To the believer, giving
to God's work is a duty, a privilege and a joy. Under the dispensation of the
law, Jews were obliged to pay a "tithe", meaning one tenth of their
income. This could take the form of money, cattle, goats, sheep, produce or any
other kind.
HOW
MUCH ARE CHRISTIANS TO GIVE?
Since the death, burial
and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, the dispensation of the law was
suspended. The age of grace was ushered in and with it, freedom from the law.
Therefore, Christians are no longer required to pay a tithe. This does not
mean, however, that we are no longer to give to God's work. We simply may give
as little or as much as we choose.
A
CHEERFUL HEART IS VITAL
Giving, however,
carries with it certain responsibilities. In the first place, it must be given
willingly and cheerfully, for in 2 Corinthians 9:7 we read:
"Every man
according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of
necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. "
GIVING
WITHOUT A FUSS
Secondly, giving must
be done anonymously. God will not honour those who let the world know about
their `generosity' because this type of person gives from the wrong motives -
to glorify self instead of God. When giving for any other reason, the only two
other than God, who should know, are the giver and the receiver, and they
should not discuss the gift with others.
SACRIFICIAL
GIVING IS GOOD
Thirdly, it should be
given as a sacrifice. Many wealthy Christians leave their estate to the church
at their deaths. While there is nothing wrong with this, the weakness lies in
the fact that this person leaves what is of no further use to him anyhow. How
much more does God appreciate it when we give what we could have used ourselves.
CULTS
`ENFORCE' GIVING
Even today, many
denominations and cults make an issue of tithing with some of them even going
so far as employing `auditors' to ensure the congregation members meet their
`obligations'. Since this practice is in direct violation of 2 Corinthians 9:7,
these cults are obviously unscriptural. If they are unscriptural in this matter,
it is a reasonable assumption that they are unscriptural in others. If this is
the case, "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her,
my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her
plagues. " (Revelation 18:4)
Harley Hitchcock
www.
AustralianBibleMinistries
.com
Are
Christians compelled to tithe?
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QUESTION: “HOW DO I TEACH TITHING?”
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The
scriptures Evolution Cults