The word "tithe" means a material offering a 10% (ten percent) of income or assets acquired. Contents: 1 Introduction 1.1 1.2 Christianity and Holy Spirit Offerings material. Examples of Old Testament tithing 1.2.1 1.2.2 2 New Testament of the Christian Attitude vis-à-vis the material things and tithes 2.1 God is pleased with such sacrifices 2.2 Share of assets devoted to the Christian charity, as an offering God willingly 2.2.1 2.2.2 2.2.3 Repurchase Liberally. For the glory of Christ. For love 2.2.4 The rate or amount is not determined. It does not require tithing 3 How do if there is no rule 3.1 The condition of the heart revealed by what data 3.2 Danger of Legalism 3. 3 Exercises heart to desire 1 Introduction 1.1 Christianity and Holy Spirit "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God and the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? "(1Cor 2: 16). The Spirit of God stands in the Christian. This distinguishes the presence of believers of all other periods of history that, in Christian language, also known as dispensations, those of the Old Testament in particular. If the Holy Spirit is free to act in the Christian, it gives him the strength to do the will of God with all his heart, without needing the touch of a command to force him to comply. However, we have seen in several areas, many Christians are placed under the obligation to obey lawful commands, whether from Jewish or dictated by superstition. Take the case of tithing and walk in this regard the Old Testament and New. 1.2 Offerings material. Examples of Old Testament tithing 1.2.1 The whole Word teaches us that if God provides all good (James 1:17), we have to acknowledge the gratitude of our heart, but also by concrete material offerings " Honor the Lord with your wealth and first fruits of all thine increase "(Prov. 3:9). In Genesis 14:20 Abraham gave the tithe of the spoils to Melchizedek is a picture of the Lord Jesus, King of righteousness and king of peace (Heb. 7: 1-2). He expresses that he recognizes the greatness of the person of Melchizedek. Later, Jacob made a deal with God (Gen. 28:20-22) pledging to give tithes of all he will receive a token of gratitude. And under the Act, which obligation rests among others, the Jewish people? He was ordered to pay the tithe of all his income (Lev. 27:30, 32): "Every tithe of the land ... is the LORD: it is holy. " Therefore, when neglecting to tithe his income was a transgression of the law, disregard for the rights of God that caused the curse. What you frustrate us? cried the people with insolence, addressing God responds: In tithes and offerings high. You are responsible and you curse me always frustrated, you, the whole nation (Malachi 3:8). Although tithing was not a meritorious act, but a simple obedience to the express will of God, it attached great blessing, which was above all material in accordance with the ways of God to his people Israel. "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse ... having me in this way, says the LORD of hosts, if I do not open the windows of heaven, and do not pay you out a blessing ... And all nations shall call you say blessed, because you will be a delightful land ... "(Malachi 3:9-12, see also Prov. 3:9-10). 1.2.2 What New Testament teaching New Testament gives he a Christian? It teaches us that under the old covenant, the law had the shadow of things to come, not their spiritual and heavenly reality (Heb. 8:5, 10:1). When Christ appeared, the mediator of a better covenant established upon better promises, the old covenant disappears (Heb. 8:6, 13). He himself is the blessing of God, he himself is our wealth. While sometimes God gives us material wealth, we must never forget that they are a gift from him not to satisfy our selfishness and megalomania to us who deserve nothing but to put them in the service our friends, ultimately God himself. Note that they are called "unrighteous mammon" in opposition to the true riches are spiritual; "what belongs to others, to God, as opposed to" what is yours "(Luke 16:9 -12). We are however not without blessing from him: Ephesians 1:3 tells us that "we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ." The true blessings are the specific part of the Christian are spiritual and heavenly, not hardware. Our stay on earth is temporary, whereas the Jews were destined to possess the land, but nevertheless, it is obvious that we need material things which the Lord can say, "Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things, but seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be over "(Matt. 6:33). Come among the Jews, the Lord has placed himself under the law and was fully accomplished. He taught tithing while insisting on more important things like God's love, mercy, trial and faithfulness (Matt. 11:23 p.m. ET Luke 11:42). But he spoke to the Jews, because at that time the Church was not yet born. In Matthew 16:18, he revealed to Peter that glorious truth: "I will build my church." In fact, the Church will arise during the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2). After his resurrection, the Lord says to Mary Magdalene: "Do not touch me, because I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God "(John 20:17), signifying him then that his are now entering a new relationship: the Jews they were previously, they become Christians, united in a heavenly Christ who has nothing to do with the law. Later, the apostle Paul writes to the Galatians who were in danger of returning to the Act: "Christ has placed us in liberating our freedom, stand fast therefore, and be not held again under a yoke of bondage (Gal.5: 1). We are thus freed from the yoke of bondage of the law. 2 Attitude of Christians vis-à-vis the material things and tithes 2.1 God is pleased with such sacrifices "therefore let us offer through him incessantly to God a sacrifice of praise, that is to say the result of lips that confess his name. But remember, charity, and share your goods, because God is pleased with such sacrifices "(Heb. 13:15-16). If the Christian is called to offer ever, through Jesus, spiritual sacrifices to God, it does not mean forgetting the charity or to share his material goods, because God Himself takes delight in such sacrifices. The believer who wants to use for himself only what he has certainly disobey the Word of God and deny God's pleasure that gives him a liberal. God is frustrated as the days of Malachi, if we do not take to heart the honor in the use of our property. Therefore, it is not that we ignore the material things, or that we just selfishly we serve. 