 | Teaching:
'Understanding Tithing' |
| Jesus Christ is Lord!
Andrew Shreeve Ministries
Partner Letter – September 2009
‘Bringing good tidings, publishing peace and salvation’
(Isaiah 52:7, Romans 10:15)
Sow a financial seed this month and partner with Andrew in proclaiming peace and salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ to all nations.
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| Contents
- Welcome
- Study Resources
- Teaching – “Understanding Tithing”
- Itinerary
- Financial Information
- Contact Information
| Welcome
|
Dear partner and friends,
Greetings in Jesus’ precious name! I pray the Lord will continue to strengthen you to receive the seed of His valuable promises in your heart, on a daily basis, so you can experience the loving power of His kingdom.
This month’s teaching is on the important subject of tithing. The tithe represents 10% of our productive labour, which is not insignificant. Our finances affect every aspect of our lives, so I trust this teaching will be a blessing to you.
In His grace, Andrew | Study Resources
| | View 29 short videos (each less than 10 minutes) by Andrew. Go to: www.andrewshreeve.org homepage or, www.youtube.com channel - AndrewJShreeve.
Listen to anointed audio teachings: 28 messages in English, 6 in Spanish, 3 in Mandarin, 2 in Urdu, 6 in Vietnamese, 5 in Burmese and 2 in Tamil. Go to the www.andrewshreeve.org home page – Audio Messages. The audio teaching may be freely downloaded. We are working on adding more free audio teaching, in multiple languages.
Study 17 short written teachings. Go to: www.andrewshreeve.org click on the icon, ‘Teaching’.
For 79 more written teachings, click on the icon, ‘Partner Letters’. You may freely copy and print the teachings for easier study.
| Teaching: Understanding Tithing
Copyright © Andrew J. Shreeve 2009
| Tithing to God means: giving 10% of our physical, or financial, increase to God. Some issues associated with understanding tithing centre on a lack of clarity around: whether or not we are obligated to obey the Law of Moses; the Old Testament curse associated to not tithing, found in Malachi chapter three; righteousness and faith. In this teaching I will shed light on whether we should tithe or not, and the motives associated to tithing.
Firstly, the bible comments on tithing in four time periods since the creation of Adam up until now.
Four time periods:
1. The creation of Adam, the son of God - until the introduction of the Law of Moses.
2. The time of law: the introduction of the Law of Moses, the creation of the state of Israel, the priesthood, tabernacle and sacrificial system - until Jesus Christ
3. Transition: the time of Jesus Christ.
4. The church age: when Jesus’ followers first believed in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and received the Holy Spirit - until this present day.
In each of these time periods the bible shows us that tithing was practiced. Abram tithed to Melchizedek, the priest of the Most High God, hundreds of years before the Law of Moses (Genesis 14:20). Abram’s grandson Jacob vowed to give a tenth to God (Genesis 28:22). Tithing was taught under the Law of Moses (Leviticus 27:30, 32). Jesus reiterated in His time period that men should tithe (Matthew 23:23). The New Testament letter to the Hebrew Christians tells us: here men that die receive tithes; but there He receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that He liveth (Hebrews 7:8). This is a reference to men receiving the tithe on earth, and Jesus also receiving our tithe in heaven. So it is evident that tithing has been practiced in every time period from the creation of Adam up until this present day. The Lord’s ministers, and church organisations need to be financed, and the tithe is one of God’s methods of financing His storehouses.
Am I cursed if I do not tithe (Malachi 3:8-9)? Firstly, tithing is a principle of God which we should all obey. However, as new, righteous creatures in Christ, we should understand that through faith in Christ we are privileged to be free from the curse of the law associated with not tithing. The reasons we have been freed from the curse are: we are under a new and better covenant (Hebrews 7:22, 8:6, 12:24), God’s righteousness has been imparted to us in the new birth (Ephesians 4:24, 2 Corinthians 5:21), and a righteous man is blessed, and not cursed (Ephesians 1:3, 2 Corinthians 1:20). Our righteousness, and subsequent freedom from the curse, is based on faith in Jesus Christ, not external actions such as tithing (Romans 5:1).
What we believe about the law and the curse, however, can also significantly impact our lives because; as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7). When a preacher says, “if you don’t tithe you are cursed”, they are actually simultaneously declaring that faith alone in Christ is not sufficient to redeem you from the curse of the law; they are saying you must also add tithing, to faith in Christ, to be free from the curse of the law. In contrast to this, the apostle Paul says we have already been redeemed from the curse of the law, through faith alone:
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law… through faith Galatians 3:13-14.
The emphasis in the New Testament is that we receive blessings by grace, through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8); in contrast to the Old Testament emphasis of receiving blessings through obedience to law (Deuteronomy 28:1-2).
