How to Be Enriched by Giving - Lindsay

7/29/2019 How to Be Enriched by Giving - Lindsay

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How to Be Enriched byGiving


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How to Be Enriched byGiving

Gordon Lindsay

Creation HouseCarol Stream, Illinois


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Originally published as 20 Things Most People Don't KnowAbout Bible Giving

1974 by Creation House. All rights reserved Printed inthe United States of America

Published by Creation House, 499 Gundersen Drive Carol

Stream, Illinois 60187

International Standard Book Number 0-88419-047-1Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 73-82856


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CONTENTS1 Who Receives the Tithe? 7

2 Giving More Than Money 11

3 The Way to God's Heart 15

4 Rich Man, Poor Man 19

5 Stealing from God 23

6 Does Tithing Pay Off? 29

7 Misunderstanding God 338 God's Property Rights 39

9 Firstfruits 43

10 Forgotten Clause 47

11 The Timeless Principle 49

12 Do Good Works Matter? 55

13 You Can Take It With You 59

14 "Set Your House in Order" 63

15 The Key to Prosperity 67

16 Why Prosperity? 73

17 The Great Commission 79


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11 Who Receives the Tithe?

And Melchizedek king of Salembrought out bread and wine; now hewas a priest of God Most High. And heblessed him and said, "Blessed beAbram of God Most High, Possessor ofheaven and earth; And blessed be God

Most High, Who has delivered yourenemies into your hand." And he gavehim a tenth of all.

Genesis 14:18-20

There is a law in the Bible, generally

recognized by scholars, called the Law of theFirst Mention. When a subject of importance isintroduced in the Scriptures, the fundamental

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How to Be Enriched by Giving

truths of the whole subject come into view. Thisis true concerning the matter of tithing which isreferred to in Genesis 14.

Abraham had returned after his great

victory over the kings. Melchizedek, king ofSalem, priest of God Most High, came forth tomeet him. After Melchizedek had blessed himAbraham "gave him a tenth of all."

The book of Hebrews includes someadditional information concerning thismysterious Melchizedek. Who was he? Somethink he may have been Shem, who after manygenerations was still living in the days ofAbraham. But whether he was or not isunimportant here. The significant thing is that

he is a type of Christ. This is pointed out inHebrews 7:17, speaking about Jesus: "Thou art apriest forever according to the order ofMelchizedek." The priesthood mentioned hereis different from Aaron's.

Now the fact that Abraham paid tithes toMelchizedek is meaningful, for Melchizedekwas a type of the priesthood of Christ.Abraham's act of paying tithes to him,

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Who Receives the Tithe?

therefore, portrayed the real significance of aNew Testament believer's giving of tithes andofferings. Many Christians give reluctantlybecause they think their money is going toother human beings. But ministers are onlystewards who handle God's money. A Chr i s t i and o e s n o t g i v e t o ma n b u t t o C h r i s t ! This is clearlyconveyed in Hebrews 7:8

"And in this case mortal men receivetithes, but in that case one receives them, of

whom i t i s wi tnes s ed tha t h e l i v e s on ."

The writer of Hebrews was not talkingabout the Aaronic priesthood which, within afew years, was to pass from the picture. TheMelchizedek priesthood of Christ was to be

everlasting, "of whom it is witnessed that helives on." In other words, Christ of theMelchizedek priesthoodHe who never diesbut ever lives in heavenreceives tithes ofmen.

What a wonderful truth!

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22 Giving More Than Money

For I testify that according to theirability, and beyond their ability theygave of their own accord, begging uswith much entreaty for the favor ofparticipation in the support of thesaints, and this, not as we had expected,

but they first gave themselves to theLord and to us by the will of God.

2 Corinthians 8:3-5

These verses no doubt speak of salvationthrough Jesus Christ, but they certainly go

much further. They infer a deep dedication toChrist and His service. This giving of self iseven more important than the giving of

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material means. Indeed it implies thatsomething has happened which was even morethan the apostles dared hope for.

Not all believers understand this self-

giving. It is a sad truth that the majority ofChristians are willing to trust in Jesus as theirSavior, but they know little about the kind ofconsecration involved in this higher plateau ofChristian experience. Paul speaks of this inPhilippians 3:8, 13-14:

More than that, I count all things to beloss in view of the surpassing value ofknowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom Ihave suffered the loss of all things, andcount them but rubbish in order that I may

gain Christ.... Brethren, I do not regardmyself as having laid hold of it yet; but onething I do: forgetting what lies behind andreaching forward to what lies ahead. I presson toward the goal for the prize of theupward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Paul willingly suffered the loss of all thingsthat he might win the prize of the high callingin Christ Jesus. So it was that the people of

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Giving More Than Money

Macedonia, though in deep povertythemselves, were liberal "beyond their ability."Besides this they gave themselves to the Lord ina full measure of devotion.

This is the true secret of giving. First, aperson must give himself to God and Hisservice, then give his money. One is not asubstitute for the other. Having said thesethings, the apostle then gives one of the mostsimple yet most profound statements on giving,

and on how God evaluates it.

Now this I say, he who sows sparinglyshall also reap sparingly; and he who sowsbountifully shall also reap bountifully. Leteach one do just as he has purposed in his

heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion;for God loves a cheerful giver.2 Corinthians 9:6-7

The sum of the matter is that no man canoutgive God. He who sows (gives) sparinglyshall reap sparingly. But he who sowsabundantly shall reap abundantly. As in thenatural world, so in the spiritual: As a mansoweth, so shall he reap. That is the unalterable

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law of giving.

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33 The Way to God's Heart

Let each one do just as he haspurposed in his heart; not grudgingly orunder compulsion; for God loves acheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9:7

One of the most thrilling statements in theOld Testament are the words the angel spoke tothe prophet Daniel in Daniel 10. For threeweeks the prophet had prayed and fasted forhis nation. Indeed all during his long life Danielhad been fully committed to God. Kingdoms

rose and fell, but his consecration to God neverwavered. The prophet's advice and counselwere eagerly sought by those in positions of

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power. Nor did Daniel ever compromise hisprinciples for the sake of expediency. He was aman whom God could trust absolutely.

