Grace Giving by David Jeremiah

Wednesday, January 17 Grace Giving    On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. 1 Corinthians 16:2, NIV    In the Old Testament, tithes were required which supported the work of the temple. Israel was a theocracy, meaning the religious and civil governments were the same. So tithes were required in the same way that modern taxes support civil governments. In the New Testament, however, there are no explicit instructions regarding the continuation of the tithe. Instead, giving was (and continues to be) based on generosity, thankfulness, and proportionality.

Recommended Reading: Deuteronomy 16:16-17

Those foundations were also present in the Old Testament. When the first tabernacle was built in the wilderness the people gave willingly—so much that Moses sent out an order: “No more gifts! You have given more than we need!” (See Exodus 35:20-29; 36:6-7.) That willingness and generosity underlies giving in the New Testament: “for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). Once the gift of God’s grace became understood in the New Testament, giving responsively, in imitation of God’s giving, became the guideline. If giving by law was a tithe, how much more should giving by grace be? Are you giving God what is right, or what is left? Unknown