Gifts of Love, Not Tithes-Verses
Every good thing
we have or ever will have is a gift of love from our Heavenly Father (Ja 1:17). The greatest treasures
we are given are spiritual blessings (Matt6:19-21). Spiritual blessings include
the greatest gift that has ever been given to the world, eternal life in Heaven
with our Lord (Matt 16:26, Eph 1:3). This great gift is given to all who
believe in Jesus, who become children of God (Jn
3:16). The Holy Spirit introduces us to Jesus and gives us the spiritual gifts
of faith, love, hope, peace and assurance that enable our Savior to live within
our hearts. Allows Jesus to guide us through the good and bad times of our life
(Jn 14:25-27). Our Heavenly Father also gives us all
of the physical needs necessary to survive in this world (Ps 145:15-16), as we
ask Him in prayer for food, clothing, shelter, and all of our basic necessities
(Lk 11:3). We should work for our daily needs and if
we do not work neither should we eat (2Thes 3:10-12). Our Lord also gives all
the rest of our physical possessions, both those needed for our work, and those
we have for our comfort and pleasure (Ps 24:1, 1Cor 10:24).
Our Lord would
have us show our love to Him by doing His will (Matt 7:21-23). Giving the good
news of Jesus Christ is the greatest gift we can give to any (Matt 28:18-20).
Praying for all that they might find the Lord, helping in any way we can to
bring them to the grace of our Savior, and keep them children of God (Eph
6:18). Our Savior would also have us visit the sick, the elderly, those in the
hospital, those in jail, and any person who is lonely, who needs comforting
(Matt 25:34-40). We should take care of our own families, our parents,
grandparents, and our relatives (1Tim 3-8). Our Master would also have us help
with young children, babysitting those when their parents are unable to watch
over them, taking care of them when they have no parents (Mk 9:37, Ja 1:47). Lastly we should give to those less fortunate
then we are (1Jn 3:17). We should love our neighbors as ourselves, helping
them, giving to the needy as we would want to be helped if the situation were
reversed (Mk 12:30-31, Gal 5:14). Our neighbor is any one who needs our help,
even our enemies (Lk 10:25-37 – Samaritans and Jews
did not like each other). We should give as much as we are able, giving more
when we have it (Ac 11:29, 2Cor 8:1-15), giving to the one who asks us, who
needs to borrow from us (Matt 5:42). Anything given to the poorest, least
important person in this world is the same as giving something directly to our
Savior (Matt 25:34-40). Giving what a loving Christ centered heart would give,
not reluctantly or under compulsion, but cheerfully (2Cor 9:7). Giving as our
Lord has given us (1Cor 16:2). Giving all we can give, being satisfied with
food and clothing, the essentials of life (1Tim 6:6-10). Letting the Spirit
help us balance out what we need, what we have, what we should give others who
need our help (1Tim 6:6-8).
Giving is not a
duty or requirement of the Lord, this includes any of the Old Covenant Laws of
which tithing (see bottom of page) is a part. Anything not given out of love
(1Cor 13:3), out of faith (Heb 11:6) to the Lord is not acceptable to Him. Our
giving merely reflects the love we have in our hearts for our Savior (1Jn
4:16-21). Always knowing when we give out of love for the Lord, we will be
rewarded richly when Jesus takes us home to Heaven above (Matt 19:21). Our Lord
wants to give blessings to those who love Him and do His will (Lk 6:20-26). When we give we should do it quietly, no one
but the Lord needs to know, and the Lord will graciously bless us. But any who
desire to be personally honored, to be important, or to be a leader for the
gifts they give, will not receive a blessing from the Lord, their only reward
is the human praise they receive (Matt 6:1-4).
We should not give
because we expect to get something back, for what we are giving is but a
portion of what the Lord has already given us (Lk
14:12-14), for no one has ever given enough to God that God should pay them
back (Ro 11;35). Godliness is not a means to financial gain (1Tim 6:5). For it
does no good to obtain all the riches of the world yet lose your own soul, and
there is no earthly riches one can exchange to have their sins forgiven, to make
their soul whole again (Matt8:36-37). It is not the amount that you give, but
how precious the gift is to the giver. The widow gave but two small coins worth
only a fraction of a penny, but Jesus said her gift was greater than all
others, even the rich who gave much larger amounts. For she gave all she could
give, she gave out of her poverty, she gave out of love trusting the Lord to
take care of her (Mk 12:41-44).
