e have been speaking about the Church of today as
being very much like the Israelites in Egypt, in that it has become bound and controlled
by the world system, with the god of this world ruling and controlling things as Pharaoh
did in Egypt. One of the areas that this is very obvious is in the concept of tithing. The
Church has become no different to a worldly system, where members are required to pay
their dues, and where taxation has become the order of the day. And just as we have grown
up accepting that taxation is normal, so we have grown up believing that tithing is
God’s form of taxation and therefore also a normal part of our spiritual existence.
I grew up in a Christian home and in church, and as far back as I can remember, I heard
preaching from the book of Malachi on our responsibilities to pay our tithes. And although
every now and then someone mentioned the fact that tithing was supposed to bring blessing,
there was no mistaking that negative emphasis. Not paying your tithes was always presented
as a sin and failure, and one that would bring the judgment of God. I grew up being
afraid that if I did not pay my tithes, then things would definitely go wrong in my life.
I remember listening to a preacher expound on the old favorite passage once, and he
blatantly made a statement to the effect that he would not like to live next door to
someone who did not pay their tithes. His argument was that anyone who did not tithe was a
thief. And if they were bold enough to steal from God, then the chances are he would not
be safe leaving any of his valuables lying around in his backyard, because such a person
might also start to steal some of his property. And I heard of another preacher who stood
up and began to pronounce a curse upon the members of his congregation that did not tithe.
Now I grew up believing in these things because I heard them preached so often, and I
just accepted them as being truth, because after all, the man of God was preaching them.
And then as I left home to become the bread winner of my own household, I discovered that
the pressures and demands of life and providing for a family left me in a situation where
I could not keep up my obligation. And sure enough, the words that I had heard came true.
I was under a curse and things went wrong. I was always short, and it seemed almost as
though when I didn’t pay my tithes, something happened that caused me to end up
spending what I would spend on tithes on some unexpected emergency. But when I paid my
tithes, it seemed that we made it through.
So here I was again, back in the bondage of having to pay my tithes every month. And of
course, I was obligated to pay my tithes to my local church. After all, did not the
commandment say "bring all the tithes into the storehouse so that there can be food
in my house?" And since the church was the house of God, it was my duty to bring my
tithe to my local church. Was not the tithe given to the priests for the service of the
house of God? So my tithe was meant to be given to the pastor for the support of the
ministry in the ‘house of God.’ It all seemed pretty logical and made sense. How
could I argue this kind of logic?
And as I grew up and came to take my place on the church board as a deacon, the
principle continued. And I began to see what the money was used for, and realized that it
takes a lot of finance to pay for all the expenses involved in running a ministry. But I
also began to see that those in the church who earned the larger salaries and therefore
paid the larger amounts in tithes, were always viewed with greater favor than those that
earned small salaries, and often could not afford to pay their tithes. It soon became
obvious who in the church needed to be treated with kid gloves, in case they should stop
paying their tithes.
Then when the Lord called me to the ministry and I found myself at the top of the pile,
things took on an even greater meaning. It meant now that my very livelihood and existence
were determined by the members of the congregation who were faithful in paying their
tithes. Now it became extremely difficult for me to remain objective about my ministry. It
was no longer a case of being faithful to say and do what God had called me to do, but I
had to gauge my ministry to suit those who carried the purse. I was being paid a salary to
do the work of the ministry, and if I failed to conform and say and do the right things,
then my benefactors held in their hands the power to cut my throat.
Now standing up to preach every Sunday was no longer a joy, where I was bursting to
pour out what was burning in my heart. I could no longer boldly declare the full counsel
of God, even if it meant speaking a word of rebuke. I could no longer approach people
without prejudice in ministry. When someone approached me for ministry, and I knew they
were not tithe payers, it was very difficult to avoid thinking something like, "Yeah,
you want me to run around and sort out your problems for you, but you can’t have the
decency to pay something so that my problems can be sorted out."
Clearly this whole tithing thing was affecting every part of the Body of Christ, and
the very fabric of the church was being destroyed by something that appeared to be of God.
