Thursday, September 10, 2026
“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word” (Psalm 119:9 KJV).
If our physical posterity could augment its spiritual dexterity, exactly what would that entail?
The Law of Moses has three 10% tithes. Such giving was compulsory, obligatory, mandatory—just like stipulated taxes paid to government now (Romans 13:1-7). However, when our Apostle Paul writes to us the Church the Body of Christ, he makes it so clear that “ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14,15; cf. Galatians 5:18). Above all, we do not appeal to Moses for Christian living because Moses is Judaism! Furthermore, there is not a single command in Romans through Philemon to give a specific amount to God’s ministry (whether 10%, 20%, 30%, 50%, or 100%). The Holy Spirit through Paul devoted three whole chapters on giving under grace—2 Corinthians chapters 8–10. We read in 2 Corinthians 9:6,7: “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”
Under grace, it is not “make him give,” but “let him give.” Plus, the amount is what the man “purposeth in his heart;” it is not what the preacher or denomination requires him to give, but what he wants to give as the Word of God’s Grace works in his heart. This giving under grace is “not grudgingly” (it is not given with grief/complaint or reluctance/unwillingness); tithing was the exact opposite, as it could involve hesitancy. Moreover, giving under grace is “not… of necessity” (it is not giving that is forced or demanded); tithing was the exact opposite, as it was binding. Giving under grace pertains to God loving a “cheerful giver,” one who is merry or happy (by the way, “cheerful” in Greek is “hilaros,” “hilariously”—the whole heart is in it!). These are just a few examples of how tithing under Law and giving under Grace are mutually exclusive. They are not the same, and cannot be confounded or combined. Let us look even closer at their differences….
NOTE: In order to bring you a special study tomorrow, we will temporarily break away from this devotionals arc….
333 Words of Grace 