At the end of his twenty-one days of

waiting upon God, he won a glorious victory.By giving himself to persistent intercessoryprayer, he broke the power of "the prince ofPersia." Satan's lieutenant or chief deputy overthe Persian Empire had hindered the Lord'smessenger in a battle in the heavenlies. But now

at last the angel came with the answer and hissalutation was those thrilling words, "O Daniel,a man greatly beloved, fear not" (Daniel10:11,19 King James).

It is possible for every Christian to receive

this special love of the Heavenly Father. Therecipients are those who first give themselves toHis service and then of their means unstintinglyand ungrudgingly"for God loves a cheerfulgiver." That is the secret of God's special love.

A rather close Scotsman by mistake put aguinea into the offering instead of a twopence.This so disturbed him that he went to thedeacon.

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The Way to God's Heart

"I made an error when the offering platewas passed. Could I please get my guineaback?" he said.

The deacon pointed out that that which was

given to God could not be recalled (Matthew5:23-24).

Disappointed, the parishioner said, "Well,anyway, I'll get credit for a guinea." To this thedeacon replied, "I am sorry sir, but it was yourintention to give only twopence, so that is allthe Lord will give you credit for!"

To win the special love of the Father, aChristian must give willingly, joyfully,abundantly"for God loves a cheerful giver."

The only thing a person truly keeps is thatwhich he puts in God's bank with joy.

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44 Rich Man, Poor Man

As long as we live in this world, somepeople will be rich and some will be poor. Jesussaid, "For the poor you have with you always"(Matthew 25:11). Among today's poor are thosewho are going through a period of testing butwill experience God's abundance tomorrow.

But rich or poor, regardless of theircircumstances, a l l h a v e t h e p r i v i l e g e o f g i v i n g t h esame in God's s ight !

This is beautifully demonstrated in the caseof the widow who gave her last two mites. Onthat day the Lord had come into the temple and

had sat down across from the treasury. Therehe watched the people as they came by to dropin their offering. He had just preached a sermon

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condemning the religious hypocrites whocheated widows out of their property. He hadpointed out that their deeds were the morereprehensible because they were done in thename of religion.

Now while the Lord was observing thepeople as they gave (and this suggests that theLord watches all our giving and records it), Hesaw a poor widow drop in two mites. He alsowitnessed the rich giving out of their

abundance. Compared to their gifts, thewidow's mites appeared trifling. Some mighthave cautioned the woman by reminding her ofher extreme poverty and that it was imprudentof her to give away all that she had.

"Since the rich are giving so plentifully,there really is no need for you to sacrifice allyou have," they might have told her.

But not Christ. It was here that the Lordrevealed one of the most inspiring truths about

giving: all have the same privilege of giving toGod's service, and all have the right to theblessings which therein accrue. The Lord madea statement that must have shocked the

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Rich Man, Poor Man

Pharisees: "Truly I say to you, this poor widowput in more than all the contributors to thetreasury; for they all put in out of their surplus,but she, out of her poverty, put in all sheowned, all she had to live on" (Mark 12:43-44).

Obviously God reckons differently thanmen. In judging the size of the gift, Godconsiders the resources of the giver and theamount he has left after he gives. This greatprinciple is definitely established in the divine

system of tithing.

There is another instance recorded in theScriptures in which a poor widow gaveeverything she had. Referred to simply as thewidow of Zarephath, she was reduced to her

last morsel of food for her son and herself. Theywould eat this and die, she thought. Then alongcame Elijah, the man of God.

"Make me a little bread cake from it first,and bring it out to me, and afterward you may

make one for yourself and for your son," hesaid boldly.

She obeyed. As a result, "The bowl of flourwas not exhausted nor did the jar of oil become

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empty, according to the word of the Lord whichGod spoke through Elijah" (I Kings 17:13-16).

From this, it is apparent that Godencourages all His people to give. Even the

poorest cannot afford not to give, for in theirgiving is the assurance that God will supplytheir needs.

Those converted to Jesus Christ on foreignfields need to be taught this, too. Perhaps one ofthe greatest errors made in these lands has beenthe assumption that the people are too poor togive. This has cheated new Christians out of thespiritualeven physicalabundance Godintends for them. Therefore, the poor as well asthe rich should be taught to give to God's work.

Their offerings are to be accepted, even if someonlookers believe they are giving too much.Surely the poor need the blessing of God asmuchif not morethan the wealthy.

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55 Stealing from God

"Will a man rob God? Yet you arerobbing Me! But you say, 'How have werobbed Thee?' In tithes and contributions.You are cursed with a curse, for you arerobbing Me, the whole nation of you!"

Malachi 3:8,9

This passage is one of the most startling inthe Old Testament as far as believers in Christare concerned, for in it a serious charge is made:he who fails to bring in the tithes and offeringsis a robber. Indeed, the prophet seems to becrying out in holy horror, raising his hands toheaven, "Will a man rob God?"

In frank language the prophet says that a

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man who withholds the tithe robs God. Themoney is no more his than the property of hisneighbor. No Christian has a right to the tithe;he is only a steward, responsible to see that it isbrought safely into the Lord's storehouse.Besides the tithes, a Christian also owes theLord offerings. There is a difference, however,between the tithe and the offering. While theamount of the tithe is fixed, each persondecides the amount of his offering. He may give

what he chooses.The apostle Paul speaks of the law of

giving. "He who sows sparingly shall also reapsparingly; and he who sows bountifully shallalso reap bountifully," he says (2 Corinthians

9:6).Although, in one sense, a Christian is a

steward of everything he possesses, in anothersense he actually owns them only for the timebeing. Peter, in referring to the duplicity ofAnanias and Sapphira in handling their

property, said, "While it remained unsold, did itnot remain your own? And after it was sold,was it not under your control?" (Acts 5:4).

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Stealing from God

During his lifetime, a Christian may disposeof his possessions as he pleases. He may givegenerously to God's cause or withhold. But thisis not true of the tithe. It is no more his than themoney the teller handles at the bank. It is a factthat when he appropriates the tithe for himselfhe is doing the same as an embezzler.

