Stewardship – Your Time, Talents, and Treasure

Christian Stewardship  – How do I use my Time, Talents, and Treasure?

 The word “stewardship” implies an owner and a trustee or steward.

Who is the Owner?

Ps 24:1

The earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it.(NAS)

Who is the steward?

Gen 1:27-28

27     And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

28     And God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (NAS)

The above passage from Genesis has been called by theologians “The Cultural Mandate”.  As God’s stewards we represent Him in every facet of life, public and private, social, economic, political and personal. God has appointed mankind as stewards of the Earth, and we are responsible for the environment as well as the culture In which we live.

In Genesis, God gives what we might call the first job description:

“Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it.” The first phrase, “be fruitful and multiply” means to develop the social world: build families, churches, schools, cities, governments, laws. The second phrase, “subdue the earth,” means to harness the natural world: plant crops, build bridges, design computers, compose music. This passage is sometimes called the Cultural Mandate because it tells us that our original purpose was to create cultures, build civilizations-nothing less. Our calling is not just to go to heaven, but also to cultivate the earth, not just to save souls, but also to serve God through our work. For God himself is engaged not only in the work of salvation buts also in the work of preserving and developing His creation. When we obey the Cultural Mandate, we participate in the work of God himself, as agents of His common grace”. — Nancy Pearcey in “Total Truth”.

Matthew Henry comments about man:

“As he has the government of the inferior creatures, he is, as it were, God’s representative, or viceroy, upon earth …”

This principle of God’s ownership and man’s stewardship continues to stand despite the fall, and despite the fact that man has ceased to be a faithful steward. It would appear that in much the same way as the Sabbath was to celebrate God as creator, the practice of tithing was to celebrate God as owner.

The earliest reference to “tithing” in the Bible goes back to Abraham tithing to Melchizedek in Genesis.  This is commented upon in the book of Hebrews:

Heb 7:1-5

1       For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,

2       to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of  Salem, which is king of peace.

3       Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he abides a priest perpetually.

4       Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils.

5       And those indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have commandment in the Law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their brethren,although these are descended from Abraham. (NAS)

 

TITHE

The practice of giving a tenth of one’s income or property as an offering to God. The custom of paying a tithe was an ancient practice found among many nations of the ancient world.

The practice of giving a tenth of income or property extends into Hebrew history before the time of the Mosaic Law. The first recorded instance of tithing in the Bible occurs in <Genesis 14:17-20>. …The text states simply that Abraham gave Melchizedek a tithe of all the goods he had obtained in battle. The author of the Book of Hebrews, in recounting this episode, considered the Levitical priests who descended from Abraham and who appeared centuries later as having paid tithes to Melchizedek through Abraham <Heb. 7:1-10>. There is no recorded demand of Abraham for a tenth. Neither is an explanation given about why Abraham gave a tithe to Melchizedek. Jacob also, long before the law of Moses, promised that he would give to the Lord a tenth of all he received <Gen. 28:22>.

The law of Moses prescribed tithing in some detail. <Leviticus 27:30-32> stated that the tithe of the land would include the seed of the land and the fruit of the tree. In addition the Hebrew people were required to set apart every tenth animal of their herds and flocks to the Lord.

Mosaic legislation on tithing is also found in two other passages. <Numbers 18:21-32> stated that the tithes in Israel would be given to the Levites, because the Levites did not receive a land inheritance like the other tribes of Israel. The Levites, in turn, were to offer a heave offering to the Lord. This would constitute a tithe on their part of the goods which they received. The rest of the goods which the Levites received would provide their living as the reward for their work in the tabernacle.

The third passage dealing with the tithe is <Deuteronomy 12:5-7,11-12,17-18>. This passage instructed Israel to take their tithes to the place the Lord prescribes, or the city of Jerusalem. In Deuteronomy, only a vegetable tithe is mentioned. In <2 Chronicles 31:6>, however, the tithe of cattle is mentioned.

