From the archives of Oral Roberts
In the Old Testament, you received first, then you gave. To teach His ownership, God did things for people, and after they received, they were to give to Him. It was a debt — they owed it to God. They owed God their time — the Sabbath. They owed Him money — the tithe. Everything was something they owed to God.
But the debt was insurmountable. Man could not pay it, so God sent His Son Jesus to pay the debt. Jesus went to the cross and paid our debt by giving Himself.
It is a completed work. You can’t add to it. Therefore, you can’t do something and say, “I’m paying God.” Jesus paid the price — He paid it all.
Now, you give as a seed you sow. It is giving to receive. This is a whole new dimension of love and giving — a new framework of living! You can no longer give to God to pay a debt because Christ has already paid it. You come out of the Old Testament with its heavy requirements into the joy of New Testament living!