Giving… the New Covenant Way

Money is a subject most of us are uncomfortable discussing, specifically as it relates to giving. We have all heard the "dig deep" sermons, which make us feel guilty about giving to the Lord. Then there are the radio and television guys using every manipulative trick in the book to get us to open our wallets and give to them. At the core of all these "guilt laden" messages is the idea that to be a “good Christian” we must tithe. And if we don’t, based on Malachi 3:8-10, we are robbing God.

Of course, no one wants to “rob God.” But is tithing the New Testament standard for the believer today? Let’s take a closer look.

Tithing was an Old Testament law, mandated by God to the nation of Israel. It was a requirement of every Israelite family to give a tenth of their produce and livestock for the support of the Levitical priesthood. The word tithe literally means one-tenth or ten percent.

The tribe of Levi was the only tribe of Israel not given an inheritance in the land by God. They were rigorously set apart by God to perform religious duties in the temple and to serve as His representatives to the people. The tithes from the remaining eleven tribes served to provide for the Levites’ needs,  “I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the Tent of Meeting”  (Numbers 18:21).

The work of the Levites merely foreshadowed the person and work of Jesus Christ. The writer of Hebrews describes that old system in this way: “The law is only a shadow of the good things that were coming –not the realities themselves” (Hebrews 10:1). The realities are found in Christ Jesus.

Through His death and resurrection, Jesus fulfilled all that the Law of Moses required, and in so doing, ended the Levitical priesthood. Christ finished their work forever. Jesus now stands as our high priest, and the only high priest. Every reality, which the Old Testament foreshadowed, can now be experienced through faith in Him.

When Jesus fulfilled the Old Covenant, He ushered in the promised New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31). Therefore, the old priesthood has been replaced by the new one – Jesus. Under this new covenant with its new priesthood in place, the old system of tithing no longer remains in effect. Under the New Covenant, we have a new way to share financially in His work here on earth – the grace of giving ( 2 Corinthians 8:7).

Under grace, giving is not a required activity as the law of tithing was. New Covenant giving is a natural overflow of God’s love in service to others as His Spirit controls us. Can that be ten percent of everything we make? Sure it can, and perhaps more or less as God works in our hearts individually. That is the freedom we have in Christ.

It is important that we see that God doesn’t want what is in our hands; He wants our hands. God doesn’t need money. He is far greater than limited human economic systems. God wants our hearts first, and then the right actions will follow.

As a child of God, giving should be a response to what Jesus Christ has already done and continues to do in our lives. The grace of giving flows from the heart. And it is in the heart that the Spirit of God does His work to transform us into people eager to share in God’s work.

The first century Macedonian Christians provide us with a beautiful picture of this grace in action. Paul tells their story in 2 Corinthians 8 & 9 to encourage the believers in Corinth and believers everywhere to excel in this grace of giving.

“ And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will” (2 Corinthians 8:1-5).

These believers were impoverished and were experiencing severe trials and tribulations. Yet, they saw giving as a privilege and pleaded with Paul in order to share in “this service to the saints.” God’s grace had done a powerful work in their hearts, and as a result, they desperately wanted to give of themselves and their resources.

2 Corinthians 9:7 summarizes the type of giving God desires for every believer. “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” We spend so much time focusing on the amount we are to give that we miss what truly matters to God. We look on the outside, and God looks at the heart. Only God’s grace can capture our hearts and produce in us overwhelming joy that wells up in generosity.

Under grace, all we have and all we are belong to God.  We can’t out-give Him; He will supply all our needs. This frees us to help meet the needs of others. As He blesses us, we in turn are to give to His work by means of a thankful heart.

It is important to note here that we are not talking about freedom from tithing as much as freedom to give out of a cheerful heart, the way that God desires. When you consider how much God has given you in Jesus Christ, can you possibly set a limit on how much to give to further His kingdom? He has given freely and unconditionally. In response, as you have freely received, freely give.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).

Excerpted from GRACE STORIES by BOB GEORGE. Copyright © 2000 by Harvest House Publishers. Excerpted by permission. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.