In <Deuteronomy 26:12-15> the third year is called the year of tithing. This may indicate that the tithes were not collected annually. Apparently in this year only the goods which were given as tithes could be offered and stored locally. The offering of the tithe also took the form of a ritual meal <Deut. 12:7,12>. Some suggest that there were three tithes, but this seems unlikely. There is no mention of a tithe in Exodus but only the giving of the FIRSTFRUITS <Ezek. 44:29-30>. Finally, the prophet Malachi indicated that Israel had robbed God in withholding tithes and offerings. Thus the Israelites were exhorted to bring their tithes into the storehouse in order to enjoy the Lord’s blessing <Mal. 3:8-12>.

In the Old Testament the purpose of the giving of a tenth was to meet the material need of the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless (the orphan), and the widow <Deut. 26:12-13>. The tithe was an expression of gratitude to God by His people. Basic to tithing was the acknowledgment of God’s ownership of everything in the earth.

(from Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary)(Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

 

FIRST FRUITS

The firstborn of the flocks and the first vegetables and grains to be gathered at harvest time. The Hebrew people thought of these as belonging to God in a special sense. They were dedicated or presented to God on the day of the firstfruits, a part of the celebration of PENTECOST <Num. 28:26; 2 Chr. 31:5>.
(from Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary)  (Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

Prov 3:9-10

Honor the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. (KJV)

Ezek 44:30

And the first of allthe firstfruits of all things, and every oblation of all, of every sort of your oblations, shall be the priest’s:ye shall also give unto the priestthe first of your dough, that he may cause the blessing to rest in thine house.  (KJV)

It appears that tithing had fallen into neglect by the time Nehemiah wrote:

Neh 13:10-13

I also discovered that the portions of the Levites had not been given them, so that the Levites and the singers who performed the service had gone away, each to his own field.So I reprimanded the officials and said, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” Then I gathered them together and restored them to their posts.  All Judah then brought the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses.  And in charge of the storehouses I appointed Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and in addition to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were considered reliable, and it was their task to distribute to their kinsmen(NAS

It is significant that the book of Malachi at the end of the Old Testament, God’s last words to man before four hundred years of silence, speaks not only about divorce and fathers loving their children, but also about tithing:

 Mal 3:10

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the LORD of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. (NAS)

 

STOREHOUSE, STORAGE CITY

A supply depot or warehouse for the storage of government supplies, such as food, treasures, and military equipment <1 Chr. 26:15; 27:25; 2 Chr. 11:11>. The difference between a storehouse and a storage city may be only one of size or complexity.

The Hebrew slaves in Egypt were forced to build PITHOM and RAAMSES, “supply cities” for Pharaoh <Ex. 1:11>; (store cities, RSV, NEB, NIV; treasure cities, KJV; storage cities, NASB). Various kings of the Israelites also built storage cities. These included Solomon <1 Kin. 9:19; 2 Chr. 8:4,6>, who built facilities to house his chariots, horses, and cavalry; Baasha <2 Chr. 16:5-6>; Jehoshaphat <2 Chr. 17:12>, and Hezekiah <2 Chr. 32:27-29>.

The concept of the storage city or storehouse is at least as old as the time of Joseph. He established a food reserve that saved Egypt from famine <Genesis 41>. During seven years of plenty, Joseph had the Egyptian farmers store one-fifth of their produce. Then, when seven years of famine struck, the grain in the storehouses kept starvation from the land.

In the ancient world, storehouses were sometimes situated underground. Oil and wine were often kept in cellars. At Megiddo archaeologists discovered a large underground silo pit for grain storage. This pit, with a capacity of almost 13,000 bushels of grain, apparently dates back to the time of King Solomon.

The prophet Malachi accused the people of his day of robbing God by withholding from Him their tithes and offerings <Mal. 3:8-9>. Then he said, “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse” <Mal. 3:10>. “Storehouse” apparently refers to a special treasury-chamber, probably within the Temple precincts and administered by LEVITES.

(from Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary)  (Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

Matthew Henry comments on the Malachi passage as follows:

 Malachi 3:7-12  PP13

(1.) let them take care to do their duty (v. 10): Bring you all the tithes into the storehouse. They had brought some; but, like Ananias and Sapphira, had kept back part of the price, pretending they could not spare so much as was required, and necessity has no law; but even necessity must have this law, and it would redress the grievance of their necessity: “Bring in the full tithes to the utmost that the law requires, that there may be meat in God’s house for those that serve at the altar, whether there be meat in your houses or no.” Note, God must be served in the first place, and our quota must be contributed for the support of religion in the place where we live, that God’s name may be sanctified, and his kingdom may come, and his will be done, even before we provide our daily bread; for the interests of our souls ought to be preferred before those of our bodies.