No rationalizing can circumvent the plainwords of the prophet who, aghast at the peoplewithholding the Lord's tithes, exclaimed, "Will

a man rob God?" Such a sin strikes at the heartof God's work, for He has ordained that theministry should be supported by tithes andofferings. If all of God's people became guilty ofthis evil, the church would disappear from the

earth. Somebody obeyed God in giving so thatothersincluding uscould hear the gospel. Itfollows that when God's money is withheld, thespiritually needy are deprived of the messageof life, and the sin becomes grievous indeed inthe sight of the Lord.

Those who do not believe in tithing squirmand say that the tithe has no place in the NewTestament era. By saying this, in effect they

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ignore the plain statements of the Scripture andaggravate their sin. For Jesus Christ Himselfsaid of the paying of tithes, "But these are thethings you should have done withoutneglecting the others" (Matthew 23:23).

Admittedly, God requires other things ofHis children besides tithing. Jesus said that menought to tithe and also to remember mercy and

justice. But to insure that there be no mistake inthis matter, the book of Hebrews clearly shows

that tithing was practiced by the NewTestament church many years after Pentecost.As previously noted, the ascended Christreceived tithes of those who gave to Him infaith; "and in this case mortal men receive

tithes, but in that case one receives them, ofwhom it is witnessed that he lives on"(Hebrews 7:8).

This Scripture portrays a great truth. Theplain fact is that he who withholds the titherobs Christ. And there is a penalty.

Sometime ago, a man who professed to be aChristian was asked by his minister whether ornot he believed in tithing.

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Stealing from God

"No, because the thief on the cross did nottithe, and he was saved," the man replied.

The preacher then inquired if he ever gaveofferings to the church.

"No," the man said, "the thief on the crossgave no offeringsand he made it to heaven."

Once more he was asked whether he evergave to missions; again the answer was thesame.

Then the minister said, "I see only onedifference between you and the thief on thecross. He was a dying thief, and you are a livingthief."

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66 Does Tithing Pay Off?

In chapter three of Malachi there is aremarkable promise in which the Lord asks Hispeople to prove Him. This is most unusual.God rarely asks His people to prove Him;instead He proves them. The phrase is used inthis latter way in the Bible many times. The

only other case of God's allowing Himself to beproved is where Gideon asked the Lord to lethim prove His call in the case of the wet anddry fleeces.

But in the matter of the tithe, God actually

invites His people to prove Him! "'Test me nowin this,' says the Lord of hosts." Christians areinvited to put the Lord to the test and see

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whether or not tithing pays off. The fact thatonce people become consistent tithers, they inmost cases remain so throughout life, givespowerful evidence of the validity andpracticality of the promise.

Some people say that they seem to have acurse on their lives. How can they break thecurse? Let them be faithful in paying their tithesand giving offerings and see whether a blessingdoes not come instead of a curse. Now there are

different kinds of blessings: spiritual, material,and financial. The Lord's promise says, "Testme ... if I will not open for you the windows ofheaven, and pour out for you a blessing untilthere is no more need" (3:10). The challenge:

bring your tithes and offerings into thestorehouse and discover what will happen.

The prophet goes on to say that the Lordwill rebuke the devourer and preserve the fruitsof the ground. If the children of Israel werefaithful in their giving, they were promised

such prosperity that all nations would call themblessed. While this promise was specificallygiven to Old Testament believers, the apostle

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Does Tithing Pay Off?

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 1:20, "For as manyas may be the promises of God, in Him they areyes; wherefore also by Him is our Amen to theglory of God through us." These are promiseswhich Christians, as children of Abraham byfaith, may claim.

Indeed this is the one promise that God hasinvited Christians "to prove" and see if He willnot fulfill it.

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77 Misunderstanding God"You are cursed with a curse, for you are

robbing Me, the whole nation of you! Bringthe whole tithe into the storehouse, so thatthere may be food in My house, and test Menow in this," says the Lord of hosts, "if I willnot open for you the windows of heaven,and pour out for you a blessing until there isno more need."

Malachi 3:9-10

This is the proof text generally used byministers when preaching on tithing. It is, ofcourse, a powerful statement. Nevertheless, a

serious misunderstanding among many tendsto dull the lesson these verses would teach. Themisinterpretation often runs like this:

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God's people are enjoined to bring theirtithes and offerings into God's storehouse; ifthey fail, God will put a curse upon them.

But a half-truth sometimes does more harm

than an outright untruth, for the half-truth is farmore readily believed. The idea that God iswatching like a martinet for an opportunity toinflict a blow on any person who makes a falsemove is altogether wrong.

God is not waiting for a chance to put acurse upon someone; the Bible shows thatbecause of sin the earth is already cursed! WhenAdam and Eve deliberately sinned in theGarden of Eden, the curse came upon theworld. It became universal. The curse came on

the animal kingdom, which today lives by thelaw of the jungleby tooth and claw. The cursecame upon the earthit brought forth thornsand thistles (Genesis 3:14-19). The curse camealso upon the weather, producing storms,cyclones, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other

deviations. All sorts of disasters came uponmankind.

On the other hand, Jesus came to earth to

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Misunderstanding God

save men from the curse, as Galatians 3:13-14shows:

Christ redeemed us from the curse ofthe Law, having become a curse for usfor

it is written, "Cursed is every one whohangs on a tree"in order that in ChristJesus the blessing of Abraham might cometo the Gentiles, so that we might receive thepromise of the Spirit through faith.

All the spiritual blessings that came upon

the children of Israel during the Old Testamentage came by anticipation of Christ's sacrifice,for the blood of bulls and goats could nevertake away sin (Hebrews 10:4).