But yet if it was of God, then why should this be the case? I began to search the
Scriptures and look to God for some answers. And in time as God led me to leave the church
system to wait on Him alone, I was able to take a look from the outside with a fresh
perspective. And then I began to see a few things that I had never seen before. And the
light began to dawn on me.
I will never forget the day I saw the truths I am going to share now with you. They set
me free, and I stopped tithing forever. Since then I have never again paid a cent of
tithes. And since that day my financial situation began to change, and I began to enter
into a new realm of victory and blessing that I had never known before. I began to learn
what living by faith and love was about. Did this mean I no longer gave anything to the
work of God? Did it mean that I could use all my income for myself alone now? Not at all!
It actually led me to give out more than I had ever given before. But now I could afford
to do it and it was a joy.
Let’s go then to that awful passage in the Bible, that many preachers have ear
marked and have probably worn out, and that most members of the congregation have wanted
to tear out of their Bibles.
Malachi 3:6 For I [am] the LORD, I change not; therefore you sons
of Jacob are not consumed.
7 Even from the days of your fathers you have gone away from my ordinances, and have not
kept [them]. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. But you said,
In what should we return?
8 Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me. But you say, In what 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 prove
me now in this, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and
pour you out a blessing, that [there shall] not [be room] enough [to receive it].
11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of
your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, says the
LORD of hosts.
12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for you shall be a delightful land, says the
LORD of hosts.
Doesn’t this passage just make you cringe? Are you starting to feel guilty yet
because you didn’t pay your tithes this month? Can you hear the Lord rebuking you now
for your unfaithfulness? Is the fear starting to rise up in your heart? Well this will be
the last time that will happen when you read this passage. I will show you quite simply
why it should not have this effect on you. The answer lies in two of the verses above.
Firstly I want you to see whom the prophet is addressing in the Name of the Lord. He is
addressing the ‘Sons of Jacob.’ Notice that he does not say ‘Children or
sons of Israel.’ He calls them descendants of Jacob. This should give you the very
first hint of the fact that this passage has nothing whatsoever to do with the Body of
Christ. You might be one of those who would like to see the church as being spiritual
Israel. I personally believe the Church and Israel are distinct and separate entities. But
be that as it may, this word from God is not sent to the people of Israel as such, but to
the natural descendants of Jacob.
The Church of the New Testament is never referred to as the sons of Jacob, but we are
called the sons of Abraham.
Galatians 3:6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted
to him for righteousness.
7 Know therefore that those who are of faith, the same are the descendants of Abraham.
This passage does not apply to those who by faith have become heirs of the same
righteousness as Abraham, through Jesus Christ, who was the seed of Abraham. It applies to
the descendants of Jacob. And I am going to show you shortly why it applied only to the
descendants of Jacob and why God commanded the payment of tithes, and also why the Levites
were the ones who were instructed to collect and use the tithes.
The second thing that makes it quite clear to me that this passage does not apply to
the New Testament church is the part that declares that those who do not abide by this
commandment are under a curse. Notice that Malachi addresses this to the whole nation
– every one of whom is a physical descendant of Jacob. The Church is never declared
to be under a curse. On the contrary, the very opposite is taught to be the case.
Galatians 3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law,
being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that hangs on a tree:
14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we
might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Paul tells us that Christ has redeemed us, once for all from the curse of the law. We
are no longer under its bondage. We are set free from it. When we sin, we have an advocate
at the right hand of the Father interceding for us. Instead of God making demands on us,
He now offers us freely all things.
Romans 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up
for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? [Is it] God that justifies?
34 Who [is] he that condemns? [Is it] Christ that died, yes rather, that is risen again,
who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us?
Why is this? Because Jesus has already fulfilled on our behalf every condition of
God’s laws, and as we remain in Him, He continues to do so at the right hand of the
Father. We enter into this thing the same way the descendants of Jacob entered into the
obligation of tithing – by birth. Except our birth is a spiritual one.
