TITHING
AND THE REMNANT BRIDE
CONT. page 2
FAITH
We
know that faith moves Yahweh, and as we discuss tithing, we need to consider
this important matter in light of true faith. Let us begin by looking at the
life of Abraham, the father of faith.
Five
times Yahweh came to Abraham to tell him that he would be the father of a host
of offspring. Why did He do this five times? Wasn't this simply duplication?
The answer has to do with the trinity of faith.
James
2:14f makes it very clear that faith is not just believing. As with both God
and man, faith is likewise a trinity. The trinity of faith is:
Hearing, believing, and acting.
Faith
without all three parts is not faith at all. For example, a common problem in
the "faith movement" is that they teach believing and acting. This is
not faith; this is presumption, for they have left out a critical part of faith
– first hearing from God.
Once
one hears, then they must also believe. Hearing from Yahweh God and not believing
creates a breach in faith, upon which the third important step is never birthed
– acting.
Because of this breach, the child of promise dies in the womb. And faith that
has hearing and believing, yet does not lead to action, is equally
“dead” or “useless!” James 2 tells us:
17
Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
20
But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith
without works is useless?
Five
times Yahweh told Abraham that He would bless him with many offspring –
Genesis 12:1-3, 13:14-18, 15:1-6, 17:1-7, and 22:15-19. Abraham heard from Yahweh. And it was in the
middle of these that that great passage quoted by Paul and James was stated
– "Then he (Abram) believed in Yahweh, and He reckoned it to him as
righteousness" (15:6). Likewise, the central part of faith is believing.
But
even with believing, Yahweh still tested Abraham’s faith by His final two
promises. It was not until Abraham in the end obeyed and placed Isaac on the
altar that Yahweh concluded with finality – "because you have done
this thing," or performed this act of obedience, "I will greatly bless
you" (22:16-17). Abraham's faith was initiated by hearing, followed by
believing, and in the end consummated by acting. And it was not until Abraham
was led through all three parts of faith that Yahweh was satisfied. Abraham had
paid the price to receive His blessings!
And
quite noteworthy, the next time Yahweh's promise to Abraham is mentioned is in
Genesis 26:1-5 where Isaac is instructed to obey Him and not go down to Egypt.
If he obeyed Him, even as his father had obeyed, he was told that he would receive
all the blessings that were given to his father. Isaac obeyed, thus becoming
the recipient of the blessings promised to Abraham.
In
Galatians 3:7-9, we are told that those who are of faith "are sons of
Abraham." But we have already seen that simply hearing and believing is
not enough to qualify as faith; for even as we are repeatedly told in James,
faith without works is dead and useless. So the faith Paul identifies in
Galatians that makes one a son of Abraham is one that must have all three parts
– hearing, believing, and acting.
Likewise,
we as the Bride must exercise complete faith. At some point we will need to
come under Yahshua’s original covering of holding all things in common.
But until then, we too must obey, walking in true faith – upon hearing
and believing, we must act by coming under His substitutionary covering of
tithing.
Continue to page 3 for HOW TO TITHE