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3 ere are some C ristians and C ristian c rc es t at believe t at C ristian
members mst pay tit e w ile ot er C ristian s and some C ristian c rc es
also believe t at C ristians s old not be made to pay tit e.
WHA3 IS 3I3HE?
Malac i 3:8-9; ͚Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! ͞But you
ask, what do you mean? When did we even cheat you? You have cheated me of
the tithes and offerings due to me. 9~ You are under a curse, for your whole
nation has been cheating me.͛
Now to elp nderstand tit ing and its application to C ristians, t ere are
many points I will like to point ot .
3o begin, I will like to establis if tit ing was a command and t erefore part of
t e law given to t e Israelites by God t rog Moses.
Levitics 27:30-32 and 34; 30͛ One tenth of the produce of the land, whether
grain from the fields or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD and must be
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set apart to him as holy. 31͛ If you want to buy back the LORD͛s tenth of the
grain or fruit, you must pay its value, plus 20 percent. 32͛ Count off every tenth
animal from your herds and flocks and set them apart for the LORD as holy.
34͛ These are the commands that the LORD gave through Moses on Mount
Sinai for the Israelites.
Malac i 3:7-8; 7͛ Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my
decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to m and I will return to you,͟ says
the LORD of Heavens Armies. ͞But you ask, ͚ How can we return when we have
never gone away?͛
Now from t e above verses given, it is very clearly t at tit ing was part of t e
Law God gave to t e Israelites t rog Moses. So t erefore, tit ing was or is
part of t e Law.
It s old also be noted t at, offering as stated in Malac i 3:8 was mainly abot
t e offerings God commanded t e Israelites t rog Moses to offer to Him
God, and some of t ese offerings were, Grain offerings in Levitics 2, Peace
offering in Levitics 3, Sin offerings in Levitics 4, Gilt offerings in Levitics 5
and many ot ers. 3 ese offerings were all part of t e instrctions God gave to
t e Israelites t rog Moses.
Galatians 3:24-26; 24͛ Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian
until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God
through faith. 25͛ And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need
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the law as our guardian. 26͛ For you are all children of God through faith in
Christ Jesus.
Galatians 5: 1 and 13; 1͛ So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that
you stay free, and don͛t get tied up again in slavery to the law.
13͛ For you have been called to live in freedom , my brothers and sisters. But
don͛t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom
to serve one another in love.
Galatians 3: 2 and 10; 2͛ Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the
Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit
because you believed the message you heard about Christ.
10͛ But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under
his curse, for the scriptures say, ͞ Cursed is everyone who does not obey all the
commands that are written in God͛s Book of the Law.͟
Now abot t ose fellow C ristians w o believe t at every C ristian mst pay
tit e as a mandate or as a command by God t rog Moses, t e qestion is,
do t ese fellow C ristians obey t e ot er commands of t e law?, like t e
command of t e Sabbat day, t e Passover and t e ot ers in t e God͛s Book
of t e Law given to t e Israelites t rog Moses. If not, t en t ey s old rea d
Galatians 3:10 again.
Again, some w o believe t at every C ristian mst tit e, will say, concerning
t e above t at, ͞Bt C rist as resced s from t e crse prononced by t e
law. As in Galatians 3:13; But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced
by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for
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our wrong doing. For it is written in the Scriptures, ͞Cursed is everyone who is
hung on a tree.͟
I will like to point ot t at, every command and instrctions in t e Gods Book
of t e Law given to t e Israelites t rog Moses, did come wit a crse, as can
be seen in *eteronomy 29:12, 14-15, 24-25; 12͛You are standing here today
to enter into the covenant of the LORD your God. The LORD is making this
covenant, including the curses.
14͛ But you are not the only ones with whom I am making this covenant with its
curses.15͛ I am making this covenant with you who stand here today in the
presence of the LORD our God, and also with the future generations who are
not standing here today.
24͛ And all the surrounding nations will ask, why has the LORD done this to this
land? Why was he so angry? 25͛ And the answer will be, ͚This happened
because the people of the land abandoned the coven ant that the LORD, the
God of their ancestors, made with them when he brought them out of the land
of Egypt.
