Tithing Is Not False: A Stand Rooted in Faith, Not Law

Photo by Ismael Paramo on Unsplash

There has been a lot of noise lately about tithing. Some say it is no longer applicable. Others go further and label those who teach it as fake, fraudulent, or manipulative. I do not agree with that.

This is my stand, clearly and honestly stated.

I believe in tithing. Not as a requirement for salvation. Not as a continuation of the Law. But as an act of faith, a form of obedience, and a kingdom pattern that trains the heart to trust God.

This is not about pressure. This is not about fear. This is about faith.

Not Under the Law, Yet Not Lawless

It is true that we are no longer under the Law, but under grace. Scripture is clear about that. But grace was never meant to cancel obedience. Grace changes the reason why we obey, not whether obedience still matters.

Using grace as an excuse to avoid generosity, stewardship, or responsibility toward God’s work is not biblical grace. At the same time, using giving as a requirement for salvation is also not biblical. Both extremes miss the truth.

We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Tithing does not add to salvation, and it never should be preached that way.

Malachi 3:10 and the Question of Testing God

Malachi 3:10 is often the center of the controversy. God Himself tells Israel to test Him through tithing. That invitation is real. It is Scripture. It should not be mocked or dismissed.

At the same time, Scripture must be read in context. Malachi was written to Israel, under the Mosaic covenant, addressing a real problem. The temple was being neglected, the priests were unfaithful, and the people were withholding what sustained God’s work.

Still, the Word of God is alive. While the audience was specific, the truth revealed about God’s heart remains. God desires trust. God desires faithfulness. God desires His work to be supported by His people.

This is different from Satan tempting Jesus in Matthew 4. Satan used Scripture to manipulate and test God. In Malachi, God Himself invites trust. The difference is not the verse, but the authority and the purpose behind it.

Tithing as a Beginning, Not a Formula

Tithing is not a transaction. It is not “give so God will bless you.” That mindset turns God into a system instead of a King.

Tithing is a beginning. It gives direction to people who do not know how or where to give. It teaches discipline. It trains the heart to acknowledge that God is the owner of everything we have.

Many people give without purpose. Some give just to feel good about themselves. Others give expecting something in return. Tithing, when taught rightly, confronts all of that. It asks for trust before comfort.

Supporting the Work of God Is Biblical

Not everyone is a preacher. Not everyone is called to the fivefold ministry. But everyone has a role in the kingdom.

Scripture consistently teaches that those who labor in God’s work are to be supported. The ministry does not sustain itself. God chooses to work through His people, including through their resources.

Giving, whether through money, goods, or service, is part of participating in what God is doing. Tithing is one structured way to support that work. It is not the only way, but it is a clear and practical one.

Faith, Motive, and the Heart

Tithing is an act of faith. That is the heart of it.

God said to test Him through tithing. So let those who believe do so according to their faith. But faith without the right heart becomes dangerous. Just as Jesus Himself became a stumbling block to those who did not believe, tithing can also become a stumbling block when the motive is wrong.

If the heart is greedy, proud, or transactional, even giving can become sin. God looks at the heart before He looks at the amount.

Whatever we do, Scripture tells us to do it all for the glory of God.

Obedience Requires Action

Faith is not passive. Faith moves. Faith acts.

Repentance without change is not repentance. In the same way, faith that never touches our finances should be examined honestly. This does not mean everyone must give in the same way, but it does mean obedience will cost something.

The narrow road Jesus spoke about is not always dramatic. Sometimes it looks like quiet faithfulness, disciplined generosity, and trusting God in areas where fear is strongest.

Tithing is one of those difficult paths for many people, because money is deeply tied to security, control, and identity.

Not a Requirement, Not False

Let me be clear.

I am not saying that those who do not tithe are disobedient. It depends on faith and conviction. If someone genuinely believes tithing was only for Israel, that is between them and God.

But teaching tithing itself is not false.

It becomes false when it is used to manipulate, to threaten, or to replace Christ. It remains true when it is taught as an invitation to trust God, to surrender control, and to participate in His work.

Tithing is not the only way to obey God, but it is one way to express faithfulness.

A Final Word

God is faithful to His promises. He does not fail. He does not lie. But He also will not be manipulated.

Our role is to be faithful, whether through tithing or abundant giving, always examining our heart and motive before Him.

Tithing trains us to remember who God is. He is the owner of everything we have. We are stewards, not masters.

This is my stand. Teaching tithing is not false. It is a call to faith, obedience, and trust in God, not as a law, but as worship.


Scripture References (WEB)

Malachi 3:10 (WEB)

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this,” says Yahweh of Armies, “if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there will not be enough room for.”

Matthew 4:6–7 (WEB)

and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
‘He will put his angels in charge of you.’
and,
‘On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you don’t dash your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus said to him, “Again, it is written, ‘You shall not test the Lord, your God.’”

Romans 6:15 (WEB)

What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace? Certainly not!

Ephesians 2:8–9 (WEB)

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast.

1 Corinthians 9:13–14 (WEB)

Don’t you know that those who minister about sacred things eat of the things of the temple, and those who wait on the altar have their portion with the altar?
Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the Good News should live from the Good News.

1 Timothy 5:17–18 (WEB)

Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and in teaching.
For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”

Colossians 3:23–24 (WEB)

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord, and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

Matthew 21:42–44 (WEB)

(Jesus as a stumbling stone)

Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures,
‘The stone which the builders rejected
was made the head of the corner.
This was from the Lord.
It is marvelous in our eyes’?

Therefore I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and will be given to a nation producing its fruit.
He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it will fall, it will scatter him as dust.”

Romans 14:23 (WEB)

But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because it isn’t from faith; and whatever is not of faith is sin.

James 2:17 (WEB)

Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.

Matthew 7:13–14 (WEB)

Enter in by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter in by it.
How narrow is the gate, and restricted is the way that leads to life. Few are those who find it.

Psalm 24:1 (WEB)

The earth is Yahweh’s, with its fullness; the world, and those who dwell in it.

1 Corinthians 4:2 (WEB)

Here, moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.

 

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