(2.) let them then trust God to provide for them and their comfort “Let God be first served, and then prove me herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, whether I will not open the windows of heaven.” They said, “Let God give us our plenty again, as formerly, and try us whether we will not then bring him his tithes and offerings, as we did formerly.” “No,” says God, “do you first bring in all your tithes as they become due, and all the arrears of what is past, and try me, whether I will not then restore you your plenty.” …we must first do the work which is our part, and then try him and trust him for the reward. Elijah put the widow of Zarephath into this method when he said <1 Kin. 17:13>, “Make me a little cake first, and then prove me whether there shall not be enough afterwards for thee and thy son.” That which discourages people from the expenses of charity is the weakness of their faith concerning the gains and advantages of charity; they cannot think that they shall get by it. But it is a reasonable demand that God here makes: “Prove me now; is any thing to be got by charity? Come and see;” Nothing venture, nothing win. Trust upon honor, “And you shall find,”  (from Matthew Henry’s Commentary)

 

TITHING IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

 In the New Testament the words tithe and tithing appear only eight times <Matt. 23:23; Luke 11:42; 18:12; Heb. 7:5-6,8-9>. All of these passages refer to Old Testament usage and to current Jewish practice. Nowhere does the New Testament expressly command Christians to tithe. However, as believers we are to be generous in sharing our material possessions with the poor and for the support of Christian ministry. Christ Himself is our model in giving. Giving is to be voluntary, willing, cheerful, and given in the light of our accountability to God. Giving should be systematic and by no means limited to a tithe of our incomes. We recognize that all we have is from God. We are called to be faithful stewards of all our possessions <Rom. 14:12; 1 Cor. 9:3-14; 16:1-3; 2 Cor. 8–9>.

(from Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary)  (Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

NOTE:  Nelson seems to take the dispensationalist view that only those O.T. practices which are explicitly confirmed in the N.T are applicable today. The Reformed position is that the moral law (including the Sabbath principle) continues to apply under the New Covenant – but not the ceremonial or civil law.

However, although the ceremonial law has been fulfilled by Christ and the Civil law was specifically for the nation of Israel, a theocracy, the principles” of  both ceremonial and civil law reflect the character of God and never change even though the way we practice and commemorate these principles are different under the New Covenant, eg. circumcision=baptism, the passover=the Lord’s supper, the civil law=church discipline, etc.

 

Tithing was being practiced in Jesus day:

 

Matt 23:23

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. (NAS)

 

It is most interesting that Jesus affirms the practice of tithing but adds

“but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others” indicating a much broader stewardship!

 

 

What is CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP ?

 

As the parable of the talents <Matt. 25:14-30> shows, Christians will be held accountable for the way in which they manage God’s affairs as stewards.These matters include extending the church’s ministry through the preaching of the gospel <Col. 1:24-28>,supporting the church financially <Acts 4:32-37>, and ministering to the sick and needy <Matt. 25:31-46>.

(from Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary) (Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

Col 1:24-25

24     Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body (which is the church) in filling up that which is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.

25     Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, (NAS)

1 Cor 9:9-14

9       For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing.” God is not concerned about oxen, is He?

10     Or is He speaking altogether for our sake?……

11     If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we should reap material things from you?

12     If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ.

13     Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share with the altar?

14     So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel(NAS)

 

This principle of  supporting the “full-time” teacher or preacher of the word is also emphasized  to Timothy:

 

1 Tim 5:17

17     Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.  (NAS)

 One of the first results of being filled with the Holy Spirit is a concern for the physical needs of all believers:  Read: Acts 4:31-5:5

 The New Testament affirms the principle of proportionate giving. Most of the references to giving in the N.T. seem to be concerned with missionary and evangelistic activities as well as the establishment of new local churches and the physical needs of the saints.

1 Cor 16:1-3

Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also.

On the first day of every week let each one of you put aside and save, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come.

