Tithing

Hosts

Woe

aka Eschatologuy

All that we have comes from God. As we covered in the episode on jealousy, we are, in fact, to be jealous, to be protective, of the things that are ours. However, this must be balanced against the fact that much of what we hold we hold in trust. There are things which are solely ours and there are things which are ours for the sake of serving God and neighbor.

Ultimately, we are stewards of this Creation, and we owe duties to God. One such duty is the duty to render thanks to God in the form of tithes. A tithe, simply, is an offering ‘off the top’ of a portion of what God has given us as thanks for the whole. How much we tithe, how we tithe, to whom we tithe, and other related questions are matters of wisdom. Unlike Old Testament Israel, we do not have explicit rules telling us what to tithe, when, and to whom. However, God does invite us to test Him by bringing in the fullness of the tithe, and where God invites us to test Him, it is not only foolish, but sinful, to refuse.

»“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts.«

— Malachi 3:6–12 (ESV)

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See Also

Parental Warnings

None.

Transcript

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God’s Gifts, Man’s Duties

Hosts

Woe

aka Eschatologuy

Whether our gifts are many or few, great or small, God has most assuredly prepared beforehand opportunities for us to use those gifts to serve our neighbors. We, in fact, have a duty to use what God has given us for the good of our neighbor. All that we have we hold in trust as stewards, for all comes from God and all belongs to God.

It is through our good works that we demonstrate, both to ourselves and to the world, that we have a living faith. There are no hard and fast rules or mathematical formulae to determine precisely what one should do with what one has been given — these are matters of wisdom. But we know the basics: Faithfully pursue your work, come to the aid of family and neighbor, and render good works when and where God provides you the opportunity.

The Christian life is not found in pilgrimages or hair shirts or in putting crosses on every surface in one’s home. The faithful Christian baker makes good bread; the faithful Christian shoemaker makes good shoes; the faithful Christian woman keeps a good home; a faithful Christian man diligently pursues his calling — whatever it may be. These are not matters over which to be anxious or about which to fret or worry; God knows what we need and he knows what our neighbor needs, and He has so ordered things that our neighbor can aid us and we can aid him. The Christian life is lived out in many thousands of small interactions, all undertaken with thanks for the good gifts, all of which flow from God.

»17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.«
— James 1:17 (ESV)

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Show Notes

  • Previous episodes:
  • Some recommended Scripture passages:
    • Matthew 6:25–34
    • Matthew 25:1–13
    • Romans 12:3–13
    • Romans 14:1–12
    • 1 Corinthians 4:2
    • 1 Corinthians 12:1–11
    • 1 Corinthians 15:58
    • Ephesians 2:10
    • Colossians 3:18–4:1
    • 1 Peter 4:7–11
    • James 1:16–18
    • Luke 12:35–48
    • Luke 16:1–13
    • Proverbs 3:27–28
    • Proverbs 16:3
    • Proverbs 22:29
    • Ecclesiastes 9:9–10

See Also

Parental Warnings

None.

Transcript

The transcript for this episode can be found here

Other transcripts can be found here

Current Sponsor(s)

Coming soon?

Comments?

Join the discussion on Telegram, visit the feedback form or comment below.