Romans 12:1. Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.
I look at it this way. God supplies my needs, and all I have is His. Out of all the blessings I have I give to others. No obligation other than the desire God put in me to give. I am "obeying the Law that is written on my heart" but not under any legal or covenant obligation.
I think much of the corruption in the church today is around the tithe as many pastors have burdened their church with this Law and then worry more about money than lifting up Jesus. We cannot serve God and Mammon.... Yet, many of our pastors are doing just that and wonder why they are struggling. Likewise, most often the idea of some blessing is obligated from God once one tithes... what does God owe any man?
So many are taught they are poor because they do not tithe, yet, they are poor because they are tithing and under the ministry of condemnation which is what the Law is about. (See 2 Corinthians 3: 8-10 for the contrast of the two ministries)
4 comments:
I have had many discussions with people who don't believe in tithing - I am a tither and have written extensively about it on my blog. Unfortunately, some antagonists were not very Christian. Thank you for not using "false prophet," "liar," "thief" and "heretic" to describe those with opposing opinions.
But, here is the question. If we don't teach tithing what do we teach? If a 10% principle is not followed what parameters do we use? Being a cheerful giver and being led by the Spirit is not enough.
When should a person give? How would they determine what to give? When would a person NOT give? If we don't answer these questions - and others like them - we are just as vulnerable to being manipulated by emotional appeals.
I have written a post discussing "grace giving" here http://nowthinkaboutit.com/2009/08/the-grace-of-giving/. Sorry if it seems unkind in places. The bruises from being pelted were still fresh.
If being lead by the Holy Spirit is not enough, then why does Peter state that we have been given all we need for godliness?
Jesus points to the widow who give little but all she had and contrasts it to the righteous Pharisee and states the woman has give more than the Pharisee... she did.. she gave sacrificially and in turn depended on God fully for her next bit of money. To give only ten% is not enough when God desire all of us.
Now I understand there are differences of opinions... yet, having been under the yoke and bondage of the tithing teaching I have see the harm... and very little good. In fact, the good I saw was only that of superficial returns on teh 10% investment.
Meaning, God does not want sacrifice, He wants our worship... and part of that worship is to give all we have...
Note, the NT believers did not sell their property and give 10% of the returns, the gave all of the money... except for a couple who God showed to be liars.
People use tithe to mean giving and that is fine, but if one understands the ramifications or the Law, and that tithing is under the Law, then we must either obey all of the Law, even as a Gentile... or trust in JEsus fully in all His finished work... and be a cheerful giver blessing others as we have been blessed... sacrificially.
Blessings.
In the OT era, tithing was a means of supporting the Temple and priesthood.
In the NT era, WE are the temple (1 Cor 3:16, 2 Cor 6:16) and WE are the priesthood (1 Pet 2:9, Rev 1:6). So who should get my tithe?
The Ray Stephens' song says "If 10% is good enough for Jesus." Wrong. Jesus did not and could not tithe. True biblical holy tithes were always only food from inside God's holy land which God had miraculously increased. Jesus did not qualify.
www.tithing-russkelly.com
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