No, believers exercise freedom under grace and, as such, the church is no longer subject to the requirements of Old Testament Law. We give of our time and of our material provision by faith, cheerfully and generously, limited only by ability and/or desire. Even if a Christian wanted to tithe as directed by the prophet Malachi, they would be unable to for, among other things, the Temple no longer exists. And while some may try to draw comparisons of the Temple to a church building, that temporal similarity does not substantiate translating the tithe and offerings of Malachi into the New Testament church requirements.

Perhaps a more accurate question should be, “Is a Church administration acting under biblical principals in requiring a tithe of its members?” Many ministries in err appeal to Malachi 3:8-10 to support that requirement and to guilt its membership into compliance. The answer to this question is again “no”, they cannot require a tithe of its members and claim biblical support. However, a church administration does not violate biblical principals if it requests monetary gifts from those who benefit from its ministry. But let me be clear, tithing is not a means to gain mercy or favor from God. The teaching that God can be manipulated by our works is not supported by scripture, in fact, the Bible teaches against this false teaching.

 

“What happens to someone who professes Christ, goes to church for 30 years, serves in the church and does all sorts of good in the church and then decides they don’t believe anymore? Are they still saved?”

 

Short answer: No, scripture tells us that they were never saved to begin with and that their leaving was to show us that.

 

Long answer:

 

First, I think we need to be reminded that only the Holy Spirit can testify to the authentic faith of another believer. While we may judge the fruit of a professed believer, and correct them in love, we do not condemn unbelievers for they are condemned already as we once were.  If someone professes Christ, however, they should be held accountable to the truth as a brother or sister in the faith. If they choose to reject the Holy Spirit, then we are to treat them as an unbeliever, not condemning them, but leading them to the truth with gentleness and respect.

 

1 Tim. 3:2 “The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.”

 

Secondly, the apostle John addressed this very issue within the church in his first letter. At that time people who were in the fold had left the church in the face of persecution and to follow other teachings. “They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.” 1 John 2:19

 

Jesus explained how this happens in his parable of the seeds recorded in Luke.
“Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away. The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance. Luke 8:13-15 Jesus assured us that a true believer will hold fast to the end, bearing fruit with perseverance.

 

Christ, in speaking about salvation, says no one can snatch such a believer out of His hand. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” John 10:27-29

 

We know that someone who has been saved by grace through faith is eternally sealed with the Holy Spirit. And according to John, they have assurance that Christ will keep them till the resurrection. True believers recognize and obey the voice of the Savior, seek the Wisdom of the Father and their lives testify to the Truth that they claim. As we see in 1 John, people can “play Christian” and “do church” appearing to be one of us, but never really know the Savior and later deny Him. John tells us that their leaving is an indicator to us that they were never truly one of us. In addition, many may confess Christ with their lips, but deny Him with their lives. While the heart of others may be hidden from us, the heart is never hidden from God the Father.

 

Now you might be asking, “How do I know that I’m not just “doing church” and just don’t know it?” Hmmm, sounds like a topic for next time…

 

Chronological Reading Plan

Judges 11:29-15:20

  

Focus Verse:

Judges 14:4 “However, his father and mother did not know that it was of the Lord, for He was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.”

 

Observation:

Samson’s life is a narrative illustrating how our sovereign God uses the personality, education, and talents of someone to accomplish His will whether or not they are living righteously. Samson was consecrated to the Lord, but he certainly did not live as one consecrated. He was a boisterous, arrogant and vengeful. And, yet, God used his flawed personality and immoral behavior to bring about His purposes. That purpose was to begin a deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines. The translators seem to have taken liberty with this verse in asserting that it was God who was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines. But the masculine pronoun seems to be referring to Samson. From the previous sentence he made a request of his parents to get a daughter of Timnah for his bride because she was hot. Samson had no other standards obviously. The translators interpretation does not seem to make sense given the context. Also the pronoun translated “it” is feminine.

 

Interpretation:

Samson’s father and mother did not know that the daughter of the Philistines was from the Lord, for Samson was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines. At that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.

