As we continue our ‘Tithing on Trial’ series, we will evaluate the most common tithing arguments used to defend its practice. So let’s evaluate another argument used to promote tithing. This argument comes directly from a well-known author on finances from Crown Financial Ministries – Larry Burkett. He has now passed, but we are going to evaluate his argument below taken from his book, “Giving & Tithing.”
While reading through the book, “TIthing & Giving” by Larry Burkett I came across a section that asked, “Is Tithing Legalism”? In the beginning, Larry states, “Although the tithe is mentioned in the law, no punishment was indicated for not tithing. There is a consequence (the loss of blessings), but there is no punishment from God for not tithing.”
What happened when Israel didn’t tithe?
I am not sure where Larry Burkett is getting his information about tithing in the bible, but you have to know that there certainly was a curse on Israel for not tithing. Malachi 3:9 states, “You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed me.”
Malachi 3:11 goes on, “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,“
I don’t think there is any question about the curse for Israel not tithing. We can find further proof in the book of Deuteronomy when God is laying out the laws for Israel. In chapter 26 he outlines the rules for tithing and by chapter 28 beginning in verse 15, God outlines in the next 50 verses the curses and punishments that would come upon them for not obeying his commands that were just laid out.
What Happens When Your Don’t Tithe?
As counterintuitive as it may sound, when we don’t tithe the opposite of what happened to Israel happens to us as Christians. The answer is that when we don’t tithe, we are blessed. Here are five reasons we are blessed for not tithing.
- You are under grace (Romans 6:14)
- God said He would supply all our needs without mentioning the tithe (Philippians 4:19)
- Our gifts are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God (Philippians 4:18)
- God Loves a Cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)
- The Spirit gives life (Romans 8:5-10)
As Christians, we should have confidence in these new promises under grace and the blessings that come with them. There is a caveat that I want to mention. Even though there are no consequences of not paying tithes, and we receive some inherent benefits and blessings, our greatest blessing comes when we give freely without obligation instead of giving a tithe.
This is not an excuse to give nothing. We should be willing to give from the love of our hearts. God has given us so much that it should compel our hearts to give back as he sacrificially gave to us. This is not an external force compelling us to give. This is an internal force that aligns with our heart’s attitude.
Are We Cursed When We Don’t Tithe?
Even though we receive a blessing for not tithing, some may still be wondering about the curse for not tithing and did it go away. The answer is no, God does not curse us if we don’t tithe. We are no longer under the curse of the law. We are under grace. You are cursed if you do tithe and blessed if you don’t.
If you don’t practice tithing, you are free from the curse, free from the law, and free from tithing. So many feel led to give to someone outside their church but are terrified to do so because of the fear of the curse. It’s not that they don’t like their church or disagree, but in their heart, they have the desire to fill a more urgent need. When people pass up the opportunity to give from their hearts, they invite doubt or even guilt in their hearts, which robs them of their blessing.
The problem with Larry Burkett and others with the same mentality towards tithing are that they know that tithing looks out of place when we attempt to fit it into a Church that is not supposed to be governed by the law. So they modify its appearance a little bit and make tithing more user-friendly than what it was in the Old Testament. The deception is that if we can mix in a little grace by disassociating it from the curse, then the tithe will appear as if it fits right in there with the other principles we practice today. This reformulation of the tithe is nothing but the law dressed up in grace’s clothing.
THE LAW + GRACE + LENIENCY = THE LAW
You Be the Judge
Now that the evidence has been given in this court of law, it is your turn to decide. You be the judge.
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What does it mean when Jesus was talking to the Pharisees and said you should tithe yes. My pastor points this out and says this is proof Jesus wants us to tithe.
People was still under the law because Jesus had not died yet. So no one could be saved by grace yet…meaning people were still under the law and cursed if they did follow all of the law.
Yes Jesus already died for us in the cross he took all of our sins curses and he is alive he rose from the dead
imagine if everyone stopped tithing. wouldn’t the churches disappear? don’t they depend on tithes to exist?
