Grace Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Thursday,
July 26, 2007
Doctrine Of Giving
Point 1. Definition.
a. Giving is an expression of worship to commemorate the grace policy of God.
b. Giving in the Church-age is the legitimate function of the believer’s royal priesthood in worship, both inside and outside the local church, e.g., in hospitality.
1. Christian service related to your spiritual gift.
2. Christian service related to your royal priesthood, which includes prayer, giving, and the execution of the PPOG through learning, thinking, and solving.
3. Christian service related to your royal ambassadorship, which includes evangelism, witnessing, administration in the local church, function on the mission field, function in a Christian service organization.
4. Christian service related to the laws of divine establishment, which includes military service, law enforcement, government, but never activism.
Point 2. The Motivation in Giving.
God provides and enjoys the mental attitude which accompanies giving.
"He scatters abroad" = God gives money to certain people both rich and poor.
Point 3. The Doctrinal Principles of Giving.
GAL 2:10 "They only asked us to remember the poor; the very thing I was also eager to do."
Precedence for giving is derived from the dispensation of the hypostatic union and is predicated on grace.
Generosity of mental attitude results in generosity of giving.
Giving is a result of Christian service.
Point 4. The principle of giving is related to two spiritual gifts: pastor-teacher and evangelism.
The pastor must make an issue out of two things as a recipient of support from believers: the gospel, and what is the Christian way of life after salvation.
Point 5. The Grace Concept of Giving.
In supergrace, no matter what you give you never lose.
Point 6. The True Meaning of Tithing.
Tithing was a 10% income tax under the laws of establishment delineated in the Mosaic Law for the citizens of Israel only.
Believers and unbelievers alike were charged the same amount of tax.
There was also a 10% tithe for all Jewish citizens, both believers and unbelievers, for the maintenance of the Levites for their presentation of doctrine, NUM 18:21, 24.
There was also a 10% tithe for all Jewish citizens, both believers and unbelievers, to support the cost of the Lord’s sacrifices,
DEU 14:22‑24.
Every third year Israel required the payment of a charity tithe of 10% for those who legitimately needed help,
DEU 14:28‑29.
Spiritual giving in the Old Testament is presented under the word "offerings."