It’s time for some straight talk. Often that helps people grow. Here it is: many people do not tithe because they simply do not really believe the Bible. Paul wrote to the Hebrews and told them “Be careful, brothers, in case you find inside yourself an evil heart of unbelief, causing you to depart from the living God” (Hebrews 3.12).
Sadly, many Christians have a heart of unbelief. They act like they don’t believe in Heaven or Hell or Jesus or discipleship or miracles. I’ve even met pastors who don’t believe the Bible.
Now one of the main reasons some Christians do not tithe is that they just don’t believe the Bible. They come up with all sorts of foolish reasons why they should not be giving 10% of their income to the storehouse like the father of faith, Abraham did.
They say tithing was for those under law, when tithing had been around for 400 years before the law of Moses. Just because tithing is in the law, does not mean that tithing is legalism, any more than not murdering or commiting adultery is legalism. This is just immaturity speaking, and it betrays a hard heart, an unbelieving heart. These people are right that tithing is in the Law, and they are right we are not under the law, but Abraham was not under law and tithed to Melchizedek, his priest, and now in the New Covenant Jesus is our High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. Jacob tithed under grace too! So the truth is people of faith tithe and that truth is deeper than the Law and predates it.
They say tithing is 23% (or some other percentage, calculated by them) and if we really believed in tithing we would give that. No – that’s not true. 23% is not in the Law of Moses, and you cannot find it. The Pharisees did it, but I am not tithing like the Pharisees, I am tithing like Abraham.
Then they say the New Testament teaches we should give whatever we want. I agree when it comes to offerings, and 2 Cor. 9.7 applies to offerings. Once you have tithed to your local church, you can give special offerings to other churches as you feel. Taking that and applying it to giving to your storehouse church is again unbelief.
Another objection I have heard is that in the Old Testament, tithing had nothing to do with money. We should be tithing our corn, oh, I have no corn, I don’t tithe. My response to that is unbelief at that person’s level of unbelief! We honour the Lord with our wealth, and 2 Chronicles 31.5 says the people tithed oil, wine and sheep, but it then says they tithed everything. You don’t get a prize for knowing that everything means everything, and that includes money.
A few weeks ago, someone told me that they tithe to themselves because they have had the great revelation that they are the temple of God and need to tithe to themselves. I can’t even bring myself to deal with that one, it’s purely a justification for their unbelief and unwillingness to serve the Lord.
We should be joyful givers, but we should also have enough faith to be joyful tithers, giving the same as someone who is spiritually dead, under a worse covenant, in Israel should be easy for us with our better covenant and reborn spirit. But sadly, some people assault the teachings on the tithe in the New Testament to justify their unbelief. Don’t be one of those people, take a step of faith today, and bring your tithe into the storehouse!
Tree of Life Blog 
Yes Ben, so true and I love the fact that you proclaim it so. You are a blessing and I love also that you ensure that TOL has tithes and offerings messages weekly. You are prosperous because you obey the truth of God’s Word and we are privileged to give. Believing for maximum harvest!