Also, even if yo believe C ristians mst pay tit e and as a C ristian yo do pay
tit e wit ot missing yor payment, bt fail to observe t e ot er commands
and instrctions of t e law, yo are crsed as well as stated in Galatians 3:10
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Now, abot Abra am and Jacob, giving a tit e. Abot Abra am, Genesis 14:17 -
20 (note t at at t is time Abra am was named as Abram).
17͛ After Abram returned from his victory over Kedorlaomer and all his allies,
the King of Shaveh (that is, the King͛s valley).
18͛ And Melchizedek, the king of Salem and priest of God Most High, brought
Abram some bread and wine. 19͛ Melchizedek blessed Abram with this
blessing: ͞Blessed be Abram by God Most High, creator of heaven and earth.
20͛ And blessed be God Most High, who has defeated your enemies for you.͟
Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all goods he had recovered.
3 og Abram was very ric and blessed by God, given of a tent was not
somet ing e did mont ly or yearly, bt t e only instance e did t is (given of
a tent ) was after t e war and it is important to note t at e did it ot of fait ,
to s ow appreciation. No one did ask Abram to give a tent of w at e
recovered bt e did it ot of is own and is fait in God.
Abram was someone w o was fll of fait . Genesis 15:6; And Abram believed
the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith.
Galatians 3:5-7; 5͛ I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work
miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you
believe the message you heard about Christ. 6͛ In the same way, ͞Abraham
believed God and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.͟ 7͛ The
real children of Abraham, then are those who put their faith in God.
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Galatians 2:21; I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping
the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.
Now, giving by fait is w at P al teac es in 2 nd Corint ians 8 & 9. For instance
2nd Corint ians 9:7; You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And
don͛t give reluctantly or in response to pressure, ͞For God loves a person who
gives cheerfully.͟
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God as given s t e freedom as in Galatians 5:1 & 13; (qoted somew ere
above) to be able to decide i n or earts ow mc to give w en we decide to
give as stated in 2 nd Corint ians 9:7; also stated above.
Genesis 28:20-22; 20͛ Then Jacob made this vow. ͞If God will indeed be with
me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and
clothing, 21͛ and if I return safely to my father͛s home, then th e LORD will
certainly be my God. 22͛ And this memorial pillar I have set up w ill become a
place of worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he
gives me.͟
It s old also be noted t at, before Jacob made t is vow, God ad already
promised im and God did not make t is promise by demanding a tent of
everyt ing Jacob͛s get on is jorney.
Genesis 28:13-14; 13͛ At the top of the stairway stood the LORD, and he said, ͞I
am the LORD, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your
father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you
and your descendants. 14͛ Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of
the earth! They will spread out in all directions - to the west and the east, to the
north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through
you and your descendants.
Jacob was blessed becase of t e covenant God ad made wit Abra am.
(Genesis 28:1-4). -o can read t is to confirm.
gives im. Also as stated already, e made t is vow on is own and mainly
becase e wanted somet ing from God and e decided to c oose a tent ,
and it was between im alone and God. Becase of Jacob͛s vow does not mean
I s old or a C ristian s old ave t e same vow wit God.
Now different people also do make vows to God and t ey do c oose for
t emselves w at t ey will give in retrn to God if God s old answer t eir
reqest.
Jdges 11:30-31,34-35; 30͛ And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD. He said, ͞If
you give me victory over the Ammonites , 31͛ I will give to the LORD whatever
comes out of my house to meet me when I return in triumph. I will sacrifice it as
a burnt offering.͟
34͛ When Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, his daughter came out to meet
him, playing on a tambourine and dancing for joy. She was his one and only
child; he had no other sons or daughters. 35͛ When he saw her, he tore his
clothes in anguish. ͞Oh, my daughter!͟ he cried out. ͞You have completely
destroyed me! You͛ve brought disaster on me! For I have made a vow to the
LORD, and I cannot take it back.͟
Also, 1st Samel 1:10-11; 10͛ Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she
prayed to the LORD. 11͛ And she made this vow: ͞ O LORD of Heaven͛s Armies,
if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I
will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign
that he has been dedicated to the LORD, his hair will never be cut.͟
So as can be seen from t e Bible, different people do make different vows. Jst
becase Jacob made a vow to give a tent does not mean C ristians s old be
made to tit e as a mandate.
