To Tithe or Not to Tithe – That Is the Question!
(January 26, 2026)
Before we get into the nitty gritty about tithing, let me say that giving of our
finances to the Lord has always been about the heart. In fact, everything in our
relationship with the Lord is always about the heart (“man looks at the outward
appearance, but God looks at the heart” 1 Samuel 16:7). We can give 90% of our
income to the Lord’s work but if our heart is not right before Him, if we do not do
it out of love, it gains us nothing (1 Corinthians 13).
That said, is the tithe (giving 10% of our income to the Lord) required of the
believer in this “age of grace?” Does the New Testament have anything to say
about the matter?
The only passage I am aware of is found in Matthew 23:23. “Woe to you, teachers
of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices…But you
have neglected the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy and
faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”
Jesus is saying here that BOTH are important. Justice, mercy and faithfulness must
be practiced, WITHOUT neglecting the tithe.
Many make the point that because there is not a direct command in the NT to
tithe then it has been abolished. But what if it was just assumed that the tithe was
such a basic giving entry point that it was not questioned? I believe this was the
case.
Some people also believe that it is not fair to expect the poor to tithe because
they possess so little. But God expected the poor to tithe in the OT. In fact, in
Malachi 3 He accuses the nation of robbing Him because they had stopped
tithing. That is because the tithe is one way God’s children put Him first in their
finances. God owns it all and does not need our money, but we need to
acknowledge His right to rule in our lives and the tithe is an important way to
show God we believe this.
So, would you consider giving God His tithe? And tithe of your gross income not
the net. He promised to bless those who do.