Is Tithing for Today?

How exciting is the walk of faith in following Jesus Christ!  It clashes on every level with the wisdom of the world:  when we lose our lives for Christ's sake, that is when we find it.  As Christians mature and grow in Christ, God deals with old ways of thinking, our habits, attitudes, thoughts, words, and deeds by confronting them with the Word of God.  If we are in Christ, we are new creations.  We are not our own, having been purchased through the blood of Christ by grace through faith.  Our whole life is to be brought into subjection of God in obedience to His Word as led by the Holy Spirit.  One of the ways God challenges our faith is in the area of finances and giving.  Sometimes we can be ignorant of our responsibilities as Christians which holds us back from obedience.  Other times we dig in our heels.  There are also occasions when we are not convinced which is the right way so we remain undecided.

I am convinced by scripture of my responsibility as a Christian to tithe.  I was not always of this opinion.  The word "tithe" literally means "tenth."  For some of my life, I would have placed tithing in an optional category.  Because of the day of liberty and grace in which we live, it is true we have freedom in Christ.  There are no demands placed on New Testament believers of how much to give:  we should give as led by the Holy Spirit.  We should never, however, use freedom to cloak our lack of faith in giving.  It is before God every man will stand or fall, and I am no one to judge another man's servant.  If we ask, "Why tithe?" then we also must consider the opposite:  "Why not tithe?"  Often our reasons for not doing something can be more telling of our heart's condition than why we do something.  Whether or not we tithe, it is important that we are fully persuaded in our own minds according to the leading of the Holy Spirit for the glory of God.

Some claim a call to tithing to their church fellowship is a deliberate step towards legalism.  As I read scripture, this is simply not true.  Tithing in scripture occurs before the institution of the Law God committed to Moses.  We read of both Abraham and Israel freely giving tithes.  Genesis 14:18-20 and Hebrews 7:3-10 speaks of when Abraham gave tithes of all to Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High (a type of Christ).  Freely Abraham received, and freely Abraham gave.  After God revealed Himself to Jacob who would later be called Israel, he promised God in Genesis 28:22:  "And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God's house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You."  When the Law was instituted almost 500 years later, Leviticus 27:30 states, "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."  2 Chronicles 31:5 shows tithes were to include everything:  "As soon as the commandment was circulated, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of grain and wine, oil and honey, and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything."

A wonderful passage concerning tithing is found in Malachi 3:8-11 through the prophet's words to the nation of Israel:  "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way 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 try Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. ¹¹ "And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field," says the LORD of hosts."  When we withhold from God His due, we are in reality robbing Him.  And see what great benefits God promises those who tithe!  He is mindful of the birds of the air and provides for them.  God will provide for us even when our faith is small.

I find it sad that for many people these verses lack credibility because they are found in the Old Testament.  To discount them upon that basis also means we must discount Jeremiah 29:11 and many more verses like it:  "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."  I am not of the mind that every promise not explicitly re-stated in the New Testament should have an asterisk placed by it in the margin!  I believe all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness so those who follow God might be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17).  One rule of Bible study is the New Testament takes precedence over the Old.  This does not mean the Old is without relevance.  Because of the New Covenant ushered in by grace, we are no longer under the Law. But we see tithing occurring before the Law and apart from the Law.  There is no prohibition of tithing in the New Testament.  Tithing is a good work.  Good works ought to be done.

The precedent set in the New Testament is greater than that of the Law.  If God claims a tenth as His own (though He owns all things!) under the Law, should I give less under grace?  In fact, we read in the New Testament that people gave all their money and possessions into the hands of the apostles for use in ministry!  Paul requested of the church in Corinth in 1 Corinthians 16:1-2:  "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: ² On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come."  Everyone was required to give on a weekly basis as God prospered them.  10% was not the limit of what they were to give.  In my own life, I see tithing not a command to be obeyed, but a responsibility and privilege to be embraced.  The opportunity to give back to God by faith is a great blessing!  I believe and testify that the promises to those who tithe in Malachi 3 concerning God's provision, protection, and fruitfulness are relevant today.

Tithing is a matter of priority.  There are many "non-negotiable" payments we all must make:  mortgage or rent, car repayments, life insurance, electricity, water, fuel, school fees, life insurance, and retirement investments.  We may cringe or pay them without a thought.  But when it comes to giving God of our increase (which in much of society today is in the form of money), that is when some dig in their heels.  But what is more important:  to give in faith and obedience to the God who has provided us all things - even Himself - or to make my own funds a greater priority to ensure I will have money in the bank when my career is over?  If my housing costs and children's school fees are "non-negotiable," then giving to God should be even more untouchable.  When people give unto the LORD they invest in eternity for the glory of God.  It is not my job to make sure everyone tithes.  God has impressed upon my heart that my role is to hold forth a biblical basis for tithing.  It makes sense to me that if we are part of God's family, we logically have responsibilities as part of that family structure.  My view is that tithing is the least part I should embrace.