Now abot t e prpose of tit ing as a command and t erefore part of t e law
God gave t e Israelites t rog Moses.
God gave t e command of tit ing to t e Israeli tes to serve a specific need or
needs as wit all t e commands and instrctions of t e law God gave t em, for
instance t e Sabbat day.
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3 e prpose of tit ing is made clear in *eteronomy 14:28 -29; 28͛ After the
end of every third year, bring the entire ti the of that year͛s harvest and store it
in the nearest town. 29͛ Give it to the Levites, who will receive no allotment of
land among you, as well as to the foreigners living among you, the orphans,
and the widows in your towns, so they can eat and be satis fied. Then the LORD
your God will bless you in all your work.
Nmbers 18:24; because I have given them the Israelites tithes, which have
been presented as sacred offerings to the LORD. This will be the Levites share.
That is why I said they would receive no allotment of land among the
Israelites.͟
*eteronomy 26:12; ͞Every third year you must offer a special tithe of your
crops. In this year of the special tithe you must give your tithes to the Levites,
foreigners, orphans, and widows, so that they will hav e enough to eat in your
towns.
As I ave already made known, it is not a mandate for a C ristian to pay tit e
bt by fait we decide wit in or earts ow mc we want to give.
As C ristians or main call is to love one anot er and t erefore to take care of
t e needy and t e poor.
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2nd Corint ians 9:7; You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And
don͛t give reluctantly or in response to pressure, ͞For God loves a person who
gives cheerfully.͟
Pal do rge C ristians to give bt not nder pressre or relctantly. So giving
is somet ing important for a C ristian to do, no matter ow mc more or less
one ave, bt mst do t at on one͛s own by fait bt not becase of any
command.
Pal also makes it clear to s C ristians t at, t og we decide on or own
ow mc to give, w en we actally gives more , t e more blessings we get
from God and w en we give less t e less blessings we do get from God as well.
I mst state t at t e more or less ere is not in terms of t e amont one gives,
bt t e proportion one gives ot of w at one as.
3o spport t e above wit t e Bible; 2 nd Corint ians 8:11; Now you should
finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be
matched now by your giving. Give in proportion to what you have.
2nd Corint ians 9:6; Remember this-a farmer who plants only a few seeds will
get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.
Lke 21:1-4: 1͛ While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people
dropping their gifts in the collection box. 2͛ Then a poor widow came by and
dropped in two small coins.
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3͛ I tell you the truth, ͞Jesus said, ͞This poor widow has given more than all the
rest of them. 4͛ For they have given a tiny part of their surplus but she, poor as
she is, has given everything she has.͟
C ristians as can be seen from t e above verses, are encoraged to give and
give in proportion to w at we ave and t e more we give t e more blessi ngs
we will get.
So if C ristians can be made to nderstand t is, C ristians will give by fait and
t eir giving will take care of t e needs of Pastors or Priests, orp ans, widows,
foreigners (refgees, asylm seekers, etc) and ot ers w o are in need as w ell
as t e poor.
3it ing s old not be a mandatory for C ristians or c rc es s old not ask
t eir members to pay tit e. It s old be left wit t e members ow mc t ey
want to give, eit er above 10% or below 10% of t eir fortne (t s, based on
all t ey ave). Reading 2 nd Corint ians 9: 7 again can elp for a better
nderstanding.
Pal again gives or s are more emp asis on giving as C ristians to elp t e
needy and t e poor bt at t e same tim e, deciding ow mc to give wit in
one͛s eart and not by nder any command.
2nd Corint ians 8:7-8; 7͛ Since you excel in so many ways-in your faith, your
gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us -I
want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving. 8͛ I am not commanding
you to do this. But I am testing how generous your love is by comparing it with
the eagerness of the other churches.
