Tithing - Top 10 reasons I don't

[Brother Jerry]

Steward,

Let me start by welcoming you to the forums. 

And you are correct in what you said that tithing is not required.

However the feel of your post is that you believe that we as Christians should not be giving our time and money to the church, and that the principle of tithing, or giving is wrong. 

Now let me first clear up a couple of things which you have stated that you are incorrect on.  Tithing is not, was not something that came about with the Law that was given to Moses.  Tithing was something that happened even before that.
Gen 14:20,21 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.  And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.
In vs 20 we see Abram giving a tenth of all to Melchizedek who was the priest of the most high God.  This was before any of the other kings were to claim their lot, or even before Abram could lay claim to any of the spoils of war.
This is reinforced and the story retold in Hebrews 7:2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;

As another example of tithing before the Law.  Look at Jacob in Gen 28:22
And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

Paul lets us know a great deal about it throughout...but let us start in 1 Corinthians 16:2
"Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come."
Paul lets us know that there were collections made on a regular basis.  And gives us a hint of giving each week and storing that up for the missionary when he came buy, that way there would not be a burden to collect offerings on the day he came buy.  If we want to be able to give $1000 dollars to a missionary in a year it is alot easier to give it to him $10 at a time than to come up with $1000 all at once on the day he comes.  So Paul gives us good financial advice in that we should try to tackle it a little a time, and as God has blessed us.

We could go on and on and on about how the Bible teaches us to give...especially in the NT. 

The short of this Steward is that you are correct in that we are not commanded to tithe.  However there was a tithe before it was a commandment to do so, and there is that tithe even now, Abram did not give a tenth because he had too, he did it because he loved the Lord.  And Jesus told us to not give a tenth simply because we had too, but because we want to and because we love the Lord.  We have to realize that ALL that we have is not ours, it is His.  And He can allow it to be taken from us at any time.  The Lord loves a joyous giver.



let us take a look also at Luke 11:42 But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Here we see that Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for simply giving of their tithe of material goods, and forget the love part of it.  Jesus himself states "these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other (the tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs) undone."  So we see that even Jesus states that tithing is something that should be done.

[steward]

However the feel of your post is that you believe that we as Christians should not be giving our time and money to the church, and that the principle of tithing, or giving is wrong.

I feel whole heartedly that sacrificial, spirit-led giving is important and very much right. I don't believe that the minimum should be dictated by the actions of Abraham, Jacob, Moses or Israel. God left us His Spirit to guide, train, and direct us in how much, when, and where we should give. There are principles that establish a base for us, like take care of the poor and needy, provide for your ministers, support foreign and local missions, and give to your local body.

Let's face it. Abraham was a very rich man. But he gave only 10% to the priest. Let's not forget that he gave the majority of it back to the pagan king. Abraham's example is not to be carved out as universal principle. I'm sure a majority of us believe that we are 100% stewards.

The short of this Steward is that you are correct in that we are not commanded to tithe.  However there was a tithe before it was a commandment to do so, and there is that tithe even now, Abram did not give a tenth because he had too, he did it because he loved the Lord.  And Jesus told us to not give a tenth simply because we had too, but because we want to and because we love the Lord.

First fruit offerings were given by cain and able before there was officially a command. Clean and unclean animals were separated by Noah before there was ever a command. I know you said "Jesus told us to give a tenth because we love the Lord", but in Matthew 23/Luke 11 Jesus wasn't talking to the Church, nor was he talking to anyone under the new covenant. By no means am I throwing out everything Jesus said under the Old Covenant, but in context he was praising the Pharisees for following the law, and criticizing for not following Spiritual principles.

Here we see that Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for simply giving of their tithe of material goods, and forget the love part of it.  Jesus himself states "these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other (the tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs) undone."  So we see that even Jesus states that tithing is something that should be done.

What i see here is #1 Jesus confirming that the pharisees were correct to tithe. #2 i see that Jesus confirms that agricultural products are still the only acceptable gift of the tithe. Only the fruit of the land and animals were allowed to be given under the tithing law. So if we want to use Luke 11/Matthew 23 as support for a 10% minimum then you also have to concede that Jesus was confirming that money and goods were still not acceptable gifts.

