Tithing: The LIES From The Pulpit

Tithing is the practice of paying a regular percentage of one’s income to support God’s work and one’s church.  The word “tithe” literally means ten percent, which was the traditional amount required in Old Testament times.

In some modern churches, tithing is over-emphasized. Tithing is neither a commandment nor a requirement. There is no place in the Bible that I can find, where God held off on doing His work because He needed more money.

God is faithful and will put what we give for His work to good purpose, but He doesn’t require it in order to accomplish His goals.  If God wants something to happen, then it will happen. He does not have to hold back while waiting for enough money to fund it.

Some fat lies from the pulpit about tithing:

–         God will only bless you IF you pay your tithe ( Blessings abound all the time)

–         Jesus even paid his tithe … by dying on the cross (which part of the bible states that?)

–         The tithe is for the Lord (The tithe belongs to the church to undertake its charitable works/pay its bills)

–         Heaven will be shut up against you if you don’t pay tithe (really?)

–         Your needs will ONLY be met when you tithe (that will make God a liar if that is the truth, because we are told to ask and seek when we need anything)……and it goes on and on!

Tithing does not affect your salvation or your blessings either way.  You are not more saved if you do tithe or less saved if you don’t.

God does not love you more if you tithe and less if you don’t. Some churches and denominations, in fact, teach the opposite.  They want people to feel guilty and obligated when it comes to giving so that the church can bring in more money.

The church needs money to survive, but it shouldn’t use tactics that will give congregants sleepless nights if they just don’t have the means to put ‘food in God’s house’ and ‘open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings’ which will elude them (non-payers of tithe)

Yes, in Old Testament times, sacrifice and giving were a required part of salvation; but, that was before Jesus Christ died to serve as the final sacrifice. So what sacrifice do we need to give again since we’ve received our salvation from the death of Christ?

One fascinating thing about most of these churches is, they dwell so much on the New Testaments in their everyday preaching, but only use Malachi in the Old Testament for tithing. No where in the New Testament commands or recommends paying of tithe—not that I know of….

It does however encourage us to support our church, Christian outreach or help people directly; assist people who are in need and showing others that we care, so if the church is a New Testament church, they should focus on that aspect of the bible.

How much should one pay if one wants to tithe/give? To tithe ‘as one purposes in his/her heart’.  If you, for whatever reason, can’t tithe a full ten percent and do it cheerfully, then choose a percentage that you can give cheerfully.

There is nothing magical about the ten percent – that’s just the amount mentioned in the Bible as a starting point.  If you can cheerfully and willingly give more than that, then do so.  If, however, you can only give a smaller percentage willingly and cheerfully, then do that instead.

This is not in any way discouraging people to tithe but don’t accept the lies as the truth. God loves a cheerful giver, it is the heart of the giver he looks not the amount the person is giving.

Righteousness is what matters not ‘paying’ your way to heaven. If you’re an armed robber and you tithe, you’re still a thief, nothing changes that!

This is my take on tithe…What is yours?