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I was reading on another forum that oneness teach that tithing is required for salvation.
I believe that a person should support their church, but I have not been taught tithing is required to be saved. What are your thoughts?

bluelake

That goes right back to works, placing themselves in bondage.

Here is my idea on tithing---for what it's worth.  I'm not sure where I first heard about it but I just believed I had to do it.  Maybe the church I was in said it was necessary.  I didn't question it. 

I don't believe it has anything to do with salvation.  Or that it should be a requirement to "join" a church.  Today my daughter said that some churches require that you tithe or you can't join the church.  I don't believe that is right to demand it.  It's between you and God.


Here is my experience whether I did it for a right reason or not.  I have always been on a very low income.  Barely had enough to make ends meet.  Yet I tithed first.
One day I decided not to tithe and I would catch up the next week.  Wishful thinking, maybe.

My bills came in as usual but this time there were a couple more than I ever expected.
I didn't have extra the next month but I did manage to pay the extra bills.  Oh, I was a waitress so my available money was never the same.  I paid tithes as before.
Life went on with the same struggle.

Another time the same thing happened.  I didn't tithe. More problems than before.
Then it dawned on me that maybe God was testing me (a personal thing---nothing to do with just paying tithes) to see if I trusted Him enough to take care of my needs no matter how unrealistic they were. 

Ever since I have been paying my tithes the first thing and I don't even think about it.  Whatever my needs or what the cost is, they are always met in unexpected ways.  My WANTS may often stay unmet.

God wants us to be a willing giver :) and not by the Law and do it begrudgingly. II Corinthians 9:7 "Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give; not begrudgingly, OR OF NECESSITY, for God loves a cheerful giver."  He will honor what is in your heart.  So it's up to you what you feel you should do. 

I have a testimony of how God supplied me with a computer when I knew that I was to write on the internet.  I had NO idea where the money was coming from.  God supplied the means.  My story will be on the appropriate forum.

Listen to your heart and you will do well.  God bless you.  Joan

Salvation was bought and given to us only by the blood of Jesus Christ.  Nothing else can top or match or even be eligible to compare, leave alone tithing.

As a beleiver, tithing is a must.  Giving for God has to be 1/10th (O.T) or more, not less.  Giving must be systematic, planned and regular.

This is all financial giving.  Giving your time, talents etc., is equally essential to experience the joy of salvation.

I could share similar experiances of financial strife effecting my tithing.
At my church tithing is recommended as a good biblicial practice, although as a church member it is up to you to choose what you do with your money and it has nothing to do with your salvation, but it does have alot to do with how effectivly God can bless you in this life. Deuteronomy 28:1-14 goes into detial of how God can bless you if you honour his word concerning the tithe.

I believe this is yet another area we can see man putting his dirty hand on a good and Holy thing making it harder for God to get his blessing out to his children. Yes give unto God with a cheerfull heart knowing that what you give wll be given back to you, bountifully. It won't save your soul but it will help advance the Kingdom, and that I believe is reason enough.

Ian

Ian, welcome to CU. I hope you enjoy your visits and that you visit often.

Bluelake, any church that teaches that tithing is needed in order to be saved is denying Christ. I would stay as far away from any church that teaches that.
Jesus died and shed His blood to save us, it is by accepting this gift that we get saved. In the OT people were under the Law, today we are not under the Law we are under Grace.
Jesus died and was resurrected, and is now alive and sitting at the right hand of the Father. He is the only way to salvation.

Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

 Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.


Any support we give the church should be voluntary, and of course we should give gifts of offerings especially to our home church, we know that there are bills that need to be paid by churches as well.
But if someone does not tithe that does not mean that they cannot be saved. Our salvation is not purchased by us it is a free gift from God.

I agree with pretty much everyone. Tithing is not needed to be saved, but i would never dream of not tithing. Churchs need bills paid, they need money for reaching out to the community and pastors salaries need to be paid. Without our tithing......what state would our churchs be in?
Besides, what better place to give your money than to God's house?

the way i see it is pretty simple, people put money into what they love the most. If your a big football (oops sorry soccer) fan then you'l spend thousands easily a year of strips, season tickets and other things, if you love music you'll blow all your money on concerts, CD.s related merchandice and stuff like that, if you love God you look for every oppurtunity to give to Him and his Church.

Ian

Ian, Rkj, Jessie, I agree 100% with all of you. However going back to post #1, salvation is not based on whether you tithe or not, salvation is only available through the shed Blood of Jesus. So if you are Born-again, but do not tithe this does not mean you aren't saved.

Your sister in Christ,
Maria

Yup. See Ephesians 2, particularly verses 8,9. All the tithing and offering in the world will not get one soul one more millimeter closer to God's glory.

Jesus said, "I am THE way, THE truth, THE life. No one comes to the Father but by Me." He didn't mention tithing anywhere in that.

Amen sister. There are many such cults today and just as in the days of the Apostles there are many that want to bring us all back under the law and to our eternal deaths.

Nope, not required for Salvation according to the Bible, my only rule book  ;)

Nicely said Amen

It is indeed "merit" to consider tithing essential for salvation.  That premise is from a frightened heart that does not trust God for our provisions - personal, home, congregation or nation.

Tithing is an OT teaching and has no NT support.  In fact, in the New Covenant tithing restricts generous giving by the impression that 10% is good enough for God.  How can you be "led by the Spirit" if there is a Old Covenant carryover that restricts it?  The Pharisees were ridiculed for tithing of herbs and spices.  We are under grace, not law

True stewardship is giving of your service, time, prayers and money as The Lord directs and has no formulas.

doc

The Doctrine of Tithing....

