Sacrificial giving in the new testament

Sacrificial giving is a theme that is present throughout the New Testament. Here are some key passages and teachings that highlight the importance of sacrificial giving:

1. Jesus' teachings on giving:

• "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Luke 6:38)
• "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21)
• "Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys." (Luke 12:33)

2. The example of the early church:

• "All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as they had need." (Acts 2:44-45)
• "The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. There in Antioch the believers were commended for the way they lived in brotherly love and shared their food with others." (Acts 11:26)

3. The concept of "firstfruits":

• "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it." (Malachi 3:10)
• "The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." (2 Corinthians 9:6)

4. The importance of generosity:

• "God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:7)
• "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:7)

5. The connection between giving and spiritual growth:

• "And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:8)
• "You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God." (2 Corinthians 9:10)

6. The example of Jesus' sacrifice:

• "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." (2 Corinthians 8:9)
• "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" (Romans 8:32)

These passages and teachings emphasize the importance of sacrificial giving, not just as a means of supporting the church or helping others, but as a way of expressing our love and gratitude to God.