1st Corint ians 16:2; On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a
portion of the money you have earned. Don͛t wait until I get there and then try
to collect it all at once.
From 2 nd Corint ians 8:7-8, again, Pal makes it clear t at it is not a command
or a mandate to give, bt wit love, one s old give to t e needy, t s
deciding in yor eart by fait , ow mc yo want to give. Also in 1 st
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Corint ians 16:2; Pal again makes an interesting statement w ic is, ͞Pt
aside a portion of t e money yo ave earned.͟ -o note t at Pal sed t e
word a portion and not the portion. ͞A portion͟ means, w atever or any
amont or any portion eac decides to pt aside every week, t erefore it does
not mean any specific portion like say 10% or 5%. If Pal ad sed t e words,
͞3 e portion͟, t en t at wold ave meant, e was talking abot a specific
portion or amont or percentage, bt e said ͞a portion͟.
For instance, in t e Bible it clearly state s t at, Jess C rist is ͞The Way͟. 3 is
means t at Jess C rist is t e only way and t erefore t e only specific way
t rog to t e Fat er. If t e Bible as said t e LOR* Jess C rist is ͞A Way͟,
t is wold ave meant, t ere are many ot er ways and t e LOR* Jess C rist
is jst one of t e many ways.
Anot er point to note abot people being rged to tit e is abot t e blessings
and t e crses in Malac i 3.
Now abot t e blessings in Malac i 3, 3 s Malac i 3:9 -10; 9͛ You are under a
curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. 10͛ Bring all the tithes into
the storehouse so there will be enough food in my T emple. If you do,͟ says the
LORD of Heaven͛s Armies, ͞I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will
poor out a blessing so great you won͛t have enough room to take it in! Try it!
Put me to the test!
Now concerning t is blessing in Malac i 3:10 ; as yo read 2nd Corint ians 9,
yo will come across t is same blessing as mentioned in Malac i 3:10; sing
different words bt t e same meaning, and t is blessing in 2 nd Corint ians 9 is
for everyone t at gives and gives by fait , by deciding in one͛s e art ow mc
to give and giving generosly.
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Now let see w at is in 2 nd Corint ians 9:7-8, 11; 7͛ You must each decide in
your heart how much to give. And don͛t give reluctantly or in response to
pressure, ͞For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.͟ 8͛An d God will
generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you
need and plenty left over to share with others.
11͛ Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous.
And when we take your gifts to those who need then, they will thank God.
Malac i talks abot, ͞..........I will por ot a blessing so great yo won͛t ave
enog room to take it in.͟ 3 is means, t e blessing t ey will receive from God
will meet t eir needs and over w at t ey need and can͛t contain, t erefore
plenty being left over.
Now if yo come to 2nd Corint ians 9:8; t e same t ing is said ere,
͞.............3 en yo will always ave everyt ing yo need and plenty left over to
s are wit ot ers.͟ Here also t e se of ͞plenty left over͟ cold also mean,
being blessed by God and aving more t an yo need and t erefore not aving
enog room to take it in, as in Malac i 3:10.
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are set free from t e law t erefore we give by fait and t rog t at we are
blessed.
So now if yo want blessing from God t at will meet yor needs and plenty left
over and t erefore yo will not ave enog room to take it in, as a C ristian, I
believe yo know w at to do.
Bt reading Lke 11:42 and t e Bible in general, by t e grace of God w o gives
nderstanding to His WOR*, t ere is far more to t is statement in Lke 11:42;
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3 e first t ing to note is t at, Jess C rist was talking to t e P arisees and
t ese people were practitioners of t e law of Moses and nder t e law of
Moses, tit ing was w at was sed to take care of t e Levites, foreigners,
orp ans and widows, t at was w y Jess said yes, becase t e needs of t ese
people mentioned above needed to be taken care of.
Also, it s old be noted t at, dring t e life of Jess C rist, t e Law of Moses
was still being practised, inclding 3it ing, t e Sabbat day, t e Passover and
t e rest. So as C rist did not tell t e P arisees to stop t e Passover
ceremonies, observation of t e Sabbat day, w i c was all part of t e law,
t s it mean as C ristians, we s old practise t e Passover ceremonies and t e
rest?
