One of the main illustrations concerning many Christians living by the Law is the matter of tithing. This topic can be very controversial, especially to those that make their living by teaching it. It’s a topic that can put stumbling blocks in our belief and distract us from the real evidence of God in our lives. It brings people under false understanding of the age of grace and the new covenant that God placed with the whole world, not just the Jews.
So why is tithing so bad, right? Let’s look at the major thoughts why Christians do tithe:
- I mean tithing is supposed to support the church so it can grow and do more for God, right?
- It’s something that we should do to show God we don’t care about money, right?
- It’s something that a high percentage of churches do, so of course it would be ok, right?
- Our pastors do the important work of spreading the gospel, so of course we should support them, right?
That would all be true if you felt God is leading you to support them, so you are giving as an offering. God loves a cheerful giver and if you are being led to give, then give. But do it as an offering. Something God placed on your heart to give. A tithe is something completely different. A tithe is a requirement from the Law. It’s something that once again was part of the Law, the Jew’s covenant. It’s a form of works. It’s a requirement.
This form of works teaches that Christians still work for their blessings. They need to show God they don’t care about money by giving it to their church that they believe in. If they are not giving their 10% first, then they are deemed as selfish and not giving to God. If they don’t tithe some say they will be cursed. I’m sure you have heard something like this at your church or a past church before. During the section when it’s time to tithe, someone besides the pastor reads some scriptures. It’s normally about God-loving a cheerful giver from the New Testament and then going into the law of the Old Covenant about how they tithe and what happens if you don’t tithe.
The scriptures in the Old Testament refer to the tithe as the Law for the children of Israel. The children of Israel were to bring their tithes to a Levite Priest, from the tribe of Levi. This was a requirement for them. They were to do that in that specific way. How many people currently pay their tithes to a Levitical Priest?
Bringing the tithe has evolved over time, as times have changed & evolved as different empires, economies, and monetary currencies arose. Today it’s associated with what income people bring home because it’s what we get from our labor. Did God tell us His Law would evolve? Did God tell us we should do it this new way? Of course not!
Tithing has become part of a tradition of mainstream Christians practicing a religion. It’s something that has been done over time and now it is expected of its members. They will read the same scriptures referenced leaving out the main context that these scriptures were not pertaining to Christians living by Grace and God freed us from works through the blood of Jesus.
Even if it was still done the way the Word declares it. Even if you followed the tithing part of the law and do it successfully, for all of the other parts of the law you did not follow, like not resting on the Sabbath, still makes you guilty of them all.
For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. (James 2:10 NKJV)
So why does a Christian that does not need to be under the Law, live under the Law. Sadly it’s due to lack of spiritual wisdom & discernment, bondage of worldly tradition, false teachers & prophets, and all the like.
It plays a twofold purpose for the enemy by:
1) Making the ones receiving the tithes obtain more success & power. Now being able to teach the ones that are bringing the tithe. Continuing false teaching & false doctrine. A lot of times unknowingly because they are still trapped in traditional thought, so doctrine was never questioned.
2) Distracting people from God’s true grace leaving defeat, reducing the power of the church.
It can be faulted at some churches that tithe that when bad things happen in people’s lives, they begin to blame God and feel resentment towards Him. Not understanding why things are happening in their life. Feeling like they’ve done enough for God for Him to protect them. Or the person who feels they are saved just because they give consistently to their church. This doctrine of works through Christians is false doctrine, deceptive, dangerous, and distracting.
The Holy Spirit is in all of us who believe on Jesus Christ. Therefore we listen to Him when He gives us the feeling to give and shows us what it is we’re giving. Time is an even more precious and valuable commodity than money, because we can never get it back. How many churches preach more about tithing your time, living in the Word, more than tithing your dollar bills? How many churches tell you how much they’re doing all over the world with your tithes, but the community you actually live in they don’t have a spiritual imprint, or financial one for that matter?
Tithing is a tradition passed down and is part of religion, but does not correlate with the Age of Grace we currently live in because of Gods sacrifice of His Son. Therefore put away the tradition of the obligation of tithing. Take a deep breath and talk to God how He wants you to give and what your assignment is. Ask Him and trust in Him!
Please read the Law Vs. Grace Scriptural Evidence for scriptural confirmation that believers in Christ are not under the Law
For further review of Law Vs. Grace, please go back to:
Part 1: The Old Covenant – The Law of Moses
Part 2: The New Covenant – Grace