Jesus was NOT supporting the tithe here. The point of that conversation was that these people were practicing certain rules under the law while ignoring weightier and more important matters. Jesus had every opportunity to remind Christians to tithe, yet he didn’t. Paul also in 2 Corinthians 9 had every opportunity to remind those believers to not only give, but also tithe. He didn’t.
Matthew 5:17-20 Jesus said I have not come to abolished the law but to redeemed it and He continues that heaven and earth will past away but everything written in the book will not pass without being fulfill. So if Jesus can say these are try to say that old testament books is relevant again, and I don’t think tithing is law but a command
Every single time I stop tithing, something bad happens that costs me a lot of money. Like, something with my car goes wrong and I’m out a few grand for not tithing. I know that sounds weird but it’s true. I’ve stopped multiple times to have multiple bad things happen costing me more than if I were tithing.
That’s odd cause I don’t tithe and I’m blessed. Either way something bad does come up but that’s when you are supposed to rely on God to provide in times of fear and need
Bad things happen to you because you are willingly allowing yourself to be under the law. Galatians 3:10 says “But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.””
??Galatians? ?3?:?10? ?NLT??
So we can see that you’re dependent upon the law to make you right. Yet you don’t follow all of the over 613 commands under the law in the Old Testament. So you’re cursed for not following all the law. That’s why bad things happen to you. If you want to be blessed, stop tithing and start living under the grace of God.
I don’t practice tithing , or try to keep any of the old testament law. I just ask God to lead me in what he wants me to do. That’s it, simple! Either we’re led by the Holy Spirit which is the better New covenant, or we’re driven by the law and live a life full of guilt, condemnation and lack. I used to try to keep the law by tithing and all I ever got was cursed. I didn’t understand the scripture that says everyone who tries to keep the law becomes cursed. Now I realize Jesus fulfilled all the law, because no one else could, and all I have to do now is allow him to lead me in everything I do and say by His Holy Spirit. I just purpose to keep these 2 commandments the best I can: love Him with my whole heart, mind and strength, and love my neighbor as myself. Jesus reduced all the law into these 2 commandments. Thank you JESUS!!!
The problems in the contemporary church is their incorrect teaching about tithing. What I mean is they have poor accountability and stewardship with the tithe money. This comes a lot of times from the pastor’s lust for the things of this world when their salary can’t pay for what covet. So whatver you give as a true christian give as you are convinced(convicted by the Holy Spirit with the joy of giving a tithe or offering. We mustn’t judge another man or a woman’s conviction about giving.The Problem also that I see in the present N.T.church is the thinking they’re under the curse of the law but Jesus has broken the curse of the law. So those that are now in christ are blessed by keeping his commandments as he commands they should be follow to be blessed. Did Jesus not state if you love me, keep my commandments. For his commandments are not grievous(burdensome). The disagreement in the body of Christ nowadays is what all those commandments are. Further study shows that they are based on the ten commands but summed up in the two greatest commandments.
What I don’t like about the argumentative exegetic attitude of some in this discussion is each one is saying the other one is cursed based on another one’stheological perception and using some scripture out of context.
Just remember what the New Testament teachs says that anything that’s done out of fear is sin. For the righteous shall live by faith. Galatians 3:11, Roman 1:17, and Hebrews 10:38. The commandments of God have a place in the new Testament but not to count on them for salvation but rather the one that fufill the law for us and took away the curse, Jesus Christ. So whether you tithe or not and do not have Christ in your life then you’re cursed by the curse regarding the tithe as well as the other laws. Neither is there a salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given amongst men’ where my we must be saved.
The righteous shall live by faith. They all did that both the saints and patriarchs in the old and New Testament. Habakkuk 2:4, Hebrews 10:38, Galatians 3:11, Roman 1:17, So bottom line Give, and it shall be given unto you: good measure, pressed down, and shaken together. and running over; you measure press down and shake it together, everyone in ogre shall men give into your blossom. For with the measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.entitled version for with the same measure that you met with all you shall be measured to you again. The applies to offerings, tithe, service,love et cetera.