[Soldier4Christ]

Amen, Brother Jerry. Giving when done appropriately is not about making a few rich, lining just their pockets. It is not about having a church with gold and crystal decorations. Giving is about love. Love for God, love for all of mankind. The desire that all will come to know the hope that is in us. To know the loving, saving grace of God. Whether it is just a meager two mites, an exact tenth, or what greater amount it might be we are to "do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him" through the love that we have within us.

All to often we get embroiled in certain things, getting stuck on one subject, forgetting what our main objective should be  ... The winning of souls for Christ.

[nChrist]

Amen, Brother Jerry. Giving when done appropriately is not about making a few rich, lining just their pockets. It is not about having a church with gold and crystal decorations. Giving is about love. Love for God, love for all of mankind. The desire that all will come to know the hope that is in us. To know the loving, saving grace of God. Whether it is just a meager two mites, an exact tenth, or what greater amount it might be we are to "do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him" through the love that we have within us.

All to often we get embroiled in certain things, getting stuck on one subject, forgetting what our main objective should be  ... The winning of souls for Christ.

AMEN!

GOD'S Love for us and our Love for GOD determines many things in our hearts, and it must be all about Love.

GOOD NEWS!

1:  Romans 3:10 NASB  as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE."

2:  Romans 3:23  NASB  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

3:  Romans 5:12  NASB  Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned--

4:  Romans 6:23  NASB  For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

5:  Romans 1:18  NASB  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

6:  Romans 3:20  NASB  because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

7:  Romans 3:27  NASB  Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.

8:  Romans 5:8-9  NASB  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.

9:  Romans 2:4  NASB  Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

10:  Romans 3:22  NASB  even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction;

11:  Romans 3:28  NASB  For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.

12:  Romans 10:9  NASB  that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

13:  Romans 4:21  NASB  and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.

14:  Romans 4:24 NASB  but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,

15:  Romans 5:1  NASB  Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

16:  Romans 10:10  NASB  for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

17:  Romans 10:13  NASB  for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED."

Thanks be unto GOD for HIS unspeakable GIFT!, JESUS CHRIST, our Lord and Saviour forever!

[Maryjane]

The subject o tithe is so simple..When a life is surrendered to the Lord..all belongs to Him..The early church sold all their possessions and gave accordingly to those in need..They rallied around eachother..They gave joyously..We have come so far from the early church..Social standing is more important...It reminds me of the rich ruler who could not part with His wealth..not even a 10th of it..

[Brother Jerry]

I feel whole heartedly that sacrificial, spirit-led giving is important and very much right. I don't believe that the minimum should be dictated by the actions of Abraham, Jacob, Moses or Israel. God left us His Spirit to guide, train, and direct us in how much, when, and where we should give. There are principles that establish a base for us, like take care of the poor and needy, provide for your ministers, support foreign and local missions, and give to your local body.

I examine what you have said and I can say that I disagree.  I will agree that there is no mandated 11th Commandment that says "Thou Shalt give 10%" however throughout the Bible, both new and old a standard is set.  Yes a guideline more than anything, but what it comes down to is that if you can afford to give 10% and don't, then you are not giving what you can.  And there is plenty of evidence to show that giving was quite often directed towards the church and the church to delegate it out.  Look at the formation of Deacons and how they were to help with the chores around the church and serving the congregation.  This obviously would cost the church some money, so how would it have received money if not for the giving of the congregation?  Paul writes to many of the churches, not individuals, and thanks them for their support while he is on the road.  No there is evidence a plenty that tithes went to the church.

Let's face it. Abraham was a very rich man. But he gave only 10% to the priest. Let's not forget that he gave the majority of it back to the pagan king.

Now wait a minute here.  You have that completely wrong.  Abram did not give the rest to the king, he did not take it from the king.
vs 21 "And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself." - Here we see the king of Sodom stepping up as if the spoils of war were his to distribute as he saw fit.
vs 22-23 "And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lifte up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heave and earth, THat I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take anything that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:" - Here we see Abram letting the king lay claim to it.  But also stating he wants nothing to do with it.  He lets the king know that he did what he did because it brougth glory to God, not to him. 

