There has been a change of covenant or agreement with God. The Old Covenant was physical, material and performance based. The New Covenant is spiritual and based on grace received through faith. There are no curses stipulated in the New Covenant. It is a covenant for the “forgiveness of sins” – not their direct punishment. It is a covenant where all the curses due to us have been borne by Jesus Christ on the cross.
(Galatians 3:10-15 NKJV) For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” {11} But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” {12} Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.” {13}Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), {14} that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
We are redeemed from the curse of the Law. The curses that came for not following what the Law says (verse10 above). We are redeemed from all theses curses including the curses for not tithing. If we are redeemed from it then Jesus Christ has paid the price, there is absolutely NO ground for any curse to alight. We are free. There are no curses on Christians if they do not tithe.
What about blessings for tithing? Why did Christ become a curse for us “that the blessings of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith”. Blessings in the New Covenant are not received through law-keeping but through faith. As we saw earlier, because of our sinful nature law-keeping does not work, we only end up under the curse for law-breaking “for as many as are the works of the law are under a curse”. Works of law only end up in condemnation not justification. A new way to be blessed had to be found – the way of Abraham – the way of faith.
Ephesians 1:3 is an astonishing and mind-boggling verse:
(Ephesians 1:3 NKJV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
It’s past tense- we already have received “every spiritual blessing”! Itstotal “EVERY spiritual blessing”. It’s exalted “in the heavenly places”. It’s Christ-centered “in Christ”. We have the blessings of Abraham through faith and all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly realms through being in Christ Jesus.
Tithing simply cannot add to those blessings. Law-keeping such as tithing cannot reach half-way. Performance and sacrifices are out as means of blessing. Tithing, sacrificing, law-keeping and spiritual performances in the Temple are Old Covenant and no longer apply for attaining righteousness which is the source of all true blessing. Let me explain that last phrase a bit more.
Blessing is God’s favour resting on your life. To have God’s favour you have to be in right standing with God. You have to be righteous. The Jews valued righteousness because it brought blessing from a holy God. “According to my righteousness you have rewarded me” is a common theme in Psalms for instance. (Psalms 18:20 NKJV) The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me.
Under the Old Covenant blessings would come to the righteous and punishment and cursing to the wicked. A God who blessed the wicked or who failed to reward the righteous was unthinkable. Tithing was a righteous act which brought favour and blessing. This is still taught in Judaism today.
In Christ however we receive our righteousness – in fact we receive the righteousness of Jesus Christ Himself – through faith, and not through the performing of righteous acts such as tithing. Because we have the very righteousness of Christ we also receive the blessings appropriate to that level of righteousness – “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms”. We have Christ’s righteousness and Christ’s blessings through faith and therefore we do not need to tithe in order to be blessed.
The Christian life is “from faith to faith” we are blessed because of our faith and we appropriate those blessings by faith – no by performing works of merit such as tithing. The Galatians tried to add works of merit (in this case circumcision) to faith and this is the response they got from the apostle Paul.
(Galatians 3:1-5 NKJV) O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? {2} This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? {3} Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? {4} Have you suffered so many things in vain; if indeed it was in vain? {5} Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?;
Paul’s challenge to the Galatians “Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?” is very appropriate to tithing. We don’t go up a notch as a Christian by tithing. We are not perfected by the flesh – by works of merit, by works of the law. Miracles do not occur by works of the law – but by “hearing with faith”. Hebrews says’ for the law made nothing perfect”. (Hebrews 7:19) So if the entire law made nothing perfect, one segment of it, – tithing certainly will not perfect you!
Righteousness is from God , in Christ, through faith. Therefore blessing, which in a just world must be based on righteousness, is from God, in Christ, through faith.
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