What Does God Say About Tithing?
Giving a portion of what we earn to a church is called tithing. It is a sacrifice that Christians make for the sake of the church and the community. It is also a means to thank the Lord for his blessings. Tithing enables the church to function as one body in God, extending a helping hand to those in need and financing the ministry of the church.
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Significance
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Deuteronomy 14:22-29 tells us that giving the first of our earnings keeps God as number one in our lives. It is also a way of reminding us that all we have is through Him and that regular tithing keeps God as our first priority. The Lord's commandment to give to Him the first of our earnings is not meant as a punishment. It is God's way of ensuring that the faithful support one another in His work within the community itself.
Effects
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"God loves a cheerful giver," 2 Corinthians 9:7 says. Your attitude to give cheerfully is more important than the amount you give. In 2 Corinthians 8:11 we are told, "...your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means." Jesus became poorer by giving up his divine status to become human so that we could be saved. "...that though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich" it says in 2 Corinthians 8:9. We, likewise, should be willing to "become poor" so that we may be rewarded with the richness of God's love and mercy.
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Potential
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Tithing supports the church that ministers to the spiritual needs of the community. In Numbers 18:25-26, the Lord commands that even the ministers of the church must return to the church, and to God, a portion of their income. "You must present as the Lord's portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you" (18:29). Tithing benefits all in the community. "When you present the best part, it will be reckoned to you..." (18:30).
Benefits
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The benefits of tithing are laid out In 2 Corinthians 9. Tithing supplies the needs of God's people, it expresses thanks to God for His grace and mercy, and it allows others to pray for you. As you bless others, you will also be blessed.
Warning
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We are called to give what is in our means to give. We should not, however, be miserly with our gift. "Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously," we are told in 2 Corinthians 8:6. The Lord expects us to tithe with good intentions in our hearts and only what we can afford to give. But the more we are able to give in the service of others, the more He will give us in return for our dedication and faithfulness. The benefits and rewards of tithing are ever lasting.
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Resources
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