It’s true that the Church has always and will always need money to operate. Those in full-time ministry need support. But in the New Covenant, freewill giving of ourselves and our possessions in response to God’s grace is His plan for funding His Kingdom work (2 Cor 9:7-8).

Hopefully by now it is clear that tithing was never God’s plan at all in the New Covenant. But there still seems to be a fear that if Christians think they don’t have to tithe, they’ll give less than 10%, maybe not at all, and our churches and ministries won’t have enough money to operate.

Thankfully the early church didn’t think this way! Apparently nobody had to tell them they should give a minimum amount - instead, they gave freely and joyously, sharing everything they had (e.g. Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-37). Later on, the grace of giving fell on the Macedonians, and they gave even more than they were able! (2 Cor 8:1-4) They even pleaded with Paul to be able to give in this way.

What made the change in God’s people? From strict tithing under the Old Covenant to sharing all that they had and more in the New Covenant?

John 3:16 says, ‘God so loved that He gave …’ God gives because it’s His nature – He is love, and love gives. When we were born again, God not only forgave us our sins, but He gave us a whole new spirit – His very own! (Eph 4:24; Col 3:9-10) We have God’s new nature in us now, and He has put His love into our hearts (Rom 5:5). If we love, we give. To turn that around, you could say that you can tell your love by your giving (1 John 3:16-18). Bear in mind that it’s not the amount per se that God cares about – he wants you to give within your means - but your heart (2 Cor 8:12). If you don’t have a heart to give there’s something wrong – and you need to sort that out between you and God.

The whole point of the Law was love (Matt 22:37-40). If we truly live according to God’s love in our hearts, we will automatically fulfil the purpose behind the Law (Rom 8:4; 13:8-10; Gal 5:14). But if we try to live by any part of the Law instead, we thwart God’s grace working in and through us (Gal 5:4). We simply cannot live by the new nature He’s put inside us and at the same time be trying to follow any external Law – the one nullifies the other (Rom 7:4-6; Gal 5:18) – a hybrid of faith and works is a kind of ‘spiritual schizophrenia’ that will never work!

The problem with the Old Testament saints was that God had to give them a Law because they were not born again and did not have God’s love in their hearts. Malachi shows us that tithing was for spiritually dead people!

Even though He also commanded them to love, they couldn’t do it. If God hadn’t given them a Law and threatened them with curses if they didn’t obey it, they wouldn’t have been motivated to give, and God’s work could not have moved forward. But that was only a temporary situation, never His perfect plan. He always wanted us to be free – to be free to choose voluntarily to love and bless Him by using whatever resources we have to love and serve others (Gal 5:13; 1 Pet 4:10).

God wants to use us to bless others! He can take any small or large amount we give and multiply it (remember the loaves and fishes!), as well as reward us for our giving (2 Cor 9:6-15; Phil 4:17). Even if we think we’re not gifted as a musician, teacher, administrator, missionary, or in any other seemingly ‘important’ way – we are all able to help extend God’s Kingdom through giving of our finances and material goods in some way. Some people have the specific gift of giving – of making money to support the work of the Kingdom (Rom 12:6-8) – but regardless of our calling or our circumstances all of us have both the responsibility and the privilege of sharing in the joy of giving.

The Bible says if we sow to the spirit, we will reap to the spirit (Gal 6:6-10). Like any other kind of service in God’s Kingdom, giving is like an investment, if you are giving with the right motive of blessing others and extending God’s Kingdom. Just think! That means you can sow something that is material, temporary and corruptible – and reap something that is spiritual, eternal and everlasting! The kingdom benefits, and at the same time you will also be blessed (Acts 20:35; 2 Cor 9:6-8) – it’s a win-win situation! Giving is exciting! Why would anybody not want to do it?!

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