By Olusegun Ibikunle
WHAT THE APOSTLE PAUL SAYS ABOUT TITHE AND TRUE BIBLICAL GIVING IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
We shall continue from where we stopped last week.
Let me ask you another critical question: how should you give in true Biblical giving under the grace? To answer this question, let us read again carefully 2 Corinthians 9:7 KJV “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” The answer: (1) it must be from your heart (2) not grudgingly and (3) not of necessity (not under compulsion).
But under the Law of Moses in the Old Testament, it was compulsory, under compulsion, of necessity, even most of the time, it was grudgingly because the law was very difficult for them to obey and practice perfectly. Many today in the church give their tithes of ten percent (10%) grudgingly because they lack the understanding of the teaching of Biblical giving in the New Testament. Many pastors put the church members under compulsion of ten percent (10%) to pay their tithes because they are taking people back to the law of system of tithing under the Law of Moses in the Old Testament. But under the grace of Jesus Christ, every true Christian believer genuinely born again loves God more and he or she will give more through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. God loves a cheerful giver.
Just like in the secular world, many people don’t like paying taxes to the government because it is compulsory for them to pay – paying is not by grace. But the true Biblical giving is more than ten percent (10%) and we love to give more cheerfully by grace while the system of tithing was very difficult for them in the Old Testament and this is one of the reasons for Malachi 3: 8 -10 under compulsion, of necessity and it is always grudgingly in tithe payment. Under the grace, we decide from our heart how much to give to God with much love.
Furthermore under grace, it is NOT only money you can give to God but your time, skills, talent, gift, heart, in fact your whole life because Jesus Christ gave us His life and when He was going back to Heaven to sit at right hand of God the Father, He gave us the best gift the Holy Spirit – Luke 11:13 KJV “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”
Under the grace, the ministers of the gospel including pastors can be blessed with cash/money by the church members – this is scriptural in true Biblical giving according to 1 Corinthians 9:13-14 KJV “Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.” According to the true Biblical giving, it is right for the ministers of the gospel to be blessed financially and materially by the church members – the word of God has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.I am NOT writing to condemn the tithe payment in the church today but it is good to know and understand what exactly the Bible teaches correctly on tithing and everyone will be blessed and appreciate with much love what the Lord Jesus Christ did for us on the Cross of Calvary.
Next week, we shall continue to study further on what the Apostle Paul says about tithe and true Biblical giving in the New Testament. The essence of this publication is to make us appreciate what the Lord Jesus Christ did for us on the Cross of Calvary.
For more details on this article that will bless you more and give you a deeper and better understanding of this subject by ONE TRUTH (OLUSEGUN IBIKUNLE), feel free to click and read for free this site: onetruth.com.ng
