Tithing and the Law and the Saint

TITHING Arthur Pink, in one of the sections in this book, summarizes what God expects from us regarding the tithe. From the section: “The Tithe In The New Testament”: “Only God has the right to say how much of our income shall be set aside and set apart unto Him. And He has so said clearly, repeatedly, in the Old Testament Scriptures [Malachi Chapter 3], and THERE IS NOTHING IN THE NEW TESTAMENT THAT INTRODUCES ANY CHANGE or that sets aside the teaching of the Old Testament on this important subject. Christ Himself has placed His approval and set His imprimatur upon the tithe. 'Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone' (Matt. 23:23). In that verse Christ is rebuking the scribes and Pharisees because of their hypocrisy. They had been very strict and punctilious in tithing the herbs, but on the other hand they had neglected the weightier matters such as judgment, or justice, and mercy. But while Christ acknowledged that the observance of justice and mercy is more important than tithing - it is a "weightier matter" -while, He says, these they ought to have done, nevertheless He says, these other ye ought not to have left undone. HE DOES NOT SET ASIDE THE TITHE. He places justice and mercy as being more weighty, but He places His authority upon the practice of tithing by saying, 'These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." It is well for us if we by the grace of God have not omitted justice and mercy and faith: it is well if by the grace of God those things have found a place in our midst: but the tithing ought not to have been left undone, and Christ Himself says so.” THE LAW AND THE SAINT There is a great deal of deception in the present Church world regarding The Law. A.W. Pink explains a great deal of the divine role of Law – and it's very different than the lawless interpretation of many of the current day “church” teachers. Even in Pink's day there was already a great amount of lawlessness and deception. Pink explains: “The term Antinomian signifies one who is against the Law. There is little need for us to pause and offer proof that this is an age of lawlessness. In every sphere of life the sad fact confronts us. In the well-nigh total absence of any real discipline in the majority of the churches, we see the principle exemplified. Not more than two generations ago, tens of thousands, of the loose-living members whose names are now retained on the membership rolls, would have been dis-fellowshipped. It is the same in the great majority of our homes. With comparatively rare exceptions, wives are no longer in subjection to their husbands (Eph. 5:22,24); and as for obeying them (1 Pet. 3:1,2,5,6), why, the majority of women demand that such a hateful word be stricken from the marriage ceremony. And what of conditions in the world? The abounding marital unfaithfulness, Sunday trading, banditry, and a dozen other things that might be mentioned, all bear witness to the frightful wave of lawlessness which is flowing over the country.”