Tithes

"For the Love of Money is the Root of all Evil." 1Timothy 6:10.

"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things,may abound to every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8)

GOD'S MATHEMATICS

THE CHRISTIAN USE OF MONEY

Oftentimes Paul’s injunction to Timothy in I Timothy 6:10 is misquoted — “Money is the root of all evil.” This misquotation is tainted with the erroneous notion that a Christian should not be involved with money, or that a Christian should not become rich. The reverse is the truth. A Christian who works hard and runs his business efficiently is well compensated. “The laborers is worthy of his reward” (I Timothy 5:18). “For unto everyone that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance...” (Matthew 25:29). This last quotation is the reward our Lord gives to the five and two talent man, who traded wisely the money their Lord had entrusted them.

Thus, upon his faithful servant Abraham God blessed with much wealth. “And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold” (Genesis 13:2). Even Lot the nephew was blessed under his uncle’s umbrella. “And Lot also which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds and tents” (Genesis 13:5). What is wrong with money is not money, but the person who loves the money, to whom a dollar, as we used to say in colonial days, is “like a bullock cart wheel”!

Not only must a Christian work hard to get wealth, he must realize he needs God’s help in the process. “But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he swore unto thy fathers, as it is this day” (Deuteronomy 8:18). Never say, like the arrogant and ungrateful man, “My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:17). I remember the son of a certain Chinese pastor who joked, “Before I eat I should rather give thanks to my right hand that earns the money to buy me food.” He did not say this for long when he had to go to hospital for operation on his appendix. Let us, when we become prosperous, walk ever humbly before God. Let us remember to thank Him for helping us to get wealth. For, if He is displeased with us and withdraws His mercies.. Let us rather say with David, “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:1,2).

What are the benefits for which we are to give thanks? Not only the material but rather for the spiritual. They are:
1. The forgiveness of sins.
2. The healing of all our sicknesses.
3. Deliverance from destruction (accident and death).
4. His loving kindness and tender mercies.
5. Good appetite and youthful energy.
6. Withholding His anger and not punishing us according to our sins.
7. Fatherly pity and keeping His Covenant with those who fear Him (Psalm 103:3-18).

Let us realize that our life and property are gifts from God. We are not absolute owners of our wealth. We are trustees or stewards. We cannot spend on what we like. Every item of expenditure must be prayerfully considered. We can spend only what pleases Him and never to satisfy our selfish pleasures. When we do this with Him in view, He will entrust us with more wealth as He would reward His faithful servants.

Now, to set a standard of giving to Him who owns us, God instructs Moses to require of Israel, that sacred tenth: “And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s: it is holy unto the Lord” (Leviticus 27:30). When Israel very conveniently skipped paying the tithe in the days of Malachi, the prophet chided them in no uncertain terms:

"Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts." (Malachi 3:8-12)

This message is addressed both to the individual as well as to church and nation. Individually speaking, we have Abraham who set the Israelites the example. The tithe was given by him spontaneously, from a grateful heart, not because a law had been laid down on him. So did Jacob his grandson. Let us as individual members of the Church render our tithes to God as spontaneously and cheerfully as patriotic citizens willingly pay their income tax. Those who give thus are blessed beyond measure as promised, receiving back from God like pouring rain. Moreover God will keep our produce from being devoured by pests.

God receives not only the tithes but also “the sacrifice of praise ... that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks in his name” (Hebrews 13:15). The tithe is not given grudgingly, but hilariously. Why? Every thither can tell you that he becomes richer and not poorer. Every thither is blessed of God (II Corinthians 9:7).

Tithing, according to the Dispensational theologian is a legalistic ordinance done away in the New Testament. Is it so? Let them read Luke 11:42 and Matthew 23:23. Here our Lord chides the scribes and Pharisees for their legal punctiliousness on the tithe, but overlook weightier matters such as judgment, mercy and faith. Nevertheless He upholds the tithe in the sense that the cart should stay in the position of the cart and not before the horse. St Paul never writes against the tithe. Undoubtedly, he supports it, but stresses that any form of giving to God must be rendered with a cheerful heart. And when it is given as in humble worship, God will cause every grace to abound toward us, that we, having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work (II Corinthians 9:7-8). Let us see this picture of blessing as mirrored on the Sea of Galilee. This Sea of Bountiful LIfe and Produce is fed by the snow waters coming down Hermon’s heights. Now the water comes not only through the Upper Jordan River which we crossed by a bridge, but also from numerous streams funneling into Galilee through tunnels and culverts. When we give to God upwards He returns to us from every side like the many streams swarming into the Lake.

