Bargainomics: What the Bible Has to Say

Just exactly what does the Bible have to say about you, your time, your money, and every other aspect of your life? Here are a few Scripture passages that may shed a little light on the answer.

The Lord Jesus Christ gave His life as a substitute for your own. He paid the sin-debt that separated mankind from eternal life. The only requirement that remains in order for a person to be able to enter into everlasting life is to accept Christ's free gift of salvation. ("... Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will saved ..." - Acts 16:31). If you have asked Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of your life, then this verse applies to you:

"... you are not your own; you were bought at a price ..." (I Corinthians 6:19b-20a, NIV).

And if you are not your own, then you belong to Christ. And every part of your life should be fully surrendered to His Lordship. This includes the way you spend both time and money.

"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' In tithes and offerings... Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse ..." (Malachi 3:8, 10a).

The "storehouse" is the local church. Every believer should be active in and give a tenth, that is, ten percent of his income toward the support of a local church. This tenth is what is considered a tithe. An offering is a gift above and beyond the tithe. No matter what your financial status is, there is never a reason not to tithe. Find your Bible and read the rest of Malachi 3:10, you'll see the awesome blessings God promises to those believers who give as God's Word commands.

"So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?" (Luke 16:11).

The people of the United States of America have, for the most part, been blessed in inconceivable proportions when compared to most any other nation in the world. Our country was founded on principles that are no longer honored by many men in political offices or by many of our citizens who claim to bear the name of Jesus Christ. As true believers, we must take our responsibility seriously and carefully weigh the ways in which we squander our time and money, especially as we come to understand that we are truly "... not (our) own ..."