Don't Give Tithes

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Tithes is returning to God 10 percent of whatever our land produces, says Leviticus 27, although Abram gave "a tenth of everything" to Melchizedek in Genesis 14. Now, Christians have adopted this practice today by giving a tenth of their income to the church. Some people see something inconsistent here because they say that tithes is all about giving a tenth of whatever the land produces. It's about farming. We're wage earners and some of us make money from trading non-agricultural products.

But tithes is not the real issue on giving as born-again believers. Sometimes, we prefer giving tithes when we want to skirt or evade the real issue on giving. Lots of churches, especially landed denominations, prefer tithes than what the Lord really requires of them. If you asked Jesus, he'd tell you something else and nothing on tithes.

Well, he did mention about tithing mint, dill and cumin and hinted that continually doing this is not a bad idea [Matt.23.23]. Tithe believers use this to support their tithing today, saying no less than Jesus in the New Testament said tithes should still be given. But look at the context of the passage. Who was he talking to? He was talking to Pharisees. Are you a Pharisee? Then, by all means, do it if you are. But I'm sure you're not. You are a disciple of Jesus. The Lord has something better for you. Tithes is part of the law and no one is justified through works of the law.

What Jesus wants for true disciples is not giving tithes. It's giving God everything you own, not just 10 percent.

"So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own. [Luke 14.33]

No wonder church denominations stick to tithes, especially those who own vast lands and lots of properties. Just like the rich, young ruler. He could do with any sacrifices as long as they're confined to religion and making him look good, not the real radical thing of the Kingdom---like 100 percent giving. Give up everything, and the Lord says this to all, even to church denominations. They should all give up their properties, sell them, and give to the poor.

Did Jesus give his tithes? Nowhere is it mentioned in Scriptures. But he did give up his throne and emptied himself, being found in the form of a slave, says Philippians 2. That's not tithes. That's 100 percent giving.

If everybody would just take Jesus' words seriously, no church denomination should own property. Everything should be given up and put at the apostles' feet for distributing to anyone who has need, as the Acts church did. Jesus told all his disciples:

Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. [Luke 12.33]

You'd never hear Jesus say give your tithes. He'd say give up everything you own. We have to understand what we become the moment we receive Jesus Christ into our hearts. Paul said, we stop owning anything. Actually, we were bought at a price. We even do not own ourselves.

"...those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them." [1 Cor.7.30-31]

And here's the clincher:

"You are not your own; you were bought at a price." [1 Cor.6.19-20]

So, stop giving God mere tithes. Give back everything to him. Some preachers have been telling us that we have 7 days in a week and only Sunday belongs to God. Wrong. All 7 days belong to him. Why? We have been bought at a price. That's what redemption means. We're redeemed by his blood. So don't brag about how faithful you are with your tithes. If that's all you can give, just keep quiet about it and keep simple. Some church people even use their tithes to control the pastor and the church. They don't know God or his Kingdom.

You remember the prostitute who broke her alabaster jar and poured the expensive oil fragrance on Jesus' head? She poured it all, not just 10 percent. And the boy who had the 5 loaves and 2 small fish? He gave Jesus all his food and Jesus used them to feed 5,000. God blessed what the boy gave, but that boy didn't get all the increase. It was distributed to the people. Tithe givers today give their 10 percent so they'd become richer. Are they willing to have their blessings distributed to all? Nope, they keep it all and brag about how they were blessed by the Lord.

Some believers agree with this and quote verses on cheerful giving found in Paul's letter to the Corinthians:

Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. [2 Cor.9]

Not bad, although it's wrong choice of passage. The context is not on giving up everything to God but giving for relief purposes. The Jerusalem church suffered from the famine at that time so the apostles asked help from the gentile churches for financial aid. In this case, you give according to what you have decided to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion. It's partial giving. 

So don't rely on these passages to support giving up everything to God. Cheerful giving is for helping needy brethren financially. Over and above that, you still need to give up everything you have to God, money and all. Some Christians use these verses to limit their giving or justify their partial giving.

But you may use certain principles here on 100 percent giving. First, it should be done cheerfully. If you don't feel like giving up your all to God, then don't. It's useless to give unwillingly. Second, giving entails God blessing you abundantly. God surely rewards acts of faith like giving. But why would he do this? So you'd become richer? Nope. It's so you can give up the abundant blessing to him again. Watch:

You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

In short, God will enrich you so you can give more! Everything God gives you should be given up totally to him again.

So, if your monthly salary is P20K, does this mean you give all P20K to the church each month? Well, this is how 100 percent giving works. God gives you money for two things---for sowing and for food. As long as you do this (this is what's indicated in his Word), you give up everything to God. How much exactly you give for sowing (for his work) and for your food should be decided each moment in prayer. Ask God how you should use his money that he's entrusted to you. It's not your money. It's his. All of it. So ask him how it should be spent, every cent of it.

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 

As you give up everything to God, he will increase your "store of seed" (money for ministry) and "enlarge the harvest of your righteousness" (spiritual life). Thus, Kingdom people spend only for basic needs (bread for food) and this includes your bills and basic payables. If you own 3 or 4 smartphones, you better retain just one and sell the rest and give the proceeds to God. It's God's money.

So, how much do you need to give to the church each Sunday? According to the need of your pastor and his ministry for that month in proportion to the number of givers in church. Remember, the pastor lives on what is offered at the altar, exactly the way the priests in the temple relied on the altar offerings [2 Cor.9.14].

Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.

Ask God how much of his money you should put in the offering plate (in my case, my disciples give it to me directly) each Sunday. Don't give your pastor salary. Salary is not biblical. The Lord commanded that gospel ministers should receive a "living." And that means decent (but not extravagant) living, not below poverty line existence.

In the Old Testament, priests were never given a salary. They were given the whole tithes and offering. So, following the principle in 2 Corinthians 9.14, pastors should be given every sum given by members to God. Everything should be "laid down at the apostles' feet." Pastors belong to the 5-fold ministries where apostles also belong, so this can be applicable to pastors as well, especially if the pastor is apostolic in his gifting.

Pastors should then ask God what portion of the money should go for their family's "bread for food" and "seed for sowing." Seed here includes aid given to the poor, orphans, widows, "foreigners" (non-Christians who need help), and support for the apostle of the pastor, and his church, aside from money used for preaching the Word. See how vast the needs are? That's why 10 percent will never suffice. Don't give tithes. You have to give up everything to God.

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