Pretty long post on the tithe...

Believers, the debate on tithing is trending because Satan is using this topic and other issues pertaining to "the knowledge of good and evil" to distract people from the real issue of Righteousness by faith. See Romans 3: "27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law."

“Yet the law is not of faith....” says Galatians 3:12. Bear in mind that believers in Christ are "not under law but under grace.” Under grace, any giving that we do is by God’s revelation. It is a response of love and not done in order to get God to make us rich. Christ took care of this for us. See 2 Corinthians 2:8-9 "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich."

Tithing in order to get into God’s good books, escape the devourer or to “fulfill all righteousness” is a part of the law- just one of the many commandments that all who are under law must keep perfectly in order to live. James 2:10 says: "For whosoever shall keep the whole law yet stumble at one point, he is guilty of all.” A person who is paying tithes or trying to obey the law in order to get right with God or enjoy His blessing has to keep the whole law 100% or else he is just as guilty as the vilest offender and under the same curse. By God’s grace, let’s not get distracted by this trending topic.

Before Moses, tithing existed as a revelation to Abram and not as a law that one has to obey or else they would become poor or get attacked by “the devourer” as many leaders who profess Christ teach. This teaching is not of Christ.

God's promise to Abram before he left Haran was without terms and conditions and way before he gave a tenth of his spoils of war to Melchizedek. There was no "give tithe and only then will I bless you and rebuke the devourer for your sake" in the equation. It is pure grace- undeserved, unearned favour. Abraham did nothing to deserve the blessing.The law would not be given for another 400+ years. "Abram gave a tenth of everything" to Melchizedek (a type of Christ our High Priest) in Genesis 14. He did it not because the law commanded it and without which God would not bless him. He did it not because if he didn't, God would not rebuke the devourer for his sake. He did not give because some church daddy threatened him with rodents in his finances and poverty if he didn’t as many pastors do today. He was led by the Spirit. Plus after giving the tenth, he took none of the remaining spoils for himself!

But those who are under the law have to give in order to get from God or escape the devourer. This law tithing which has terms and conditions is what many pastors are still preaching and it is not of Christ. It is of the law; Acts 13:38-39 says all who believe Christ are justified from the demands of law of Moses by Christ. People are paying tithes out of fear of poverty and believe it is like “give to get” MMM. In Christ, we are Abraham's seed, not under law but under grace. In Him, we don't give to get; we get to give.

The law is anything that a person does by human effort in order to earn God's good opinion, avoid judgment, enjoy His blessings, make the Rapture and have eternal life. In essence, anything that one does to get right with God. Christ already made us right with God when we believed. Romans 3:22 says: “We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.”

Nothing to do with our own effort. If one is paying tithes in order to become rich, that one is saying he does not believe 2 Corinthians 2:8-9 "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich."

He also does not believe Romans 8:32- "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"

In Christ, our giving (like Abram) is a work of faith that is borne of knowing how much our Abba Father loves us ("we love because He first loved us;") much like how a child that knows she is loved gives her loving mother a glass of cold water after her return from working hard to keep her fed, clothed and happy. No one has to tell the child to do so or when/how to do so. It is a response of love and is not done in order to make her mother feed her at dinnertime or protect her from losing her valuables. Sometimes, her mother doesn’t even want any water, but because they are so close, she knows when to give. PLUS whether she gives or not, she's still assured of the BEST care. How much more our Father in heaven?

See Genesis 14: “18 And Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High, brought Abram some bread and wine. 19 Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing:

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,

Creator of heaven and earth.

20 And blessed be God Most High,

who has defeated your enemies for you.”

Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered.”

The bread and wine is a picture of the flesh and blood of Jesus (communion with Christ.) Now see what Christ says in John 6:56- 

“Anyone who eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in me, and I in Him.” 

One with Christ through partaking of His flesh and His blood in His wisdom, we GET TO do the right thing at the right time, not because of our useless efforts at keeping the law but because “No longer I who live but Christ lives in me.” Much like how Abram gave a tenth without being under the Law of Moses, the child’s giving is informed by communion with her mother. One with Christ, standing in His righteousness and not our “menstrual rags” righteousnesses (Isaiah. 64:6) from the law, “all these things shall be added unto you," including the grace to give right, and not because we deserve it or because we did our best to obey the law. See Ephesians 2:8-9:

"8 God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it."

Salvation here is not just saved to go to heaven. It encompasses salvation from acts of sin, sickness, poverty, stinginess, lack, depression and anything that troubles mankind as a result of Adam's disobedience. It is by Christ's obedience that we are made righteous (Romans 5:19) and thus enjoy the blessings of the righteous, including financial prosperity and every blessing in the bible too. This is grace- undeserved, unearned favour.