The gospel of Christ says that we reign in life through the abundance of grace, and the gift of righteousness, which comes by being “in Christ Jesus” (Romans 5:17). When we believe that Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, and we are made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21), and God… hath blessed us with all spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3), then we are not cursed if we fail to tithe! The New Testament covenant of righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ qualifies us to be free from the curse of the law, which includes freedom from the curse associated with not tithing found in Malachi chapter three. The New Testament does not teach that freedom from the curse of the law is found through obedience to the law. The only exception to this is if we are able to keep all the Law of Moses, which clearly nobody is capable of doing.
For those who teach we are still under the law and its curses consider the following Scriptures: for as many as are under the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them (Galatians 3:10). Also the apostle James writes; for whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all (James 2:10). So, if we believe we are still under the law and cursed if we fail to tithe, and we break the law in one point (which we all do), then we are guilty of breaking all the law. Those who believe that the way to get out from under the curse is by tithing must also keep all the rest of the law, or else they are cursed. The true way out from under the curse, and into the blessing of Abraham, is simply through faith in Jesus Christ, not tithing.
If you believe you are under the Law of Moses; Christ has become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace (Galatians 5:4). I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by law, then Christ is dead in vain (Galatians 2:21). Scripture clearly confirms we are right with God through simply believing in Jesus Christ. This is God’s grace. If we are right with God then we are not cursed.
Those who believe in a law-based righteousness will always feel condemned and unworthy to receive all of the Lord’s blessings, because of their sin. Because of our imperfections, law-based righteousness makes it impossible to keep up the shield of faith. This is because their worthiness is based on their ability to fully keep the law, rather than faith in the perfection of Christ and our identity in Him by grace. Law based people are therefore vulnerable to the fiery darts of the wicked (Ephesians 6:16), and hindered to rise above the curse of poverty still active on the earth.
There is also a fine, but important, distinction between faith and obedience to God’s laws. We don’t want to put the cart before the horse (that is the law before faith). We are blessed through faith in Christ and free from the curse. If we don’t tithe we are not cursed. But, we should tithe, and tithing is an expression of our faith. If we are not tithing our actions indicate we may not be in faith. Therefore the person who is not tithing may want to examine their heart to see whether they really have their faith shield up in the area of their finances, to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Where should we tithe? We should tithe to God’s storehouse (Malachi 3:10), where God’s Word is being published, the work of God’s church, the gifted and anointed ‘five-fold’ ministers; apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers (Ephesians 4:8, 11-12). Giving to the poor is not tithing as it is not going to the storehouse; it is rather giving an offering. Offerings should be given over and above the tithe.
What motives should we have when we tithe? Tithing is an expression of our love, obedience and faith in God. If we are not tithing it is a symptom of our heart not being established in faith in God’s Word. If we really believed in God’s Word we would cheerfully tithe, as we would be confident tithing is not causing us long term loss, but multiplied blessings (Luke 6:38, 2 Corinthians 9:6-11, Proverbs 3:9-10, Malachi 3:10-12). Sometimes people refuse to tithe. It could be because they don’t believed God is able to multiply their giving back into their hand. This person is not in faith, not believing God’s promises, and has a fear of loss.
Conclusion: As tithing has been established in every time period of history up until this present day, the issue of whether we should tithe is not primarily related to the frequent argument of whether we are free, or not free, from the Law of Moses. In the New and better covenant we have been freed from the curse of the law, through faith in Christ. This includes freedom from the curse associated with not tithing as described in Malachi. We tithe in the New Covenant to the church, the ‘five-fold’ ministry, those who are gifted by the Lord to minister His Word. We do not tithe from a motive of fear that we will be cursed if we don’t. Rather, we tithe from a motive of love, obedience and faith, knowing the Lord will bless His creation through our tithe, and also multiply our financial seed back into our hand, thus increasing our personal prosperity.
Pray with me: “Lord I thank you that through faith in Christ I am blessed, and not cursed. I recognise the ministers of your church need finances to feed your creation your precious Word. From a motive of love, obedience and faith I cheerfully sow my tithe to your anointed church ministers on this earth. Your Word tells me Jesus also receives my tithe in heaven. I bring my tithe willingly, and not grudgingly or of necessity (2 Corinthians 9:7). I know my tithe will bring me both temporal and eternal blessings, in Jesus Christ name, Amen.”
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Itinerary
(For security, some aspects of this itinerary maybe undisclosed. The itinerary is subject to change without notice).
13th September 2009 Runaway Lagoons, Gold Coast, Australia
| | | Financial Information
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| | ANDREW SHREEVE MINISTRIES
‘Bringing good tidings, publishing peace and salvation’ (Isaiah 52:7, Romans 10:15) | |
