Why You Should Tithe
by Tim Greenwood

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The other day I heard two disturbing statistics. 1. That LESS than 6% of "Christians" in the U.S. Tithe! And then the one that 'got' me... 2. That "Christians" in the U.S. spend more on DOG FOOD than they give to churches and Christian ministries.

Below is the who, what, when, where,why and how of tithing: WHO: WHAT: WHEN: WHERE: WHY: HOW: Whoever desires to worship God. Giving first 10% of income to God. Whenever you receive income. Where you have been fed the Word of God. To worship God and to receive His blessings. By faith, diligently, promptly, cheerfully. This SHOULD be enough said, - but for this article I just expand the WHY issues of tithing. Why Tithe? 1. God claims the tithe is His.

LEVITICUS 27:30 NKJ
30 ‘And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s. It is holy to the Lord.

2. Tithing is worship of the Lord.
Tithing is worship. It has always been more than just a tax. Tithing is recognition and worship of the One Who created and actually owns all. Worshiping God in a prescribed manner has existed since the Garden of Eden. Cain and Abel knew the correct way to worship God, but one of them chose not to worship that way. The correct way involved giving up something they owned in recognition of God in a prescribed manner. Worship cost them something then, as true worship always does.

If we do not worship God with our money, we do not really worship God. Job, Abraham and his descendants, and others living before the giving of the Law, knew that worshiping God involved sacrificing of their substance.

Any Christian who loves the Lord should desire to give everything to Him. We can and should give more than ten percent (a tithe). Tithing is just a starting place — not a maximum limit. The tithe is like a birthday gift to a wonderful spouse, just a token reminder of their importance to you. Actually, they deserve much more — more than it would be possible to give. Jesus is like that. He deserves more than you could possibly give. Tithing is only a reminder to you, and to Jesus, of the intent of your heart, and the place of importance He has in your life.

Some may say they could show their love better by giving whatever they felt like, instead of a set amount such as ten per cent. However, the attitude behind that approach is wrong. Since the Garden of Eden man has been trying to do things his own way — instead of the way God prescribed — and man’s way has always caused trouble. God said the tithe was His (Leviticus 27:30). He showed us through the Old Testament Law (and never said otherwise in the New Testament), tithing was acceptable worship. Why try to invent a new method?

Giving based on need is not Biblical tithing but giving of alms. (It is not worship but a good work.) Tithing is not to meet God’s need (or the church’s needs), but to worship God: to put Him in His rightful place: first!

Which is more important: Jesus or money?

3. Tithing is God’s method of supporting His ministry.
First Corinthians 9:14 says those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel “even so” as the priests of the Old Testament lived from their temple service. God gave the tithe to them (Numbers 18:21). To be “even so” today requires tithing to continue.

1 CORINTHIANS 9:13?14 NKJ
13 Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar?
14 Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.

NUMBERS 18:21 NKJ
21 “Behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work which they perform, the work of the tabernacle of meeting.

2 CORINTHIANS 1:20 NKJ
20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.

5. Tithing is a continual reminder God is your source.
Tithing acknowledges in a tangible way the Lord’s ownership of us and all we have. It is recognition He deserves.

Anyone who receives Christ Jesus must receive Him as He is: Lord. By definition a Christian is one who has received Jesus Christ. Since He is Lord, when we receive Him He becomes Lord of our life. As Lord of our life, Jesus has complete say about what we do with all our money, not just ten per cent of it.
Anyone who claims Jesus as their Lord and does not give Him at least ten percent of their money should face the truth: money is their Ruler, not Jesus. Which do you trust more: Jesus or money?

6. Tithing helps combat selfishness, greed, and materialism.
Giving the first ten per cent every time we receive any income helps protect us from falling into these traps. Done faithfully, tithing forces us to trust God and depend on Him.

Why Christians Do Not Tithe 1. Unbelief 2. Fear 3. Greed, Selfishness 4. Lack Of Right Teaching

The cure for the first three is teaching. So, more Christians do not tithe because there has not been enough correct teaching. To our shame, recent surveys reveal only a small percentage of “Christians” give at least ten percent of their income to God.

People invent all kinds of excuses to not give at least ten percent of their money to God — such as the epistles not teaching tithing. Is the virgin birth of Jesus taught in the epistles? (No, but the virgin birth is still true!) How many times does God have to tell us something for us to believe it?

There is not much direct teaching in the New Testament concerning tithing. One reason may be because the Lord wants a love relationship with us, not just a legal obligation from us. However, that surely does not mean we should do less in a love relationship than they did in the Old Testament under the Law.

The money and time you give to Jesus are the best indicators of how much you love Him.