One of the common complaints about giving is not being able to afford it.  Let us not forget that all we have is a gift from God.  We would have nothing except that God  has given it to us.  Paul reminds in the second part of Romans 14:23 that "...whatsoever is not of faith is sin."  We are to walk by faith, not by sight.  We are to display this faith even in how we handle our finances.  I will not be dogmatic and claim, "If you are not tithing, you are sinning."  God provides liberty by His grace.  But I will say if the reason for not giving is you are not convinced God will provide for you, that is sin.  Giving by faith is a way God challenges and changes us into the image of Jesus, the One who has given His own blood so we might live.  God deserves our firstfruits; He is worthy only of the best.  We should never pay taxes to Caesar until we have first rendered to God what is rightfully His (Matthew 22:21).

As we grow in Christ, may we grow in generosity.  Let us take to heart 2 Corinthians 9:6-15:  "But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. ⁷ So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. ⁹ As it is written: "He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever."¹⁰ Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, ¹¹ while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. ¹² For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, ¹³ while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men,¹⁴ and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!"

Protein and Vinyl

Recently I began a new exercise regimen with the idea of building muscle and burning fat.  To maximise the effectiveness of a workout, a good diet and quality supplements are key components.  After doing some research, I bought a big tub of whey protein powder from Costco, along with a good multivitamin.  Whey protein isn't cheap, but the health benefits from building a stronger body is worth the investment.

As I loaded the protein powder into the cart, I wondered, "Will this stuff really make a difference?  What happens if I take all this and nothing changes?  Would I buy another tub if the results are negligible?"  So I determined I would commit to the workout while carefully monitoring my progress.  If I don't see improvement, I'm not going to keep going back to what is ineffective.  Why should I pay money for what is not beneficial?

It occurred to me that it is wise to have this sort of self-examination on a spiritual level.  The books we read, the way we spend our time and money, the thoughts we dwell upon, all these things and many other factors can either strengthen us spiritually or cause us to languish.  For many years of my life, I collected vinyl.  At one point I had about 450 albums, filling heavy crates in my apartment.  But a day came when God led me to give them away as a donation to someone in need.  It was a fairly valuable collection.  I loved the music, especially classic rock, but a lot of it did not bring glory to God.

Over the next few years, I can't remember if I had records.  But very slowly I began to acquire records I would find in thrift stores.  I was very picky about their condition and quality.  Ten years later, I had about 100 albums again!  I would listen to them on my Marantz turntable with great enjoyment.  A day came when I felt God speaking to me about my classic rock collection.  "I told you to get rid of these things before because they do not benefit you," I perceived God say.  "It's time for them to go."  I thought back on how subtly godless music had crept into my life.  It was true:  the music didn't benefit me spiritually at all.  This collection was more valuable than my previous one, having been carefully collected.  With the exception of a couple of classical albums and a Star Wars score, I gathered up the rock albums and went to the trash can.  After dumping them in the bin, I looked at them for a moment.  Never again, I told myself.  Never again did I want to acquire things I would have to throw away.  The feeling of loss I experienced when I chucked those albums, knowing I had wasted much money and effort, was a greater sense of loss of living life without them.  But the feeling quickly fled away as I knew through obedience I found strength in God.

How many times do we acquire things at great cost which are actually worthless!  Our flesh enjoys them for a while, but what our flesh loves can be spiritually harmful.  In the same way we should watch what we put into our bodies, we ought to consider what we feed our minds and hearts.  If it doesn't make us spiritually stronger, it's probably not worth having.  Isaiah 55:2-3 reads, "Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance. ³ Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you-- the sure mercies of David."

Unless that whey protein makes a positive impact on my health, I will not buy it again.  I must show the same resolve with other things in my life.  I praise God that He gives us fresh perspective on things through His Word and the Holy Spirit.  May we exercise faith in obedience to God as we live out our days on this earth, considering carefully the benefits or potential harm of our affections.

An Inspirational Walk

Much of the world is looking with anticipation to the Olympic summer games being held this year in London.  Since I was young, I always enjoyed watching the televised events.  It was an opportunity to see people compete in events I didn't even know were events!  No one makes an Olympic team without dedication and sacrifice.  In the sporting world, there is no stage greater than the Olympics.  With the exception of the boxing scoring system, the Olympics leave nothing to be desired:  tradition, rivalry, patriotism, emotion, determination, and grit.

The Olympic games are more than a platform to crown the world's best.  It is an opportunity to join with athletes from all over the world who have dedicated their lives to excellence in sport.  Sprinkled in among the televised action, I remember Bob Costas narrating inspirational vignettes documenting the struggles and difficulties of athletes who obtained their Olympic dreams of simply being able to compete.  Most of the stories were of American superstars, but included athletes from all over the world.  I am very interested to see what events will be televised now that I live in Australia.  And I'll be wearing my Aussie green and gold, thank you very much!

