Is Tithing Still For Today?

Is tithing an Old Testament rule that no longer applies, or is it still part of following Jesus? It's still for today. Tithing came before the law, Jesus never lowered God's standard, and the Spirit-filled church gave even more. But tithing was never really about money. It's about returning your heart to God, and the tithe is where generosity starts, not where it ends.

What is a tithe?

A tithe is the first tenth of your income, given back to God as an act of worship. The word "tithe" simply means a tenth. In Scripture, God's people brought it to "the storehouse" so there would be food in His house.

The best-known passage on tithing comes from the prophet Malachi.

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. "Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it."

Malachi 3:10

Is tithing really about money?

No. Tithing is about your heart. God doesn't need money. What He wants is His people back.

Look at how Malachi 3 begins. God says, "I the LORD do not change" (Malachi 3:6). On Beyond Sunday, Pastor Sean Sloan summed up the whole Old Testament in two lines: God is faithful, and we aren't. Israel had walked away from God. He calls them, "Return to me, and I will return to you" (Malachi 3:7). When they ask how, He answers: in tithes and offerings.

The tithe was a way back to relationship, and it still is.

Should you wait until your heart is right to give?

No. Obedience often opens your heart instead of the other way around. Most of us want to feel right first and obey later. Jesus described it differently.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:21

Where you put your money is already a spiritual investment, whether you realize it or not. You're storing up something or nothing by how you manage what you have. God's instruction is simple: start with the first tenth, and let your heart follow.

You probably don't need another sermon on giving to begin. As Pastor Sean put it, most of us don't need one more message. We just need to do the last one we heard.

Isn't tithing just an Old Testament law?

No. Tithing came before the law of Moses, and Jesus affirmed it. That's the most common objection, along with the claim that Jesus didn't talk about it. Here's how Scripture answers both.

Tithing came before the law

Long before Moses, Abraham gave a tenth to Melchizedek, the priest of God Most High.

Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Genesis 14:20

Jesus fulfilled the law; He didn't erase it

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

Matthew 5:17

So ask what Jesus fulfilled. He paid for our sin in a way we never could. He didn't remove God's moral instruction. He rebuked religious leaders who tithed carefully while ignoring justice and mercy. Then He told them to keep both: "You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former" (Matthew 23:23).

Jesus raised the standard

Again and again Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said... But I tell you." In every case He took God's law deeper, never lighter. He told one rich young ruler to sell everything he had.

The Spirit made the church generous

When the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, the first believers sold possessions and shared with anyone in need. The most generous church that ever existed was a Spirit-filled one.

Why start with ten percent?

The tithe is a concrete first step toward a much bigger truth: everything you have belongs to God. Children learn simple ideas before complex ones, and God starts us with something concrete.

Holding back the tenth feels easy because we still think it's ours to give or keep. Bringing it back in worship is like honoring the Sabbath or honoring your body. You treat as holy what God has called holy. Then, out of His blessing, you can go above and beyond.

No gift of yours compares with what God gave on the cross. But the connection is real. God gave His whole self to you. Giving your whole self back to Him includes your money.

What if you're in a season with very little?

Stay faithful, and let others bless you when you need it. For example, Pastor Sean has tithed since childhood, starting with fifty cents of a five-dollar allowance. He and his wife have also lived through seasons when there wasn't much and people bought them groceries.

Receiving can be harder than giving. We all want humility; we just don't want to be humbled. Letting others care for you is part of trusting God. Tithing in a lean season is also a step of faith. Don't clutch what little you have. Trust God with it.

Where does God's overflow go?

God's blessing flows through you to other people. In Malachi, God promised more blessing than His people could contain. If you can't contain it, it's meant to spill over.

God has been doing this since Abraham.

I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.

Genesis 12:2

Pastor Adrian Cruz described the principle of the harvest. The principle of the harvest is that when you're faithful with a little and use it to bless others, God can trust you with more. Calvary lives this out through food baskets, a toy drive for Aurora neighborhoods, and missions giving. God doesn't just want to bless you. He wants to bless others through you.

Common questions

Is tithing still required for Christians today?

The Beyond Sunday hosts believe it is. Tithing came before the law with Abraham, Jesus affirmed it in Matthew 23:23, and the New Testament church was even more generous. The tithe is a starting place, not a ceiling.

What is a tithe?

A tithe is the first tenth of your income, given back to God as worship.

Is tithing about money?

Not at its core. Jesus said your heart follows your treasure. Tithing is a way of turning your heart back to God and acknowledging that everything you have is His.

What does Malachi 3:10 mean?

God invited His people to return to Him by bringing the whole tithe, and He promised to pour out more blessing than they could store. That overflow is meant to bless others through them.