Malachi 3:6-12, Acts 4:32-5:11
And now, we come to the “or else.” Except it really isn’t an ‘or else.’ It’s more of a ‘follow through.’ In Malachi God wants to know why we aren’t following through on our giving. God asserts that we’re actually robbing God of what is God’s (and it’s all God’s). God asserts that we’re shortchanging God by not bringing the full tithe before God.
In the New Testament, we again have a case where people have promised more than they’re willing to follow through on. This couple promises to sell property and give the price to the church, expect they don’t. They withhold some of the gift, and then there are consequences. There are dramatic consequences. We like to think about their sudden deaths. It makes for great drama. As people of the Christian faith, we need to think about what it means that when we break our word to God, we die. We die, and are not risen.
Are we willing to talk about our stewardship in terms of being life or death? Are we willing to think about ourselves as those who rob God of what is God’s when we don’t keep our promises?