And when I arrive, whomever you may approve, I shall send them with letters to carry your gift to Jerusalem; (NAS)

2 Cor 8:3-4          For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability they gave of their own accord,begging us with much entreaty for the favor of participation in the support of the saints,(NAS)

2 Cor 9:6-7

Now this I say, he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully.  Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver. (NAS)

2 Cor 9:12-13

For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God.

Because of the proof given by this ministry they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all,  (NAS)

Matt 25:37-40

37     “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You drink?

38     ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?

39     ‘And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’

40     “And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’(NAS)

 

Gal 6:10

So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.(NAS)

 

The New Testament is also very clear in stating that those who preach the gospel should “live by the gospel”.  Nothing could be clearer than the following passage which would include pastors of local churches but more specifically applies to the Apostles who in many ways did the job of evangelists and missionaries:

1 Cor 9:3-14

3       This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me.

4       Don’t we have the right to food and drink?

5       Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?

6       Or is it only I and Barnabas who must work for a living?

7       Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk?

8       Do I say this merely from a human point of view? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing?

9       For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”Is it about oxen that God is concerned?

10     Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest.

11     If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?

12     If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more?But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.

13     Don’t you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar?

14     In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. (NIV)

 

 

 

SUMMARY:

 

I HARDLY NEED TO COMMENT, IN  VIEW OF THE OBVIOUS AND CLEAR BIBLICAL TEACHING ABOVE ON THE FACT THAT GOD EXPECTS HIS PEOPLE TO SUPPORT EVERY ASPECT OF HIS WORK.  There is a full-orbed comprehensiveness to the whole teaching of Scripture. God is very concerned about the physical needs as well as the spiritual needs of his creatures.

 

It is impossible to find exact parallels in the New Covenant  to the Old Testament storehouse and the Old Testament priesthood. The ministry of those administering the storehouse in the Old Covenant included a comprehensive social welfare system and even a legal system which has now been taken over by Christian social service agencies, para-church organizations, and even by the State. It is therefore impossible to draw a parallel between the storehouse and the modern local church.

 

In the New Covenant we also have “the priesthood of all believers”, so it is  equally difficult to find a modern parallel to the Levitcal priesthood who were the ones who received the “tithe” under the Old Covenant..

 

One can accurately say that all believers whether ministering as a part of a local church,  or part of a para-church ministry, such as Samaritan’s Purse, Campus Crusade,  L’Abri, Haiti Hope Alliance, Covenant Theological Seminary, or Bible Study Fellowship, are doing the ministry of “the church”.

 

Something needs to be said there about our methodology in carefully and accurately interpreting Scripture. References in the Scripture to “the church” should not usually be interpreted as referring to the “localchurch unless that is the context of the passage or some location is specifically mentioned, such as “the church at Corinth”.  All genuine believers constitute the church of Jesus Christ regardless of denomination or even time or place. This is what theologians call “the church universal” and this is what Jesus and Paul are talking about when they refer to “the body of Christ”.

 

We should also be careful not to interpret historical passages of Scripture especially in the Acts of the Apostles, as if they are speaking theologically or in a didactic or normative sensefor all people at all times. Narrative passages are simply what they are, they tell us what happened, but we need to look at the theological or didactic passages to see if the same practice should apply to us on a normative basis. For instance, let us look at:

 

Acts 4:34-35

There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. (NIV)

Does this teach a compulsory Christian communism for believers through the ages?Of course not.  Many people actually pick and choose historical passages such as this one for their own purposes. I know of one church that says that the local church should be the only beneficiary of Christian giving based on this passage, yet they ignore the fact that the money was not given to the local church, but to the Apostles, and they also ignore the fact that the money was then distributed according to need. None of these church members are willing to sell their possessions for this purpose! Yet we should not simply dismiss these passages as they are often specific applications for certain situations of larger principles which do apply today, such as generosity, compassion for the poor, etc.

 

IS THERE SOME PRIORITY TO OUR GIVING?

In the New Testament there seems to be a priority given to the physical needs of the “household of faith” (Galatians 6:10) and those who preach and teach his word… (I Timothy 5:17) this would include apostles, evangelists, pastor-teachers, etc. (Ephesians 4:11)

1 Tim 5:17-18

Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.

