To Tithe or Not to Tithe; the question of GIVING!

The first time I was taught by the church the principle of “tithing” I accepted it without question and immediately began to put it into practice.

Then something very interesting happened.  Shortly after I began putting this idea into practice, as faithfully as the church taught I should, I noticed great changes almost immediately.  There were increasing circumstances of serious LACK in meeting the needs of my family.  

Not lack in our wants.  Not less to spend on frivolous or luxury items.  I’m talking about real needs.

Groceries.  Shoes for my growing children.  Rent payments, car payments, utility payments.

I tithed faithfully and with trust that God would meet my needs, just like the church taught me.  The idea that was insisted on, that 90% of income would go further with God’s blessing when I faithfully handed over 10% of every paycheck to the church was not the reality we lived with.

I struggled in this area for the next 25 years.  I desperately wanted to obey God, but the truth didn't appear the way the church insisted.  I sincerely hope this Sunday Sermon blog post might save some of you this horrific struggle.

I prayed, fervently and frequently and asked God to show me what I was doing wrong.  Was I lacking faith?  Had I failed to confess some hidden sin?  Was I not tithing 10% of EVERYTHING?

In 1982 I distinctly remember a specific reading, as if for the first time, II Corinthians 9: 6-7 with fresh eyes and a humble, open heart to the Lord:

But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

I understood the principle of reaping and sowing, so was my very heart wrong?  The journey for understanding continued for many more years.  I would put my children’s needs first, against church teaching, and we were all much happier.  Shoes were bought and the pantry was full, and we generously shared what we had with others and there was plenty.  We never failed to give, just not quite the way the church wanted us to give.

Then guilt would overcome me and I’d get stingy about our needs while trying to faithfully support the church and its teaching. 

My diligent searching for truth never wavered, my fellowship with my Savior never flagged, but my naïve trust toward church teachings began to fade as I searched zealously for what God had to say; about many matters, not just tithing.

I spoke openly and boldly with church leaders.  I spoke to many other Christians, even those like myself who were struggling to find truth and not blind following of what others thought was truth.

Some agreed with me, that cheerful giving could not possibly include guilty giving. 

Some argued with me that I had no faith and should unquestioningly give 10% to the church.

I heard one leader teach that tithing wasn’t mentioned in the New Testament covenant because it was ASSUMED, since Abraham tithed to Melchizedek

Genesis 14:18-20

¹⁸ Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. ¹⁹ And he blessed him and said:

“Blessed be Abram of God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;
²⁰ And blessed be God Most High,
Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”

And he gave him a tithe of all.

The idea being expounded was that tithing came before Moses was given the law, so we should continue following that principle today in the New Covenant. 

Really?  Because circumcision was also given before the 10 Commandments were given to Moses, so should we ASSUME we’ve all made a mistake not circumcising our sons on their eighth day of life like Abraham did with Isaac?

See Genesis 17:10-14

Human logic and church reasoning was definitely failing me in this area.  I found that as I had the ability to give, I was blessed to do so, both by the immediate gratifying feeling of being able to help another, and overall in the peace and prosperity of my own household.

Malachi began to make sense.  The very same passages of scripture that were being used to enslave me to the idea that I owed 10% no matter what were the very same passages that God Himself through the Holy Spirit, as I studied the scriptures, was using to set me free from this enslavement.

I was no longer easily fooled by those who tried to bamboozle me into giving them money in the false hope of receiving a ton of money in return.  I understood that when I gave of my own choice, God blessed me in many different ways!  Operative trigger here was MY OWN CHOICE.  Just what Corinthians had said.

Malachi, like all of the Old Testament, must be understood in light of what God was saying to His people Israel, and understood in light of how God operated with Israel.  

It didn’t apply directly to me.  Just like circumcision didn’t apply and the keeping of Feasts didn’t apply and sacrificing animals for my sin didn’t apply because Christ Jesus set me FREE from all of the Old Testament Laws and Commandments by fulfilling them FOR ME.

But the principle behind Malachi applied.

Pay attention to the CONTEXT of Malachi: (be so kind as to bear with me here, and read the whole passage please)

Malachi 3: 4 - 

“Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem 

(God is speaking of their offerings which is the sacrificing of the firstborn of their livestock, not what they “give” to the church)

Will be pleasant to the Lord,
As in the days of old,
As in former years.

⁵ And I will come near you for judgment;
I will be a swift witness
Against sorcerers,
Against adulterers,
Against perjurers,
Against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans,
And against those who turn away an alien—
Because they do not fear Me,”
Says the Lord of hosts.

⁶ “For I am the Lord, I do not change;
Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.
⁷ Yet from the days of your fathers
You have gone away from My ordinances
And have not kept them.
Return to Me, and I will return to you,”
Says the Lord of hosts.

“But you said,
‘In what way shall we return?’

⁸ “Will a man rob God?
Yet you have robbed Me!
But you say,
‘In what way have we robbed You?’
In tithes and offerings.

(The Israelites were bringing the blemished, less than the best as sacrifice to God for their sin.   Tithes were paid to the religious leaders as part of that sacrifice for sin. (See Numbers 18:24)

God goes on to tell them He will pour out blessings in abundance when they obey Him.  Once more, all Old Testament law.  It is the PRINCIPLE, which is spiritual, which doesn't change, but the manner in which it is applied has changed!

We now live under grace.  We are saved by Faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ.  We are to give, liberally, generously as we are able and according to the purposes in our own hearts.

The COMPULSION of others, false teaching that enslaves and manipulates, like forcing someone else to give a certain amount or at certain times, is not Gods will, but the principle behind freely giving and generously giving works every time!

Reaping and sowing is absolutely a principle we are to live by, but reaping and sowing is to be by our choice, as God moves our hearts and even according to our ability.

I am so thankful God opened my heart and eyes to His truth!  I am FREE, to give or not give in a particular situation; it is my choice to make, just as it is for you.

I am in NO WAY advocating selfishness or stinginess.  I am advocating freedom to choose, because Jesus gave us the freedom to choose!

John 8:36

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

This freedom removes not only the restrictions of teachings that harm people, taking from them out of their own need, but following this truth would also remove the excuses of those who would claim the church is only interested in taking money from people as their reason for not participating in the Body of Christ.

We are all free to decide what is the right "amount" to give and when we should give, according to the leading of the Holy Spirit and our own hearts.  If we desire bounty, we will sow bountifully.  If we are taught correct truth, we all put our trust in God as we ought, instead of binding others in false teaching even if for a "good cause".

Read the account in Acts 5, about Ananias and Sapphira.  Pay special attention to verse 4.  The Apostle Peter makes clear that they were under NO COMPULSION from the church in any way!  They could give or not give according to their own desire.  Keeping what belonged to them was no sin, no one judged them or thought poorly of them.  There was freedom of each individual to choose, it was between them and God.  The sin of Ananias and Sapphira was in choosing to LIE to the Holy Spirit, not that they kept back a part of the money from selling their land.  

God always knows exactly what He is doing, and He is always doing it for our GOOD!  We have free will to choose and God expects us to operate that free will.  We experience the fullness of His blessing when we operate in the fullness of His principles.

God desires that we freely give so He gave us FREE WILL to choose.

In our worship and in our giving.

We pray your freedom in Christ will prove a blessing to you and all around you as you operate, by choice, the principle's our God has laid out for our good and blessing!