Am I required to tithe to God today?
Luke 6:38“Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”
2 Corinthians 9:7You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”
Old Testament law made it clear that God wanted his people to tithe—to give him the first tenth of their income. When Jesus came, he made it clear that he loves a cheerful giver. This means that he loves a generous heart. Whatever the amount—whether more or less than a tenth—we should honor God with our wealth and bless others by giving generously from our income.
1 Timothy 5:17-18Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.” And in another place, “Those who work deserve their pay!”
The need to support spiritual leaders financially has not changed from the Old to the New Testament.
Philippians 4:18-19At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God. And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
While we may wonder what value the little we can offer God could have, remember that the purpose of tithing is to give us the privilege of participating in God’s work. Giving to God can help us learn, like Israel in the Old Testament, to give to meet the needs of others just as God gives to meet our needs. Through generosity we participate in God’s generosity to people in need.
Proverbs 3:9Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce.
Giving the first and best of our income to God honors him by demonstrating that he has first priority in our lives.
Matthew 5:42“Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.”
Romans 12:8If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
God calls us to give generously and share with others. Giving is so important that he has even given some believers the spiritual gift of giving!
Proverbs 21:13Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need.
1 Corinthians 16:1-2Now regarding your question about the money being collected for God’s people in Jerusalem. You should follow the same procedure I gave to the churches in Galatia. On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once.
God wants us to plan ahead to give generously and joyfully in order to take care of those less fortunate.
