Tithe - A God who saves (revised)

Introduction

First and foremost: I 100% believe in the blessing of the Tithe, but I question the validity of the curse and subsequent fear that is cultivated in preaching the Old Testament tithe message without New Testament revelation, specifically pertaining to the scripture reference in Malachi 3:10.

Malachi 3:10 (Amp)

10 Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

I believe there are various types of belief systems when it comes to tithing; however, I’d like to highlight two of the main groups.

Both these groups believe in the New Covenant i.e. that one must accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour and believe that He died on the Cross and rose from the dead on the third day. They further believe that He then rose to heaven where He presented His blood to His father to buy all who accept Him back from the dead. This in itself has the legal implication that all people are free from the curse of the Law of Moses and cannot do a single “work” on earth to buy this right standing with God, other than “choosing Jesus as Lord and Saviour”.

Although these two groups agree on this fundamental belief, they have very different views on a few other significant facts.

The first group believes…

We have to work at our Christ-likeness, and make sure to grow from “glory to glory”, knowing that God has abundant grace for our misguided steps. But we have to be sure not to fall into the trap of repetitive un-repented sin because it could cause spiritual death in the long run, as it influences our personal love relationship with the Godhead if we are constantly and purposefully going against what God’s will is for us.

The Old Testament gives us wisdom in the Law of Moses. “The Law” which Jesus said He came to fulfil and not to do away with, now serves as kingdom principals (or guide) rather than a Law, as the Law in itself carries punishment when overstepped. Rather it stands to help us tap into God’s way of doing things. In a way God was training us to be disciplined Christians who are not controlled by our instincts and flesh but rather our Godly knowledge of the way God’s system runs at full capacity.

Tithing is a good example. If we had to give 10 percent under the law, should we not want to give more under grace and love? After all, it has many benefits. You are sowing into the building of God’s kingdom, you are supporting the people who work day and night to bring you the uncompromised Word of God and as an added benefit, it teaches you to, not only bring order in your finances but, it will serve as a point of contact for your faith to rise in trusting God to prosper you financially.

In a sense you are saying to God, “Because You said, that “what we sow we shall reap”, God I lovingly, with gladness in my heart sow into the building and the sustaining of your kingdom on earth, knowing that you are a God of love and you will bless me with wisdom, for I have sown in wisdom, and you will bless my finances, because I have sown finances etc.

It is not the “nithe” or the “fithe” it is the “tithe” the word “tithe” is derived from the word “tenth” and according to Gods wisdom it is just enough to keep the pesky spirit of mammon off our shoulders. It is interesting that when God mentioned that we “cannot serve two God’s”, he did not mention Satan as His no. 1 nemesis when it comes to being worshiped by man, but rather He chose Mammon (the evil spirit of the love of money).

Isn’t it sad that Cane killed Abel because Abel’s offering was accepted but not Cain’s? Why did God prefer Abel’s offering despite the fact that they gave the same quantity? Could it be the love factor?

If God can trust you with the tithe, then surely he will see you as a good steward and entrust you with more…

The second group believes…

Although this group also believes in the New Covenant, they also believe that the power of sin could be brought back if a clean slate, pertaining to sin, isn’t kept. When one sins, God stands back folds His arms and says, “I can’t help you, now the devil has free reign in your life, because you have personally resurrected the power of sin, I want to help you… but I can’t…”

Here are a few quotes I have personally come across over the years (all of these people are amazing Christians):

“If you do not tithe, your prayers will not be answered” - Pastor – morning offering message. (Direct quote)

“My husband and I had trouble falling pregnant. Doctors didn’t have hope for us ever conceiving. We never use to tithe, and when I lost my baby during my pregnancy, God told me that it was not Him who killed my baby, but rather that He was powerless to stop the devil’s attack, because I put myself outside His protection because I didn’t tithe. We choose not to be under the protection of God if we don’t tithe.” – Pastor in a cell meeting (paraphrased)

“You cannot be under God’s protection, the protection of the Covenant of Abraham if you don’t tithe. You step outside the boundary of God’s power over your life, by choosing not to tithe.” - Pastor (paraphrased)

“I am a single woman who works for tips. I have been tithing for over 15 years. A few months ago I physically just could not afford to tithe as well as pay my rent. For that entire month I was in fear of even driving my car. I was sure that I might be in an accident, as I was outside the protection of God, because of my disobedience.” – Long-time church member

This second group believes that they have the power to undo what Jesus did for you by overstepping some of the more prominent ordinances, laws and commandments.

