Tithing - Top 10 reasons I don't

[Faithin1]

I agree, tithing involves much more than money.  In addition, God wants us to give of ourselves freely and not grudgingly.  There are some churches that require all of their members to tithe and go so far as to demand financial statements and W-2's as verification.  I once visited a church that collected offerings according to tithers and non-tithers in an attempt to embarrass those who weren't tithing. These tactics do not glorify God.

[Soldier4Christ]

I have seen some of those churches also. When money becomes the center focal point in our private lives or in the churches then our spiritual wellbeing suffers and lacks in spiritual wealth.

[airIam2worship]

When we give God first priority in our life He makes sure that we thrive and He provides for us to be a blessing to others and to our church. God knows our situations and when we give cheerfully without expecting anything in return, that itself is a seed sown.
Of course if we feel led to tithe we ought to do so.

Giving of ourselves for others is also a way of tithing, it may be considered ministering, but it does take time, love, effort and a cheerful heart.

[Brother Jerry]

Amen to that.

I know that God has blessed tremendously since my wife and buckled down and ensured that tithing came first.  I will admit at first it was a "chore" as in just feeling obligated to do so.  But God quickly showed us how much He appreciated that we did that.  Which just as quickly turned that "chore" into a labor of love and we quickly were joyous givers.  And God in turn opened the windows of Heaven and let the blessings fall down.  In one years time of that conversion we had a home.  this with a bankruptcy as well as a repo on our credit.  And our rates were as low as anyone elses.  God blessed us and we are more than joyously thankful for that.

[Debp]

Top Ten Reasons I Don’t Tithe

1.The law of tithing has been cancelled (Heb 7:5,12,18) and no one has a right to re-establish a law Christ died to abolish.
2.I don’t have any food from the Promised Land to tithe (Lev 27).
3.I can’t find a Levite (Num 18:20).
4.I’m a priest (1Pe 2:9, Rev 1:6).  Priests were tithe receivers, not givers.
5.I’m a Gentile.  By law, only Jews can tithe.
6.The Bible teaches three different tithes (Num 18:20, Lev 27:30, Deut 12:1-19, Deut 14:22-26, Deut 14:28,29 and    26:12-13). How can I just pick one?
7.The New Covenant began when Christ proclaimed, “It is finished”. I can’t add anything to that.
8.I can’t find an example in the Bible of a worker tithing money off their wages and earnings.
9.I can’t find that it’s a requirement for church leadership in the New Testament.
10.The New Testament talks plenty about giving, but never mandates the law the tithing.(Remember, the NT began at the cross, not Matt 1:1).

Well, ok then, you don't tithe.....but I certainly hope you do give to the poor and any other ministries that you feel led to help.  We are so blessed in the USA and other Western countries.

In 3rd world countries especially, the people and even children live in unbelievably horrible conditions.  Some live on garbage dumps, some in Africa only get 1 meal per week, in India children as young as 4 years old work in the ore mines (hands and feet bleeding as they break the rocks with bare hands, inhaling the ore dust!!).....I could go on and on.  So you don't tithe......but I pray you will realize how blessed you are and help some of the truly poor and needy.

[RBKay]

blackeyedpeas

“YES, the site is quite active with over 10,000 page views per day and average posts of over 135 per day.”

I used the wrong word when I said site, I probably should have used “thread”.
I have not had time to nose around through the site.

“Everything we have is a blessing from GOD, so we really could say why not 20% or 30%.”

If it was 10% under law why in the knowledge of what Christ did for us should it not be 10% or MORE.

In any case; everything should be done from the heart with love.

James 2:26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

The O.T. was given to the Israelites; Gods chosen people; but there is an extreme amount of the writings that we can learn from for our daily walk.

“There are many other reasons why the Old Testament will never (XXX) become less important than the New Testament”

I would not use the “out of style”

I don’t agree with that statement. The N.T. is the advent of Christ’s birth, life, death and resurrection.

In the light of that; God the Father provided a way for sinners such as I to be wash clean and have salvation and an eternal life with Him.

Without the N.T. we would still be taking sacrifices to the temple; if we were Jews. Gentiles - well lots of luck???

The O.T. the sheep died for God and the N.T. God died for the sheep.
A tremendous difference.

We can in no way compare the two as equals, yes they are both the inspired word of God. In the O.T. there is a wealth of knowledge but as Christians we need to LIVE the N.T.

Hebrews 8:13 By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.

“anything we do for GOD begrudgingly is burned up as useless”

If we try that; we are not only lying to God we are also lying to ourselves and it is meaningless.

1Timothy 1:5-6 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk.

“it can't be for recognition or other matters of pride”

Matthew 5:45 He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

What can we have pride over?

Obadiah 1:3 The pride of your heart has deceived you   (Yes O.T.)

Galatians 6:4-5 Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.

James 4:16 As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God —not by works, so that no one can boast.

John 14:1  “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.



What I wrote in my first post was about tithes/offerings and only that. I did not try to get into theology.

I am sorry; we are getting off the tithe topic and there is probably another thread that this might suit better.

The heart is the starting point not a given monetary amount, no min's or max's.

TGIF
RBKay

[nChrist]

Hello RBKay,

We might be all saying the same thing in different ways. The main point I was trying to make is we don't appreciate GOD and the New Testament without understanding the Old Testament. They are woven together in a beautiful manner, and the weaving provides proof that the Bible is Truth - GOD'S WORD.

