Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: “Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they” (Acts 15:6-11).

Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, “You must be circumcised and keep the law” – to whom we gave no such commandment – it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well (Acts 15:24-29).

“So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. “ God makes no distinction between Gentile and Israelite. “ For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.”. Praise God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes (Romans 10:4). 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”) (Galatians 3:10-13).

And indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham (Hebrews 7:5). Jesus said to Peter, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?” Peter said to Him, “From strangers.” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free (Matthew 17:24-25). “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 (Malachi 3:8-9). Malachi spoke to the nation of Israel before the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord has come and died for our salvation. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone (Gentile and Israelite) who believes.

Has someone misled you concerning the love of the church and what was taught concerning curses? No one, I pray, comes against the teaching of giving – PRAISE GOD FOR IT, but the curse cannot be taught or our Lord’s death is made nothing. As a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ it is not possible for me to listen to teaching that makes His death void (takes away the grace He died for) and stay silent. The Son of God dwells in and the Spirit of God flows from and the truth is spoken. “And now, O priests, this commandment is for you. If you will not hear, and if you will not take it to heart, to give glory to My name,” says the LORD of hosts, “I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have cursed them already, because you do not take it to heart” (Malachi 2:1-2). Jesus took the priesthood away from the Levi.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). GOD LOVES YOU. The church (the people) loves you in Jesus name, when Christ dwells in the church and the church is the body of Christ. “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). PRAISE GOD (Father, Son and Holy Spirit)! So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7). Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness (Romans 12:6-8). God loves a cheerful giver – give mercy with cheerfulness!

Jesus said, “Show Me the tax money.” So they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:19-21). What is it that is in God’s image? Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness” (Geneses1:26). What is God’s inscription on? “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God” (Revelation 3:12). Jesus is saying for us to give ourself to God.

“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” (Matthew 23:23). Who was Jesus talking to and when, before or after the cross? Jesus was talking to Israelites (scribes and Pharisees) before He went to the cross. Even so it is written “‘the just shall live by faith.’ Yet the law is not of faith, but ‘the man who does them shall live by them.'” It is also written, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” The law is for the unjust (those that will not accept that Jesus died for them and is their Lord) and the unbelievers (those that will not believe in Jesus).

How much more would we be blessed if we gave purely out of love for the love God has given to us? If (when) you give ten percent from your heart, praise God. If you give ten percent to stay off a curse you deny that Jesus Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. Did Jesus go to the cross or not? YES! Was Jesus the Christ? YES! If you give ten percent because a man, that claims to have the authority to collect tithes, tells you to – you are letting another take your grace from you. No man, women or church has that authority. Paul defines grace giving in this way, “For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack – that there may be equality. As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack” (2 Corinthians 8:13-15).

The teaching of grace giving is with love. Has someone misled you concerning the love of the church and what was taught? God loves a cheerful giver and so do those that love God (the church). You give out of love because of God’s grace towards your life; OUT OF LOVE and not out of law! God blessed and blesses the giving from your heart. Give also mercy and do not take the grace from God’s people in their giving. It will always be the teaching of the ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that, God loves and gives grace. Do you want a “full gospel” church. The full gospel of Jesus Christ teaches and lives grace giving.

© 2004 Tim D. Coulter Sr.