Now the question is: did Christ's sacrifice

on Calvary automatically remove the curseirrespective of the individual's part? The wholeteaching of the Scriptures negates that. Onepassage in particular gives a conclusive answerto this:

"Therefore every one who hears thesewords of Mine, and acts upon them, may becompared to a wise man, who built hishouse upon the rock; and the rain

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descended, and the floods came, and thewinds blew, and burst against that house;and yet it did not fall; for it had beenfounded upon the rock. And every one whohears these words of Mine, and does not act

upon them, will be like a foolish man, whobuilt his house upon the sand. And the raindescended, and the floods came, and thewinds blew, and burst against that house;and it fell, and great was its fall."

Matthew 7:24-27

In other words, he who fails to act upon thewords of Christ is not only under the curse, butis headed for disaster and ruin.

Two facts stand out: this earth is still underthe curse, and divine judgment is reserved for

those "who do not obey the Gospel of our LordJesus" (2 Thessalonians 1:8).

With these facts in mind, the passage inMalachi becomes clearer. God is not going tocurse us if we fail to obey Him. Th e c ur se i s

a l re ad y h er e! We are automatically under thecurse of sin and death!

Now it is true that under the New

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Misunderstanding God

Testament dispensation we pay tithes and giveofferings under the law of grace rather thanunder the Mosaic law. But disobedience of thelaw of Christ carries the same penalty asdisobedience to the law of Moses. The writer ofthe book of Hebrews (10:28,29) says that greaterlight involves greater responsibility:

Anyone who has set aside the Law ofMoses dies without mercy on the testimonyof two or three witnesses. How much

severer punishment do you think he willdeserve who has trampled under foot theSon of God, and has regarded as unclean theblood of the covenant by which he wassanctified, and has insulted the Spirit ofgrace?

Through obedience to Christ, the curse isremoved. We receive all the blessings that welost under Adam. Disobedience means that welose that divine protection and revert backunder the curse.

Let us look again to Malachi, rememberingthat the earth is already cursedthat it stillbrings forth thistles and thorns. But God says to

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the obedient (Malachi 3:11,12),

" 'Then I will rebuke the devourer [thecurse] for you, so that it may not destroy thefruits of the ground; nor will your vine in

the field cast its grapes,' says the Lord ofhosts. 'And all the nations will call youblessed, for you shall be a delightful land,'says the Lord of hosts."

The blessing is positive. God promises tosend a blessing. He will "open for you the

windows of heaven, and pour out for you ablessing until there is no more need." Thelesson is clear. God does not send the curse; thecurse is already here. But as we obey the law ofChrist, through the law of grace, He not only

protects us from the curse and lifts it from us,but will send such a blessing that there is notroom enough to receive it.

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88 God's Property RightsThe earth is the Lord's, and all it

contains, The world, and those who dwell init.

Psalm 24:1

"The silver is Mine, and the gold isMine," declares the Lord of hosts.

Malachi 2:8

"Behold, to the Lord your God belongheaven and the highest heavens, the earthand all that is in it."

Deuteronomy 10:14

"Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul ofthe father as well as the soul of the son isMine. The soul who sins will die."

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Ezekiel 18:4

The doctrine of tithing is based upon God'sownership of all things. He owned the earthduring the Old Testament dispensation, and He

owns it in this present age. The doctrine ofgrace does not change the fact of God'sownership. Much of the trouble betweennations and between individuals arises becauseof the disregard of property rights. The samedisregard of God's rights brings the violator

into trouble. The principle of God's ownershipis seen in I Timothy 6:7, "For we have broughtnothing into the world, So we cannot takeanything out of it either."

God's property rights must be respected

under grace, just as they were under the Mosaiclaw. The tithe now, as in those days, was atoken of the unchanging truth that God is Lordof heaven and earth.

From this arises the principle of

stewardship. God is the owner, we are thestewards. The acid test of consecration iswhether or not we dedicate our money and ourbusiness to the Kingdom of God. Our Christian

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God's Property Rights

profession is only superficial until we are readyto assume stewardship responsibility.

How men handle money separates theChurch into the wise and the foolish, the good

and the bad, the true Christians and thehypocrites. We choose the side we are on.

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99 Firstfruits

The principle that God reserved somethingfor Himself was established in the Garden ofEden. God said that man could freely eat ofevery tree in the garden except the tree of theknowledge of good and evil. If he ate of it hewould die. Adam and Eve disobeyed and

suffered the consequences.In Genesis 4, twenty-five hundred years

before the law was given through Moses, thesons of Adam brought to God "of the fruit ofthe ground ..." and "of the firstlings of his flock,

and of their fat portions." The word "firstlings"is used a number of times in the Old Testament.Four times out of six it refers to the tithes of the

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land and of the cattle. Firstlings and tithes havea synonymity; tithes were equated with thefirstfruits. Stewardship had its inception withthe beginning of the race.

Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek, whowas a type of the priesthood of Christ, settingan example to his descendants for all time tocome.

God especially chose Abraham because Hesaid that Abraham would teach his children theway of the Lord (Genesis18:17-19). Apparently

Jacob, who reached the age of twelve whileAbraham was still alive, received instructionfrom his grandfather. When he met the angelsascending and descending and made his

consecration to God, his first thought was tovow to give the tithe to God.

Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If Godwill be with me and will keep me on this

journey that I take, and will give me food toeat and garments to wear, and I return tomy father's house in safety, then the Lordwill be my God. And this stone, which Ihave set up as a pillar, will be God's house;

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Firstfruits

and of all that Thou dost give me I willsurely give a tenth to Thee."

Genesis 28:20-22

It is certain that Jacob continued his vow

during his lifetime, thereby following hisgrandfather's practice of devoting to God atenth of all he would receive. Tithing was not ahuman invention but a divine institutionappointed by God.

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1010 Forgotten Clause

Thus all the tithe of the land, of the seedof the land or the fruit of the tree, is theLord's; it is holy to the Lord. If, therefore, aman wishes to redeem part of his tithe, heshall add to it one-fifth of it.

Leviticus 27:30,31

While most Christians are familiar with thelaw of the tithe, there is one clause involvedwhich is generally overlooked. Should for anyreason an emergency arise in which it wasnecessary to borrow from the tithe, when theperson replaced it, he was to add one-fifthortwenty percent. This seems rather high interest.The reason for it undoubtedly was that God

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wished to discourage individuals fromappropriating what belonged to Him. Knowinghuman nature as He does, He understood onlytoo well that once a person used the tithe, therewas grave danger that he would not repay it.The devil would exert himself, if at all possible,to make it difficult to repay what had beenborrowed. It would then become a viciouscycle.

