lifelong_sinner
Puritan Board Freshman
Hello all. I currently goto a church where i’m not a member of. I’m curious if its ok to pay tithes to this church despite not being a member? Its a PCA church.
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Yes, i was a member of another church, but no longer attend that church now.1. Are you a member anywhere? A place where you are a member, and presumably attend with some regularity, deserves your support in some real measure.
2. Have you been the recipient of spiritual blessing in the place where you attend? If so, and if your giving is not better sent to the place of your actual membership, it stands to reason that you should support your spiritual benefactors (where you currently attend) per Rom.15:27, cf.1Cor.9:11 & Gal.6:6.
3. "How much" you should give is properly a matter of wisdom, spiritual discernment, maturity, training, and the proper "cheerful" disposition. I use those terms knowing some other teachers are quite strict on "tithing," not only of an amount but of where that legal tax (for that is how they recognize it, whatever terms are preferred) is owed.
I teach: that you owe some token of your gratitude to the Lord is irrefutable; God owns you and everything that belongs to you in completeness, you have been redeemed. I teach that what you should put in the church's collection ought to be done "not reluctantly or under compulsion." It is your freewill offering, the kind Israel brought to build the Tabernacle and establish the worship of God in their midst, Ex.35&36.
A "tithe" is certainly a meaningful fraction of your stewardship; but is it a "legal minimum?" May not a widow's 2 mites be "more?" Might a 10th be considerably less than a man spends of his great wealth on his needs and on his pleasures, with much to spare? Perhaps a tenth is a good place to start, or a place for a man to aim (seriously) to achieve as soon as he can.
I also agree that God cannot be outdone in the way of giving, as Mal.3:10 does say to Israel of old, who were legally taxed to the tithe, I haste to add. Is.58:4 (a promise pertaining to the NewCovenant) speaks similarly of receiving from the LORD for paying him his due by way of time (Sabbathkeeping). My opinion is that the law having ceased, the formal taxation of God's people has also ceased; the "tithe" is no more. But the NT has ample texts enjoining your support of the ministry that supports you.
Am I reading you correctly if I understand from this that you have not yet professed faith in Christ, that you don't consider yourself a believer?Have i received a spiritual blessing?? I’m not saved so i want to say no, but am not sure
Yes it is ok for you to give (though I believe the technical tithe is expired). Continue striving for repentance. Be careful that your flesh does not turn this “giving” into some form of penance for your besetting sin, as you say. If this is the case, then I would say don’t give and focus on the more fundamental means of grace until the Lord sees fit to restore your faith. He is faithful and and has made a promise to those who truly seek Him. Otherwise, be cheerful and generous in giving.Hello all. I currently goto a church where i’m not a member of. I’m curious if its ok to pay tithes to this church despite not being a member? Its a PCA church.
Dear Raul,Yes, i was a member of another church, but no longer attend that church now.
Have i received a spiritual blessing?? I’m not saved so i want to say no, but am not sure.
I was a member of another church and had made a profession of faith and even was baptized. But i’m what you call a false convert. I have tried repenting, many a time, yet i love my “besetting sin” to the point that i cant give it up. Oh i’ve tried, but at some point, you just get tired of fighting it.
As to the point of thinking i have to pay to join, i know better than that. But i did clear some money this past week and so i thought i’d tithe some of it.
It sounds like you need good counsel from a gospel-teaching pastor or a godly, mature believer. Do you have that? If not, you should seek it out.I have tried repenting, many a time, yet i love my “besetting sin” to the point that i cant give it up. Oh i’ve tried, but at some point, you just get tired of fighting it.
Daniel, you are correct this is a greatly neglected spiritual discipline. Perhaps you should explain what you mean by meditation - this is not obvious to some today. One of the most user friendly articles I am aware on this from a Biblical perspective is Beeke's 'Learning how to meditate'.Focus more on meditation. The lack of meditation, perhaps the most neglected spiritual discipline of all time, lies behind much of the besetting sins with which we struggle. If you are not physically fit, I would also recommend spending more time exercising.