Righteousness - Session 16
The righteous give in obedience to the heaven command and not merely to get something back.
In session sixteen of this series Thamo continues with the practical expressions of righteous living in the area of our finances. He highlights the biblical design for the management of finances.
We Don’t Give to Get – We Give in Obedience
The world today operates by the principle that you ‘give to get,’ and for a long time that has been an emphasis in certain sectors of the Church. Righteous giving issues from a life surrendered to God, the Father. The righteous give in obedience to the heaven command and not merely to get something back. The righteous maintain that ‘its more blessed to give than to receive’
We are in Full Time Ministry
God has called every one of us to full time ministry. This means that we represent Him wherever we are, whether in the secular world or in the Church. In fact, the secular and the spiritual should not be separated. God measures our representation of Him by our obedience to His Word. When we present offerings to God, they represent who we are, and elegantly speak for us.
God measures our representation of Him by our obedience to His Word. Share on X
The Doctrine of First and Last Things
We are introduced to the doctrine of first things and the doctrine of last things. The doctrine of last things is represented by our tithe which is 10% of our gross monthly income. Tithing indicates that we recognise God as the source of our achievements. The doctrine of first things is represented by the principle of first fruits which we honour by giving 1.5 – 2.5% of our gross annual income. The symbolism of this is that we are giving into our future by giving God the first of our possessions. Our financial offerings are symbolic of us offering our lives to God. The giving of tithes, first fruits, and offerings is referred to as 3-fold giving.
Ultimately, Principled giving regulated by the Word of God subdues a rebellious heart. Giving must be done out of a cheerful heart. We should give generously, willingly and with integrity.
By practicing righteousness in every aspect of our lives we will grow into maturity and make us over comers. The Bible tells us that the Lord has His eyes on the righteous and delivers them from all their afflictions.