When the tithe was withheld, the law of

prosperity was violated, the law of blessing wascanceled, and it became more and moredifficult for a person to balance his books.

For this reason, God charged a high rate ofinterest so as to discourage borrowing the tithe.

This principle is applicable today. Better todo the borrowing from another source wherethe interest is not so high and the danger ofdefault is not so great.

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1111 The Timeless Principle

There are those who contend that tithingwas only for the Old Testament days and notfor the age of grace. This is a half-truth, but notthe whole truth. Concerning tithing Jesus said,

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and

cummin, and have neglected the weightierprovisions of the law: justice and mercy andfaithfulness; but these are the things youshould have done without neglecting theother."

Matthew 23:23

Let the people who say this was spokenbefore Christ's death, and therefore is of no

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effect, consider the import of Hebrews 7:8. Thisverse explicitly declares that thirty-five yearsafter Calvary, Christ in heavenHe who is ofthe Melchizedek priesthoodreceived tithes.

In other words, the tithe is the Lord's. It isnot to be appropriated by man. One of the mostsubtle errors being made by some otherwisegood people is that when something Jesus hassaid is incompatible with their views, theyexplain it away.

"Christ spoke that before the birth oftheChurchtherefore it doesn't apply to us," theysay.

Thus the command for us to forgive othersthat we may obtain forgiveness (Mark 11:25,26)

is said to be no longer in effectthat Godforgives, anyway.

Christ's command for us to ask the heavenlyFather for the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13) is said tobe now out of datethat He gives the Holy

Spirit whether we ask for Him or not.The command to lay hands on the sick that

they may recover (Mark 16:18) is said to be only

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The Timeless Principle

for the apostles. Since we have modernmedicine now, we do not need the services ofthe Great Physician.

The promise that believers should speak

with new tongues (Mark 16:17) is said to be nolonger in effect.

And so it goes. But Jesus swept all thissophistry away in His warning in Matthew7:26,27.

Everyone should read those verses carefullyand prayerfully.

There is, however, a difference between law andgrace, between the Old Testament and NewTestament dispensations. In the matter of givingunder grace we willingly and gladly give of ourown free will rather than under the law ofcompulsion. Thus when Paul was urging thesaints at Corinth to give liberally, headmonished them to do this not bycommandment, but as an act of grace, even as

Christ gave Himself and became poor for oursakes:

But just as you abound in everything, in

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faith and utterance and knowledge and inall earnestness and in the love we inspiredin you, see that you abound in this graciouswork also.

I am not speaking this as a command,

but as proving through the earnestness ofothers the sincerity of your love also.

For you know the grace of our LordJesus Christ, that though He was rich, yetfor your sake He became poor, that youthrough His poverty might become rich ....

But now finish doing it also; that just asthere was the readiness to desire it, so theremay be also the completion of it by yourability.

For if the readiness is present, it is

acceptable according to what a man has, notaccording to what he does not have.2 Corinthians 8:7-9,11,12

The apostle then shows that he who givesliberally, cheerfully, and not of necessity willreap bountifully and thus be in a position to

give more and more. But he who sowssparingly will have less and less to give:

Now this I say, he who sows sparingly

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The Timeless Principle

shall also reap sparingly; and he who sowsbountifully shall also reap bountifully: Leteach one do just as he has purposed in hisheart; not grudgingly or under compulsion;for God loves a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9:6,7

Those who contend that they are not to tithebecause they are under grace and not under thelaw generally wind up giving less than a tithe.Tithing entails keeping books with God.

Nontithers are notorious for thinking that theyhave paid more than tithes when they have not.

Some try to back up their failure to tithe bysaying that they are not under law but undergrace. Although they probably are not aware of

it, their disobedience brings them under the lawof the disobedient, as Paul declares: "Law is notmade for a righteous man, but for those whoare lawless and rebellious..." (I Timothy 1:9).

To refuse to give cheerfully to God's work isa serious matter, for it undermines the very

plan God has established for the support of HisChurch.

So also the Lord directed those who

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proclaim the gospel to get their living fromthe gospel.

2 Corinthians 9:14

Grace is grace. But disobedience to God's

commandment is not grace, but disgrace. Andthe transgressor will surely suffer. He who robsGod must surely pay the penalty, for hedeliberately places himself outside the hedge ofdivine protection.

As we have said, the tithe is a good way tobegin giving, but Christians who dedicatethemselves to Christ will soon go beyond thetithe. As God blesses them, they will increasetheir giving. Some now give twenty percent,thirty percent, and even more of their income.

And the more they increase their giving, themore God blesses them.

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1212 Do Good Works Matter?

Ministers often preach that good works willnot get us to heaven. This is true. Millions ofpeople are basing their salvation on their goodworks, but this is a delusion.

Nevertheless, by the very nature of the case,good works hold a place of the highest priority after

conversion. We are saved on the sole basis ofChrist's merits, but afterwards we are saved togood works; we are saved to serve.

Because the apostle James found that somewere deprecating the importance of good

works against faith, he gave the people a sternlecture. He told them that if they depended onfaith without any works following, it was a sure

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sign that they had the wrong kind of faith.

"But are you willing to recognize, youfoolish fellow," he said, "that faith withoutworks is dead?" (James 2:20). True faith

produces good works. And God sets a highvalue on them.

The story of Dorcas who was raised fromthe dead is a case in point. She was a woman"abounding with deeds of kindness and charity,which she continually did" (Acts 9:36). Butapparently while in the prime of life, she wasstruck down with a fatal illness. Her death wasfelt to be an irreparable loss to the saints at

Joppa. They sent for Peter, who was at Lydda,to come post haste. When he arrived he found

them weeping and showing the coats andgarments that Dorcas had made. Theyapparently made it clear to Peter that Dorcaswas indispensable. Why had God taken her?