 

Application:

Samson’s parents ignorance of the workings of God exemplifies the consequences of the sustained disconnect between God and His people. When we disengage from fellowship with our God, we fail to correctly recognize His workings.  God used Samson’s desire and schemes to accomplish His purposes. Samson’s unrighteous desire illustrated Israel’s willingness to disregard God’s law, for marriage to Canaanite women was forbidden.  God’s sovereign will will be accomplished through us or in spite of us. Whether we choose to acknowledge His moral will determines whether we are blessed or cursed in the process.

 

 

Chronological Bible Reading Plan

April 3rd – Judges 9:22-11:28

 

Focus Verse:

10:14 Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen, let them deliver you in the time of your distress.

 

Observation:

God is faithful to His covenant. He patiently endured the adulteress nation of Israel and allowed her to destroy herself. And then, when they find themselves on the brink of total destruction, they turn to the One who delivered them out of Egypt. But God sees the hearts of the people. Their repentance does not penetrate their hearts; it is only an outward display to entice a Holy God. But they have forgotten His character. God is not fooled by their “cleverly” disguised sense of entitlement. They are treating Him as they do all of their other deities. They are trying to manipulate the Holy One of Israel into fulfilling their will.

 

Interpretation:

God is patient and forgiving, but He is also just. He will allow us to endure the painful consequences of our unwise choices, of our ungodly choices, and of our immoral choices–even to the point that He will allow a nation to destroy themselves.

 

Application:

We come to God on His terms, not ours. It is only a truly repentant heart that will find forgiveness and redemption. All others are allowed to destroy themselves. It will be a pity to witness the destruction of the United States due to her own refusal to bow the knee to the One who has granted her favor to rise as a world power. We may one day confess, “We have sinned, do to us whatever seems good to You; only please deliver us this day.” (10:13) But will our Creator find a nation with a repentant heart, or a nation of hearts encroached on their own sense of entitlement? I suspect He is already allowing us to “cry to the gods we have chosen.”  So there is no rescue in sight; we are at the mercy of our hallowed dollar–the god of our choosing.

 

Over the course of my walk with Christ, He has allowed me the privilege to serve Him in many avenues. My favorite would be discipling and ministering to His people and reaching out to unbelievers. But sometimes I get tired. I am not superhuman, I am not callus. I have suffered in life and in doing so have acquired an ability to share the pain of others.  Compassion can only be learned through suffering. And there is a lot of suffering out there.

As you know, the financial outlook for our country is bleak at best and has resonated through every household. Mine is not exempt. Four out of twelve couples from one of our neighborhood Bible study groups have lost employment since Christmas. The injustice of bailouts padding the pockets of fat bureaucrats and their fat friends is enough to make me want to just pack up and leave . . . and go . . . somewhere. As if there is anywhere on earth not plagued with injustice.

I get frustrated. And at the same time I know that I need to remain focused for those who depend on me.

I was reading Luke 9 this morning. Jesus had sent his apostles out on their first solo mission, spreading the gospel and healing the sick. The apostles returned to Jesus and reported their experiences, and Jesus listened. Then He took them aside to be alone with Him. They traveled across a lake to Bethsaida (house of fish or house of provision), the home town of Philip, Andrew and Peter. When they arrived at the other shore there was a crowd of people waiting for them.

Luke 9:10-11

“When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, ¹¹ but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.”

Mark 6:30-34 

“The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. ³¹ Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” ³² So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. ³³ But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. ³⁴ When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.”

Serving others is great. Listening, counseling, evangelizing, all these things are worthwhile and we should do them with joy. But don’t neglect time alone with the One who sent you. You have the power to serve and the authority to serve because He equiped you and authorized you. Sometimes it is necessary to disengage from service for a season, unplug and rest. It is not a sin to say no to busy-ness, in order to say yes to His invitation.

Is He inviting you to come with Him to a quiet place and rest? Don’t hesitate. Drop what you’re doing and climb in that boat with Jesus. Let Him minister to you. There will be plenty of work waiting for you on the other shore.

Heb. 4:16

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need”