These people rightfully believe that we don’t have to worry about the animal sacrifices because Jesus became our offering. Also don’t worry about the “abomination” of eating lobster and snails, Jesus said that the problem is not what goes into our mouths that is foul but rather what comes out of it that is wrong. Don’t worry about burning frankincense when you pray (Lev 2:2), and don’t worry about dressing up your Minister, Pastor or Priest in pointy hats and scarves because we are free from those “little ordinances” (Lev 8:8-9)...

... but be sure to tithe because the tithe “somehow” still carries the curse.

What does the Word say in the New Testament?

2 Corinthians 3:9

9 “For if the service that condemns [the ministration of doom] had glory, how infinitely more abounding in splendor and glory must be the service that makes righteous [the ministry that produces and fosters righteous living and right standing with God]!”

In other words righteousness exceeds condemnation…

Colossians 2:14

14 “Having cancelled and blotted out and wiped away the handwriting of the note (bond) with its legal decrees and demands which was in force and stood against us (hostile to us). This [note with its regulations, decrees, and demands] He set aside and cleared completely out of our way by nailing it to [His] cross.”

Romans 8:1

1 “THEREFORE, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit.”

I understand that we cannot just walk and do as we please. We should do as Jesus did and even more importantly we should do it for the same reason Jesus did it. Jesus often didn’t go according to the letter of the law, yet He was without sin and God said that He fulfilled the whole Law. He chose not to stone the adulteress woman because love and compassion supersedes the letter of the law. I know that tithing was there before the Law, but the moment it became a part of the Law it became a curse at the same time, IF we think that without it we are not righteous (i.e. in right standing with God).

Romans 5:17

17 “For if because of one man's trespass (lapse, offense) death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive [God's] overflowing grace (unmerited favor) and the free gift of righteousness [putting them into right standing with Himself] reign as kings in life through the one Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).”

Galatians 3:10

10 “And all who depend on the Law [who are seeking to be justified by obedience to the Law of rituals] are under a curse and doomed to disappointment and destruction, for it is written in the Scriptures, Cursed (accursed, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment) be everyone who does not continue to abide (live and remain) by all the precepts and commands written in the Book of the Law and to practice them.

Romans 11:29

29 “For God's gifts and His call are irrevocable. [He never withdraws them when once they are given, and He does not change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call.]”

We can become faithless Christians because of the religious doctrine of tithing and all the threats and accusations that accompany it, because we then believe that God’s hand is not upon us if we don’t tithe, and because it is our belief that God needs the tithe in order to save and help us, that in itself becomes the curse. That in which you have faith becomes your downfall. We have faith in our own works that leads to a self inflicted curse that God warns us about when He tells us not to be deceived by our lack of knowledge and understanding.

The Malachi issue

Context is very important when reading Malachi. At the time when Malachi was written, Jesus had not yet presented His blood to become the righteousness for His people. Burnt sacrifices for atonement and the keeping of the entire Law of Moses was the only way people could be in right standing with God in the time when Malachi was written.

The people spoken of in the book of Malachi became “religious” about their giving and doing of the Law because they lost their reverent fear of the Lord. Instead of giving their best animal in their flock to God, they would give a blind useless animal, so that they would not “feel” the sacrifice in their pockets. They had become selfish.

Malachi also talks about their moral decay. The priests were not in a ‘right-heart-condition’ towards God. Husbands were leaving their Hebrew wives for heathen wives. Malachi also mentions that there was a general feeling that people who were not doing God’s Law seemed to get away with it unscathed. The people to whom this letter was written, were questioning why they must do all the tedious ordnances of Moses’ Law, when in fact, those who didn’t were, as far as they could see, getting away with it. Also they made up excuses to get away from their duties by saying ‘we have not, therefore we give not’.