͞.........-o s old tit e, yes, bt do not neglect the more important things.͟
3 e LOR* did not even say, ͚Important t ings, bt He said, ͞More important
t ings.͟
We s old note t e words ͞more important t ings͟ w ic Jess C rist did se.
In ot er words, t e LOR* was telling t e P arisees t at, tit ing (as part of t e
law and for t at matter all t e law) were not important or better still, were less
important and t erefore t e more important t ings were jstice and love.
C rist said t is becase He knew t at very soon t e Law of Moses was going to
come to an end as t e gide for God͛s c ildren and t at after His deat and
resrrection we will be free from t e law. 3 erefore He was telling t e
P arisees t at somet ing (t s, tit ing w ic was part of t e law) t at were no
longer going to be t e gide for God͛s c ildren was not t at importa nt bt
rat er t ey s old old on to t e more important t ings w ic were jstice
and love and t ese were going to be or new commandment from C rist and
t erefore or new gide as God c ildren. 3 at is w y I believe Jess C rist
sed t e words, ͞t e more important t ings.͟
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21͛ Jesus replied, ͞Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no
longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in
Jerusalem.
2nd C ronicles 6:6; But now I have chosen Jerusalem as the place for my name
to be honoured, and I have chosen David to be king over my people Israel.
W en t e woman asked Jess C rist abot t e rig t place of wors ip, t og
God͛s instrction to t e Israelites was for t em to wors ip or onor God at
t e designated place in Jersalem, Jess said,...... ͞t e time is coming w en it
will no longer matter, w et er yo wors ip t e Fat er on t is montain or in
Jersalem.͟
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3 ank God t is time as come and we no longer ave only one plac e of
wors ip and t at we can wors ip God at anyw ere and at anytime. In t e
same way, we no longer ave to practise t e command of tit ing (w ic comes
wit it blessing and crse) w ic is part of t e law, bt we give according to
w at we decides in or earts to give and as we give and give generosly
nder no pressre or command, we are blessed by t e LOR*.
16͛ ͞Until John the Baptist, the law of Moses and the messages of the prophets
were your guides. But now the Good News of the Kingdom of God is preached,
and everyone is eager to get in. 17͛ But that doesn͛t mean that the law has lost
its force. It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than the smallest point
of God͛s law to be overturned.
From Lke 16:16-17 above, Jess C rist makes somet ing clear ere, t at t e
law of Moses and t e messages of t e prop ets (For instance t e one in
Malac i 3) were or gides ntil Jo n t e Baptist came. 3 at is as Jo n t e
Baptist came, it did signal t e coming of t e Messia , becase Jo n t e Baptist
came prposely to prepare t e way for t e Messia and t e Messia came
prposely to set s free from t e law, t erefore it meant as Jo n t e Baptist
came, it meant t e Messia was coming and as t e Messia was coming, it
meant t e end of t e law of Moses and t e messages of t e prop ets being
or gides.
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Now t ese fellow C ristians point t ey normally draw from Lke 16:17; above
is t at, Jess made it clear t at even t e smallest point of God͛s law cannot be
overtrned and t at t e law and for t at matter, t e law of tit ing is still in
force.
Now to explain Lke 16:16-17 frt er. As we read Lke 16:17; I believe Jess
message or t e meaning of it as He was speaking wit t em was t at t e law
still do carry t e blessings or benefits and its crses or pnis ments t at comes
wit every command in t e law, t erefore t e law as not lost its force. In
ot er words Jess was telling t em t at t e law as not lost its power, t s t e
blessings or benefits and crses or pnis ments t at made t e law necessary
to observe. He was saying to t em, for instance, tit ing w ic is part of t e law
of Moses, as still not lost it force of blessing w en one obeys it and a crse
w en one fail to observe and obey it.
Concerning t e isse of every part of t e law comes wit a crse, yo go back
to t e notes and re-read *eteronomy 29:12, 14-15, 24-25.