Abraham's example is not to be carved out as universal principle. I'm sure a majority of us believe that we are 100% stewards.

Those that do are one of two things, liars or boasters.  I believe that many of use hear would like to think that we give 100% effort to being good stewards, but realize we are a wretched bunch and still sin, and still fall short. 

What i see here is #1 Jesus confirming that the pharisees were correct to tithe. #2 i see that Jesus confirms that agricultural products are still the only acceptable gift of the tithe. Only the fruit of the land and animals were allowed to be given under the tithing law. So if we want to use Luke 11/Matthew 23 as support for a 10% minimum then you also have to concede that Jesus was confirming that money and goods were still not acceptable gifts.

I would concede nothing of the sort.  There is a multitude of examples upon which we are shown that God has all and asks for little.  We are to give of our first fruits, if that is crops, or land, or money earned from selling crops, land, livestock, or anything else.  You would make it sound as though merchants who bought and sold goods was exempt from tithing, and that simply is not true.  Even 2000 years ago there were people who bought and sold goods and made their money from that.  Their first fruits would simply be the money they made and of that they were to give to the Lord. 

I am sorry to say but I truly believe that you are misled in the beliefs that you have when it comes to tithing.  The Bible clearly shows as Maryjane even mentioned that if we have turned our lives over to God then we should truly understand that all we have is His.  And if He asks for all of it then we should be joyous in giving it all to him.  It is a true blessing that God let's us keep 90% of it as a standard, but remember it is simply a standard and He could ask for more or less at any time. 

Often we find that God will set us benchmarks to follow.  We see that throughout the Old Testament.  That is what the Law was for to begin with.  "Here is the standard upon which I, your Lord God, want you to live by."  God knew we could not live by that standard, but wanted to see how faithful we would be to that standard.  God put out there 10% as a standard and it is one of the few that quite honestly most people can achieve.  And if our faith is in keeping that standard or doing the best we can to get there, then God will as promised reward our faith. 

[Littleboy]

This is what i go by when i give,
Let not your right hand know what your left hand is doing when giving unto our Father...
A true man/woman of God gives all he can, weather it be 10% or some other number,
God knows who the Cheerful givers are.(the old woman that gave all she had)
Not once did the Lord tell people to go and sell all that they have & give a tenth(tithe) to the Jewish Synagoge
& their was no Christian Churchs at that point in time to give to.
Neither did he tell them to go & Build Beautiful Churchs filled with Gold & statues & Stained glass windows,
My Brother(Jesus)says when i Feed, Clothe & give unto the poor, I have done it unto Him, So my money goes to them/Him...
I refuse to pay for stained glass windows, ect. ect. ect. And be made merchandise of so preachers can become Fat & broaden the hims of their Garments...
I do give to Churchs that I KNOW ARE DOING GODS WILL!
YLBD
Do you remember when all the christians sold all that they had and gave it to Paul to divide equally amongst them so that none did lack anything
Just as the Jews did when they gathered Manna in the wilderness, No matter how much you gathered everyone was given the same amount,
But a couple, a man & a woman sought to hold some of their money from the rest and God snuffed them out in front of everyone, 1st. the Husband
then his lying wife, God Knows the Cheerful Givers...

[ishi]

Phoenix,tithing is part of the law that was giving in the old testament,and Jesus himself alluded to that in the new testament.
So read Matthew 23:23. Hope that helps.

[armorbearer]

         Now let's analyze the truth of the matter. We all know that the Word Of God. And we believe the word of God by faith. And the Word of God tells us to walk by faith and not by sight. ( Am I correct so far?) So an the matter of tithing, it was not just for those in the O.T. but in the new as well. I read that someone said that they don't tithe because thet're not a Jew and only the Jewish people were the one's who had to tithe. So let me feed you the Word. And we'll see what God has to say about it.        Ephesians 2:

11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.

So now you see, we gentiles are one in the same with the Jews. Are you one who steals from God? lets see.

Malachi 3:8 “ Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me!But you say,‘ In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.

  Is the picture getting a little clearer for you that all are called to give an offering. And If you don't think it was important to Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, lets just see what the WORD OF GOD has to say about it.

