Do new covenant believers need to tithe? After all new covenant believers are not under the law. As new covenant believers we are justified by faith.
Well let’s look back past the law to Abraham. Like new covenant believers Abraham was justified by faith. Let’s see what his tithing practices were.
When Abraham met Melchizedek Abraham was not under the law. Rather he was justified by faith as we are. He gave tithes of all his increase to this Melchizedek, King of Peace. If you read the passage found in Genesis 14 closely you’ll notice when Melchizedek came out to meet Abraham he brought something with him that Abraham needed. Bread and Wine! Jesus who is our high priest and is a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek brought something to us we needed in like fashion. Bread and Wine or....his body and his blood!
If Melchizedek was a type of Christ and Abraham, justified by faith, tithed after being supplied with bread and wine, we, justified by faith, should do as much or more than Abraham did given the fact that Jesus, the actual Christ, gave his Body and Blood to redeem us. This puts to rest any wonderment about weather or not a new covenant believer should tithe. The answer is yes!
Regarding Mal 3 the promises that are clearly declared in this passage still stand. Yes we have been redeemed from the curse of the law however "all Gods promises are yes and amen in Christ Jesus”. Being redeemed does not erase the promises found in the Old Covenant. If anything our promises are better.
Mal 3:6 says “for I am the Lord, I change not”. Well I ask you, has the I change not changed? If the tithe was the Lord’s and it was Holy the tithe is the Lord’s and it is still Holy. Holy….set apart….it belongs to God. The 1st tenth. Not the 2nd tenth, the 3rd tenth, the last tenth. The 1st tenth.
Many say well new covenant giving is an issue of the heart. You bet it’s an issue of the heart. The heart issue is are we going to be obedient or not? It does not matter what dispensation we live in. Obedience always brings blessing. Disobedience always brings cursing.
Don’t be afraid. Be Obedient. Bring the 1st tenth of your increase into the house the Father has planted you in. You will walk in peace and the Father will open the windows of heaven and pour you out blessings you don’t have room enough to receive.
Pastor Ken Gaskin
The Way Family Church
Greeneville TN
http://www.thewayfamilychurch.org
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Actually the Bible only records one time where Abraham tithed, and that was from the war bootie given to Melchizedek. There is no record in the Bible of Abraham tithing from his increase to God.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed looking over your blog. God bless, Lloyd