Many in the modern world, as well as many in the modern Church, think that giving itself is an act of love. They think that there more one gives, the more righteous, generous, kind, or moral one is. This is indeed what the flesh thinks because the flesh thinks itself entitled to everything it wants. It expects what is given to it, which explains why people in general, including many Christians, think that the more one gives the more generous one is. This is why people tend to respect and fear those who can give more, and think that only those who are rich can be generous.
However, Jesus said that the widow with two mites in Luke 21:1-4 gave more than the rich who gave much more:
And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.
This is because she truly gave out of selfless love, and not out of wealth. Wealth does not make one generous as many western Christians seem to think in arguing that if one has no material resources, one will not be able to help others. This is to view giving from a human, fleshly, earthly perspective, as opposed to a godly, heavenly and true perspective. Not only is the human perspective limited, and foolish. It is false to the uttermost. It trusts in one's own human wisdom which the Bible commands not to do.
Proverbs 3:5 says: "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding". To think how one can help others if one has no resources of one's own is exactly what fleshliness is, and a manifestation of one being under the spirit of mammon.
The greatest love poem ever written, 1 Corinthians 13 says, "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing". It simply means that if one does not love, all of one's giving means nothing. It is by no means justifying those who see a needy person and have the capacity to give, but do no give. It is saying that one can give without love.
Such is loveless, legalistic giving, which manifests it the attitude that one must give, but only to the extent, circumstances and conditions that one chooses. Whether it be giving only to certain people who one likes, while totally disregarding the needs of others who one does not know, or giving only where one feels rich, these are manifestations of giving with an loveless and legalistic attitude.
Giving without love is not only worthless, counting as nothing. It is a filthy rags for it is out of an absence of love. Loveless is hate in the eyes of God. Hate is an unrighteous sin. The so-called good works done out of unrighteousness are filthy rags in the eyes of God (Isaiah 64:6).
However, Jesus said that the widow with two mites in Luke 21:1-4 gave more than the rich who gave much more:
And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.
This is because she truly gave out of selfless love, and not out of wealth. Wealth does not make one generous as many western Christians seem to think in arguing that if one has no material resources, one will not be able to help others. This is to view giving from a human, fleshly, earthly perspective, as opposed to a godly, heavenly and true perspective. Not only is the human perspective limited, and foolish. It is false to the uttermost. It trusts in one's own human wisdom which the Bible commands not to do.
Proverbs 3:5 says: "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding". To think how one can help others if one has no resources of one's own is exactly what fleshliness is, and a manifestation of one being under the spirit of mammon.
The greatest love poem ever written, 1 Corinthians 13 says, "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing". It simply means that if one does not love, all of one's giving means nothing. It is by no means justifying those who see a needy person and have the capacity to give, but do no give. It is saying that one can give without love.
Such is loveless, legalistic giving, which manifests it the attitude that one must give, but only to the extent, circumstances and conditions that one chooses. Whether it be giving only to certain people who one likes, while totally disregarding the needs of others who one does not know, or giving only where one feels rich, these are manifestations of giving with an loveless and legalistic attitude.
Giving without love is not only worthless, counting as nothing. It is a filthy rags for it is out of an absence of love. Loveless is hate in the eyes of God. Hate is an unrighteous sin. The so-called good works done out of unrighteousness are filthy rags in the eyes of God (Isaiah 64:6).
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