TO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE

Paterson, N. J.

February 28, 1950

Dear Friends:

Through the tender mercies of God we are enjoying health and wish you the same. If we are enabled to look at it in the light of God then it is always well. However, we may and do make mistakes, but the Lord never does. Everything that befalls us in this life is determined by God. There are no such thing as contingencies in this life. May the Lord grant us to see this by His Word and Spirit.

Now we must answer another question which I have received some time ago. The question is this: “Must we always give a tenth of our income to the Church?”

We must first of all distinguish between a giving according to the law as a command and the giving of a freewill offering in faith, as given freely from the heart. If we render our gifts from the principle of: “do this and thou shalt live,” then our giving is only a fruit of the broken Covenant of Works, and then we are giving our gifts from the principle of “compulsion” but not from a willing heart.

There was a law instituted under the Old Testament dispensation of types and shadows which enjoined upon Israel to give the tenth part of their income. When the land of Canaan was divided among them the tribe of Levi did not receive any part of it. The tribe of Levi had to be kept by their brethren. The other tribes had to give one tenth of all their income unto the tribe of Levi. Numbers 18:21. “And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s: it is holy unto the Lord.” Lev. 27:30. And the tenth was to be given unto the Levites who held the office of the Priesthood. It was appointed unto that tribe. The children of Levi had a right thereto by law according to the commandment of God. Heb. 7:5. It was a special command of God in the Old Testament. However, there are no more priests after the order of Aaron; neither do we give a tenth of our income to the Levites from the same principle as the Israelites had to give then. Therefore, if we desire, to give a tenth of ours today like as Israel did in those days, then we have no eye or true principle of heart for the cause of Christ.

Nevertheless, we read that Abraham, who is the father of the believers, also gave a tenth of everything. But, who did he give a tenth unto ? He gave it unto the priest of God, Melchizedek. Gen. 14:20. And in that priest Melchizedek we see the type of Christ.

It is true, Abraham did give a tenth of everything, but in an altogether different manner than did the Israelites years later. Many years later the Israelites gave a tenth of everything by a special command of God. But Abraham’s gift of a tenth was not from a principle of legality, but it was most definitely a gift by faith. And therein Abraham stands out as the type of the Church of God. He gave a gift from the depth of his heart unto Melchizedek, who is a type of Christ. Abraham was favored to give by faith. Now then, if you desire to give a tenth of all your income in such a manner and from such a principle it will be a blessing. Willingness or a readiness in giving is enjoined upon man. Whosoever is favored to know Christ by grace will indeed honor Him. Abraham gave tithes of a tenth in faith and love. The Lord looks at the heart. For example, if a poor widow by grace gives five cents from her heart but another person gave ten dollars to be seen by men, then the poor widow is of the spiritual seed of Abraham, for to offer unto the Lord Jesus from a principle of love is a characteristic of the life of God.

Abraham gave from the best of his substance. There are many name-christians, talkative-christians, and also form-christians. None of these christians have a priestly heart, and for that reason they do not give an offering from the best of their substance. It is soon asking too much of them when a request is made for an extra collection for the kingdom of God or the cause of the Lord Jesus. You must not ask them too often, for they haven’t anything to spare. But, if Sodom calls or when the world asks for money, then they have more than a tenth to give.

Boys and girls, remember, we have a soul to lose for eternity. Oh that you may yet learn to love the Priestly King namely, the greater Melchizedek. That is a divine work of grace, and you surely should beg constantly for that grace. Then it is a blessed offering when one is enabled to offer unto the Lord. Such an offering from the principle of love is indeed a glorious worship. May we yet hear that some of our young people have been favored to make the good choice through faith.

Now my dear inquirer, I have endeavored to answer your question. I read in your letter that your were brought up in the Reformed Truth. Do you still adhere to the Truth since you were married? Or have you also gone along with a shallow, superficial religion? 0 remember, the Lord is not an idle spectator. It will be an awful day of reckoning for us, if we have wilfully forsaken the Truth. Boys and girls, cleave unto the Truth. Cleave fast to them who not only declare the Law, but also hold fast the Gospel. To declare the Law without setting forth the merits of Christ, worketh a dead religion. To present the Gospel without a true understanding of the Law is deception and deceit. Law and Gospel is nec-cessary. We may say: “Blessed is that people, who may indeed understand that, by His Word and Spirit.”

Your mindful friend,

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