My husband was sitting with a coworker, Kevin, discussing faith. Kevin was an atheist who
borrowed concepts from several world religions, my husband, Josh, a committed Christian.
Kevin said something like, “Did you know the Bible teaches that Christians should give ten percent of what they make to their church? Can you imagine what would happen if people actually did that?” He was incredulous. “Yes, I can believe it,” Josh replied, “Our family tithes.”
It’s interesting to contemplate a non-Christian’s view of giving such a substantial amount of money to a church. What becomes discouraging is realizing that a very small portion of professing Christians see the Biblical mandate as one to be obeyed. Many Christians end the debate by claiming that tithing is an Old Testament practice that is no longer required of New Testament Christians. I agree that as New Testament Christians we are not under the law. However, sometimes I wonder if people who claim that tithing is “Old Testament” are looking for a way out of giving their money to their local church.
When Christ came, He showed us that the things written in the Old Testament were given to perfect outward obedience, whereas the New Testament focuses on the attitude of the heart. Jesus said that in the
Old Testament adultery was sin, however, in the New Testament if a man looks at a woman and lusts after her, it is as though he has already committed adultery with her (see Matthew 5:19-28).
Jesus made it clear that tithing was what He expected when He spoke with the Pharisees in Matthew 23. He points out their hypocrisy in tithing of their spices while omitting the “weightier” matters of the law; judgment and justice. However, He does not say, “You didn’t need to tithe your spices.” Instead, He said, “These things ye ought to have done.”
Like so many other laws laid down in the Old Testament, tithing is not omitted in the New Testament. Rather, it is expanded so that the heart attitude is examined as well as the outward obedience. The principle for giving in the New Testament is given in II Corinthians 9:7 which says, “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart; so let him give, not grudgingly or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” In the Old Testament God’s people were required to tithe ten percent of everything. In the New Testament God wants His people to give from the heart cheerfully. Tithing is not only limited to money. Have you considered tithing your time to God? Could you spend over two hours a day in Bible study, prayer and talking to others about Jesus?
How much money should you give? Ten percent is a good starting place, but the reality is that Christians could give much more than ten percent and God would still meet all of their needs. Would God allow you to not be able to pay your bills because you gave too much money to Him? Several times in the past I have looked at our bills and the money coming in and the numbers have not added up. We would literally be a hundred dollars or more over budget. However, we still gave ten percent of our gross income to God and somehow, at the end of the month, all of our bills were paid. When I am short on faith and find it difficult to tithe I remember Malachi 3:10, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” What a promise!
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