Tithing is a personal thing. That’s between you and God. He knows your heart. I do believe it to be a little much to say you’re cursed for tithing.
Not for tithing but depending on tithing to keep you from curse only.
Thank you for this vital information because the church that I was a member of the pastor and his official made members very uncomfortable by saying that if you don’t pay your tithing that you will be cursed with a curse and that all your blessings that you received will be destroyed and he used to preach about that atleast two Sunday out of the month from the Old Testament so he preached about the Law and not the grace but I payed my tithing faithfully out of fear of being cursed and me and my wife was the cooks of the church and we used our own money and stamps with no
Donation because we didn’t ask and none was offered
Oh my gosh! I have just been set free! If I try to keep any part of the law, I am no more under GRACE, and will be cursed because no one can keep the law! Such freedom to rightly divide the WORD of TRUTH! Amen!
Amen! A weight lifted off. The ?nemy is so sneak! Lord let us look to Your face and word. We long for Your heart. Show us how to be faithful with what you have given us. We are willing!
I have a question. I have not tithed for many years now, and I feel like I am on a streak of increasing downwards trajectory towards the murky black that lies at the bottom. 2 years ago, I was smoking by the fields, close to harvest-time, when suddenly I was plummeting forwards at a great rate; I was puzzled, as there was no wind that day, although after the fact I would discover that it was a falling branch from my apple tree. Much to my despair the cigar I had been happily smoking was gone ! I resigned to my abode to recuperate, and the next I knew, my crop was ablaze! Since then, It has been repeated and continuous mishaps of the same caliber and I am not sure how much longer my feeble mind and body can withstand this punishment. I come looking for support and comfort in my darkest hour, and I come with the hope of reconciling any last relationship I have with HIM and the church as a whole.
For we walk by faith, not by sight,
Gerald
I agree with those who are saying, tithing is between that person and God. I think people Mus t be conscious to the Holy Spirit when commenting on the word,of God. I see harshness in some of our comments, which I think God will not be happy with them. Tithing is principle which was there before the Mosaic Law. Abraham practiced and was blessed. And the Lord was happy with it, then He encorporated in the law. It is not law, lt was not law, but a principled command of God. It is still relevant in our churches – But should be done freely and willingly like the Abraham did. He was not compelled but did it out of his Will and freely. Those who say there were cursed because of tithing should mind their words. That will not happened when doing the word of God. I just think they are street pastors who are on track of misleading the church for their personal gains.
If I tithe I am cursed and if I don’t tithe I am blessed and tithe is not directly mentioned in the Big Ten commandments. Then going by your teaching we can then also say, ” I will dishonour my parents that I may not be under a curse. But blessed??!!! The Law is Holy, the problem was not the Law But the flesh, Romans 8:3 For what the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh……
Verse 4 That the RIGHTEOUSNESS ( Righteous requirements) of the Law might be fulfilled in us who WALK not after the flesh,but after the Spirit
Matthew 5:17 Think not that I Am come to destroy the Law…….. not come to destroy but to fufill. In Christ Jesus we fufill the Law, we don’t struggle to Obey God, put Him first in our live’s, tithe, honour our parents, Love not only our neighbors but even our enemies,
Galatians 5:14 But strong meat belongs to them who are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Is Tithing Evil?
To stay in your house watching television on a sabbath when other believer’s are gathering together which is good and which is Evil?
May God help us.
Christ fulfilled the law and rendered it obsolete for righteousness sake. Our righteousness now comes from Jesus, not the law. Romans 10:4.
Understanding this, the spirit of giving comes via Holy Spirit, not law. If a person feels compelled by God to offer 9.9% and not 10%, they have done what was holy. If they are compelled to give 27% and only give 25%, they have not done what was holy.
We follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our giving. Paul taught believer to pray and give accordingly. If believers were to follow law, there would be no need to pray about what to give.