2 Corinthians 9:6-8 NKJV

“But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”

Freewill Offerings

As best as I understand this, under the Old Covenant God had with his people Israel, they were required to tithe 10% of their income to support the Levitical priesthood, the needy, and other temple needs. But under the New Covenant, where the believers in Christ met from house to house, and in the temple courts, the Christians were not required to give 10% of their income to the ministry of the saints, and to the poor, but they were to give freely as they each purposed in their hearts to give, and not as a grudging obligation.

But the important thing to remember here is not just that they should give freely from their hearts, and not as under obligation, but to what they should be giving. Their giving was to meet the needs of the poor within the Christian community, but it was also to help support those who were serving as full-time ministers of the gospel, to meet their basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter. But in our world today that is not the picture I am getting of what so many people’s offerings are really going to, sadly so.

The Temple Today

The Temple of God, after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension back to heaven to be with The Father, was no longer the temple of the Jews, but now it was and is we the people of God via biblical faith in Jesus Christ. We are those who by faith in the Lord Jesus were crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but now as servants of our Lord and of his righteousness. We the people of God are that temple in whom God dwells by his Spirit.

No building called “church” is the church. And all buildings called “church” are not the temple of God. They are not God’s house. God does not dwell in buildings, but he dwells in human hearts and lives. So the church is not something we go to, for we are the church. But the church does gather together in various places. But it is not for entertainment and for our “weekly fix” until the next week. We the church are to gather together daily for mutual encouragement and edification, as EACH PART does its work.

[Matthew 5:13-16; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18,42-47; Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; 1 Corinthians 14:1-5; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:1-16; Ephesians 5:15-21; Ephesians 6:10-20; Philippians 2:1-8; Colossians 3:12-16; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:23-25; 1 Peter 2:9,21; James 5:19-20; 1 John 2:6]

Where is the Money Going?

If we are part of any gatherings of the church, i.e. of the people of genuine faith in Jesus Christ, we are NOT under biblical obligation to tithe 10% of our income to support those gatherings. But we should give freely from our hearts to the work of the ministry (by biblical standards) and to the needs of the poor among us. Sadly there is so much corruption in so many gatherings of what are being called “churches,” and there is enormous misuse and abuse of the offerings gathered which are going to non-essentials and to the extravagant things of this world which are not approved by God at all.

For the church is for the purpose that we should be encouraging one another in our walks of faith in obedience to our Lord. And “ministers” of the gospel are all of us who are sharing the truth of the gospel with the people of the world. And “full-time ministry” is working full time for the Lord in ministering to the people as Jesus did, and as his New Testament apostles did, not in building huge buildings for large crowds, and for entertainment, and for marketing, but actually working full-time in sharing the true gospel and in ministering to the physical and spiritual needs of the people of God.

Sowing and Reaping

So, sowing and reaping isn’t about giving money to “the church” so they can build big buildings and entertain the world and market “the church” to the world, and so that they can pay their pastors enormous salaries so that they can give their time to marketing and entertaining and not to spreading the truth of the gospel full-time. And it isn’t just about giving money and seeing what that produces in other people’s lives. But it is about sharing the gospel with the people so that many will believe in Jesus and follow his leading.

But this is also about how we spend our time and what we spend our time on, and what that produces in our own lives, and what that produces in how we impact other people’s lives, either for good or for evil. Are we living for the Lord full-time? Doing what his word teaches us that we must do? And are we sharing the truth of the gospel with the people of the world? Or is all our spare time spent on what is of the flesh, and on entertaining ourselves, and not on what is of God and ministering God’s love and grace to others?

[Matthew 5:13-16; Matthew 7:21-23; Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 9:23-26; John 4:31-38; John 10:27-30; John 13:13-17; John 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 26:18; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 10:14-15; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-14; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Peter 2:9,21,24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10]

Servant of the Lord

Based off Romans 1:1-17
An Original Work / July 26, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Servant of the Lord;
For the gospel you’re set apart.
Promised through the prophets of old:
Jesus, Son of God.
Through Him, and for His name alone,
We receive His grace
To call people, Him to obey;
Coming from their faith.

You belong to Christ;
Loved by God, and called to be saints;
Serving God with whole heart and mind;
Preaching Jesus Christ;
Always praying for others’ needs;
Helping hand to lend;
Giving courage to others’ faith,
For the praise of God.

Servant of the Lord;
Of the gospel, I’m not ashamed;
For salvation, power of God
To those who have faith.
In the gospel find righteousness:
Being right with God.
Turn from sin, and trust Jesus Christ.
By faith, live in Him.

God Loves a Cheerful Giver
An Original Work / June 19, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love