Tithing when in debt?

Migdala said:

Yes, but at the same time, there were 613 OT laws, and I don't know of a single Christian who keeps all of them. Some were a foreshadow of Jesus, such as animal sacrifices of course. And I don't know many Christians who go around with blue tassels on their clothes, like in Numbers 15:39.

I always thought that we are still to keep the 10 commandments of God, but that all the other laws were done away with. It would seem though, that if we are to keep the tithe law, which was given to the Levites, then we would be under obligation to keep all 613 laws as well.......

I don't keep the Food Laws myself, except for not eating blood like in Acts 15-Jesus had said that what goes into the mouth does not make us unclean, but what comes out from the heart. But at the same time, I know that pork, for instance is really bad for you (but oh, so yummy!), as well as shrimp, crab, etc....because they eat the waste from the ocean. <gag>

. Paul had said that the Holy Spirit gave them no instructions other than not eating the blood of animals, and staying away from sexual sin, abstain from foods sacrificed to idols.

It's rather confusing to know exactly which of these laws we are to keep, without "falling from grace"

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My thought is this. Paul tells us that we are saved by grace through faith, not by works. James tells us that faith without works is dead. I don't believe that these two statements are contradictory. I believe that when we have experienced God's grace, if we have truly done so, we will find that certain works will naturally flow out of us. One of these, I believe is generosity. So, our actions may or may not be different from those who live in obedience to the law, but our motivation is completely different.

I prefer to stay out of the tithing vs. voluntary giving debate, because I think it misses the point. If you give any amount because you feel like you have to or because you feel like God will reward you for it, then you are doing so with the wrong motive. If you give because you love God and you love His church and you want to spend your money on things that you love, then you are on the right track. And, you will be blessed by it, but not in the sense of quid pro quo, but in the same way that you are blessed whenever you are able to share your blessings with someone you love. And, when you make giving a commitment, very often you develop a more mature attitude about money, which reveals itself in other aspects of your finances.