1. Dealing with the pre-Mosaic occurrences. Twice before the Mosaic law tithing is mentioned in the Bible as a system of taxation, related also to spiritual life. The first is where Abraham gave a tenth of the best part of the spoils to Melchizedek — Genesis 14:20; Hebrews 7:2,6. The second was where Jacob, after his vision at Bethel, consecrated ten per cent of his property to God if he returned home safely. Why did he do that? Because Jacob was far from home, and home was the place where he paid his taxes. So he said, “All right God, I’m going to bribe you to get me home. I’ll pay my taxes now, instead of when I get home.”

            2. Definition. A tithe was ten per cent of Jewish income tax where both the unbeliever and the believer paid. Abraham as a believer became a citizen of Melchizedek’s kingdom and that’s why he paid ten per cent.

            3. The categories of tithing in Israel. a) To the Levites went ten per cent for the maintenance and sustenance of the Levitical priesthood — Numbers 18:20-21, 24; Hebrews 7:5,9. This may seem to authorise a national church. It does not. You must remember that in the previous dispensation it was the Levitical priesthood who handled all of the national holidays. They offered all the sacrifices at every one of the special feasts as well as the feast of the trumpets, on the first day of each month. b) A tenth was to be used for the sacred feasts and sacrifices - Deuteronomy 12:17-19; 14:22-27. Every third year there was a third ten per cent taxation. This was for a charity tax for the poor of the land (This was not welfare, it was charity) - Deuteronomy 14:28,29.

            4. Gospel references — Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42, are illustrative of references to tithing in the Gospels. Whenever you find a reference to tithing in the Gospels it illustrates the distortion of the law through legalism. The references there all have to do with the condemnation of legalism. The Talmud extension of the Mosaic law distorted the entire concept of tithing. The Pharisees at the time of our Lord extended it to the minutest details of life not required by the Mosaic law.

            5. Tithing is also mentioned in connection with an income tax evasion — Leviticus 27:30-34. This passage forbids the substituting of one animal for another in the payment of tax. The penalty was one fifth more of your income.

            6. The perpetuation of the income tax principle is also mentioned in Matthew 22:17-21; Mark 12:13-17 - the concept that income tax is a bona fide function.

            7. Tithing is not a part of New Testament giving, it has nothing to do with the Church Age. In 1 Corinthians 16:1,2 tithing has never been spiritual giving at all in the Church Age. The amount that you give to the local church is strictly between you and the Lord, it does not have to be ten per cent, more or less. Giving is the expression of worship of the royal priesthood and therefore is not related with tithing, and never can be. Why? Because while the priesthood can receive ten per cent it can never give ten per cent to anyone. The royal priesthood is the highest of all priesthoods and as such it never deals in ten per cent. 2 Corinthians chapters 8 & 9 has a detailed dissertation on giving for the royal priesthood. Tithing is never mentioned as related to giving in this dispensation (church age) . If ANY so called spiritual organization (churches-ministries)  today asks for tithes, they are evil, they are corrupt, and we are commanded (this is an ORDER from God) to stay away from them.

 

            Tithing

            Tithing is not spiritual giving in the Old Testament. Spiritual giving is limited to believers only and tithing was a ten per cent income tax under the Mosaic Law, Codex number three, which deals with the laws of divine establishment.

            Actually there were three ten per cent taxes under the ten percent rule of income tax in the Mosaic Law. First there was the tithe or ten percent income tax for all Jewish citizens, believers and unbelievers, for the maintenance of the Levites — Numbers 18:21,24. The second ten per cent income tax from all Jewish citizens was to defray the cost of the feasts and sacrifices — Deuteronomy 14:22-24. And the third ten per cent or tithe, income tax from all Jewish citizens, believers and unbelievers, was to be paid every third year for the relief of the poor in the land — Deuteronomy 14:28,29 [charity and not socialism].

            Remember that the tithe is defined in the scripture as a ten per cent income tax for the citizens of Israel only, both believers and unbelievers. Because it included unbelievers and because it was a tax it is not regarded as spiritual giving, it is regarded as an obligation called income tax. Spiritual giving is presented in the Mosaic Law under one word — “offerings.” Offerings were for believers only, and there is NO percentage stated on Offerings, "God loves a cheerful giver."

Motivation for contributing should generate from an appreciation for the word of God as communicated by your right pastor teacher.
The properly motivated Christian will give without expecting anything in return.
If you are led to offer to a ministry, please ensure you are a Christian as a ministry should never knowingly accept gifts from unbelievers nor make individual solicitation of funds or pledges among believers.
The Christian should only give from his abundance as God has prospered him (1 Cor. 16:2 cf. 2 Cor. 9:7)
Tithing is NOT protocol for the Christian, offerings are, therefore only the one making a grace offering can determine the amount to offer as he is led by the Lord and has determined in his own soul (2 Cor. 9:7-9), not by percentages.
Please do not give to any ministry if you are unable to provide for your family (1 Tim. 5:8) One can only give through the filling of the Holy Spirit, if you are not filled with the spirit, do not give, for it is dead works.  Do not attempt to bribe God through offerings, He know's the motivations of our hearts, and why we give.
Bible Verses Covering Principles of Grace Giving:

Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Cor. 9:7)
But if anyone does not provide for his own (DO NOT give if you do not have the money), and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (1 Tim. 5:8)
Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God (by learning bible doctrine), that is, the fruit of lips (prayer) that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. (Heb. 13:15-16)