It would be a sad commentary if we needed to wait four years to be inspired by stories of people overcoming obstacles to obtain Olympic gold.  In fact, some people who I find most inspirational will never make an Olympic team.  They are not athletes with ripped physiques.  They are not recognized in their hometowns on the streets, no passerby asks for their autographs, and they have never been on TV.  Sometimes seemingly ordinary people can be extraordinary.  They exhibit inner strength through God which makes the strength of world-class Olympic lifters appear puny.  When faced with challenges, their faith in Christ remains steadfast and true.  Whether they find themselves on a sickbed, caring for a infirm spouse, or working through grief and disappointment, it is God who makes them strong.  I have been blessed to know many people who fit in this category.

At a church family meeting a couple weeks ago, I witnessed something more inspirational than seeing someone win a gold medal.  It was a culmination of events that began several months ago.  Kevin and Anne Guest were enjoying a cruise when Anne suffered a stroke, losing the use of her left side.  This led to months of hospital treatment, constant visits and chronicling of events by Kevin, and hard work for Anne with physical therapy.  Slowly Anne began to gain strength.  It was a joyful day when Kevin and Anne could return home together without time restrictions!  During the family meeting after church, I asked people to share with all what God had been teaching them.  I was nearly overcome with tears when Anne deftly stood to her feet alone, took her walking stick in hand, and began to walk slowly forward.  With a gleam of valiant determination in her eye, Anne looked intently upon the people at the meeting.  She quoted Isaiah 40:31:  "But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."  She added, "I'm not running yet, but I'm walking."  She slowly returned to her wheelchair and sat down.  That was an incredible moment, one I will never forget.

Whether you are a world-class athlete, someone laid low with illness, or experiencing trials of all kinds, God grants strength to those who fear Him.  There is no one more inspirational to me than Jesus Christ, and I am so blessed when I see His strength on display through His people.  Let us continually honour God, drawing strength only from our LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ.  Ephesians 6:10 reads, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might."  Thank God for the many ways He inspires us!

Open the Door!

There have been a rash of electricity salesmen knocking on my door of late.  The thing that bothers me about them is their dishonesty:  they claim they are not trying to sell me anything when the exact opposite is true.  Listening to them talk, it is simply out of the "goodness of their hearts" they are trying to save me money on my electricity costs.  They all have similar tactics:  they butter me up or ask a loaded question, and then try to sink their hooks in.  No matter how direct I am, a salesman who understands the point and walks away before I close the door is rare.

Because of the influx of well-intentioned salesmen who want me to switch my electricity provider (and I'm not changing, so please stop bothering me!), when I hear a knock at the door I instinctively groan.  Who could it be now?  Who else wants to make me their customer?  How many more times will I have to endure the shallow chatter and repeat myself over and over?  "No thank you.  And no, I will not allow you to look at my previous bill."  The other night our whole family just sat down to dinner and there was a loud knock at the door.  I had dealt with one electricity salesmen of the overweening variety that day.  The previous night at dinner a man came trying to sell me some Spanish art!  I continued to eat dinner.  "I am not answering that," I announced to the family.  "If they were someone who knows me, they could ring."

The next day it came to light that it was not a salesman who came to my door, but a FedEx courier with an overseas shipment!  I knew a shipment was coming soon, but at that moment I was so fed up I didn't care who it was!  In retrospect, that was a rare occasion when I wished I had opened the door.  My decision to ignore the knock at the door reminded me of an anecdote titled "Afraid of the Landlord" told by D.L. Moody.  It is recorded in John Lobb's book Arrows and Anecdotes on page 135, written in 1877:

Many think God comes wanting something from us.  When he was in Glasgow, Dr. William Arnot heard that a poor woman was unable to pay her rent, and he thought he would go round to her house and give her some assistance.  After knocking he heard some one moving; he knocked again, but no one came; he waited some time, but after knocking repeatedly he had to leave without gaining admittance.  A day or two afterwards he met the woman in the street, and told her that he had been at the house, with the view of helping her. "O doctor!" exclaimed the poor widow, "was that you?  Why, I thought it was the landlord, and was afraid to open as I had nothing to pay him with."  Now that woman just represented a sinner.  Jesus comes knocking at the door of our heart; He says:  "Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if any man open I will come in and sup with him."  He is knocking - knocking today, and yet we keep the door fastened and hide trembling, imagining all the time that He has come to demand something we cannot pay.

How true this can be of us in a spiritual sense!  We can be so involved in the cares of this life, so focused on extinguishing fiery darts of the wicked one, and be caught up in trials that when Christ comes to spend time with us we feel too weary to give Him the time and attention He deserves.  How many times has Jesus stood out calling our names at the door of our hearts and we run and hide, thinking he brings greater guilt and condemnation!  We see our lack and are ashamed of any meal we might prepare for the King of Kings, forgetting that He is the one who supplies the food for the table!  Christ desires to commune with us.  He has already provided Living Water of the Holy Spirit, His broken body, and His shed blood - food and drink for our souls indeed!  Jesus has given us Himself, become the propitiation for our sins, and purchased us with His own blood.

God provided the Jews manna in the wilderness; bread from heaven to sustain them.  Jesus is the Living Bread!  He proclaims in John 6:35 & 51:  "And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst....⁵¹ I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."  When Jesus comes knocking at your heart, don't ignore His call!  Open to Him!