Speaking on the Church level, let the pastor-in-charge teach members to give his or her tithe. But let him set the example first, or else he would be a liar! Never use the human wisdom of the Liberals and Modernists, and of the ritualistic Roman and Greek Churches to increase the Church’s finance by holding concerts, food and fun fairs, garage sales, charity balls, walkathons, and what not. The returns from such efforts are meager to say the least. Some like to fish with hook and line, but the Lord gave to Peter two shiploads.

Another thing I would like to stress about a Church’s finance is that, as my Grandpa had taught us from a young age, “Never borrow, never pay interest.” When a Church meets with an overwhelming need, such as buying a property involving millions, the normal path of action is to take a bank loan. To me this is blood sucking when every monthly installment of repayment is due. And this can go on 15-20 years.

Many churches are not outward looking enough. Like the Chinese who say, “Let not fertile waters flow into other fields,” they would like to see their income stored as into the Dead Sea. It flows in but never flows out! While God’s money must be spent with meticulous care, to hoard it so that God’s work is stifled is not only counter productive but against His will.

I have observed that many small struggling beginnings of Church work would have surged forward if Big Brother Churches would give a helping hand. This has given to those languishing in the shadows a big boost. “For the administration of this service not only supplest the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God” (II Corinthians 9:12).

Here’s a blessing from King Solomon, “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again” (Proverbs 19:17).

Another way of making good profit for the Lord’s work is to offer to the building of Churches and Bible Colleges in other countries, such as in the Philippines and Burma, yea, even in Africa. Let me cite two cases. Give to missions and make your dollar work six times more for you. This profitable investment for the Lord will surely earn from His lips, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of the Lord” (Matthew 25:21).

What will happen to all your assets, money and property, when you leave this earth? This is addressed to members financially blessed of the Lord. Many will give them to their children. If they are God-fearing, well and good. If not, why don’t they give it to the Church or Bible College that is faithfully proclaiming the Gospel! To you our Lord would say as He does to the “unjust steward”: “Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness that when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.” To understand this cryptic saying we must know the background of the unjust steward’s dealings. It is this. This steward of a rich man was about to be sacked for mismanagement of his master’s business. While he was still in office he took the opportunity of making friends with his man's’s debtors by writing off certain percentages of their debts. To one he slashed 50% and to another 20%. So, when he got sacked, these debtors whom he had helped would help him in return. The money a rich man has is called “the mammon of unrighteousness” because in money matters one’s palm is liable to be soiled. It is unrighteous because, perhaps, we have withheld giving our tithe, or not helped the needy when it is in the power of our hand to do it (Proverbs 3:27). Now, to return the whole sum to God at the end of one’s earthly life is it not a wise move? After all, we are giving up in a happy way what we cannot take out of this world. Christian, remember God in your will!

How modern economists today repudiate those of early years and were taught to save. Today we are taught to spend; to borrow and to owe. As people live above their means, they have to forfeit the fruits they would gather in future. As long as one is in debt one, they are choked in all of worries.

Solomon says, “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7). The debtor is slave to the creditor.

The way to economic freedom is to heed the old yet ever new injunction by the Lord, “Owe no man anything” (Romans 13:8). This is possible when we hold to the Pauline philosophy of life. We must be content with what God has given us, live within our means, happy with what is essential — three meals a day, enough of clothing to keep us warm and a roof over our head. But we must be diligent under any circumstances. Paul testifies how by labouring with his two hands he earns extra so as to be able to help the weak. By good hard work and economic arrangement he becomes prosperous so that he can experience what Jesus has said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

By this principle have arisen the truly rich. The story is told of Colgate how he started out with a few dollars in a small business. When he made a few dollars he was careful to give back one tenth to God. As he honoured God, God honoured him. His income grew steadily so that from tens, he increased to hundreds, from hundreds to thousands. He gave not only one tenth back to God, but two and three. The more he returned to God the more God poured His blessings upon him. Conversely, there are Christian businessmen who follow the world, borrowing and owing at the expense of others, who never honour God with their substance. So they are forever in debt which, if not like sinking, is like one with a millstone hung around his neck.

When we give to God, God will give back to us. We will not only be prospered vertically but also horizontally. Jesus says, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again” (Luke 8:38).

This reciprocity from men is due to our dealing with others generously, not only in money matters but in other areas of human relationship, which our Lord prescribes earlier in His sermon,

"Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also... Do good and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil... forgive, and ye shall be forgiven."

The transcending philosophy of the Christian use of money is not only not to owe but to lend without demanding it back, yea, to give and in its final projection, to forgive. This is the way to prosperity with happiness. Amen.

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The beginning of Tithes in the Law and ... by George Fox click here

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