Hotspots: Malachi 3:10 Part I

“Hotspots” is a new series on misapplied, mis-interpreted & sometimes horrendously abused Scripture, 'hope this series of devotionals brings some clarity & freedom to you as you walk w/ the Lord.

Malachi 3:10 is tied w/ Hebrews 10:25 as one of the most abused Scriptures, the religious mindsets regarding this verse are frightening… it's actually the most contentious & divisive topic I've encountered, each side is passionately adamant in their respective stance.

There's two verses of Scripture that stand out when talking about money:

Malachi 3:10

“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove me now in this says the Lord of hosts. If I will not open for the windows of heaven and pour out for you such a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it”

2 Corinthians 9:6-8

“But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or out of compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work”

Of course there's more: “give & it shall be given unto you...” but Malachi & 2 Corinthians are the two heavyweights knocking each other's brains out in the ring.

I did a Google+ search of both Malachi 3:10 & 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 & here were the results: 

• over 300+ posts on Malachi 
• only 20 on 2 Corinthians

Yep, you read that right. 

300+ posts on something law-based vs 20 posts on something  grace-based. It was a revelation of the mindset of most Christians in relation to money = they were more law-conscious than they were grace-conscious.

I've heard literally hundreds of sermons spouting, “Thank God we're under grace, not law!” yet they teach tithing or reluctantly teach grace-giving w/ “conditions” =  “oh yes, give from your heart… as long as it's at least 10%!”.

Once a condition has been placed on grace, it's no longer grace.

So we have two teams here: Team Tithe & Team Free.

Team Tithe:

• will a man rob God? Tithe!
• You are cursed if you don't tithe so tithe!
• The “storehouse” is now the local church & tithes support the priests/pastors so tithe!
• tithing was before the law so it's still in effect; Abraham, the father of our faith, tithed so tithe!

Team Free:

• Malachi wasn't written to the New Testament Church/New Covenant Believers who are under grace
• Jesus redeemed us from the curse [of the law], He is the end of the law to everyone who believes, we are joint heirs w/ Him & blessed w/ every spiritual blessing
• there is no levitical priesthood to support/we are all priests
• Abraham went to war, killed a bunch of people, took their stuff home & unloaded 10% of the spoils of war in the Church parking lot

Can you see the battle lines that have been drawn between “those who do” & “those who don't”? 

More on Part II