prosperity gospel - not

Here are some excellent verses quoted by John MacArthur in Contentment Comes from Giving.

• Proverbs 11:24–25: “There is one who scatters, yet increases all the more, and there is one who withholds what is justly due, but it results only in want. The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered.”
• Proverbs 19:17: “He who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his good deed.”
• Luke 6:38: “Give, and it will be given to you.”
• 2 Corinthians 9:6: “He who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully.”

This article nicely describes our attitude toward giving and how we benefit from it. The only critique I could offer is as before, because he is combating the 'prosperity gospel' he goes overboard in adding the word spiritual in front of blessing when Scripture doesn't say that. He properly fixes that later in his article by discussing how God takes care of His people materially but I think MacArthur could do that without the aforementioned posturing.

Anyway, it's a good article worth reading.

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