Honor the LORD with your substance, and with the firstfruits of all your increase:
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Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
God approves of that alms which is furnished by just labors, as is written: “Honor the Lord with your labors and sacrifice to him with the fruits of your justice.” For God abominates and refuses that alms which is furnished to him at the cost of another’s tears. What profit accrues to you if one person blesses you while many curse you; what good does an alms bring to you when it is furnished from the possessions of another? In truth, need we fear that God does not have the goods with which you may feed his poor without plundering your neighbor? On the Christian Life
We are commanded to honor the Lord not only with the substance of money that we extend to the poor and with all the good works we do, with the substance or fruits of the universal heavenly grace we receive, which is to seek his praise in all things rather than our own. [Not only the aforesaid,] but one honors the Lord with his substance and first fruits who attributes every good work not to his own powers and merits, but to supernatural grace, mindful of the word: “For without me, you can do nothing.” .
It is written, “Honor the Lord from your just labors.” It is no honor to the Lord to take evilly in order to give well. Hence also it is said through Solomon, “Whoever offers a sacrifice of the substance of the poor is as though he slew a son in his father’s sight.”
“Honor the Lord from your righteous labors, and give to him from the fruits of your righteousness, so that your barns may be full of an abundance of wheat and your winepresses may be overflowing with wine.” Know that when you exercise this devout practice in faith you have fulfilled the righteousness of the old law, which those who were under it then transgressed, unavoidably incurring guilt, while even when they did fulfill it they were unable to attain to the summit of perfection. .
Our Lord wants nothing to be done for his worship and honor without the moderating force of judgment, because “the king’s honor loves judgment.” Therefore, so that we might tip to neither side by an erring judgment, the most wise Solomon says by way of admonition: “Honor God from your righteous labors, and give to him from the fruits of your righteousness.” For there is in our conscience an incorrupt and true judge, who alone is never mistaken about the state of our impurity, even though all others may be misled. .
We receive only the use of those possessions which we hold. We make use of the wealth loaned to us by God. We are, as it were, tenants by the revocable will of the grantor. When departing from this world, whether we like it or not, we leave everything behind on earth. Since we are tenants only of this sort, why do we attempt to take away and alienate from God’s ownership what we cannot take with us? Why do we not use in good faith the little things given us by God? We hold property so long as he has allowed, we hold so long as he has permitted, he who has given us all.What is more right, what is more proper, than when a thing is separated from him who had its use, that its possession revert to him who granted it for usage? Even the very words of God through the tongue of sacred Scripture order this, saying to one and all of us, “Honor the Lord from out of your substance.” And elsewhere he says, “Repay your debt.” How tender and condescending is our Lord God, who invites us to expend th...
