TITHING AND JEWISH CIRCUMCISION(PART 2)
Are you cursed by God if you do not tithe according to Malachi 3:10?
NO!
But are you blessed by God because you tithe according to Malachi 3:10?
NO!
Are you cursed if you work on the Sabbath day?(Is the sabbath even Saturday or Sunday?)
NO!
Are you blessed by not working on the Sabbath day?
NO!
Are you ostracized from Commonwealth of God’s children by not being circumcised?
NO!
Are you blessed and accepted by God because you are circumcised?
NO!
You see,religious people will get annoyed with me especially on the first point I raised on tithing above.Hahahaha.
It is a doctrinal error to say: THE REDEEMED OF THE LORD IS CURSED! You are redeemed from the curse itself!
“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us– for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE”-Gal 3:13
Were you hanged on the tree? It was Christ that was hanged.So it was Him that was cursed so that you can be blessed.
Tithe and offering,Observance of Sabbath,Circumcision did not redeem you.Christ did! He took upon Himself the curses attached to non-observance of the Law by us and we became blessed:
He redeemed us so that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.-Gal 3:14
Now you see how God’s children became blessed.They were not blessed by observing the requirements of the Law.If God should judge us based on tithe payment now or observance of Sabbath/circumcision,there is no one here on earth that will make Heaven.How do I know?
For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.”The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them”-Gal 3:10-12.
You can’t be perfect in the payment of tithe according to Mal 3:10, and default in Sabbath regulation.Based on the scripture you just read ‘you must continue to do everything written in the book of the Law’!
As a child of God,you are blessed because Christ took away your curse.When Christ died He cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness:”He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the cross.”-Col 2:14
Your certificate of death as a result of not obeying Deut 28: 15- end was nailed to the cross.The cross annulled even Mal 3:9:”You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, even this whole nation.”
The death,resurrection and ascension of Christ were big time game changers.
They altered all the terms and conditions attached to all the shadows of things to come.
“Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.”-Col 2:16
1)Sabbath was a shadow,Sabbath Rest(found in Christ is the reality:
“There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God-Heb 4:9
2)Ritualistic male circumcision was a shadow,circumcision of the heart is the reality:
“No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by God’s Spirit.”-Romans 2:29
3)Legalistic Tithing was a shadow,tithing in love is the reality:
“What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things”-Luke 11:42
I know the non-tithe payers love all what I have written so far.You might even think I don’t pay tithe.Hahahahaha.
I PAY TITHE!
However I do not pay it according to the legal requirement of the Law.How?
I have 2 scenarios to show you the principle behind my tithe payment.
1)I was once asked by God to pay my tithe directly to my Pastor about 8 years ago. So for the time frame given to me by God I didn’t put my tithe into the offering basket.I didn’t understand the reason why God gave me that instruction until later.
2)Of recent I packaged my tithe into the tithe envelope when I got to church and few minutes later a brother walked up to me asking me to help him.He said he didn’t have even transport fare to go back home after service,and he had no food at home.I didn’t hesitate before I emptied the tithe envelope into his hands.Yes! I gave him the whole tithe! #Come and beat me#.
Tithing is a form of giving and love is about giving. If you can associate tithing and love together in your mind,then you get answers to many questions in your mind about tithing.However,who you give the tithe to is not restrictive under Grace. The terms and conditions under the law are no longer applicable to us now because of Christ.But the principle of tithing still remains.Let me teach on this now:
“Don’t you realize that those who work in the temple get their meals from the offerings brought to the temple? And those who serve at the altar get a share of the sacrificial offerings.
In the same way, the Lord ordered that those who preach the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it.-1Cor 9:13-14
Please keep an open mind as I analyse these 2 verses.Let’s break them down.
Who were those that used to work in the Temple under the Law? Priests.
Who were those that used to serve in the Altar? Levites.
So Priests and Levites used to get their meal and share from the offerings which included tithe.Right? Yeah.
OK…But are we still under the Levitical priesthood now? No sir.We are under the Melchizedek priesthood.
Does this priesthood need the legalistic tithe? No! This is because the tither himself is now the Temple.
So what did the Lord Jesus Christ(The High Priest of this order)command according to the scripture above? What did Christ say about giving to those that serve us?
“Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed.-Matt 10:10b
Don’t move around from home to home. Stay in one place, eating and drinking what they provide. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve their pay-Luke 10:7
So Paul used the commandments given by Jesus to his disciples to justify support for the Ministers of the Gospel.
Someone might say where is it written that a Pastor should be paid with my tithe? I just showed you now.And it is not just the Pastor that is entitled to the tithe,anybody that you hire to work in the church,rendering one service or the other should be paid his due! Paul was saying if it was reasonable for the Priest and Levites to be paid their dues under the Law,it is still reasonable now under the Grace.Though Christ’s death nailed the curses,His ascension to Heaven also brought gifts to the church: The Apostle,Pastors,Teachers,Prophets and Evangelists.These people need support especially those that have no other source of livelihood.Many of them had secular jobs before but resigned because of the demand of the Gospel.Such people need support and we are enjoined to give to them.However,we give out of love,not because we are afraid of God’s curses.We give not because it is legal or compulsory.
Though the terms and conditions have changed,the principle of Tithing,Circumcision and Sabbath remains the same.
You are not cursed if you don’t pay tithe at all or you pay less or even pay more: God only loves a cheerful giver! Not coerced givers.
Anytime I am opportuned to pay ‘tithe’ into the church,I usually say a prayer: “Out of what you gave me,this is my token of love for you”.I love God,so I give him.
But I have noticed ministers don’t want to teach their members this.They are afraid people won’t bring the 10% of their income!Hahahaha.
God does not need your 10% income,He needs your body 100%.Many only give their 10% income on Sundays and hold back the rest of their lives during the week.They honor God with their Tithes but their hearts are far from Him.God hates that. He needs a surrendered life.
A life that is surrendered to God will not hesitate to surrender all at Christ’s feet not just 10%!
Stay blessed and rapturable.