2.2 Share of assets devoted to the Christian charity, as an offering to God willingly 2.2.1 "Let everyone do as he is proposed in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves who gives cheerfully "(2 Cor. 9:7). We must place ourselves before God: no external constraint whatsoever, no established law to determine the amount of our offering. It is a matter of the heart, a cheerful heart to give, only. According to 1 Corinthians 16: 1-2, the offering is collected when the Church is held each Sunday, each set "apart from him, accumulating as it has prospered." This does not exclude other forms of generosity and dedication to all men, as the apostle Paul exhorts the believers in Galatia: "As we have opportunity, do good to all but especially those in the household of faith "(Gal. 6: 10). 2.2.2 Liberalism "He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously" (2 Cor. 9: 6). In the New as the Old Testament a blessing attached to the donation. Nowhere is it stated whether material. Material wealth entrusted to him can bring Christian spiritual blessings, he places them in 'the bank of heaven' as we invite the Lord himself: "Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust did wrong and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart "(Matt. 6:20-21). 2.2.3 Selflessness. For the glory of Christ. By Jacob said to love the mysterious man who wrestled with him at the ford of Jabbok: "I will not let you go unless you bless me" (Gen. 32:26). He wanted God's blessing, proving that he appreciated what was from God. In a sense, we may well follow suit, but when it comes to share our possessions, give without expecting anything in return receive. David could bless the Lord: "Everything comes from you, and what comes from your hand, we give it to you" (1 Chron. 29:14). Such a state of mind leaves no room for the merits of man and all forms of action concerned. Matthew 6, the Lord repeatedly mentions the hypocrites whom he begins to blame their alms "before men, to be seen by them ... in the synagogues and in the streets", they sounded the trumpet before them "to be glorified by men. " They sought their own glory and not God. Rewards that are promised to the Christian should not be the motive for his actions. They encourage him and show him that the Lord "is not unjust to forget your labor of love" (Heb. 6:10). Our only goal is to be Christ's glory and not our satisfaction or expectation of reward. A spiritual Christian will be held from Christ and rejoice in honor of disappearing himself while a carnal Christian will always seek to assert themselves before men, even in his dedication and humility. The story of the poor widow who cast two mites to the treasury of the temple to put "out of her poverty, all she had, her whole livelihood" (Mark 12:41-44), shows how much the Lord appreciates our gifts not compared to their value, but compared to the mobile which leads us to them. We understand that the only motive he likes is a true love for him, a love that "does not seek its own interest" (1 Cor. 13:5). 2.2.4 The rate or amount is not determined. It does not require tithing "God is able to make all grace abound to you, to having always in all things all that is enough, you may abound to every good work ..." (2 Cor. 9:8), and we can count on him to incline the hearts to the gift. So no need to impose the amount that everyone is called to devote to charity. Acts 15:29 gives a short and specific list of what is called a Christian. Tithing is not there more than anywhere else in the New Testament. Nowadays, many drivers think they should require Christians tithe from their flocks as under Jewish law, for two main reasons: a) They do not see clearly the difference between the period of the Law given by Moses, and that of grace came by Jesus Christ. Yet this distinction is capital. The epistles to the Galatians and Hebrews, and that Acts 15 are key texts in this regard. b) They seek satisfaction in carnal legalism (see further on this subject). It raises the question: can I do this? do I do that? instead of asking what pleases the Lord? We want to know his duty to ensure that it once accomplished, we can look up and say: "I am a good Christian." Besides that can germinate in the heart of the Lord's humble bought a feeling of guilt for not being obedient and faithful to the Word of God. By a misapplication of biblical texts, is arrived to disturb deeply beloved children of God and make them lose their freedom and joy in the Lord. 3 How to do if there is no rule 3.1 The condition of the heart revealed by what you give So there is freedom, and thus the condition of the heart is manifest: if I give some of my major wealth, I reveal my selfishness in the eyes of God who sees all, if, however, I am sharing my wealth with all my heart and unostentatious as the hypocrites that the Lord denounces the beginning of Matthew 6, I show my love for him and his family. The charity must be an ongoing exercise and I can not say I've never given enough and I must continually ask the Lord what is His will in every case that I meet. So I'm happy to be kept to myself and I kept in dependence on the Lord. 3.2 Danger of Legalism Legalism is an extremely misleading, and, what makes him so dangerous is that he has a beautiful appearance of devotion and piety in the eyes of men. In fact, it keeps the heart of Christ and gives food to the poor "me." Also, do not believe that true holiness can grow on land law. Only where the thought of God is understood and implemented, there will be a happy increase in the inward man, transformation into the image of Him that we can face up to gaze at God's right hand . If, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we took all the fullness, grace always operate according to God and the good separation of evil much more real and complete that can not produce a legal mind as scrupulous as it is. 3.3 Exercises heart to wish Luke 14:33 teaches us that we have to renounce ourselves and everything we have to be true disciples of the Lord. 1 Timothy 6:17 shows us that even if we act in this spirit of manager to God for everything he tells us, the fact remains that God wants us to have us, that we enjoy things he confides. Then we will enjoy without putting our heart into making it is more blessed to give than receive (Acts 20:35). In fact, according to the New Testament, this is not the tithe (ten percent), but all (one hundred percent) of our assets and our income belongs to God (Luke 5:11; 21:4) . We even offer our bodies as living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1). So we must ask what he should do everything he tells us by