Our righteousness is like filthy rags before the Lord, because when we do ‘good deeds’ aside from the Lord, that’s self-righteousness, which satisfies only our cravings for feeling good about ourselves:

 “But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;
We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6)

Moreover, many do fall under this deception, even believers have said “Doing good things makes me feel so good!”

Prosperity preachers are only too happy to help believers fall under the hypnotizing spell of self-promotion; that believers should see their tithes and other giving as a receipt, that now that they have given, God owes them for their good deed because that’s what seed-sowing is all about, that we ‘reap a harvest.’

BUT, that’s NOT why God wants us to give! We are not supposed to give to reap a harvest, we are supposed to give because our hearts of full of desire to give because it’s God’s Will for our lives to be givers; cheerful givers (2Corinthians 9:7b).

If God does have a harvest for us we ought to be grateful and say so, but to make that our focus takes our eyes off of Christ and keeps it on ourselves. in fact. If we do make that self-satisfying feeling our main focus and motive, our hearts are not in the right place for giving, hence, the filthy rags verse above.

That’s why the prosperity preachers are the only ones getting rich, except theirs is not the wealth that God blesses, but the kind rooted in evil, that God will curse, as we read in Galatians 6:7, Malachi 3:9 & Proverbs 28:20.

God’s Word is clear that we should not allow ourselves to dwell on any sort of reward for our giving. In fact, Jesus has instructed the exact opposite, by telling His people to not even let their left hand know what their right hand is doing, because it keeps our minds off of ourselves and our own desires for gain, so that we main keep our focus on Christ and what we are doing in His Name, not our own name:

^“But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,” (Matthew 6:3)

Moreover, we are to put back into the kingdom and make THAT our desire for gain, so that we may continue to give and give more.…

“Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.” (2Corinthians 9:10-11)

“Will a man rob God?

Yet you have robbed Me!
But you say,
‘In what way have we robbed You?’
In tithes and offerings.
⁹ You are cursed with a curse,
For you have robbed Me,
Even this whole nation.
¹⁰ Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.” (Malachi 3:8-10)

“That there may be food in My house” says it all; God expects when He blesses us with increase that we use that increase to increase our blessings of others. He desires that we pour out a blessing to His Kingdom people.

Moreover this passage is proof of God’s Promise to keep blessing us, as we bless others, and it does NOT say that we are to continue increasing our own wealth and feel entitled to do so!

*****The increase in which God’s Word speaks is not to be thought of as a personal financial gain, but a gain by which we bless others.******

Other Pertinent Scriptures:

Matthew 5:29, Matthew 6:1-34, Matthew 9:9 & Matthew 19:21

Luke 5:27-28, Luke 6:38 & Luke 9:23 & Luke 18:10-14

Mark 8:34

Philippians 3:7

2Corinthians 9:6-11

Colossians 3:1-4

Galatians 6:9

NKJV

Linzy is a certified Bible Counsellor, with countless republications on her viewers blogs, Bible Studies, Ezines and the like. Her portfolio includes, non-fiction articles, short stories for all ages, and Christian poetry.