Holiness and practicality are two thoughts that are sometimes difficult to reconcile. Why did God not allow certain animals to be eaten? Why did the people have to tithe from their agriculture? The laws put into place were put there in order to produce a holy nation. God was setting them apart from the pagan nations around them. The word “holy” actually means “to be separate” or “to be distinct.” This is true for God’s people today as well. We are called to be different from the world around us.
Interestingly, both of these topics (food and tithing) are addressed in the NT and clarified for believers. This is because God’s heart stayed the same but, through Jesus, the law was completely fulfilled. Holiness comes, not through the law, but through faith in Christ and the continual work of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, even though there is freedom from the law, the standard of holiness has not changed. Actually, in many ways, it has been raised to a higher standard.
Some people’s faith allows them to eat anything, but the person who is weak in the faith eats only vegetables. 3 The person who will eat anything is not to despise the one who doesn’t; while the one who eats only vegetables is not to pass judgment on the one who will eat anything; for God has accepted that person.
Romans 14:2-3 GNB
In other words, when Jesus died on the cross, He satisfied the law. He accomplished what we couldn’t accomplish and then invited us to follow Him. We are free from bondage and able to live in that freedom through the power of the Holy Spirit. Since the Holy Spirit has taken up residence in believers today, we are capable of making decisions based on that conviction.
This is also true for tithing. As Hank has written, it comes down to a heart issue. Either you believe that your possessions and your money are God’s and are compelled to give freely back to Him, or, you don’t. It’s really as simple as that.
It is important to express our “set-apartness” with God in ways that also unify the body. We should have convictions, and we should strive to cooperate with the Holy Spirit’s promptings. But, we should also seek to live in unity with others being sensitive to their struggles. I am thankful today that God has given us the Holy Spirit who leads us to victory as opposed to the law which only illustrated our lack of holiness. When we read this chapter, we must remember that even though it seems foreign, it sets the foundation for our current relationship with God.