Teaching Them To Obey

Matthew 28:20a

For some, having someone teach them to obey doesn’t fit into their concept of new creation living by the Spirit. Yet, these
four words were among the last that Jesus spoke to the apostles of the Lamb prior to His ascension to the right hand of the
Father. These four words are incorporated in Jesus’ Great Commission to His called-out ones, His ecclesia. The infant
church in Jerusalem continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching. May you find this series helpful in your pursuit of your
place in the kingdom of God. – Don Atkin

A NEW CREATION AND FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Don Atkin
www.DonAtkin.com

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”1

It should go without saying that every benefactor of the cross, resurrection and Pentecost, should
take seriously financial responsibility. Others measure us by the lives we live, the fruit we bear.
Financial integrity is a significant part of our witness. Above all, we are to lay hold of the grace
for obedience and ask for the wisdom from above to address the areas in our lives yet needing to
be conformed to Father’s will.

The undergirding and overriding law of love discourages debt and provides patient guidance for
growing into financial rightness through graced disciplines.

Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the
law.

Love does no harm to a neighbor, therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.2

Let’s begin by examining some history, beginning with a few questions.

• “Why tithe?”
• “Ten percent is a lot of money!”
• “Does God still require the tithe?”
• “If so, what is its purpose, and where should it go?”
• “If not, what then?”

These are common questions deserving answers. While this is not an exhaustive study regarding
this controversial topic, we offer guidance and counsel herein that will help us to navigate these
waters.

Typically, many new creation saints have been delivered out of darkness, yet need His light shed
on topics such as this. Freed from bondage to the law, some have simply moved to independent

1
Matthew 6:21
2
Romans 13:8, 10

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lawlessness—many not realizing that this is wrong. Not legalistically tithing anymore, they have
abandoned any sense of responsibility for the ongoing support of the ministry—opting to be
moved by their emotions when confronted by human need—but no longer systematically giving
in the support of those who serve them. Such lack is neither undergirded by Scripture nor
inherent in the new creation.

Rightly dividing3 Scripture is vital to properly understanding what applies to whom, and how God
relates to His two creations. Much of what is written pertained to the first creation and provides
us with patterns and shadows that begin to reveal the will and purpose of God. The Old
Covenant offered specific commandments, principles and ordinances understandable to the
unredeemed and untransformed minds of natural men and women – born once, born of the flesh,
and (unless otherwise handicapped) capable of intelligible conclusions. However, it is the
lacking of ability to conform to God and His will that brings many to Jesus.

It was not until the end of His time with the twelve that Jesus opened their understanding, that
they might comprehend the (Old Testament) Scriptures.4 The four gospels record Jesus’ life with
the disciples during which He laid a foundational understanding of history with His first creation.
It was not until after the legal work of the crucifixion, burial, resurrection and ascension had
been accomplished that everything was in order for the outpouring of God’s Spirit on all flesh.5

Pentecost is the great divide between two creations—two kingdoms—the jurisdiction of flesh
and the jurisdiction of Spirit. Prior to Pentecost, Jesus was the only man alive who had been
fathered by God—a new creation. Following Pentecost those who receive the promised gift of
the Holy Spirit are born of the Spirit—a new creation, empowered from on high.

It is past time for us to find the mind of the Lord for consistent and committed giving. I was
awakened last night by these words: “Many new creation people are still operating under old
order systems.” Others have no system at all. We can begin to learn about our financial
responsibilities from the history of God’s working with the old creation. But, revelation and
application are works of the Spirit in His new creation people. Without Him we can do nothing
that affects His kingdom.

TITHING UNDER THE LAW

Much teaching regarding tithing centers largely upon Malachi 3:8-10:

"Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But, you say, 'In what way have we robbed
You?' In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this
whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house,
and try Me in this," says the Lord of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven
and pour out for you such a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. And I
will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,

3
2 Timothy 2:15
4
Luke 24:45
5
Joel 2:28; Acts 2:17

2
 nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field," says the Lord of hosts; "and all
nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land," says the Lord of hosts.

Notice the contrast between being cursed and being blessed. "If you do this, you will be cursed. If
you do that, you will be blessed!" Compare the language with other Old Covenant passages, such
as the 28th chapter of Deuteronomy.

This is obviously written to natural Israel, a people who were limited to their natural
understanding. They were under the law that was given to Moses. How much better it is to be
guided in truth and enabled for obedience by grace, through the indwelling Spirit!

THE PURPOSE OF TITHING UNDER THE LAW

To rightly understand this passage from Malachi, we need to see it in its context, realizing that it
is pointing backward into the Old Covenant, not forward into the New Covenant. We err when we
attempt to impose the law on believers.

However, there was a practical purpose for the tithe, which can be a pattern and example for us.

And in order that they might bring the first fruits of our ground and the first fruits of all the
fruit of every tree to the house of the Lord annually, and bring to the house of our God the
first-born of our sons and of our cattle, and the first-born of our herds and our flocks as it is
written in the law, for the priests who are ministering in the house of our God. We will also
bring the first of our dough, our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the new wine and the
oil to the priests at the chambers of the house of our God, and the tithe of our ground to the
Levites, for the Levites are they who receive the tithes in all the rural towns.

And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive tithes, and
the Levites shall bring up the tenth of the tithes to the house of God, to the chambers of the
storehouse. For the sons of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the contribution of the
grain, the new wine and the oil, to the chambers; there are the utensils of the sanctuary, the
priests who are ministering, the gatekeepers, and the singers. Thus, we will not neglect the
house of our God.6

The Levites received the tithes of the Israelites. The priest, a descendant of Aaron, received the
tithes of the Levites. This was how those who labored in the house of God were supported!

Tithes were not to perpetuate an institution, but to support the work of the ministry.