Our best righteous works done in the flesh (by our own effort,) even paying tithes in order to secure God's favour, are an abomination to God (menstrual rags says Isaiah 64:6.) In Christ, like that child that gives her mother water, we give out of revelation and as a response of love, not in order to avoid judgment or secure our livelihood. Christ took care of that for all who believe.

The real issue in the church today isn't about paying tithes or sowing seeds. The debate on these things are mere distractions and is akin to a person with full-blown AIDS trying to make himself whole by treating an infection arising from his immunodeficiency. The virus (sin nature inherited from Adam) has to be defeated or else he will die. The real issue is Righteousness through Christ's obedience - Romans 5:19- and not our own from keeping the law.

James 2:10 says: "For whosoever shall keep the whole law yet stumble at one point, he is guilty of all." A "Christian" can fast, try to obey the Ten Commandments, pay tithes and sow seeds all he wants in a bid to get right with God; as long as there is a tiny speck of sin in his life, in the eyes of the law that he is trying to keep in order to get into God's good books and enjoy His favour, he is still as guilty as the child-molesting, rapist, murdering, ritual killer and will pay the same wages of sin. James 2:10. This way, the whole world stands guilty, tithe or no tithe.

"The letter kills but the Spirit gives life" but many in the church are still trying to attain godliness (be like God) by feeding from the letter (law) that kills. Many are still relying on their "knowledge of good and evil," which comes from the law, to make them godly (be like God.) Satan used the same strategy of distraction on Eve by telling her that she would be like God (be godly) if she ate from the tree of the same name, but the result is always death. This tree is a picture of the law that many in the church are trying to keep. It can only make one righteous if one does what it says 100% and no one can, Romans 3:20 says "For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands..."

The real issue is attaining perfect righteousness (it takes 100% obedience to get right with God) which no one can achieve by keeping the law says Romans 3:20. Paying tithes in order to be blessed by God is a part of the law. Much like "You shall not commit adultery." The Law of Moses had not been given in the time of Joseph but he knew that adultery is wickedness without the law. Anyone who is trying to obey the law to get right with God but does not have this absolute, 100% righteousness (is not right with God) that the law demands is "the wicked." Such can pay tithes and fast to the high heavens but are still condemned.

Christ gave Himself for us so that we can have this righteousness and be rid of the sin nature that all mankind inherited from Adam: "By one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous." Romans 5:19.

Also see Romans 3: "27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith.28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law."

Righteousness by faith and not by works of the law is the issue. In fact, those who try to keep the law in order to get right with God, (e.g. giving tithes in order to get God to protect one from poverty and enjoy His blessings) have been cut off from Christ: "For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's grace." Galatians 5:4.

Proverbs 10:6 says “Blessings are upon the head of the [uncompromisingly] righteous (the upright, in right standing with God) but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.” 

When our godliness is a result of having Christ as our righteousness and not ours from eating the from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God's blessings hunt us down everywhere we go.

In Christ, giving a tenth or any giving at all is not driven by "give to get," fear of punishment or fear of rodents eating up one's finances. That beloved child knows that her mother will provide for her to the uttermost even if she does not give her water, but she desires to give with all of her heart because she loves her mother as a result of the unconditional love and care that her mother showers on her. IT DOES NOT HAVE A TIMETABLE. It is as the Spirit leads us. With Christ, we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places and not because we paid tithes or did good things in order to be blessed. A part of the blessing is the revelation of tithing and the willingness and ability to do so. In Christ, we have nothing to boast about of ourselves. Christ is our boast.

In Christ, giving in any form is a response of love, not a law and not MMM "give to get," even though we get when we give. We don't HAVE to do it; we GET to do it. And we give by the leading of the Holy Spirit. Paul sums up our ability to do right in Philippians 2:13-

12-13 "So then, my dearest friends, as you have always followed my advice—and that not only when I was present to give it—so now that I am far away be keener than ever to work out the salvation that God has given you with a proper sense of awe and responsibility. For it is God who is at work within you, giving you the will and the power to achieve His purpose."

He works in us the desire to do, the ability to do and the doing itself and then rewards us for doing what He did through us. We get to live righteous lives because "No longer I that live but Christ that lives in me." Nothing to do with us. All to do with the Lord our Shepherd. We are His sheep.

A person who is paying tithes in order to avoid poverty and lack is like a sheep that is trying to shear itself and distribute its wool by its own sense in order to get the Shepherd to take care of it.

It is no coincidence that Psalm 23 is so famous. The Shepherd directs everything in the life of the sheep, even keeping the sheep from going astray...and the shearing. He Himself said "For without me you can do nothing." When it is time for shearing, He will shear His sheep. Even if the sheep is reluctant, it will give. Seeing ourselves as helpless sheep and Christ our Shepherd is called walking in the Spirit. He leads us on the path of righteousness.