But let’s go and see now how tithing came about and why God insisted that the
descendants of Jacob were obligated to pay them. In Genesis 28 you can read the account of
how Jacob fled from his brother Esau, after he had cheated him out of his blessing. And as
he slept the one night, using a stone as his pillar, he had a dream of a ladder reaching
up into heaven. And God spoke to him and made a promise to him. This promise was based on
a covenant which Abraham had first entered into with God, and which Isaac afterwards had
renewed with God. And now God came to Jacob and further renewed the covenant.
The next morning when Jacob arose, he realized that he was standing in the presence of
God. He declared, "God is in this place." And he did something that might seem
strange to those who do not understand it. Let’s look at the passage.
Genesis 28:18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took
the stone that he had put [for] his pillows, and set it up [for] a pillar, and poured oil
upon the top of it.
19 And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city [was called] Luz
at the first.
20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way
that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and clothing to put on,
21 So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:
22 And this stone, which I have set [for] a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that
you shall give me I will surely give the tenth to you.
In those days it was customary for people to enter into blood covenants with each
other, whereby they would make a contract that was binding on both parties to the
covenant. I have covered this elsewhere, so I am not going to explain all the details of
the covenant here. However, when a person entered into a covenant, one of the acts of the
covenant was the setting up of a sign of the covenant. Something that would remind each
party to the covenant that they had entered into a contract. This was often a mark on the
body, but sometimes it was a landmark or object that would be a reminder.
Part of the covenant ritual was also a public declaration of the terms and vows of the
covenant. This is what happens in a marriage, where a man and woman take their vows before
witnesses, and declare their commitment to each other. When two people entered into a
covenant they would read out and declare their vows of the covenant, and these would then
be binding in the future for the rest of their lives. But it went much further than that.
A person’s descendants were considered to be present in the person at the time that
they made the vows. So it meant that the descendants of each party remained under
obligation to keep the terms of the covenant.
The writer to the Hebrews mentions this very thing when dealing with the subject of
tithing in Hebrews.
Hebrews 7:9 And as I may so say, Levi also, who receives tithes,
paid tithes in Abraham.
10 For he was still in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.
I will get back to this passage later, but want to bring it up now to show you the
principle of being in a person’s loins before birth. What happened then is that Jacob
entered into a fresh covenant with God, following on from the covenants made with his
forefathers, that he was already obligated to keep. And he added a further vow to the
covenant that was not contained in the covenants with Abraham and Isaac. Perhaps it was
Abraham’s example in giving a tenth of the spoils to Melchisedec that inspired Jacob
to vow what he did. It really does not matter. The point is that Jacob made a covenant vow
to God that if God would provide his basic needs, he would give a tenth of all to God.
And Jacob set up the stone as a pillar and poured oil over it, setting it up as a
landmark and reminder of the covenant vow that he had made to God. And from that day
forward Jacob was under covenant obligation to give God one tenth of everything that God
gave him. And it is not only Jacob that was bound by this vow, but every one of his
natural descendants. For they were considered as having made that vow in the loins of
their father. It no longer became a case of giving out of love, by choice, as Abraham did
when he gave to Melchisidec, but it became a covenant obligation.
That is why God spoke the way He did in the passage in Malachi when He addressed the
issue of tithing. He referred to the Descendants of Jacob, because it was they alone who
were under obligation to pay the tithe. And when they failed to do this, they were
violating the terms of the covenant that Jacob had made with God. They were withholding
what was due to God, not as a gift, but as an obligation. And they were therefore
considered as having robbed God.
Are we descendants of Jacob? No, in Christ we are descendants of Abraham. And like
Abraham, we are free to give of the spoils that become ours as a result of God’s
blessings in our lives. And maybe a tenth is a good guideline and figure to use, but there
is never any obligation involved. Abraham was already wealthy, and when he gave to
Melchisidec, he simply gave out of the abundance, a portion to the priest of God. But he
never promised God that he was going to give a tenth, and was never under any such
obligation to do so. And as his descendants in Christ, we are also free from this bondage.