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Still abot Lke 16:17, Jess said, ͞It is easier for eaven and eart to
disappear t an for t e smallest point to be overtrned.͟
Again I believe Jess C rist point or me ssage was t at, no part or point of t e
law or t e messages of t e Prop ets can be c anged or taken off. For instance,
wit tit ing, it comes wit a blessing and a crse, t erefore no point of it can
be c anged or taken off or overtrned, t erefore, wit t it ing, t e crsing part
of it cannot be ignored or taken off or overtrned. It stays like t at forever. It
also means t at all points or commands in t e law as well as all t e messages
of t e Prop ets are t ere or were given for a prpose and t erefore, none of
t e commands can be ignored or c anged or overtrned at t e expense of t e
ot er commands as Jess said even t e smallest point cannot be overtrned,
t erefore meaning all t e points (all t e commands) are important and one
cannot obey some and ignore some, t s if one decides to obey t e law. Again
reading Galatians 3:10; will elp clarify t e last point made.
Now it s old be noted t at, despite t e law as not lost its force and also not
even t e smallest point of it can be overtrned as said by J ess, Jess made it
clear in Lke 16:16; Until Jo n t e Baptist came, t e law and t e messages of
t e Prop ets were or gides (t s, t ose w o believe in Him). 3 erefore,
t og t e law as power and t e smallest point of it cannot be overtrned,
t at power or force does not apply to t ose w o do not live by t e law or any
part of t e law for t at matter.
Romans 4:15; For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey
it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!)
For example, part of t e law w ic is tit ing, comes wit a blessing and a crse
as its pnis ment, as I ave already explained, t erefore to overcome t e
pnis ment (crse) t at comes wit tit ing, one do not ave to observe or
practise t e law of tit ing. It s old also be noted t at becase one cannot
c oose to obey some of t e commands of t e law and ignore some, becase if
one does t at, one will be nder a crse for not obeying all t e commands of
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t e law, as it is made clear in Galatians 3:10. 3 erefore one can pay is/ er
tit es always and on time and may not miss a payment, bt if t at person do
not observe all t e ot er commands in t e law as well, t e person will still be
nder a crse. 3 erefore to get oneself from all t ese pnis ments, one does
not ave to obey t e law w ic incldes tit ing.
3 erefore w ile will yo like to be nder a crse by practising jst part of t e
law (tit ing) w en yo can be free from any crse or pnis ment by not
practising any part of t e law at all. If it is blessing t at comes wit tit ing we
are looking for w ic as stated in Malac i 3, t en w y not practise giving by
fait (decide in yor eart, ow mc to give and give generosly) as in 2 nd
Corint ians 9:6-7; and get t is same blessing in Malac i 3:10, w ic is stated in
2nd Corint ians 9:8 & 11 and w ic does not comes wit any crse.
I will explain t is frt er later on, wit Mat ew 5:17-18; in t e Bible and t is
will give more nderstanding to w at I ave been talking abot so far.
Before I come to Mat ew 5:17-18; I will like talk abot Malac i 3: 10 again.
Malac i 3:10; ͞...........DPut me to the test!
Now abot t e word, ͞test͟. 3o test someone abot somet ing means, t ere is
dobt abot t e person yo are trying to test concerning w atever yo may be
testing t e person for. 3 erefore yo test to find ot if t at person is capable
of passing w atever yo are trying to find ot from t e m. For example, *riving
3est.
Now to find ot w y t is words ͞Pt me to t e testD͟ or ͞3est me and see͟ was
sed in Malac i 3:10;
Now a C ristian w o prays, sings, wors ip and says all t e time t at, God is
great, God is all powerfl, God is t e covenant keeping God and all t e ot er
great words to glorify God, t en trn arond to say, I want to test yo God or
say am testing yo God wit my tit es, jst becase it is in Malac i 3.
Now we can learn from Jess C rist, w o was wit God, came from God, knew
God very well and t erefore believed totally in God, and w at He teac es s as
His tre followers abot testing of God.
Mat ew 4:5-7; 5͛Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the
highest point of the Temple, 6͛ and said, ͞If you are the Son of God, jump off!