             Mark 12:41-44
41 Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. 42 Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites,[a] which make a quadrans. 43 So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.”

    And the church says, AMEN.  Don't look at others and how they give. But when you give, give unto the Lord. And do it with your whole heart.   AMEN AMEN and AMEN


 

[Soldier4Christ]

Hello armorbearer,

Welcome to Christians Unite forums.

I see a strong twist of scriptures with your logic that places men back under the law instead of our being under grace. If we look at some of the scripture that you have given we can clearly see the point being made that God did in fact abolish the old form of tithing:

"having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances"

This is clearly telling us that those ordinances do not pertain to us. As has already been said in this thread many times tithing, which is a tenth, is not a requirement and is supported by the many verses given. Giving to the Lord's work is something that God wants us to do and may very well in some cases be much more than just the tenth spoken of in the OT. It is to be from the heart, not from any duty.

[Brother Jerry]

Armorbearer

Welcome to the CU forums.  I do hope that you enjoy your time here and are able to partake of the fellowship and wisdom for time to come.

I understand where you are heading but I also caught the possible slant like PR mentioned above.  However I will give you the benefit of the doubt and ask you to clarify your stance on that up just a bit.

I do pray that it is just a simple misunderstanding or lack of communications.

[armorbearer]

     Hello pastor Roger and Bother Jerry and all who read this. Thank God that I have a chance to fellowship with those who are baptised into the body of Christ.

     Now let see. In studying the Bible, and dealing with certain topics, you must analyze all the facts so that you don't see what you wanna see, and get out of the word what you wanna get. we need to look carefully so that we see the truth and do as James said which is to be a doer and not just a hearer. In Eph 2: 11-16,I was trying to make a point as to the person who said that tithing was just for the Jews. And because of Christ, we are now one in the same.  Before Christ, salvation had not yet been made available to the gentiles or non Jews. Hence the scripture that I gave brought out a few questions to you so I must clear them up.

    We must realize that there are more than 4,113 laws and ordinances in the O.T. that the nation of Israel had to follow. And we know that the Law was not meant to justify anyone. And we know that the main purpose of the law was to give us a knowledge of sin. Sin, deeds done in the flesh.  ( Romans 3:20). Now lets see what Paul said:

Romans 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

   The Law gave us a knowledge of sin that sin might appear exceedingly sinful. What then did Chrst abolish in His flesh. Do we have to go to chuch and bring an ox or bull or lamb to be burned on an altar as a sacrifce for our sins? Do we have to bring two turtle doves to the high priest after our first son is born 8 days after his birth as a sacrifice to God and have our children circumsized. No it is by faith that we obey God because the law was established upon works. Not to get off the subject of tithing for I know that Christ is the end of the law ( Romans 10:4)

   So let me ask you this, if tithing was not important then why was He at the temple watching how people gave?
Mark 12:41-44.  And why does Malachi tell those that they rob God because of there tithes and offerings?

  And what if everyone in the body of Christ, were to consider your opinion that we don't need to tithe to the church? What do you think would happen to all of the thousand upon thousands of churches that have outreach ministries and food pantries to help those in need? The church doors would be shut. Why? Because just as you have gas & electric, water bills and money you spend on the up keep of you house, so does the house of God. Tithing is something we do by faith. If you're keeping your fist closed tight so that you don't give, then God can't put nothing in your hand so you can receive. The just shall live by faith. So in order for you to get the importance on tithing i'll give you some N.T. scriptures on this matter

1 Timothy 6:17-19                 17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 18 Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, 19 storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8       6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

And THE WORDS OF THE LORD HIMSELF.

Luke 6:38                  Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

No. He didn't make it a commandment. Just as He won't make you come to church every Sunday, and on Biblestudy night and praise and worship services. Why? Because He wants you to do it by faith and with love.

[nChrist]

Hello Armorbearer,

I see that you're new, so WELCOME!

We're happy to have you with us, and I sincerely hope that you enjoy Christians Unite.

I think that I've said more than two cents worth on this topic already, but I would like to point out some basics Under GRACE, as opposed to the LAW.

