Friday, October 16, 2020

PT-2 "The Practice and Reward of True Giving" (Matt. 6:3-4)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/16/2020 10:20 AM

 

My Worship Time                                  Focus:  PT-2 “The Practice and Reward of True Giving”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Matthew 6:3-4

 

            Message of the verses:  3  "But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing 4  that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.”

 

            As promised I want to look at an earlier verse from the Sermon on the Mount:  “"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”  John MacArthur writes “The question is not whether or not our good works should be seen by others, but whether they are done for that end.  When they are done ‘in such a way’ that attention and glory are focused on our ‘Gather who is in heaven’ rather than on ourselves, God is pleased.  But if they are done to be noticed by men (6:1), they are done self-righteously and hypocritically and are rejected by God.  The difference is in purpose and motivation.  When what we do is done in the right spirit and for the right purpose, it will almost inevitably be done in the right way.”

 

            At times the teaching of Matthew 5:16 and 6:1 are often though to conflict with each other because it is not recognized that they relate to different sins.  MacArthur goes on ”The discrepancy is only imaginary.  In the first passage Jesus is dealing with cowardice, whereas in the second He is dealing with hypocrisy.  A. B. Bruce gives the helpful explanation, ‘We are to show when tempted to hide and hide when tempted to show.”

 

            I totally agree with MacArthur when he states that there has never been a time when there have been so many different organizations looking for money from Christians.  It is difficult to know which ones are legitimate and which ones are not.  I mentioned that as believers, we need to be in prayer as to where we should give our money.  The Bible tells us that we are to give systematically and regularly to our local church:  “1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also. 2 On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come” (1 Cor. 16:1-2).   I have always found it a good practice to give to missionaries, especially when there is an urgent need.  I have a friend who ministers in Bangladesh that I have known for many years and he had a great need because of the Covid 19 virus as people were out of work and that meant in that country they had no way to buy food.  The need was there and God certainly put this on my wife and my hearts to help out.  These are the kind of things that God desires for believers to do, but this kind of thing comes after tithing to our local church.

 

            In the Old Testament giving is described as a part of God’s cycle of blessing as seen in Proverbs 11:25 “The generous man will be prosperous, And he who waters will himself be watered.”  MacArthur writes “As we give, God blesses, and when God blesses us we give again out of what He has given.  ‘You shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the Lord your God with a tribute of a freewill offering on your hand, which you shall give just as the Lord your God blesses you’ (Deut. 16:19).  We are to give freely out of what God has given freely.”

            The cycle we are talking about here applies not only to material giving but to every form of giving that is done sincerely which is to honor God and to a need.  The way of God’s people has always been the way of giving is a very true statement.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I think that as a believer that I should always be ready to meet the needs of those that God has laid upon my hearts and do it cheerfully as it is a great honor to help those in need that God has laid upon my heart.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust that the Lord will continue to work in my heart about the unspoken prayer request that I continue to mention in Sunday school.

 

10/16/2020 11:53 AM  

 

 

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