Life for Christians is not meant to be an abundance of possessions,
which can lead to greed (Lk 12:15). God will give
earthly possessions to both believers and unbelievers, including those who do
evil (Matt 5:45). But only believers can have the greatest possession one can
ever obtain, the love and grace of Jesus Christ (Heb 10:39). We must be very careful about the lure of
what money can buy, instead of being content with what we have, knowing the
Lord will take care of us (Heb15:5). The love of money will grow in the last
days (2Ti 3:1-2), yet all should willingly serve the Lord without being greedy
for all the riches this world will have to offer (1Pe 5:2). Earthly riches
merely pull us away from our greatest treasures, spiritual blessings we store
away in Heaven. For when we give to others our Lord gives us blessings in
Heaven that will never end, never be taken away (Lk
12:32-34). Jesus told His disciples that it was easier for a camel to go
through the eye of a needle, then for the rich to obtain eternal life, another
words humanly impossible (Matt 19:23-26). This confused the disciples for in the
Old Covenant God gave physical gifts to those who followed the law, did what
the Old Covenant ceremonial laws required, the rich were considered the blessed
of God (Matt 19:25). But in the New Covenant of grace through Jesus Christ,
riches only hinder us, for we are judged by the intent, the love of Christ in
our hearts alone (Ro 10:4-13). The rich believe their treasures provide the
security in their lives, instead of trusting the Lord to provide for them. They
do not share with the needy, using their wealth to get them through life, a
life of luxury compared to the poor (Lk 12:16-21).
The choice between the Lord or earthly riches is a
losing battle, with Satan easily winning (Matt 19:22). The only hope for the
rich is to come to the grace of Jesus Christ, for with God all things are
possible (Matt 19:26). The Holy Spirit can open all hearts to love Jesus, to
love others as ourselves, give us the assurance when we do our Savior’s will
our Lord will take care of us (Lk 12:22-31). Many who
are rich and powerful on earth will be last in the Kingdom of Heaven, and many
of the poor and humble on earth will be first in the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt
19:28-30).
We should pay the
Christian worker their fair wage (Matt10:10). Always remembering Jesus never
had His own great big fancy church to preach from, nor a house, nor any great
possessions (Matt 8:20). Jesus gave, told others to give to the needy, the poor
(Lk11:39-41). Our Lord never told us to build physical structures of beauty
which through their cost and upkeep can use up the majority of offerings given.
The souls of all who believe in Jesus Christ are Christ’s Church of the New
Covenant (Lk 17:20-21), with our individual bodies
being the
Tithing was part
of the Old Covenant ceremonial laws which through faith, works, and sacrifices
offered forgiveness of sins and by which blessings were given. When Christ came
and ushered in the New Covenant, the Old Covenant ceremonial laws became
obsolete, they were no longer valid, needed, or should be used.
*The Old Covenant
laws including tithing cannot be modified, changed, or amended except by the
Lord (Dt 12:32). No person
can change what the Lord said a tithe was, how it was to be used, or where it
was to be given. Without changing what was written in Scripture there is no way
tithing can be used in the New Covenant. Tithes can no longer offer us any
forgiveness, nor can we receive any blessings from them, or incorporate them
into our worship. This is how our Lord had it planned from the beginning, to
usher us out of the Old Covenant into the New Covenant of spiritual grace
through Jesus Christ (Heb 7:22).
*No one gives
tithes which are 10% of the actual crops of we grow on the land for us to eat,
and 10% of the actual animals we raise that feed off the land which we eat
(Lev27:30-31).
*No one gives
tithes to the Levites as their inheritance, for they were given no land when
they entered the Promised Land (Nu 18:20-21).
*No one gives
tithes to Levite Priests to approach God for them, to offer sacrifices for
their sin (Heb 7:11-12). Jesus is our Mediator, through Him we can freely and
confidently approach God (Heb 9:15).
*No one guarantees
their tithe is holy (Lev 27:30-33, Nu 18:32), that
nothing of the tithe is unclean or any person while they were unclean has
touched their tithe (Dt
26:13-15).
*Moreover no one
needs tithes to provide sacrifices for the atonement of their sins. Jesus died
for our sins, His blood is our atonement (Heb
10:1-14).