God then speaks through the prophet Malachi in Malachi 3:9 (Amp) “You are cursed with the curse, for you are robbing Me, even this whole nation.”

Barnes' Notes on the Bible:

“Ye have been cursed with the curse - (not "with a curse"). The curse threatened had come upon them: but, as fore-supposed in Leviticus by the repeated burden, "If ye still walk contrary to Me," they had persevered in evil. God had already shown His displeasure. But they, so far from being amended by it, were the more hardened in their sin.

Perhaps as men do, they pleaded their punishment, as a reason why they should not amend. They defrauded God, under false pretences. They were impoverished by His curse, and so they could not afford to pay the tithes; as men say, "the times are bad; so we cannot help the poor" of Christ. "And Me ye still are defrauding" Me, ye; man, God. And that not one or other, but this whole people. It was a requital as to that in which they had offended. "Because ye have not rendered tithes and first-fruits, therefore ye are cursed in famine and penury." "Because the people did not render tithes and first-fruits to the Levites, the Lord saith, that He Himself suffered fraud, whose ministers, constrained by hunger and penury, deserted the temple. For, if He is visited by others in prison, and sick, is received and cared for, and, hungry and athirst, receives food and drink, why should He not receive tithes in His ministers, and, if they are not given, be Himself deprived of His portion?"

– Barnes

Why where they robbing God?

Because they took something that was owed to God, in order to be in right standing with Him.

Do we as pure reborn Christians still owe God anything under the New Covenant today? This is what God says about “external religious worship”:

James 1:27

“External religious worship [religion as it is expressed in outward acts] that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world.”

… I have to say “no” we do not owe God anything, not even the tithe… Salvation is a free gift! We are not subject to the wrath of God for bringing Him lame and blind offerings any more. We have fallen short and will fall short according to Moses’ Law till Kingdom come. The Good News is that we have been redeemed not to need fleshly works at all to earn our place in God’s Supernatural covering and protection. We have done all we can do to earn our “free gift” by purely accepting Jesus as our Lord and saviour.

Sanctification, holiness and Christ-likeness is a whole different story…

Yes, don’t bring your lame, unloving offerings and fear based tithes to the Lord, because we cannot “fool” God into believing that we are worshipping or loving Him, just as Cane could not “fool” God by giving in the same volume as his brother Abel, but without love. Without love and the joy of giving, nothing we do means anything.

2 Corinthians 9:7

Let each one [give] as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, “prompt to do it”) giver [whose heart is in his giving].

As a matter interest rather than pure theology…

I read through the whole of Leviticus in a single stretch to really get a feel for the subject matter being discussed in this article, and I found something very interesting…

Up until Leviticus 26 the Law is laid out. Some trespasses are called sin others are called abominations, some sins are warned against and others have penalties or death sentences attached to them. Then in Leviticus 26 God explains the blessings attached to the obedience of The Law, and after that, also the extent of the curse for those who overstep The Law given.

This is what I found interesting - nowhere before the reading of the blessing or the curse, (that appears in chapter 26) is tithing mentioned… only after chapter 26 in chapter 27 the last 4 verses of the entire book of Leviticus it is explained. And what God has to say about the tithe explains exactly how I think we should look at the tithe:

- “it is holy to the Lord”

Leviticus 27:30-34

30 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's; it is holy to the Lord.

31 And if a man wants to redeem any of his tithe, he shall add a fifth to it.

32 And all the tithe of the herd or of the flock, whatever passes under the herdsman's staff [by means of which each tenth animal as it passes through a small door is selected and marked], the tenth shall be holy to the Lord.

33 The man shall not examine whether the animal is good or bad nor shall he exchange it. If he does exchange it, then both it and the animal substituted for it shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.

34 These are the commandments which the Lord commanded Moses on Mount Sinai for the Israelites.

1 Corinthians 13

1 “IF I [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such as is inspired by God's love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”

Why then do I personally tithe?

Because the Word says that it is “Holy unto Him”, in other words, it is very special to our Father. This is a high priority and intimate moment between you and your Father where you present an offering from your HEART.

When is dreaded unbiblical “religious” behaviour born?

