is not a Ponzi-scheme sort ,it is not MMM, it is a worship, don’t give and expect a 100% increase, your first intent for giving in the New Testament is worship and not multiplication.

Therefore God wanted to return us to the original intent where He can boast that he owns us and everything we have. Anything God does not own in our life becomes a trap for the enemy and when we are talking of giving it goes beyond money, what of our time, desire etc. They must all be giving to the Lord. We no longer own ourselves except the Lord that owns us forever. It is when we get to this state that we start living in God.

Many of us feel threatened when God make certain demand on us, but let me tell you is request that when you do, you have overcome the world and his system, one of the things the young men have to overcome is the world and inside the world is money.

James 2: 14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

The reason we contend is because we have not overcome the evil one, Jesus had to overcome the 3 temptations to tell the devil he owns nothing in Him. Today I pray that the Lord will give you the grace to know that you own nothing in this world but when you have giving your life to him He owns you.