"And to the sons of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in
return for their service which they perform, the service of the tent of meeting . . . For the tithe
of the sons of Israel, which they offer as an offering to the Lord, I have given to the Levites for

6
Nehemiah 10:35-39

3
 an inheritance; therefore I have said concerning them, 'They shall have no inheritance
among the sons of Israel.'"7

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak thus to the Levites, and say to them: 'When you
take from the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them as your
inheritance, then you shall offer up a heave offering of it to the Lord, a tenth of the tithe . . .
and you shall give the Lord's heave offering from it to Aaron the priest.”8

Clearly, the purpose of the tithe under the law was to provide for God's servants, to support the
work of the ministry. This first fruits tithe was not for building and maintaining buildings. They
were built and maintained by the freewill offerings of the people.9 The tithe was intended to
support the work of the ministry!

WHAT ABOUT "BLESSING" AND "CURSING?"

We should not teach tithing from Malachi 3, leaving people with the understanding that they will
be cursed if they fail to tithe (or blessed if they do). We also must realize that the often-quoted
New Testament passage from Matthew 23:23 was also spoken by Jesus to Israelites who were
still under the law:

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and
cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith.
These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone."

With the death of Jesus Christ, His subsequent resurrection, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit
on the Day of Pentecost, the works of the law is no longer our message.

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.” But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall
live by faith.” Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.”
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”), that the blessing of Abraham might
come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit
through faith."10

We receive the blessing of Abraham through faith, not through tithing, not through keeping
any law. We receive the promise of the Spirit through faith, and the Spirit working in us helps us
to fulfill the law. Malachi points backward to the body of the law, which "was our tutor to bring
us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith."11

7
Numbers 18:21, 24
8
Numbers 18:25, 28
9
Exodus 25:2
10
Galatians 3:10-14
11
Galatians 3:24

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Those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. If we want a true model for tithing in
response to faith, we should look back to the very first recorded example:

Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Therefore, know
that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.12

Abraham had rescued Lot from enemy forces. As he was returning from victorious battle, he
brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother, Lot, and his goods, as well as the
women and the people.

Then Melchizedek, king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most
High. And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven
and earth; and blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”
And he gave him a tithe of all.13

Let's look closer:

1. No law, just a heart of faith.

2. Melchizedek blessed Abraham, and also served him the Covenant Meal.
3. Abraham responded by giving him a tithe of all.

Abraham points us to a new priesthood, a High Priest who is a Minister of the sanctuary and of
the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.14 God does not dwell in temples made
with hands.15 He has chosen to tabernacle among men.16 Abraham provides us with a model, an
example to follow. He tithed to one through whom he received the priestly blessing, the Word of
God, and the Covenant Meal (that is, the life of Christ).

FINDING TRUTH IN OUR DAY

There is not much written in the New Testament about these matters. How do we sort this out?
What was the practice of the early church? What shall we do? Let’s review.

1. Before the law, Abraham tithed to Melchizedek in response to his ministry to him.
2. Under the law, the children of Israel tithed to those who ministered to them.
3. The Levites, in turn, tithed to those who served them.
4. It is reasonable to believe that the Holy Spirit will guide believers to freely and joyfully
provide systematic support for those who serve them.

Paul (defending the support of apostolic ministry) wrote:

12
Galatians 3:6-7
13
Genesis 14:16, 18-20
14
Hebrews 8:2
15
Acts 17:24
16
Revelation 21:3

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 “Who goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit?
Or, who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock? If we have sown spiritual
things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things?"17

Writing about elders, he stated:

"Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor; especially those who labor
in the word and doctrine. For the Scripture says, 'You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads
the grain,' and, 'The laborer is worthy of his wages.'"18

He summarized the principle of supporting ministry:

"The hard-working farmer must be first to partake of the crops."19

IN CONCLUSION

We should not be pressured by legalism or manipulated by cleverly devised promises (even

those extracted from Old Covenant texts). Neither fear nor selfish appetites should motivate our
decisions
about giving.

We should beware of wolves in sheep's clothing, radical pleas for emergency needs, and seed
faith preachers who would encourage you to give to get.

We can expect the Holy Spirit to guide us in our stewardship in ways that are consistent with the
whole counsel of God.

Thankfully, we have received the Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth.20 And, the fruit of
our obedience will be motivated by love. Love is a four-letter word that summarizes the faithful
activities of the new creation. Ministry will be righteously supported, the poor will be cared
for, and our witness will be kept intact.

Now may He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed
you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in
everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God21

God will more fully release gifts of giving22 and marketplace wealth-builders23 in the midst of the
church once we get past these elementary principles and are being faithful with the little we
presently

17
1 Corinthians 9:7, 11
18
1 Timothy 5:17-18
19
2 Timothy 2:6
20
John 16:13-14
21
2 Corinthians 9:10-11
22
Romans 12:8
23
Deuteronomy 8:18

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steward. Some are advertising wealth transfer, seed faith opportunities, etc. However, they have
the cart before the horse and are appealing to the old creation. We must first be purged of carnal
competition and religious consumerism. We must first come together in Christ. We must first be
faithful over little,24 and focus our love gifts within our covenant communities.

The early church trusted their leaders and pooled their resources.25 While this was a unique
situation caused by the influx of many unemployed people from other places, it demonstrated
the instinctive nature of new creation people to meet the needs around them because of love.

Love is the common bond and motivating force of authentic new creation activity, including
meeting our responsibilities, as the Christ Spirit who is in us directs us. His fruit will inevitably
be the mark of His life in us. This is the way He wants us to live.

And now, friends, we ask you to honor those leaders who work so hard for you, who have been
given the responsibility of urging and guiding you along in your obedience. Overwhelm them
with appreciation and love!26

24
Luke 16:10-12
25
Acts 4:32-35
26
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13