*No one brings
their tithes to
*No one for two
years uses their tithe in a celebration festival, including fermented drink (Dt 14:22-29). No Levites come the
third year to pick up the tithe and store them in storehouses (Ne 10:37).
*No church
receives a tenth of the tithes given to the Levites (Nu
18:26-27).
*All should give
offerings to the Lord (Mk 12:41, Ac 10:5, 2Cor 8:19, Phil 4:18), and are
blessed when they are given out of love.
When we try to go back and use Old Covenant ceremonial laws for any
purpose we insult Jesus. For we are telling our Savior His holiness, His blood
alone did not save us, we still need the tithe’s holiness, the tithe’s
sacrifice, blood of the tithe’s offering to save us. Today church leaders need
money for their church buildings,
the church’s work, their work, sometimes for themselves personally. Requiring
one to give an offering, or telling one they will receive ceremonial blessings that
are no more, produces more money than enticing one to give out of love to
Christ (Eph 5:5-6). But Paul clearly
tells us Old Covenant ceremonies and celebrations are needed no more. They were
but a shadow of what was to become. Jesus Christ is the reality we are to
follow (Col 2:16 – compare to 2Chr 31:3 which is referring to Nu28:1 thru Nu 29:40).
History of the
Tithe:
Lev
27:30-34 - The tithe came from the land, the herd and flock. The tithe included all grains, fruit,
nuts, herbs, juices, wine, anything grown on the
ground. The tithe also included all livestock who ate pasture, cattle, sheep,
goats, any animal who fed off the land.
If one were to give money in place of the produce of the land a fifth
more of the tithes value must be added. The tithe was holy to the Lord because
some were offered as sacrifices to Him until Christ came. These instructions
were given on
Nu 18:20-32 - When Moses’s
authority was challenged in the desert (Nu 16:3), God
made Aaron’s staff bud with almonds, thereby choosing Aaron and his tribe of
Levi to be in charge of the
Nu 28:1 thru 29:40 All
the sacrifices the Levite Priests had to offer. This was a lot of work and a
large amount of produce off the land and animals were needed.
Dt
12:4-18 - As the Israelites were coming out of the desert to the promised land
they were instructed to worship and bring their tithes to one place which the
Lord would chose. There they should eat, rejoice and be blessed by the Lord. It
goes on to list what may be eaten on their trip to the central place.
Dt
12:32.
Dt
14:22-29 - The tithe of produce was to be taken to the central place God would
chose and eaten at a celebration for two years. If the trip was too far one
could exchange the tithe for silver and then buy what they desired for the
celebration, including strong drink. Any of the tithe
that was left over was to be given to the Levites in their towns. Every third
year the tithes were to be brought to the store houses of one’s town to support
the Levites, poor, and needy.
Dt
26:12-15 - Reemphasizes giving a tithe on the third year to the Levites and
poor. Also requires the giver of the tithe to promise that the sacred portion
the Levites would use to sacrifice was kept holy, nothing unclean touched it
before it was given.
2Chr 31:5-12 –
Brought in tithes, everything produced off the ground. Was a great amount and
the storehouses were filled. There was plenty for the offerings on the
Sabbaths, New Moons and appointed feasts as written in the law of the Lord (Nu 28:1 thru 29:40). Same as Paul in
Amos 4:4 - confirms at this
time the tithe was still given every three years to the storehouses.
Ne 10:37-38 – Tithes reestablished with the
exiles who return.
Ne 12:44 – Tithes were brought in which were
required by the law for the Priests and Levites.
Ne 13:5-12 – Storerooms were purified and the
tithe brought in back for the Levites.
Malachi 3:8-12 -
God told His people that if they would tithe once more He would bless their
land and make it produce great crops. Giving bumper crops were also connected
with other ceremonial laws such as resting the soil every 7 years, who may own
the land and conditions of the year of the Year of Jubilee must also be
observed (Lev 25 18-28).
Matt 23:23, Lk 11:42 – Jesus was under the law and told all to obey the
law until He could fulfill the law (Matt 5:17-18). In these chapters Jesus
tells those under the law of tithing to give the tithe with mercy and love.
Also letting us know the tithe was still the produce of the land, garden herbs
and spices of mint, dill, cumin, and rue.