For the Scriptures say,
͚He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their
hands so you won͛t even hurt your foot on a stone.͛
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P a g e
7͛ Jesus responded, ͞The Scriptures also say, You must not test the LORD your
God.͟
Now Jess imself w o is t e Son of God and comes from God and t erefore
believes in God, tells s t at, ͞-o mst not test t e LOR* yor God.͟
So next time someone s old ask yo to test God wit yor tit es, jst know
t is as a tre believer and follower of Jess C rist, ͞-o mst not test t e
LOR* yor God.
Now to come to an interesting point and t is may be t e last, bt not t e leastD
I will like to qote Lke 16:16-17; Galatians 5:1 again w ic will elp in
nderstanding t e point am abot to make.
Lke 16:16-17; 16͛ ͞Until John the Baptist, the law of Moses and the messages
of the prophets were your guides. But now the Good News of the King dom of
God is preached, and everyone is eager to get in. 17͛ But that doesn͛t mean
that the law has lost its force. It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear
than for the smallest point of God͛s law to be overturned.
Galatians 5:1; So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free,
and don͛t get tied up again in slavery to the law.
Now t e Bible says, 3 e law as not lost it force and also, even t e smallest
point of t e law can͛t be overtrned, as in Lke 16:17, bt at t e same time,
t e same Bible says in Lke 16:16 t at, t e law is no longer yor gides and
also in Galatians 5:1, It says we are set free from t e law by C rist. 3 og I
ave tried to explain t e above verses already, to get a deeper nderstanding, I
will like to qote Mat ew 5:17-18; and explained frt er.
Mat ew 5:17-18; 17͛ ͞Don͛t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to
abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to
accomplish their purpose. 18͛ I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth
disappear, not even the smallest detail of God͛s law will disappear until its
purpose is achieved.
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P a g e
Now w at does t is mean, and also t e qestion is, did Jess C rist flfilled or
accomplis ed t e law of Moses and t e writings of t e prop ets?
C rist did t is by obeying God totally and t erefore not sinning and also by t e
ltimate sacrifice He made on t e cross.
Now yo and me as also flfilled t e law of Moses (of w ic tit ing is part)
and t e writings of t e prop ets, by or fait in C rist. 3 s as C rist lives in s
and we live in Him, as He as flfilled or accomplis ed t e law of Moses and
t e writings of t e prop ets, we also ave.
From t e above C rist was saying not even t e smallest detail of God͛s law will
disappear UN3IL I3 IS ACHIEVE* (meaning ntil it is flfilled or accomplis ed).
3 ank God C rist as ac ieved all t at or flfilled all t at on or be alf and
t erefore we are free indeed from t e law (of w ic tit ing is part) and t e
writings of t e prop ets.
So ow can yo say yo ave accomplis ed or flfilled t e law of Moses and
t e writings of t e prop ets (becase C rist is in yo and yo in Him,) and still
try to be rig t wit God in trying to practice or obey t e command of tit ing
w ic was part of t e law. Again reading Galatians 3:10 may elp.
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å P a g e
3 ere is t is song we do sing most times as C ristians, and t e song goes like;
͞He Paid t e debt He did not owe, I owe t e debt I cold not pay.͟
3 e Good News is t at He as paid or debt, be it, 3it ing, Offerings of first
frits of everyt ing we ave, Sin offerings, Peace offerings, t e Passover
ceremonies, etc.
Jo n 13:31,34-35; 31͛ As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, ͞The time has
come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified
because of him.
34͛ So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I
have loved you, you should love e ach other. 35͛ Your love for one another will
prove to the world that you are my disciples.͟
So now we know we are free from t e law of Moses (of w ic tit ing is part)
and t e writings of t e prop ets and we now ave a new commandment.
I know t ere are a lot of really good C ristian c rc es t at teac es t at t eir
members s old pay tit es as it is a reqirement from God.
I will t erefore ask t at every C ristian s old try reading t eir Bibles as often
as possible, bt most importantly do ask for t e Holy Spirit to grant yo
nderstanding as yo seek His Word w ic is Life.
Note: All t e Bible qotes was from t e, New Living 3ranslation (Holy Bible)
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