TITHES – DO WE PAY OR GIVE THEM?

Matthew 23:23, says, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” …pay tithe…

Notice that Jesus is talking to the scribes and Pharisees; therefore, this is before He became the propitiation for our sins, thus ushering in this age of grace. Everyone then was still subject to the Old Testament Law of Moses. These people still had to pay their tithe. Hebrews 7:5 says, “And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:” They had to pay their tithe.

Today we are not under the law but we are under grace. Romans 6:14 says, “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” We are not under the law, but under grace.

We do not have to pay for our salvation, we do not have to pay to come to church, and there is no tax or other fee placed on us by our church or our religion. Today we give our tithe, if we feel so inclined, because we love Jesus. Today we give whatever amount we wish, but the example set by God in the law was ten percent, the tithe. So we give our tithe as a gift to God and any offering over our tithe is also a gift.

Some un-churched people think that we all have to pay to come to church. They won’t come because they don’t want to pay. God is not pleased if we give money because we think we are being forced to pay it like taxes. God is pleased when we give it as a gift because we love Him. This is a matter of conviction, one shouldn’t put money in the collection plate because one thinks he is obligated and must pay…put it in the collection plate if you really and truly want to give it to God. A good preacher friend of mine once told me, “When God has your money, you’re His.” We give back to Him 10 percent of the 100 percent that He has already given to us.

2 Corinthians 9:6-7 says, "6. But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

7. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." You might as well keep your money if you're paying it. Note the words "give" and "giver." Give it cheerfully, not grudgingly.

From experience, I truly believe that I can get along better on 90 percent of my income with God’s blessing on it than I can on 100 percent without God’s blessing.

We should all give ten percent of our income, our tithe, to God in the offering plate. As God’s stewards the church uses this money to meet financial obligations, such as paying the pastor. This is also the example that God set under the law. No part of a person’s tithe should be designated by the donor, for a certain use or fund. However, offerings over and above the tithe may be so designated and visitors to one’s church may designate offerings for a particular use.

I am aware of at least one pastor who improperly designates his tithe to go to himself and thus he gives nothing to God since he gets it all back…AND it’s tax deductible! He may be fooling the Internal Revenue Service but he is not fooling God!

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