For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing,” and “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”  (NAS)

 

Eph 4:11-12

11     And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,

12     for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;  (NAS)

When we take the above two passages together, they speak for themselves!!  It is striking that apostles and prophets and evangelists are given at least the same status and/or importance as pastor-teachers who are actually mentioned last.

Is a pastor or an elder in a local church more valuable than an evangelist or a prophet or an apostle or a missionary?  This is exactly what those who teach that the “tithe” must go only to the local church are in effect saying. In fact when most modern local churches have to make budget cuts, the missionaries are the first to be cut, the pastor next, and the building program last. Those individuals in these churches who give directly to missions do the same, because that is what they are taught!

Does the local church have the right to decide how to distribute the tithes as the Levitical priesthood did?  Perhaps if the local church was taking care of all the things the storehouse took care of an argument could be made in this direction, but even then it would be shaky as such teaching would contradict the “priesthood of all believers” which was foundational to the New Testament as well as to the Protestant Reformation.

 The Protestant Reformation challenged such ecclesiastical authority to its roots and stressed the individual accountability of each individual believer to God Himself. Modern self-serving pragmatism is now asking us to return to pre-Reformation practice. Let us never forget that God alone is Lord of the conscience and no man or church should add to scripture or bind the consciences of believers where God Himself has not done so.

We cannot justify from Scripture this modern heresy. Especially at a time when the modern local church is NOT carrying out the full-orbed comprehensive mandate of the Scriptures in doing Kingdom work.  Many churches do not even know what the “cultural mandate” is, or they purposely neglect it in their teaching and/or their practice. They never preach about it, and are even unwilling to teach about the evils of abortion or same-sex marriage!  (For more on the cultural mandate see http://www.seivright.com/mission.php

This doctrine of Christian Liberty found in Scripture is beautifully summarized by the Westminster Confession of Faith:

WCF. CHAPTER XX PARAGRAPH II

God alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in any thing contrary to his Word, or beside it in matters of faith on worship. So that to believe such doctrines, or to obey such commandments out of conscience, is to betray true liberty of conscience; and the requiring an implicit faith, and an absolute and blind obedience, is to destroy liberty of conscience, and reason also. 

 

 

THE THREE PRINCIPLES:

 

In Closing I will add the principles which should govern every aspect of my Christian life, including stewardship of my time, talents, and money:

 

  1. Stewardship must be done “by faith”. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.” (Romans 14:23b ESV) This means that if I give $1 million to the poor and it is not done because of my faith, my surrender, to Christ it is a sin! In practice living by faith means living in surrender to God (Romans 12:1-2)

 

  1. Stewardship must be for the Glory of God. in order that in EVERYTHING God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong gloryand dominion forever and ever. Amen.”(1 Peter 4:11b) This means also that if I give $1 million to the poor for any motive other than for God’s glory, it is sin!

 

  1. Stewardship must be done in dependence upon the Holy Spirit. “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:13) The Holy Spirit, not only prompts us to do God’s will but enables us to do God’s will. Again we must ask what is our motive to giving $1 million to the poor. Was it motivated and directed by the Holy Spirit? Was it motivated to boost our self-esteem? What is my motive? Am I a cheerful giver prompted and directed by the Holy Spirit?

 

The Pharisees obeyed the law outwardly, but their actions were not prompted or directed in faith by the Holy Spirit, but by their own fleshly ego and or fleshly self-discipline, coming from the flesh and not from God. They live and give for their own glory. God looks at the heart. “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentleness, self-control”(Galatians 5:23-24)

In conclusion:  Christian living is by faith (Romans 1:17) for the Glory of God in dependence on the Holy Spirit. We are under God’s authority and the authority of His Word.  We must not allow our consciences to be bound by the legalism of any local church, denomination, or Christian leader.

Please also listen to the excellent sermon by Tim Keller entitled “The Gospel and Your Wealth”at: https://gospelinlife.com/downloads/the-gospel-and-your-wealth-5432/

You can simply stream this sermon, you do not need to download it.

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The above was first written by Dave Seivright on Friday, December 8, 1995, with minor revisions of emphasis over the years.

September 26, 2018.

Dave Seivright

5461 SW 71st Place

Miami, FL 33155

Email: dave@seivright.com

Webpage: http://www.seivright.com

Blog: daveseivright.com

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