In the Old Testament we have mandatory sacrifices and other requirements for man. In the New Testament we have the ultimate sacrifice by GOD for man - HIS ALL. SO, the matter becomes "what is our appropriate appreciation" instead of "what are our requirements". YES, it is a matter of the heart as opposed to a matter of law. A like example could involve a discussion on the Sabbath. Would a loving and dedicated Christian ignore GOD 6 days a week? Do we rest in the loving Arms of GOD 1 day a week or 7 days a week? Maybe this illustration will give you a better idea about what I was trying to say.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Proverbs 16:3 NASB  Commit your works to the LORD And your plans will be established.

[Debp]

Cheerful and from the heart is the key ingredient, and it can't be for recognition or other matters of pride. It isn't how much from the law, rather how much from the heart.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Colossians 2:6-7 NASB  Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.

Tom, your above statement says it all....

[RBKay]

Tom...

I don't know what happened to the bottom part of my post because it is not readable, at least on my computer now.

The rest of it is...

We can in no way compare the two as equals, yes they are both the inspired word of God. In the O.T. there is a wealth of knowledge but as Christians we need to LIVE the N.T.

Hebrews 8:13 By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.

“anything we do for GOD begrudgingly is burned up as useless”

If we try that; we are not only lying to God we are also lying to ourselves and it is meaningless.

1Timothy 1:5-6 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk.

“it can't be for recognition or other matters of pride”

Matthew 5:45 He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

What can we have pride over?

Obadiah 1:3 The pride of your heart has deceived you   (Yes O.T.)

Galatians 6:4-5 Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.

James 4:16 As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God —not by works, so that no one can boast.

John 14:1  “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.



What I wrote in my first post was about tithes/offerings and only that. I did not try to get into theology.

I am sorry; we are getting off the tithe topic and there is probably another thread that this might suit better.

The heart is the starting point not a given monetary amount, no min's or max's.

TGIF
RBKay

[nChrist]

RBKay Said:

Tom...

I don't know what happened to the bottom part of my post because it is not readable, at least on my computer now.

The rest of it is...

Hello RBKay,

I don't see any problem at all, so it must be something wrong with your computer.

[mississippi_jesus_chic]

We are to be cheerful givers.  If you are a cheerful giver, it shouldn't matter whether or not tithing is a commandment, you should give to God willingly.  I am not even old enough to have a driver's liscense but I have a steady job and at least ten percent comes from my pay check EVERY week.  If you pray about it, I'm sure that God will let you know that you need to be giving money to the church and other ministries.

[Jemdude]

I'm new here too and quite frankly, I am disturbed with some of the threads here. Some seem to advocate that the law has been done away with or that the Old Testament is not important. Both are false. While a person who accepts Christ is under grace, we are still required to obey God's law. Also, much of the New Testament are quotations from the Old Testament.

A wise person once said that any religion that does not demand anything of its followers or puts those who have newly embraced it, into more or less what they were into before, is an ineffective religion. Sounds very much like James 2:20 which says, "Faith without works is dead".

Concerning tithing, it is very important for all Christians to tithe. The consequences of not tithing is that the church has little or no funds to do it's function. Ten percent of your income isn't a huge burden.

[Soldier4Christ]

Hi Jemdude,

The law was not done away with. It was fulfilled by Jesus Christ on the cross.

Eph 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

Rom 13:10  Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

We are now under the law of grace, which is also referred to as the law of liberty, law of faith, and the law of Christ in the New Testament.

There was much done with Jesus on the cross. I suggest a good study of the book of Galatians where Paul was chastising those that wanted to subject the church to the laws of the Old Testament.

This does not mean that we can throw out the Old Testament. There is much to learn from the Old Testament. From it we can learn that man cannot obtain righteousness on his own, that without God we are nothing. It is our school master that brings us to the loving, saving grace of God through Jesus Christ.

Gal 3:19  Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.


 

[2nd Timothy]

Hi Jemdude,

The law was not done away with. It was fulfilled by Jesus Christ on the cross.

Eph 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

Rom 13:10  Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

We are now under the law of grace, which is also referred to as the law of liberty, law of faith, and the law of Christ in the New Testament.

There was much done with Jesus on the cross. I suggest a good study of the book of Galatians where Paul was chastising those that wanted to subject the church to the laws of the Old Testament.

This does not mean that we can throw out the Old Testament. There is much to learn from the Old Testament. From it we can learn that man cannot obtain righteousness on his own, that without God we are nothing. It is our school master that brings us to the loving, saving grace of God through Jesus Christ.

Gal 3:19  Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.


 

AMEN!!!!


As for tithing, I see it this way.   Everything I have belongs to God anyways.   If I put down my own life to serve Christ, he has everything I own including my wages.   I do tithe, and sometimes give more, but its all His IMHO, and I give where I can.

Blessings!

[barelahh]

I'm new here too and quite frankly, I am disturbed with some of the threads here. Some seem to advocate that the law has been done away with or that the Old Testament is not important. Both are false. While a person who accepts Christ is under grace, we are still required to obey God's law. Also, much of the New Testament are quotations from the Old Testament.

A wise person once said that any religion that does not demand anything of its followers or puts those who have newly embraced it, into more or less what they were into before, is an ineffective religion. Sounds very much like James 2:20 which says, "Faith without works is dead".

And works will not get you into heaven either. just like faith alone will not.
you have to have three things.
Faith, Grace and Salvation.  Faith being the hearing and learning through the Gospel, and taking that and going through Gods infinate mercy Aka Grace, and recieving redemption aka Salvation by grace or Gods mercy.
Works are a by product of the process.

Concerning tithing, it is very important for all Christians to tithe. The consequences of not tithing is that the church has little or no funds to do it's function. Ten percent of your income isn't a huge burden.

Sure about that??   I am disabled.  live on SSRD.  my bills exceed my income some months and i have to choose between food or medicine on some of those months.
10% would eliminate my medicine and my food.