1 - JESUS CHRIST was born under the LAW, lived under the LAW, and died under the LAW. JESUS CHRIST finished the Perfect Work of Salvation on the CROSS and changed the entire world in the most important and precious event in the history of mankind. JESUS CHRIST didn't disclose what the CROSS meant during HIS Life, and the impact of the CROSS wasn't revealed until GOD revealed it to the Apostle Paul.

2 - A tithe was a Jewish tax, and it wasn't voluntary. It was a forced DUTY.

3 - Good works by Christians are judged by GOD for "REWARDS" that are over and above Salvation, but good works are burned up as useless if they are done as a duty, for personal recognition, or for any reason other than LOVE.

4 - Giving should be cheerful, completely voluntary, not a duty, and out of nothing but LOVE. Otherwise, GOD burns it up as useless and doesn't consider it good.

5 - Many Christians give 30% or more of their income to the LORD'S WORK, the poor, and various charities. If they give to get their name on a building or in the newspaper, GOD burns it up. If they gave only 10% of their income because they thought that they had to, GOD would burn it up as useless. It must be only out of LOVE before GOD will recognize it as good.

6 - We are not under the Law. We are under Grace. GOD loves a cheerful giver who gives in LOVE, and that's all HE will accept as being good. Everything else is burned up. All "GOOD WORKS" must be under the same conditions. If you think about this, it all makes sense. GOD wants us to LOVE HIM because we want to LOVE HIM. GOD wants us to GIVE and do GOOD WORKS because we LOVE HIM and want to. THIS IS GRACE! - NOT LAW!

Love In Christ,
Tom

Ephesians 1:18-23 NASB I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

[armorbearer]

HELLO Blackeyedpeas
 
     http://My new friend in Christ.  Grace and peace unto you.

    It sound like we agree on this matter. The only thing I failed to express is your motives for giving. People can do the right thing for the wrong reason. Yes I agree, Love, must be the center of why all good deeds should be manifested.

     But just to make sure we're clear, are you saying that tithing is important or not? Should we give when it comes time to that part of the service? I'm my eyes, and I believe it is somewhere in the scriptures that, when I give, it is a part of worship to God.
I'm not getting into deeds that are done outside of the church. And things that you do for someone in need. I'm just talking about tithing. Nothing else. Tithing by faith. Not out of obligation.

[Soldier4Christ]

Hello Armorbearer,

I see that you're new, so WELCOME!

We're happy to have you with us, and I sincerely hope that you enjoy Christians Unite.

I think that I've said more than two cents worth on this topic already, but I would like to point out some basics Under GRACE, as opposed to the LAW.

1 - JESUS CHRIST was born under the LAW, lived under the LAW, and died under the LAW. JESUS CHRIST finished the Perfect Work of Salvation on the CROSS and changed the entire world in the most important and precious event in the history of mankind. JESUS CHRIST didn't disclose what the CROSS meant during HIS Life, and the impact of the CROSS wasn't revealed until GOD revealed it to the Apostle Paul.

2 - A tithe was a Jewish tax, and it wasn't voluntary. It was a forced DUTY.

3 - Good works by Christians are judged by GOD for "REWARDS" that are over and above Salvation, but good works are burned up as useless if they are done as a duty, for personal recognition, or for any reason other than LOVE.

4 - Giving should be cheerful, completely voluntary, not a duty, and out of nothing but LOVE. Otherwise, GOD burns it up as useless and doesn't consider it good.

5 - Many Christians give 30% or more of their income to the LORD'S WORK, the poor, and various charities. If they give to get their name on a building or in the newspaper, GOD burns it up. If they gave only 10% of their income because they thought that they had to, GOD would burn it up as useless. It must be only out of LOVE before GOD will recognize it as good.

6 - We are not under the Law. We are under Grace. GOD loves a cheerful giver who gives in LOVE, and that's all HE will accept as being good. Everything else is burned up. All "GOOD WORKS" must be under the same conditions. If you think about this, it all makes sense. GOD wants us to LOVE HIM because we want to LOVE HIM. GOD wants us to GIVE and do GOOD WORKS because we LOVE HIM and want to. THIS IS GRACE! - NOT LAW!

Love In Christ,
Tom

Ephesians 1:18-23 NASB I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Amen!