But where did the idea come from that we were to give our money to the preachers and
the work of God? This is so engrained in the hearts of most believers, that they feel if
they gave of their money to an ordinary person that was not doing the work of the
ministry, they are sinning in the sight of God. Why did God command the tithe to be given
to the Levites – the priests in the house of God? And does this principle not still
apply today? To understand this you need simply go back to God's instructions to Moses
concerning the Levites, and the book of Joshua, where Joshua conquered the land and began
to distribute it to the people.
Numbers 18:21 And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all
the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, [even] the
service of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Joshua 13:14 Only unto the tribe of Levi he gave none
inheritance; the sacrifices of the LORD God of Israel made by fire [are] their
inheritance, as he said unto them.
Joshua 13:33 But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not [any]
inheritance: the LORD God of Israel [was] their inheritance, as he said unto them.
When Joshua divided the land amongst the twelve tribes of Israel, each tribe received a
portion of the land. Each one that is, except the tribe of Levi. They were the tribe that
were dedicated to the work of God. And God told the Levites that they would not receive an
inheritance in the land because HE WAS THEIR INHERITANCE. This meant that whatever
belonged to God, belonged to the Levites. And since the tithes that the nation were
required to pay belonged to God, it was up to God to give them to whomsoever He wished.
And who did He give them to? Of course, He gave them to the Levites.
But God was not only concerned about those doing the work of the ministry. He was
concerned also about the poor and destitute. Solomon tells us in Proverbs
Proverbs 19:17 He that has pity on the poor lends to the LORD;
and that which he has given He will pay him again.
And contrary to popular belief, the Lord also wants us to have the things that we
desire. Many believers are too afraid to ask God for things that they desire, because they
do not need them. Yet the Lord wants us to also enjoy the things He has made for us.
Psalms 37:4 Delight yourself also in the LORD; and he will give
you the desires of your heart.
But most of the time we are too afraid to spend money on ourselves, or to have fun in
the presence of the Lord. And if you really want to get under condemnation, then just try
taking some of your tithe money and spend it having a good time. Yet even under the Law,
the Lord allowed them that privilege. I remember hearing someone speaking once of how he
had lost some money, and someone tried to console him by saying, "Well maybe some
poor person that needed it picked it up." His response was "Hey I was the poor
person that needed it!"
In Deuteronomy 14 God told the Israelites to also use of their tithe to enjoy
themselves in the presence of the Lord. Hey, the Lord can do whatever He wishes with His
money. And if He tells you to take it and have a good time, then you would be denying Him
a blessing by refusing to do it. So even under the law of the tithe, where they were
obligated to give tithes to the Lord, He still gave them some back, and told them to enjoy
it on Him. And then He did not only include the Levites amongst those who should benefit
from it. He included everyone who might have a financial need.
Deuteronomy 14:29 And the Levite, (because he has no part nor
inheritance with you,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which [are]
within your gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the LORD your God may
bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.
But what about the New Testament Church then? I have shown that the law of tithing has
nothing to do with us. But there is something far greater involved now. Under the old
covenant of law, the commandment was 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' This meant
that if I had a loaf of bread and my neighbor had none, I should share it with him. If I
loved him as myself I would surely have to give him the same amount that I gave myself. So
I would break it in half and share it with him. But under the New Covenant Jesus changed
it somewhat. He gave us a new commandment.
John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, That you love one
another; as I have loved you, so you also love one another.
35 By this shall all [men] know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for
another.
This means that we actually now have a far greater responsibility than under the law.
Because the way Jesus loved us was to give his all for us. That means the story is now
different. If I have a loaf of bread, and my brother or sister in Christ has nothing, then
I should be prepared to give them the whole loaf, and not just half. Why did Jesus change
this commandment? Surely now that we are under Grace and not under Law this should all
have fallen away? I would like to make a suggestion as to why things have changed.
The new commandment that Jesus gave was not to all men. He did not tell us that we were
to give to unbelievers in this way, although obviously the love commandments mean we
should love everyone, including our neighbor and even our enemy. But this specific
commandment that Jesus was giving had to do with the Body of Christ taking care of itself.
He said that if we loved in this way, then all men would know that we were His disciples.
But there was more involved than that. It has to do with the fact that we are all in
covenant with each other in Christ. And we are all members one of another, and family in
Christ.
