Monday 12 March 2007

A Parable about Tithing

What place does the Law have for the believer?

Here is a parable to explain my attitude toward Moses' Law:

Somebody wants to install some Video Chatting Software on his personal computer.

So he buys the CD.

The CD is perfect - it contains all of the programming information that's needed.

He inserts the CD into his computer's CD drive.

Now a Wizard guides him through the installation process.

At some point, the Installation Wizard asks him to select which set-up type he wants to proceed with:

  • he can choose either the step-by-step set-up (in which he can select which components of the Software he wants to install)
  • or the Automatic set-up (recommended).

At first, he fancies himself as a bit of a computer wiz, so he opts for the step-by-step way. A whole list of all the components which are included in the software comes up on his screen. It asks him to select options. But to do so, he must first read and consider and understand so much information. He is afraid that if he neglects to include just one important component, some feature of the program won't end-up working how he wants - or the entire program might not work at all.

It all becomes too mind-boggling - the person realizes the inadequacy of his ability. So he hits the "back" button, and opts for Automatic set-up (recommended) instead.

The Set-Up Wizard now takes-over for him. In just a few minutes, Windows has installed all of the Software for him. When it's all done, the CD even automatically pops out of the drive. He had to do nothing. All he has to do now is restart his computer, and then he can start his Video chatting. Easy!

Notice that by choosing the Automatic set-up instead of the step-by-step set-up, he is still installing the same software. Either way, the result is meant to be the same - the functionality and usefulness and the performance of the software ideally should end-up precisely the same. It was only because of his inability that he could not have achieved the optimal result on his own, using the step-by-step approach.

So instead of relying on his own ability, he opted to rely on the automatic set-up - relying on the perfect ability already written into the CD - that way he can be sure everything will work just right when he starts video chatting.

In no time, it's all installed, and off he goes, video-chatting with all his friends.

But either way - either through step-by-step or automatic set-up - the result should be the same; the intention is the same; the function of video chatting is meant to end-up just the same.

God's ultimate objective for us - like the person's desire to start video chatting - is that we walk in love - that we walk in love and fellowship toward God and our fellowman - that we become a partaker of the Divine nature. Walking in love is true functionality.

There have been two ways of "set-up" that the Bible talks about, to get us to this functionality of walking in love.

The first way - like the step-by-step way, with all it's components and requirements - was Moses' Law.

Moses' Law, like the
step-by-step approach to installing software, emphasized each of the individual components of what it means to walk in love towards God and our fellow-man. With regard to walking in love in the matter of our finances, the Law taught us:

  • how much to give - 10%;
  • where to give - to the House of God;
  • who to give to - to the priests and to the poor;
  • consequences for failing - curse;
  • promises of compliance - blessing;
  • late payment fee - must add 20%,
  • additional requirements - the occassional second and third tithe, etc.
  • pay all your bills - don't rip anyone off

But all of the above details were simply another way of saying, "Love God, and love your neighbour as yourself" - because, if a person living under the Old Testament truly loved, he would want to do all of those things with his or her money.

The
only problem with the step-by-step approach to set-up, was the man's lack of computer know-how. Similarly, the problem with the Law (as a means to creating hearts and not just actions of righteousness and love) was the weakness of our flesh because of indwelling sin.

So the person in the parable opted for automatic set-up (recommended). Automatic set-up represents the Gospel of Jesus Christ - the Gospel is the second way of "set-up" that has been provided, in order for us to achieve the same desired functionality of walking in love.

The power of
the Gospel - like automatic set-up on a computer - has given us a brand new heart; God has given us His nature, His Spirit and His love. Christ's new commandment of "love one another" has been inscribed in our heart. Now - because of His love and His Spirit in our born-again heart:
  • now our sin has been removed;
  • now we have received a righteousness not our own;
  • now we want to give to the house of God;
  • now it is our joy to give to the poor;
  • now we delight to support the work of the Church;
  • now we can't wait to support the workers of the Gospel who told us the way of salvation;
  • now our heart (and not just our actions) pleases God
  • now we don't keep any outstanding debts except to love one another
It works like preprogrammed software!

Because God's love has been poured-out in our heart through the Holy Spirit - bypassing the step-by-step approach, but achieving the same result - now we find that we fulfill the same goal that the Law intended for us - now we can walk in love.


Having opted for automatic set-up, all the person had to do was restart his computer. Since God has accomplished righteousness for us through the cross of Christ, now all we have to do is be born again and receive God's new nature of love into our spirit (like restarting our computer) - and then we automatically begin fulfilling the righteousness of the Law (like beginning to enjoy the functions of the new software).

Either approach (step-by-step or automatic) was intended to lead to the same functionality on the computer. In the same way, even though we are no longer trying in our own ability to keep the Law, we nevertheless arrive at fulflling the same principles inherent in the various points of Law, which is to walk in love - through the power of the Gospel which is working in us.

By coming to God through Jesus Christ (instead of through the Law), we won't end-up caring any less for our financial obligations; and we won't end-up giving any less to the poor; we won't stop honouring God and His house (Paul calls a local church the "house of God").

Instead, by walking in the Spirit and by walking in love (instead of walking in the flesh), we will find that we will actually pay our dues and give our gifts in accordance with exactly the same principles that God was trying to show us through Moses' Law.

But this time we will be doing it not on our own ability, but we will be doing it because God has preprogrammed His love into our new heart. Now we want to walk in love. Now we can walk in love. Now we do walk in love - because God wrote His Laws into our hearts, in Christ.

If we sit down to calculate it, and actually added up all the giving that we do, we would find that we have been automatically fulfilling all of the principles in Moses' Law about tithing, if we have been walking in the Spirit, and walking in love.

Now if a person had trouble with the step-by-step set-up, he can't throw the CD out, and yet still expect to be able to start video chatting.

In the same way, just because we are no longer under the Law, does not mean that we can just indulge the flesh, mistreat one another, fail to honour our financial obligations, fail to honour God, His House, His ministers, and fail to consider the poor etc - and still be righteous before God. Treating your neighbour with love, will still require the same action (in principle), no matter what period of history you live in. Love is still love.

So instead, like the person who achieves getting the software on his computer through opting for automatic set-up - we will achieve the same objective that all the details of the Law set for us, but this time, through the automatic set-up method of having accepting Jesus Christ into our heart.

Our conduct will fulfill the same principles of the Law, because Christ's new commandment, "love one another", is actually the same objective that the Law set. Love works no ill to his neighbour. Therefore love is the fulfilling of the Law.

Christ's Law of love is written in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, with the result that we now love God, and love our neighbour as ourself - in heart, in word, in deed.

God performed this operation in our heart.

Now we can walk in what James called, "The Royal Law".

By walking in love, the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in us.

So being in Christ does not mean that we now have a license to throw out the objective that the Law set for us, which was to walk in love. Instead, we find that living that objective is now a possibility. Now we can walk in love - not just in deed, but in heart.

Because God has given us a new heart through Christ, we now love to honour God, His house, His ministers, and the poor - with our finances.

You don't have to remind a man who loves his wife that there are laws against domestic violence. do you? Because the man loves his wife, he automatically behaves in keeping with any such laws.

Therefore, because God has poured out His love into our own hearts by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5), we now find that by our action and by our heart, we fulfill the same principles that Moses was trying to show us through the details of the Laws regarding tithing. The principles behind the Laws of tithing were to show us what it means practically to love God and your fellowman, with regard to our money.

In conclusion: Love God and your fellowman with your heart and with your money - and you will fulfill anything that the Law intended - and nothing less.

No comments:

Post a Comment