Now it is the lot of saints as well as of

sinners to die. Some die young. But usuallyChristians do not pray that these should beraised from the dead. This case seemed to bedifferent. Peter dropped to his knees in prayer.

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Do Good Works Matter?

Then evidently feeling in the Spirit that it wasthe will of God for him to pray for therestoration of the woman's life he said,"Tabitha, arise." And Dorcas opened her eyesand came alive! She was not raised from thedead on the basis of her good works; yet whowill say that in some way those good works didnot enter into the picture? Would Peter haveprayed in this way for a woman who duringher lifetime was indolent and careless in her

Christian responsibility?As if to emphasize the importance of good

works, the next recorded incident of the book ofActs was the outpouring of the Spirit upon thehouse of Cornelius. Why should this centurion,

of all men, be the first of the Gentiles to receivethe Holy Spirit? What was it about this manthat especially distinguished him from manyothers? Note the description:

Now there was a certain man atCaesarea named Cornelius, a centurion ofwhat was called the Italian cohort, a devoutman, and one who feared God with all hishousehold, and gave many alms to the

Jewish people, and prayed to God

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continually.Acts 10:1-2

Three things are specifically mentionedabout Cornelius: (1) he feared God, (2) he was a

liberal giver, and (3) he was a man of prayer.Giving is the essence of living. Carnal man

seeks for himself. The truly enlightened personseeks to give as much as he can.

Nor was he the only centurion in the

Scriptures who was blessed. The man whoseservant was healed by Jesus built the Jews asynagogue in Capernaum. Giving never saveda man, but generosity indicates that God hasdone something in the man's life that sets himapart.

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1313 You Can Take It With You

One of the saddest things in life is thatpeople who work hard all their lifetime andwho finally accumulate a sizable property atdeath too many times lose it all. Often those towhom the property descends prove unworthy,squandering it on worldly and selfish purposes.

If only there were some way for people to takeit with them!

Yet if they realized it, they can. The fact isthat we can take nothing with us if we waituntil death strikes; nevertheless, if we choose in

time, we can send it on ahead. In the beautifulSermon on the Mount, the Lord told the peoplehow it can be done:

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"Do not lay up for yourselves treasuresupon earth, where moth and rust destroy,and where thieves break in and steal; but layup for yourselves treasures in heaven,where neither moth nor rust destroys, and

where thieves do not break in or steal."Matthew 6:19-20

At death the believer really does not die; hemerely moves into another sphere of existence.For the Christian it is "absent from the body ...

present with the Lord." The Bible says there is aplace called Paradise where the righteous go (2Corinthians 12:1-4). In view of the fact that allof us are hastening toward that time, it isimportant that we plan ahead. Does not thetraveler make preparation if he anticipates

going to Europe or to some other far-off place?Certainly he does; and so for this reason, theapostle Paul enjoins all of us who mustsomeday leave this life to lay up a store for thetime to come:

Instruct them to do good, to be rich ingood works, to be generous and ready toshare, storing up for themselves the treasureof a good foundation for the future, so that

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You Can Take It With You

they may take hold of that which is lifeindeed.

1 Timothy 6:18-19

If there is sadness in heaven, it must be

experienced by those who had the opportunityto do good for the Kingdom of God with theirmaterial blessings, but through neglect orcarelessness lost their property forever. Just alittle thought, just a little planning, and theycould have taken it with them. But now, it is too

late! They are saved, but the reward that couldhave been theirs has slipped forever throughtheir fingers.

We must all stand before the judgment seatof Christ and give an account of what we have

done in our lifetime, said the apostle Paul. Inthe parable of the two talents, the Lordcommended the faithful servant who earnedtwo talents the same as the one who had gainedfive:

"His master said to him, "Well done,good and faithful slave; you were faithfulwith a few things, I will put you in charge ofmany things; enter into the joy of your

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master.'"Matthew 25:23

A woman whom I knew quite wellinherited some two million dollars. She

promised different ministers to "do somethingsubstantial for the Lord's work," but herpromises were all future. She fancied herself abusinesswoman who could double her wealthin a short time, then do even more for theKingdom of God. Sad to say, she was taken in

by smooth confidence men who wasted herproperty. Indeed, they left her in stark poverty.Toward the end of her life, she was unable evento maintain herself. The woman who was richdied poor. She failed to take it with her.

Today is the day of opportunity; tomorrowmay be and often is too late. As stewards, weare obligated before God to see that theproperty we leave behind is disposed of in theway that will do the kingdom of God the mostgood. In that way, we can take it with us!

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1414 "Set Your House in Order"Hezekiah was one of the greatest of Judah's

kings. One of the nation's most powerfulreformations took place during his reign.Hezekiah removed the images and high placesand abolished idolatry. Of him it was said:

He trusted in the Lord, the God of

Israel; so that after him there was none likehim among all the kings of Judah, noramong those who were before him .... Andthe Lord was with him; wherever he wenthe prospered. And he rebelled against theking of Assyria and did not serve him.

2 Kings 18:5,7

But Hezekiah made one serious mistake.

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When Sennacherib came up against the cities ofJudah, he compromised. In an hour ofweakness, he gave him all the gold and silver ofthe house of the Lord.

And Hezekiah gave him all the silverwhich was found in the house of the Lord,and in the treasuries of the king's house.

At that time Hezekiah cut off the goldfrom the doors of the temple of the Lord,and from the doorposts which Hezekiah

king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it tothe king of Assyria.

2 Kings 18:15,16

What was the result? Hezekiah succeededin pacifying the Assyrian king only for a short

time. In Sennacherib's second invasion, he sentthe cruel and profane Rab-shakeh to terrify theinhabitants of Jerusalem into submission.During those dreadful days of trial, Hezekiahfell sick and was about to die. Then came Isaiahwith the word of the Lord, telling him to set his

house in order, for he would die and not live.As we know, Hezekiah's desperate prayer fordeliverance brought him a respite of fifteen

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"Set Your House in Order"

years. Nevertheless, there is a tremendouslesson in the story of Hezekiah. He had givenall the Lord's gold and silver to a heathen king;now, near death, he was told to set his house inorder.