Paul, using the human body as an allegory in dealing with the subject of gifts and
ministries in 1 Corinthians 12, indicates that there should a close caring for each other.
1 Corinthians 12:25 That there should be no division in the body;
but [that] the members should have the same care for one another.
26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or [if] one member is
honored, all the members rejoice with it.
And then he also shows that we only have one obligation in the Lord and that is to love
one another.
Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he
that loves another has fulfilled the law.
There are only two laws that the New Testament church is subject to, and they are the
laws of faith and love.
1 John 3:21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, [then]
have we confidence towards God.
22 And whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments, and do
those things that are pleasing in his sight.
23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus
Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
Now that I have dispensed with the obligations of the law of the Old Testament, I want
to look in conclusion at how the New Testament church understood and applied all of this.
What did the early believers understand concerning tithing, and how did they approach the
subject. This is very important, because the church in the time of the Apostles was the
true church. They adhered to the correct pattern for the Church, which is what we are
trying to get back to in these studies. If you want to find out how the Church is supposed
to be, then that is the correct place to look.
Now you will notice that the early church was not at all like Israel. It was made up of
people from both Jewish descent and the Gentile nations. Amongst the Jews were those who
in addition to being Christians, were still loyal to the Old Testament ordinances and they
still went to the temple or synagogue as they had been doing before they became
Christians. These people found it very hard to let go of some of their Jewish traditions,
and they tried at times to even impose some of the traditions on the new Gentile
Christians that were coming in.
Before long there were a multitude of people in the church that had come from outside
the Jewish fold. They were Gentiles who knew nothing about the Jewish laws and ordinances.
In fact this group was so large, that God sent along a man who was especially chosen to
become the Apostle to the Gentiles. And his name was Paul. And since today the church is
made up mostly of people from the amongst non-Jewish descent, it is not at all amazing
that most of the New Testament was written by this apostle to the gentiles.
That being the case, one would think that the great apostle who was chosen especially
to minister to the Gentiles, having come from a Jewish background himself, would have
given some teaching somewhere amongst his numerous writings, concerning one of the most
important Jewish obligations which was still applicable to the new Gentile Christians
– the Law of the Tithe. If tithing was important enough to God and applied to Gentile
Christians then surely Paul would have written at least a little paragraph somewhere on
the subject.
After all the Gentiles did not know about this important doctrine. Surely he would not
leave them ignorant? Surely he would have included it in some prominent place to make sure
they understood that they needed to do it? But it is conspicuous by its absence from all
of his writings. Sure he taught a lot about giving, and we will look at that shortly, but
he never once spoke about tithing. Why not? Because it does not apply to Gentiles
that’s why. Gentiles are not the physical descendants of Jacob and are not under the
obligation to tithe.
But if you want to argue about this, there is one more passage that puts the matter to
death once and for all. Suppose Paul did teach tithing but just didn’t mention it in
his letters for some reason or other. There is one event in the early church that puts the
matter to rest once and for all. The whole issue came up concerning whether Gentiles were
subject to Jewish laws or not. You can read all about it in Acts.
The Acts 15:1 And certain men who came down from
Judea taught
the brethren, [and said], Unless you are circumcised in the way of Moses, you cannot be
saved.
2 When Paul and Barnabas therefore had no small disagreement and arguments with them, they
decided that Paul and Barnabas, and certain others of them, should go up to Jerusalem to
the apostles and elders about this question.
It didn’t take long for some of the Jewish Christians to get on the case of the
Gentile Christians and tell them that they had to obey the terms of the Mosaic covenant.
They highlighted the act of circumcision, which was the sign of the covenant. But it would
of course have included everything contained in the Law of Moses, and tithing was an
integral part of that law. So off they went to Jerusalem to discuss and dispute about the
matter with all the big names in the early church. And they had a great big convention to
decide whether the Gentiles were subject to the Jewish laws or not. And in the end they
issued a statement that not only was presented as their own opinion, but which they
claimed was inspired by the Holy Spirit.
And here is the final word that they issued.
