The cross of Jesus Christ radically changed how believers live. This includes our financial giving. Under the Law of Moses, the people were required to tithe, and failure to do so resulted in curses and punishment. Now that He has replaced the law with grace, the law-based requirements are gone and we’re free to give generously and from the heart.

No More Restrictions or Regulations

No longer are we locked into giving ten percent because it’s a legal requirement. We can now give as much as much as we’re led to give, with no restrictions. This change ties in with the shift in thinking about the Sabbath, from being a specific day to being Jesus, Himself. We understand this when we rightly divide God’s Word.

Under the law, tithing was one of the rules to follow; a blessing followed when the people obeyed, but a curse followed when they didn’t. The people frequently fell short in this area, and their failure to perform perfectly was counted as sin against them. Thankfully, Jesus moved us out from under the Mosaic covenant to a better covenant based on better promises. “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14). Unlike under the old covenant, Christians aren’t required to tithe; it’s not a heaven or hell issue anymore.

The Focus Has Shifted from Works to Faith

A major difference between the law and grace is that under the law, the main requirement was perfect performance through strict adherence to all the rules; under grace, the requirement is now faith in Jesus’ finished works. Whatever grace has made, faith takes. As free moral agents, we can decide either to live under the law, or choose something better.

When Paul wrote to the Romans about deliverance from the law, he linked being “in the flesh” to “the motions of sin” with its harsh requirements. “For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter” (Romans 7:5, 6). If we’ve been delivered from the Law of Moses, then we’ve been delivered specifically from the law of tithing. The commands stipulated in the old covenant no longer apply.

Tithing Existed Before the Law

Some people read about Abraham and Jacob in the Old Testament and think we’re still supposed to tithe because they tithed before the law. However, their motivation to give wasn’t tied to being blessed by giving or being cursed by not giving. This happened right after the Battle of the Kings, when Abram slaughtered the enemy because God was with him. Abram tithed out of thanksgiving and gratitude for God handing him the victory.

Even in the Old Testament, God’s grace was at work. They didn’t give because they were required to, but out of appreciation for what God had already done for them. Grace moves us from giving under compulsion to giving willingly and joyfully. “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all” (Genesis 14:18-20).

Jacob had the same mindset as Abraham. Jacob gave a tenth to signify his gratefulness to God for promising to be with him and to protect him. His generosity came out of gratitude, not out of fear of being punished for not giving. “And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me” (Genesis 28:22, NLT).  

We Now Give Out of Gratitude

We need this way of thinking to successfully operate under grace. Our giving should be a response to God’s ability to take care of us. We are not required to give anything; however, we give because we want to, no because we’re compelled to. Fear is no longer our motivator.

Paul preached generous giving to the New-Testament believers. Nowhere did he ever mention tithing, but he instead taught giving from the heart. “You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. ‘For God loves a person who gives cheerfully’” (2 Corinthians 9:7, NLT). This is the opposite of what so many churches focus on, namely, the law-based teaching that the congregation will be cursed if they don’t give.

It’s important to remember that Jesus’ commands to tithe were perfectly appropriate before the cross, because He was still operating under the law. This is why the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John actually belong in the Old Testament. Christ’s death and resurrection changed all that was previously true under the law. Knowing the difference between law-based tithing and grace-based giving frees us from the guilt and fear that hinders most people in this area.

The Macedonians Gave with the Right Motives

When Paul visited Macedonia, he found that the believers there were overjoyed to give. They didn’t let their circumstances dictate their giving. “Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem” (2 Corinthians 8:1-4, NLT). Despite their poverty, the Macedonians’ attitude was one of complete trust in God’s ability to provide for them.

The Old-Testament demands to tithe are gone. We don’t have to be afraid to give, because God has replaced those demands with promises. He has already blessed us and promised to take care of our every need. Confidence in this causes our hearts to overflow with joy and gratitude that can only be expressed through generous giving.