Many of God's choicest saints are inHezekiah's place. They have lived a godly life.

They have served the Lord and, duringtheir lifetime, have perhaps given liberally toHis cause. Nevertheless, as they are coming tothe evening time of their lives, their house hasnot been set in order. How is this? The fact isthey have not been fully obedient as stewards.For when they leave this world, thosepossessions which should go to the Lord's work

and may have so been intended, go into otherchannels than the Kingdom of God!

Many people who are faithful to God intithes and offerings never think about how theirproperty should be handled when they leave

this world. And in some cases it amounts tomore than they have given during theirlifetime! Many die intestate, which means thestate in effect will make out their will. That in

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most cases will be quite different from whatthey intended.

The truth is that every Christian shouldmake out a will (or a trust) which will

guarantee that their property will be used aftertheir death in the way intended. Where thereare dependents or children, they should, ofcourse, be properly remembered. Having seento this part, they should take care that the Lordis also remembered. One must set his house in

order during his lifetime. Afterwards, it is toolate.

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1515 The Key to Prosperity

When the rich young ruler left Jesus and thedisciples, the Lord remarked sadly that it waseasier for a camel to go through the eye of aneedle than for a rich man to enter theKingdom of Heaven. In other words, thechances were negligible. The disciples were so

astonished that they asked in dismay, "Thenwho can be saved?"

What did Jesus mean by His statementabout the camel and the rich man? Was Heputting a premium upon poverty? Was it

necessary for people to sell all their possessionsto enter into the Kingdom of Heaven? Peter in amoment of sadness said, "Behold, we have left

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everything and followed You." In other words,he was still going to follow Jesus to the end,though it looked like a dark road ahead.

But although Christ's first statement was

strange, His next was even more astonishing.Instead of remarking that the disciples shouldjoin a mendicant order, He promised them thatif they were faithful to their consecration, theywould not only receive eternal life in the worldto come, but in this life a hundredfold in

material possessions!

Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, there isno one who has left house or brothers orsisters or mother or father or children orfarms, for My sake and for the gospel's sake,

but that he shall receive a hundred times asmuch now in the present age, houses andbrothers and sisters and mothers andchildren and farms, along with persecutions;and in the world to come, eternal life.

Mark 10:29,30

These verses demand explanation. Look atthe words again, for there can be no mistake: "ahundred times as much now in the present age,

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The Key to Prosperity

houses and brothers and sisters and mothersand children and farms...." It says, "a hundredtimes as much ..."! That means that he whogives up thousands for Christ's sake is eligibleto receive hundreds of thousands. Take notice,also, that the Lord is not speaking of this in theage to come when God's people will walk thestreets of gold, but now! Whatever this means,and it is hardly possible to misinterpret it, it isobviously the master key to prosperity.

Examine the words more closely. Thepromise is not restricted to a favored few. Itsays, "no one who has left ... but he shall receivea hundred times as much now in the presentage." All who fulfill the conditions are eligible

for the promise. If we are to take these wordsliterally, as we must, then. God could havesome millionaires in the Church enjoying theblessings of God. Of course there wouldprobably not be many, because there are fewwho will actually fulfill the conditions.

At first these words of Jesus seemcontradictory. The Lord has given warnings ofthe most solemn character of the danger of

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trusting in richesso much so that the apostlesdoubted whether anybody could be saved.Then He implied that those who follow Himfully will be stewards of great riches. What isthe explanation of this seeming paradox?

The answer is not difficult. There areimportant conditions attached, conditionswhich are inseparably associated with thepromise, which are an essential preparation forthis stewardship.

We must note that God is not interested inmaking people poor merely for poverty's sake.Ultimately He will make us all rich. He becamepoor that we, through His poverty, mightbecome rich. But God is greatly interested in

separating His people from trusting in riches.Jesus spoke of a fundamental failing in humannaturethe tendency to place an undue valueon material things, as if they were the secret ofhappiness:

"For all these things the Gentiles eagerlyseek; for your heavenly Father knows thatyou need all these things. But seek first Hiskingdom, and His righteousness; and all

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The Key to Prosperity

these things shall be added to you."Matthew 6:32,33

Paul also says, "and those who buy, asthough they did not possess; and those who use

the world, as though they did not make full useof it ..." (1 Corinthians 7:30,31). God's peoplemay have possessions, but these possessionsare not to possess them.

The sad fact is that many Christians cannotstand prosperity. King Uzziah of Judah "wasmarvelously helped until he was strong. Butwhen he became strong, his heart was so proudthat he acted corruptly ..." (2 Chronicles26:15,16). Money is so alluring, and it seems tohave such power and can do so many things,

that its possession is supposed to be the badgeof success. A poor man is often considered afailure. People largely ignore the Scripturewhich says, "Did not God choose the poor ofthis world to be rich in faith and heirs of thekingdom which He promised to those who loveHim?" (James 2:5).

Human vanity pushes a man to keep up orto get ahead of his neighbors, and money,

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however secured, seems to be the means bywhich this can be done. For these reasons mendevelop a passion for money. The desire oftenbecomes so strong that they feel any end

justifies the means. Again and again we haveseen God's servants go down before thistemptation. The great promise of thehundredfold blessing that Christ gives is onlyfor those who have overcome the evil of lovingmoney.

This then is the secret of the amazingpromise of the hundredfold blessing of housesand lands. It is for those who in their heartshave fully given up all these things for thegospel's sake. Not everyone will be required, as

the Lord asked the rich young ruler, to auctionoff his goods to give to the poor. Nevertheless,those who qualify for the promise will verylikely some time in their life face the test ofeverything seemingly lost that they may winChrist and fulfill God's will in their lives. Jesus

said to Peter, "Do you love Me more thanthese?" And that is where most people fail tobecome eligible for the promise. The risk ofsuch absolute consecration seems too great.

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1616 Why Prosperity?

Peter began to say to Him, "Behold, wehave left everything and followed You."

Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, there isno one who has left house or brothers orsisters or mother or father or children orfarms, for My sake and for the gospel's sake,

but that he shall receive a hundred times asmuch now in the present age, houses andbrothers and sisters and mothers andchildren and farms, along with persecutions;and in the world to come, eternal life."

Mark 10:28-30

These words of Jesus were in answer toPeter's wistful comment, "Behold, we have lefteverything and followed You." It is interesting

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to note that this amazing promise of thehundredfold blessing in material things wasfulfilled in Peter's life. Did he actually receivean hundredfold blessing in houses and lands?

Before we answer this question, we mustobserve that the Lord did not intend that theriches promised were to be lavished on oneselffor the indulgence of the flesh. Far from it! Paulcomments seriously about people with suchmotives:

But those who want to get rich fall intotemptation and a snare and many foolishand harmful desires which plunge men intoruin and destruction. For the love of moneyis a root of all sorts of evil, and some by

longing for it have wandered away from thefaith, and pierced themselves with many apang.

1 Timothy 6:9,10

Those who qualify for the promise thatJesus gave to Peter are those that would rather

follow Christ than inherit all the riches of theearth; those who can use money but will neverlet money use them. If God can trust a man, He

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Why Prosperity?

may permit him to handle a great deal of Hismoney so that it can be used to bless themultitudes.

Was this true with Peter? When the

disciples were multipliedthree thousand onone occasion, five thousand on another"allwho were owners of lands or houses would sellthem and bring the proceeds of the sales, andlay them at the apostles' feet..." (Acts 4:34,35).

You can imagine the total value of themoney received! Of course it was not to be usedon themselves other than for their modestneeds. It was their solemn duty to see thateveryone of the company was fully cared for.

These offerings were not only for supplying

the needs of the people, but obviously forsupporting the evangelistic teams that wentout. It is often overlooked that within a shorttime the persecution in Jerusalem was so fiercethat the entire membership of the mother

church, with the exception of the apostles, wasscattered.

And Saul was in hearty agreement withputting him to death.

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And on that day a great persecutionarose against the church in Jerusalem; andthey were all scattered throughout theregions of Judea and Samaria, except theapostles.

Therefore, those who had been scatteredwent abroad preaching the word.

Acts 8:1-2,4

The Jerusalem church was no longersupporting the saints in Jerusalem, for they

were scattered abroad. What was the churchdoing? Obviously it was helping these gospelteams that went out.

Apparently many of the people returnedwhen the persecution lessened. Nor did God

forget those in the mother church when theywere in need. Some of the ministers who hadbeen successful in establishing branch churches,such as the one at Antioch, took up substantialofferings and sent them to the saints at

Jerusalem to tide them through.

God remembered the mother church fortyyears after Pentecost. At that time the Romanarmy had surrounded Jerusalem. Suddenly for

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Why Prosperity?

no apparent reason the Romans left for a shortperiod. The Christians, remembering thewarnings of Jesus, fled to Pella during this timeof respite, where a strong church wasestablished. The unbelieving Jews remained tobe caught in the slaughter when the Romansreturned and captured the city. Those whosurvived the siege were taken into captivity andsold into slavery. But God took care of His own.

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1717 The Great Commission

And He said to them, "Go into all theworld and preach the gospel to all creation."

Mark 16:15

"But you shall receive power when theHoly Spirit has come upon you; and youshall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem,

and in all Judea and Samaria, and even tothe remotest part of the earth."

Acts 1:8

From these two commands of Jesus it isevident that the Church of Jesus Christ was to

be a missionary Church. But through manylong dark centuries the Church nearly forgot itsmission. While millions were born, loved and

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died without Christ, men and women whoprofessed Christianity retreated from life andlived in monasteries and nunneries. Only in thelast century did the Christian world begin toawaken. Then in many cases it wasindependent groups and missionary societieswhich sprang up and received the vision ofmissions. Staid state churches often lookedaskance at these missionary efforts.

This brings up a question often asked. The

prophet Malachi said that tithes and offeringswere to be brought into the storehouse. Whichstorehouse? Certainly the local church must besupported. It must be included in thestorehouse. Many churches have failed badly in

the support of the pastor. There is no argumentthat Christians should not support the homebase. But is that the only base to support?

If that view were entirely correct (that theestablished churches are the only bases tosupport) then missionary work would be

greatly hampered, for the initial impetus toworld evangelism has come largely fromindependent missionary societies, with the

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The Great Commission

church gradually catching the vision andbringing up the rear. Of course many churchestoday have a great missionary program, forwhich we thank God.

Whatever way it is done, the Bible clearlyteaches that all of us have a deep responsibilityto evangelize the heathen. Indeed thefulfillment of this work is tied up closely withthe actual coming of the Lord:

And this gospel of the kingdom shall bepreached in the whole world for a witness toall the nations, and then the end shall come.

Matthew 24:14

According to these words of Jesus, this agewill not end until the gospel witness reaches all

nations.

The mother church at Jerusalem sent outmissionaries. And as soon as the Gentile churchat Antioch had gained strength, it entered into amissionary program. The Holy Ghost Himself

separated Barnabas and Saul and called theminto a missionary ministry. Barnabas hadalready given away his possessions, and Paul inhis numerous epistles made clear that he

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personally had no reserve funds. Yet travelinginto new territory required money. Where didthese missionaries get it? Obviously the churchat Antioch made provision for their earlymissionary travels.

As Paul went from city to city, establishingnew churches, he relied upon them to send himsupport. After informing the Corinthians oftheir responsibility to support the ministry, hementioned that in new fields he could not

expect support. For this reason he said that hehad proclaimed "the gospel of Christ withoutcharge." At times churches he had foundedsupported him. But communications in manyareas were poor, and sometimes when he had

no support, he and his companions had to workwith their hands. But it is clear that such asystem was not the best since it left workers inan exhausted condition. A tired preacher couldhardly be at his best in the pulpit.

Paul's teaching concerning mission fields is

clear: in a new field he would say little aboutofferings so he would not "hinder the gospel."But once a church was well-established, he

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Him, even as He asks you to do.

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How to Be Enriched by Giving - Lindsay

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