This is not an attempt at prescribing doctrine. An humble restatement of scriptures would be an apposite description. Its quite long, but you have reason to read till the end - You will be blessed!
A CONCLUSIVE BEGINNING
On the famous subject of the tithe, the body of Christ in Nigeria has heard many interdependent and independent views. Many interpretation of scriptures with varying outlooks. Whether or not the new creation must pay ten percent! The Fathers spoke, the sons too brought forward reasons. The rascals argued and belched out many erratic mysteries they conjured.
I just have something little to add to the rhetoric from the plethora of wisdom we have received, graciously harmonised by the Spirit!
Long before the debate became intense, Pastor Chris Delvan made an innocent statement in August 2009. He said amongst other things: Paraphrased, it reads thus -
''The call to GRACE is higher than the standard of the law. Under the law, the tithe was a ten percent of all you had. An obligation on the man. However, under the Grace of God, the old man died with Christ. The new creation man's life is Christ's. He was bought with a price. So under grace, the tithe is no longer ten percent, neither is it a legal obligation. All he is and has now belongs to God. So He has become the tithe.''
He went to state further that -
''Believers don't pay the tithe like its one legal obligation. They give the tithe out of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit on their hearts. And they do it willingly and in love!"
WHERE DID TITHES COME FROM?
The above position is very correct, if interpreted as it should be. The tithe was never instituted with the laws of Moses. Thus, it can't be repealed by the abolition of the law. The tithe has lived more lives than most other principle of God founded in the old testament. It was a representation of the eternal! Abraham was the first tither recorded in the Bible. He gave willingly the tenth of all to Melchizedek.
That gives us the literal definition of the tithe. It means TENTH PART!
This giving to Melchizedek, ten percent of all, was never coerced, neither was there any command to give 'ten' percent. He gave of His freewill. He sure was inspired of God and that was after Melchizedek had blessed him. Abraham had a testimony that He believed God...this means He walked in the reality of God's Word! And it was counted to Him. His faith in the blessing spoken to Him by the Word inspired the tithe. He believed!
The next time the tithe was mentioned was in Genesis 28:22 when Jacob made a bargain with God for His life and safety. At this point, this practice was probably a reverred custom of the Abrahamic lineage. As yet, it was no law. Little wonder Jacob was more than willing to give such in a vow to God. They probably had been taught that God valued it. Abraham had passed it on and it had arrived at the third generation. God had commanded a blessing on this voluntary practice and every one who practiced it was blessed as described in Malachi 3:8-12.
Next in time was the institution of the laws of Moses when the tenth of everything was hallowed and consecrated in a codified document, which thus made it compulsory like every other law contained in the sacred laws of Moses, the man of God. At this point, it was compulsory for the Jews. The descendants of Abraham. (Leviticus 27)
A NEW TESTAMENT PERSPECTIVE!
Fast forward to the new testament, and you would see no mention of the obligation to pay the tithe, either by Jesus or the apostles. Was this a confirmation that the tithe had ended with the Law? Emphatically No! Was it still a legal obligation on the believer? Certainly not! So what's the place of tithes as it concerns the new creation?
The tithe has never been a way to get blessed! The first man that tithed was blessed by Melchizedek before He even gave Him tithes of all. (Genesis 14:19-20)
So Abraham was already blessed before he gave the tithes. Abraham received the blessings of Melchizedek as a substance of the Spirit. He then tithed as a testimony of the blessing. Thus, only the blessed can tithe. Being blessed in this context does not refer to having materials or financial things. The blessing here is the Spiritual essence of God.
Ephesians 1:3 declared concerning the new creation in Christ "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:"
Thus, it becomes pertinent to state that our Spiritual reality as a blessed people cannot be invalidated by anything. This is because we carry the blessing already in our spirits. This came only by the finished works of Christ.
So, How does the tithe play out here?
TITHING FOR THE BELIEVER!
God's institution of the tithe through Abraham and Melchizedek was intentional. God could have done so through Moses and the Laws of Moses. But He choose to bring about the mystery through the life and reality of two men who represented eternal things. Abraham had the promise of the Messiah, Melchizedek represented the Messiah. So the Messiah blessed Abraham in Melchizedek and Abraham tithed to Him. Why this intentional symbol? God typified the PRINCIPLE, ORDER and PRACTICE of the tithe to the new creation through Abraham and Melchizedek.
The law of Moses was never the original instrument that birthed the tithe. The law was a temporary arrangement that was to end. On the other hand, Abraham's act to Melchizedek has an eternally resounding force. The tithe is voluntary and willing. It is a testament that establishes our blessedness. In other words, you could not tithe if you were not already carrying the blessing. It is a blessed act protruding off the life of a blessed person.
Furthermore, it could then be said that the tithe was a system designed by God for the man already blessed in Christ to give testimony to His blessedness, which is an act of faith in God. (Romans 14:23, Hebrews 11:6) Tithing then is a simple act of faith. Believing God on the strength of His Word. Abraham, the first tither believed and it was counted to him for righteousness!
This act of faith in turn, ensures the tangible delivery of the financial, material, open-heavens manifestations of that blessedness in Christ. Faith is the only way to live for the just, and it works by love! (Romans 1:17, Galatians 5:6)
The above is is not an end in itself. The new creation belongs to God completely and thus is an embodiment of the will of God. One of which was that there must be meat in His house. (Malachi 3:10)
Melchizedek as the priest of the most high God, the physical and materials gifts he received from Abraham's tithe would definitely go to cater the need of the House of God. In Moses, God commanded that the tithes were to be the inheritance of the Levites who were consecrated to God to keep His house (Leviticus 18:24)
So we see a connection here.
The tithe is
(a) A testimony of the blessedness of the new creation that helps him receive (things) of God what He has been given (the Blessing) by God.
(b) A pure act of faith motivated by love.
(c) A system to keep the house of God in abundance.
It becomes obvious therefore that God does not need the tithe. Neither does the Pastor. God helps man gives testimony to his faith in his blessedness, which at the same time provides for God's work. How wonderfully wise of our omniscient God.
A NEW MINDSET TO TITHING!
Abraham's typified Gods standard of giving when He gave everything He waited a lifetime to get to God. Issac was everything that validated Gods promise to Him. Yet He gave, not ten percent, but all and became A Father of many nations. He typified the new creation man who is not merely obligated to give ten percent to receive the blessing, but has been given to God already. So He gives no more as an act, because it is now a nature in Him. Christ is the one giving to God, because Christ is the one living in Him.
There are no more struggles or strive to give ten percent. He is the blessed of God, so He gives as much as Christ in Him (the Holy Spirit) inspires him to give. Whether, 10, 20, 50, 80 or 100 percent. He does so cheerfully in love, with the perfect understanding that Jesus made it clear,
"it is more blessed to give than to receive."
(Acts 20:35, 2 Corinthians 9:7)
Those were one of His most profound words on giving. God showed the way and gave 100% at calvary. He opened the heaven and brought children into the Kingdom. He multiplied exponentially the number of those who would be Christs. He could have been just Jesus, but He gave up Jesus and now has brought forth many Sons and Christs to Glory. So tithe is part of Gods commandment summarised in just two.
"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
Matthew 22:37-40 KJV
In love, you declare your testimony as the blessed of God and give from your heart. Here tithe takes on a new meaning, from just meaning TENTH PART! Now, the tithe is LOVE'S PART! Love from 1 Corinthians 13 gives all of itself. Knowing full well that you have been made the custodian of the blessing! So go on and tithe in understanding!