All Resources - Resources - Eternal Perspective Ministries

Profiles of Christians Who Rob God

Note: To understand these profiles, you should first be familiar with the biblical concepts presented in The Practice of Tithing as the Minimum Standard of Christian Giving

The Situation: Bill and Donna are in their mid-thirties. Bill has steady work as a salesman, but there always seems to be too much month left at the end of their money.

Bill and Donna sincerely intend to put in the offering box whatever’s left at the end of the month. But, between house payments and bills and occasionally socking a little something into savings, there’s just never anything left. They ...

Mon, Mar 29, 2010
Randy Alcorn
Money and Giving
biblical perspective on giving, giving, money, money management, possessions, tithing

Is being “rich” a sin?

Question from a reader:

Is being so-called “rich” a sin? Does God always prohibit Christians from having wealth?

I am a single parent and have been both challenged and disturbed by reading The Treasure Principle

I have just finished prayerfully reading Randy Alcorn’s The Treasure Principle. I am a single parent with three school-age children and have been both challenged and disturbed by it. My husband left us for an immoral lifestyle when they were very young. I am very troubled because I am aware that God is asking me to “lay up treasure in Heaven.” I am also aware that I have not done that, although I did tithe before alimony was cut. But also I accrued debt. This often was to live-sometimes the debt was to buy food. I have also made bad choices, such as using credit last Christmas to be able to give gifts to my children.

How do we teach our children about money?

Question from a reader:

I am leading a class of young families at my church and we are presently talking about how to teach your children about money. What are your answers to the following questions?

Answers from Randy Alcorn’s book Money, Possessions and Eternity:

1. What age is an appropriate age to teach children about money?

This is really a family decision that you should ask God to give you wisdom about. Ages may vary.

Randy gave his two daughters the three jars bank when they were 7 and 5 years of age.

2. What is the balance ...

How does the 10% tithe compare to Old Testament giving?

Freewill offerings were commonplace in the Old Testament era. The three tithes were never the ceiling of giving, merely the floor. And Malachi 3 speaks of robbing God by withholding tithes AND offerings. This means that even prior to the New Testament people with substantial assets were considered to be robbing God not only by withholding TITHES but OFFERINGS (freewill).

How can I tithe when I am financially strapped and have nothing extra to give? Does God expect me to still tithe?

When I read the Bible, it appears that tithing is the biblical minimum, the starting place, the floor of giving, not its ceiling. Tithes were to keep from stealing from God. Offerings were the beginning of giving.

How can people be robbing God by withholding a freewill offering?

Question from a reader:

You write that, “Malachi 3 speaks of robbing God by withholding tithes and offerings. This means that even prior to the New Testament, people with substantial assets were considered to be robbing God not only by withholding tithes but offerings (freewill).” My question is: how could people be robbing God by withholding something that is a freewill offering? That seems to be a contradiction in its very term. If it is “freewill” it cannot be required and if it is not required, than one cannot be robbing God if it is not given.

Wed, Mar 17, 2010
Randy Alcorn
Money and Giving
giving, money, money management, tithing

Cultivating Joy in Our Giving

Giving infuses life with joy. It interjects an eternal dimension into even the most ordinary day. That’s just one reason you couldn’t pay me enough not to give. The joy Nanci and I experience comes in envisioning what God is doing in people’s lives for eternity through what we’ve given to Him.

Thu, Mar 11, 2010
Randy Alcorn
Christian Life, Money and Giving
church, firstfruits, giving, money management, stewardship, tithing

Should the local church receive peoples’ tithes before other worthy needs?

To say that churches should receive the firstfruits does NOT mean they should keep them. They should set the example for their people by giving more to missions and the poor than they keep.