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New Testament (Spiritual) giving – Part 10

The New Testament period is not a Law-less period, as some people think. It is easy to say the Christian is not under any law. This is wrong. The Christian is not under the Mosaic Law, but the Christian life is regulated by a Law. It is called: The law of the Spirit of Life…

The New Testament period is not a Law-less period, as some people think. It is easy to say the Christian is not under any law. This is wrong. The Christian is not under the Mosaic Law, but the Christian life is regulated by a Law. It is called:
The law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus — Rm. 8:2

• The law written on the tables of our hearts — Heb. 8:10

• The law of liberty — James 1:25 and 2:12

• The law of love — Gal. 5:14

• The law of faith — Rm 3:27
The sum total of all these is that the Holy Spirit is the Law regulating the life of the Christian, not the Mosaic Law. He alone determines how we worship God and with what. He makes the demand and expects obedience, if we are to be blessed. The following are the laws of the spiritual giving in the New Testament. These laws are not the legalistic laws of tithing of the Jewish church; they are Holy Spirit directed principles that make our giving acceptable to God in the New Testament. By these principles, we obtain a witness concerning our righteousness and God testifies of our gifts, making such gifts speak for us (Heb. 11:4).

They are:
Give in love – Jn 3:16 /Eph 5:1 – Love must be the motiving factor for giving. Not fear. Not reward. God gave us out of love (Jn 3:16).

Give as led by the Holy Spirit- Rm 8:14 – As many as are led by the Spirit of God. This is the whole essence of spiritual giving. You are neither to be led by your senses, nor by the Mosaic Law.

Give with simplicity- Rm 12:8 – all those business gimmicks in the church have taken the simplicity out of our giving. A simple giving is that which is not forced or influenced by any extraneous factor outside the Holy Spirit.
Give without ostentation- Matt 6:1-4 – without any outward show of pride, devoid of fleshly wisdom or vainglory. Not hypocritical giving as in launchings/use of envelopes.

Give according to what you have – 2 Cor 8:12 (TLB): Acts 11:29. Do not give what you do not have. Do not give what is not yours. Do not borrow to give, except expressly directed by the Spirit of God. It has been a principal entrenched in the Old Testament. In 1 Chronicles 21:24, David refused to offer another man’s property or what did not cost him to the Lord. It is against God’s principle. It is roguish. It is extortion under the garb of spirituality.

Give willingly – 2 Cor 8:12 – If there be a willing mind. Not tricked into it.

Give without necessity but cheerfully – 2 Cor 9:6-7 – Not pressured into it. Not out of fear, but cheerfully from the heart.
Give sacrificially – 2 Corinthians 8:2 – Must cost you something. David and Ornan threshing floor is a good example of this.
Give in good proportion- Mark 12:41-43/2 Cor 9:6-7 – What you give to God must be in proportion to what you have. Remember the story of the widow that gave her last mite against other rich men. Jesus says she has given more than them all (Luke21: 3).

Give in faith- Heb 11:6 – Expecting a reward from God. Motivated by love, but expectant of reward from God.

Give selflessly – Luke 6:34-35 – Not the way unbelievers give, expecting a reward from others.
Give with thanks (in the name of Jesus) Col 3:17

• Join us for the Midnight Cry on Dove TV (DSTV channel 349, GOTV Channel 83 and StarTimes channel 464) every Thursday by 7pm and on Rock City 101.9 FM every Sunday by 9pm. For more information, please call 08037253604 or 07034495177. Bro. Kunle Adigun, Friends of the Bridegroom International Ministries (FOBIM)

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