Acts 15:28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to
lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
29 That you abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things
strangled, and from fornication: from which if you keep yourselves, you shall do well. May
it go well with you.
What about tithing? Why did they leave out tithing? Did they forget how important it
was to God? Actually they were concerned about what really counted, and Paul who was at
that convention mentioned it afterwards in his letter to the Galatian church.
Galatians 2:9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be
pillars, identified the grace that was given to me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right
hands of fellowship; that we [should go] to the heathen, and they to the circumcision.
10 Only [they wanted] that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was keen to
do.
So there it is in black and white then. The obligation of tithing does not apply to
Gentiles, nor for that matter to any New Testament believer, who through Christ has become
a descendant of Abraham and not of Jacob. We are set free of the bondage and curse of the
law. We are not bound by Jacob’s vow to God. We are free to love one another and care
for one another as members of the same body. Does this mean that we can now take all our
money and spend it on ourselves and not give to the Church any more? Can we tell the
Pastor to go out and work like the rest of us and not expect to live off our tithes
anymore? Well there is a bit more involved than that.
I want to see in conclusion how the early church applied all of these principles. And
the best place to see this is right at the birth of the church. Have a look at Acts 2,
where the Church began and you can see already how it was applied.
Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles'
doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
44 And all those that believed were together, and had all things in common;
45 And sold their possessions and goods, and distributed them to everyone, as every person
had need.
46 And they, continuing daily with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house
to house, ate their food with gladness and oneness of heart,
47 Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church
daily those who were being saved.
I cannot in there find anything that says, "And they brought their tithes and
offerings to the church so that they could erect a new building to house all the people
and put the apostles into full time work with good salaries." Instead each person
considered everything that they owned as belonging not only to the Lord, but to each
other. That is what happens when people are in covenant with each other. If you were in
covenant relationship with someone then you did not have to beg, plead or make demands
from your covenant partner. It was understood that what you owned belonged to both of you.
And if you had a need, it was understood that what your partner owned was available to you
for your own use.
The early church applied this principle fully, and they pooled together all their
resources, so that those who had an excess could supply the needs of those who lacked.
There was no poverty in the early church. The widows and orphans who had no income had a
right to come to the church to receive what they needed. The apostles, who were doing the
work of the Lord did not have to wonder where their needs were going to come from.
Everyone was able to live in blessing. No one had to go without. If you had excess, you
did not keep it to yourself, but you gave it out in love to those who had need.
But surely all this giving was meant to be used for the Lord’s work, not to feed
the poor? Well what is the Lord’s work? Jesus made it clear what He had come to do
Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he has
anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to
preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at
liberty those that are bruised,
He said He was anointed to preach good news to the poor. Well if you were poor, what
would be the best news you could hear? You need to pay your tithes to be blessed? No, it
should be, "Jesus loves you and I love you. Here is what you need. Come and get
it." Of course poverty is a curse, and the good news is that in Christ we are
delivered from the curse. We are to teach people how to walk in blessing and to break free
of poverty and lack. But today the church is largely teaching that as believers we are
supposed to be poor, so how can we possibly preach the full gospel to people?
To whom should we be giving as believers? If you wish to give to the Lord, then where
would you look? To the church system? To the preacher? No you should be looking at fellow
believers, who make up the Body of Christ. When Saul of Tarsus was trying to destroy the
Church, Jesus met him on the road to Damascus and asked him the question, "Saul,
Saul, why are you persecuting ME?" When you touch a member of the Body of Christ,
then you touch Jesus. When you give to a member of the Body you are giving to the Lord.
And what can you expect when you give to the Lord and to His Kingdom. Jesus did not say
it was your obligation to give. He did not even just promise to rebuke the devourer for
you as was promised under the law of the tithe. He promised us far more than that.
Mark 10:28 Then Peter began to say to him, Look, we have left
all, and have followed you.
29 And Jesus answered and said, Truly I say to you, There is no man that has left house,
or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my
sake, and the gospel's,
30 But he shall receive a hundred times now in this [life] time, houses, and brethren, and
sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the age to come
eternal life.
