Is Tithing No Longer Required?
God Loves a Cheerful Giver...
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
If you were like many people these days, you might be struggling with what to do about tithing. That’s understandable… because many churches fail to teach the Biblical truth about the issue.
As a result, many Christians have unanswered questions…
Is tithing required to be saved?
Are today’s Christians bound by Old Testament law regarding tithing?
How much should it be…10 percent or more?
Should one tithe on their net or gross income?
What about preachers who make health and wealth promises to people if they tithe?
To answer these questions, we must first define what tithing is and what it is not…
Tithing is the practice of giving one-tenth of one's income or goods to God, a principle deeply rooted in biblical tradition. The concept of tithing was first
introduced in the Old Testament and became part of Mosaic Law as a means of supporting the Levitical priesthood and the work of the Tabernacle and later the Temple. All Israelites were required to give 10% of everything they earned or crops they grew An explanation of this is found in Leviticus…
Thus all the tithe of the land, of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord. 31 If, therefore, a man wishes to redeem part of his tithe, he shall add to it one-fifth of it. 32 For every tenth part of herd or flock, whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the Lord. 33 He is not to be concerned whether it is good or bad, nor shall he exchange it; or if he does exchange it, then both it and its substitute shall become holy. It shall not be redeemed. 34 These are the commandments which the Lord commanded Moses for the sons of Israel at Mount Sinai. (Leviticus 27:30-34
However, the New Testament nowhere commands that Christians submit to such a legalistic system of tithing, nor is tithing one of the Ten Commandments.
God does not need our money…
Hear, O My people, and I will speak O Israel, and I will testify against you: I am God, your God. 8 I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices, and your burnt offerings are ever before Me. 9 I have no need for a bull from your stall or goats from your pens, 10 for every beast of the forest is Mine… the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are Mine. 12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is Mine, and the fullness thereof. (Psalm 50: 7-12)
But does that mean we should be content to do nothing?
The Apostle Paul wrote in his first letter to the Corinthians that believers should set aside a certain portion of their income, not as a tithe, but rather as an offering.
1 Now about the collection for the Lord’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. (1 Corinthians 16:1-2)
In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul exhorted them to give generously from their hearts. He did not ask for 10 percent, rather he wrote that each person is to decide what to give…
7 Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)
An offering is something freely given to the work of the Lord, first to one's local church and then to other legitimate ministries or missions.
As Christians, we should diligently pray and seek God's direction about how much we should give. The book of James gives us more insight…
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5)
So is it ever acceptable before God not to give anything?
In Paul's first letter to Timothy, he makes it clear that believers have a responsibility to provide for their families...
5 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (1 Timothy 5:8)
Clearly, there are situations where it may not be appropriate for a believer to give. If a Christian is not working, or behind on rent and car payments, or needs to support children or elderly/infirm parents, it would be proper to temporarily stop their giving as it would be poor witness to do otherwise...
This post would not be complete without addressing one other thing...
The prosperity gospel…
The prosperity gospel, (sometimes called “Word of Faith”) falsely claims the Holy Spirit is a power to be put to use for whatever the believer speaks or wills. The exact opposite is true… Scripture teaches that the Holy Spirit enables the believer to do God’s will.
The prosperity gospel adheres claim that words have spiritual power, and if one speaks aloud the right words with the right amount of faith, he or she can gain health or wealth or both. It is a deceptive doctrine of demons…
Almost always false teachers seem to be the only ones who prosper from such unbiblical teachings. When people put tithes and offerings, which sometimes they can ill afford, into the deceiver’s collection plates, all they are likely doing is contributing to the false teacher’s extravagant lifestyle.
Finally, is tithing or even giving required to be saved? The answer is a flat-out NO! Faith in Jesus Christ as the Savior is the only way to salvation. Nothing we can do, including donating large sums of money to any church will save us. We are saved by His grace, and not by anything we do…
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
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Christ wants our heart, men want our money.
I have always found comfort in this truth from 2 Corinthians 8:12, "Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have." To me, the key to what Paul is saying here is, as you clearly point out, how we give from our hearts, and we give of what we HAVE, not what we don't have. Jesus will never lay a guilt trip on us, so if one is sensing that, it is definitely coming from the enemy.