Whenever the topic of biblical giving and tithing comes up, an immediate question usually follows: "Pastor Ras, isn't tithing strictly an Old Testament law? Aren't we under grace?"
Those are completely fair questions, and today, we are letting the Bible speak to them directly. In Matthew 23:23, Jesus confronted the religious leaders of His day. The Pharisees were so meticulously exact about the law that they literally tithed tiny seeds from their garden herbs, yet they entirely neglected the massive heart issues of justice, mercy, and faith.
Jesus told them they should not neglect tithing, but He made one thing very clear: He does not allow tithing to become a substitute for character. You can handle money perfectly and still have a spiritually cold, proud heart. When Jesus corrected their giving, He corrected the heart, not the practice.
So, if we are no longer under the Mosaic Law, what role does grace play in our generosity?
I unpack four truths about giving under the New Covenant:
Life Goes Deeper Than Law: When Jesus touched the law in the Sermon on the Mount, He didn't abolish it; He made it deeper. If honouring God with your first was right under the law, when did grace suddenly make it wrong? Grace never produces less surrender or less obedience.
Life Came Before the Law: Long before Moses ever received the law or built a tabernacle, Abraham gave a tenth to Melchizedek as an active response to God's blessing. The tenth did not start as a legal rule; it started as a response of gratitude.
Life Points Us to Jesus: We do not put our trust in a financial system; we put our trust in our Saviour, Jesus Christ, whose endless life holds our future. Giving is a partnership with God to support the work of the gospel through the local church.
Life Gives Itself First: The New Testament doesn't teach that God owns just 10% of you. It declares that Jesus is Lord over all of you! Like the Macedonian church, we are called to give ourselves first to the Lord (2 Corinthians 8:5).
"Law asks: 'What must I do?' Grace says: 'Look what Christ has done!' Religion asks: 'What is the minimum?' Love asks: 'Lord, how can I honour You?'"
Watch or Listen Now
Are you using grace as an excuse for stinginess, or are you allowing the cross to awaken a radical, cheerful generosity in your heart?
Click below to watch or listen to the full message from All Nations Community Church and discover how to transition from legalistic habits to a life of true surrender!
