HERE IS THE HERESY
Most of the American Christianity teaches that members of the church of Jesus Christ is commanded to give 10% (tithe) of their income to God. If you a don’t then you are “robbing” God. This Mosaic Law tenant has NO PLACE in New Testament tenant of Christian Liberty. If you didn’t have a multi-million-dollar mortgage, then you wouldn’t have to shame the sheep into giving. Paul rebuked the Galatians for such legalistic teachings.
HERE IS THE TRUTH
The 10% tithe was a commandment of the Old Testament Mosaic Law. It does not apply at all in the New Testament. The only laws we are to follow in the New Testament are the Law of Love and the Law of Liberty.
HERE IS THE TEACHING
There are only 2 sacraments (a visible sign of an inward grace) that Jesus instructed His followers to observe. One is water baptism (Matthew 28) & the other is the Lord’s Supper (I Cor 11). Unfortunately many Pastors and Teachers will teach “tithing” as an essential practice for Christians. If you listen as they teach on the subject for any amount of time overtones of guilt and shame will emerge. Now if you purpose in your heart to give 10% of your income to further the gospel, GOD BLESS YOU! Just do so with the understanding the God DOES NOT require you to do so.
What I have learned is that these ministries have payrolls to meet, mortgages to pay, and vacations to take. The unfortunate thing about American Christianity is the 501(c)3 structure. To the uninitated there are 2 sides to the American church: the spiritual side and the business side.
The spiritual side you see on Sunday mornings, the local outreaches and other various ministries. Yet the business side of the church is structured as a “non-profit.” If your church is a non-profit then it has board members, a secretary to take minutes, a CEO, a CFO etc. Why do you think they have an “annual business meeting” and only “voting members” are allowed to participate? These are required in order for the “church” to be form fitted into the government regulation mandates.
I often wonder how powerful and purposeful would the American church truly be without the fences of a 501(c) 3…
In the beginning it was never meant to be this way. After the Council of Nicaea the direction of the church went off course. Yet God continues to move through the American Church in spite of us and not because of us.
I leave you with this:
- Learn all you can
- Love all you can
- Read the Red
- Pray for the Power
