What Are Your Views On Giving? What Does The Bible Say?

When we talk about tithe, we always end up with the argument that if we are not under law why should we tithe. Do we tell lies because we are not under the law? Do we murder because we are not under the law?

I always refer to Paul when these points come up. Paul calls law as "guardian". Now that we have faith (through Jesus Christ), we longer need the guardian. What is means is, we had a guardian before to show us the way. When we stepped out, the guardian will only punish us. Guardian will not show us love (aka grace). Now we have Jesus and He calls us "child of God". Like John says "such as we are". We are not under the rule of guardian. The guardian cannot punish us and we are no longer under the guardian. But we must remember that the guardian always taught the right things. Now that we have Father, it does not mean the moral standard has changed. It just means, instead of being slave to guardian, we are slaves to righteousness.. We are righteousness of God..

Having said this, a person not tithing is same as a believer still telling lies or committing sins.. We all fall short.. God never looked at sacrifices even in OT days. He looked at heart of the person. Same holds today. It is not the 10% God looks at. But the heart that gives. If we have the right heart and intention, we would not even be arguing if 10% is the right amount. We would automatically be giving more than 10%. We would want to give more than 10%.
 
May I say to you in all love, YOU do not need to be in charge of your churches benevolent functions! That my dear needs to be a "committee" function where several members of the church investigate the need and make the decision instead of just you.

My church a long time ago takes up a benevolent offering once a month. That income is the only way we can help church members in need. Our church also has a food pantry to help anyone but actual financial help had to limited to actual church members, not someone who looked your address up in the phone book and came just to get money.
I must have misstated what I intended. I am not in charge, and never have been in charge, of the church's benevolent functions. I was, at one time, merely in charge of bookkeeping, and I had someone in charge over me in that function, and that person had the board in charge over her. I am a mere employee at the church, not an attender. Out of the goodness of his heart, my boss -- the pastor -- cleared me of nearly all financial responsibilities, leaving me with merely taking in monies throughout the week and turning them over to the new bookkeeper.

When I gave out of my own pocket for overnight stays in a motel, it was my own foolishness. Yes, I still occasionally give gas and grocery money, but that's close to all I give outside of the entities I give to.
 
I must have misstated what I intended. I am not in charge, and never have been in charge, of the church's benevolent functions. I was, at one time, merely in charge of bookkeeping, and I had someone in charge over me in that function, and that person had the board in charge over her. I am a mere employee at the church, not an attender. Out of the goodness of his heart, my boss -- the pastor -- cleared me of nearly all financial responsibilities, leaving me with merely taking in monies throughout the week and turning them over to the new bookkeeper.

When I gave out of my own pocket for overnight stays in a motel, it was my own foolishness. Yes, I still occasionally give gas and grocery money, but that's close to all I give outside of the entities I give to.

I did misunderstand! Sorry about that! I just did not want to see you get into trouble.
 
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