And finally, what about the Preachers? Aren’t we supposed to give money to the
preacher? Absolutely. He or she is a member of the Body of Christ also. And the servant of
the Lord has needs that go beyond the needs of the average believer. Paul makes it quite
clear that those who preach the gospel have a right to live off the gospel. But he goes
even further than that.
1 Timothy 5:16 If any man or woman that believes have widows, let
them take care of them, and let not the church be charged; that it may relieve those that
are widows indeed.
17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who
labor in the word and doctrine.
18 For the scripture says, You shall not muzzle the ox that treads out the corn. And, The
laborer [is] worthy of his reward.
He says that we should try to take care of our own family that have needs first. And
then, when we have done that, we should take care of those leaders in the church that are
doing such a splendid work for the Kingdom of God. If they are ruling well, he says we
should give them double honor. In other words – pay them double. They deserve to be
blessed for being so faithful to the Lord and His work.
But it doesn’t happen that way in the church does it? If you paid more into the
offering it is highly unlikely that your devoted Pastor is going to get an increase in
salary, until all the other administrative and secular needs have been met. And even then
if he does get a larger salary, he will have to pay more income tax on it and not really
benefit at all. So how can we apply these things under the current church system? With
difficulty, because the system is linked to the world. It is the Church in Egypt. The
church is registered with government, and books need to be kept of every cent that comes
in.
So what should I do instead of paying my tithes? I would like to suggest that you do
what I have done ever since the Lord has set me free from the bondage of tithing. Make up
your mind that you are going to be one who gives out in love wherever God shows you to
give, and wherever your heart stirs you to give. If you see someone in need, and you
believe God would have you to give to meet their need, then give it forth in love. As you
do this you are making an investment into the Kingdom of God. I am going to be covering
this in great detail in the later chapters of my book The Way of Blessing, but I want to
mention it quickly here.
How can you give to the Kingdom of God something that does not exist in God’s
Kingdom? There is no money in the realm where God lives. It would be like trying to spend
foreign currency without converting it first to the local equivalent. So you must convert
your gift into the currency of heaven. And the currencies of heaven are faith and love. So
if you want to store up your treasures in heaven, for a hundredfold return on your
investment, then you need to convert your giving to these things first. So when you give
out you must do it in love and you must do it in faith, believing not only that God will
take your gift and bless it to the person you are giving it to, but that He will multiply
it back to you in abundance.
So before you give out you should hold your gift up to the Lord and see Him taking it
from your hand and depositing it in your heavenly bank account. See Him converting it to
faith and love, which are the currencies of heaven. And then as you give out, you release
your faith and love towards the person that you are ministering to in this way. You will
not only start getting the greatest blessing of your life, but you will see God use you as
an instrument of blessing in ways you have never known before.
And if your pastor has been a blessing to you and has ministered the Word faithfully to
you, why not put some money in an envelope and slip it somewhere where he will find it,
perhaps with a note saying that he must spend it on himself or his family. If your pastor
is too ‘spiritual’ to accept this without putting it into the offering then you
might have to use another way of giving that will make sure it is used personally. It is
best to try to remain anonymous if possible, but it is not always possible, so you might
have to say go and pay for something that the pastor owes on, or buy something rather than
giving the money.
Now I am not recommending this so that you can curry favor with the pastor over the
other members of the congregation. You should be doing the same for any member of the Body
of Christ. In the early church they just came and laid their gifts at the feet of the
apostles, and the money was then made available to anyone who had need. But today’s
church is not doing that with the money, so it is better to give it yourself where you see
the need. Of course if your church needs money to keep going and you are being blessed by
being there, then you should be putting it into the offering. But there is no longer any
bondage involved here. You are giving forth in love. Making an investment in the Kingdom
of God.
And now instead of sitting back after giving and thinking, "Well at least I paid
my tithes this month, so I haven’t sinned and won’t come under a curse."
You will be thinking. "Wasn’t it wonderful to give to that person in need? And
now I have also made an investment into the Kingdom of God, and I know that God is going
to bless me abundantly, so that next time I will be able to give out even more."
I think that’s much better than tithing. Don’t you?