Manmade religion is birthed the moment we think that right standing with God can be bought or earned or even guaranteed by any other means rather than Jesus’ blood and God’s unconditional, unmerited, undeserving LOVE and boundless MERCY AND GRACE. This idea that sin removes us from the power that God has over our lives and that our disobedience leads to His “pulling away and leaving us, so the devil can have a “Job-like dance” with our lives and the lives of our children” is nothing short of heresy in my opinion! We all sin all the time, just looking around in a church at the way people are dressed can lead to lust, not to mention “sticky sin” that almost every human combats on a minute to minute base, like pride, un-forgiveness and jealousy.

We are all sinners, all the time, and there is no such thing as “more” or “less” condemning sin, except maybe to blaspheme the Holy Spirit, which the Bible says is unpardonable.

Why didn’t tithing make the “top 10” most focused-on points in the Old Testament?

If, not tithing as a Christian, can leave you out there like a sitting duck, with no protection from God, why didn’t God warn us in the 10 commandments? Surely such a trap and threat with such a dire-some curse attached to it should at the very least be mentioned with - not worshipping idols, and killing people?

Old Testament teaching on the tithe without New Testament revelation (not just scripture on being a cheerful giver, but true revelation on grace in the tithe message) to me is the equivalent of rape versus love, it might be the same in its mechanics, but in essence is not the same thing at all…

Are we using FEAR to draw out our tithes? Or are we using FAITH and our commitment to the GREAT COMMISION? And do we need to use FEAR as a tool, if we give people enough revelation on the subject of building God’s physical churches. Wouldn’t it be more efficient if we just point out the reality of the cost involved in bringing His Word and His Love to others?

This is not rebellion or an attack on any church in any way. I do believe that we unwittingly curse our congregations by saying things like, “If you don’t tithe your prayers will not be answered” and “If you don’t tithe, you render God completely powerless over your finances and life”. Doesn’t the Word say that what we bind on earth is bound in heaven?

In my opinion people don’t leave churches because they are uncomfortable talking about money, prosperity or even parting with their money. They leave because they feel like they are put under condemnation, and are tied under a “give or just see what happens if you don’t …” curse. Especially those who come from conservative background churches, who are not completely desensitised to the constant threats that God will leave them “out in the cold” without His 10% payment.

“Do not perplex the weak believer”

As a church, we rarely have any idea what a new converts life was like before they entered the doors of our building. It is my personal conjecture that you have 2 extremes to deal with, those who need a measure of sanctification and those who need even more...

Example: You have person “A” walking out of a boardroom, with beautiful wife and children, who have had a fairly normal childhood, and “Christian morals”. They know the Bible because of years of attending a conservative church, but had never had true revelation or ever really understood the power of the Holy Spirit until they walked into your Spirit filled church. This person has sin in their lives. Maybe they smoke, maybe they don’t love their family like they should etc. Righteousness is instant the moment they surrender themselves to Jesus but sanctification is the road the Holy Spirit will walk with them. I believe that God’s mercy tailor-makes each one of our “top 10 lists” of things we need to do or lay down, to be closer to Him and when we get done dealing with those things, He will update our lists with “10 more things” we must do.

Is it fair to say then, that Tithing might make person A’s so called “top 10 list”? It might... But what about a person who was sold into prostitution by their own parents when they where 7 years old? Would tithing be on their “top 10 list”? It’s harder for me to imagine that.

It is our duty as the body of Christ not to perplex people by confusing them with our own ideas of the shortest road to reaching Christ-likeness, versus the more excellent plan the Holy Spirit already has in mind for every new person who is saved.

My point is that we as ministers of the Word cannot force revelation, on the topic of tithing, onto new believers purely because we personally benefit from it in the flesh. It is our duty to teach the principle of the tithe as we would any other revelation the Word gives us on how to be a successful Christian. I believe that we have to teach the principal of the tithe, with all the truth and New Testament grace that the Bible has to offer, and add no curse brought forward from the Old Testament.

In Conclusion:

Our fight is not against “flesh and blood” it is against a spirit realm dominated with truth-like lies of which the worst are inherited lies. I thank God for planting me into a Spirit-filled church, and pray that until He comes to fetch me, I will be renewed in my mind and views on every letter of His Holy Word, daily.