The Key To Financial Freedom According to the Bible
Did you know that the Bible talks about money, wealth, and possessions in over 2,300 verses? The topic that Jesus preached on the most (second to the Kingdom of God) was finances! The Bible is full of instructions and advice on how to handle our money. And there are a lot of practical ways that we can honor God with our money.
There are four main financial principles that are taught in the Bible and by following them, they can truly lead us towards financial freedom with our own money. And the financial principle that God teaches is the key to financial freedom is tithing.
You read that right. The key to financial freedom according to the Bible is tithing!
In this article, we will define exactly what tithing is, find out whether or not we are required to keep tithing today and examine why tithing is the key to Biblical financial freedom.
Here’s the big list ofmoney topics in the Bible, and here is a list of over100 Bible verses about money.
What is Tithing?
There tend to be some misconceptions about what exactly tithing is. So let’s start by clearing those up by looking at the definition of tithing. In Hebrew, a tithe means ‘one-tenth part of something.
Today, however, tithing tends to get swapped with the word offering. Though the two words are very similar, they are not exactly one and the same. A tithe was used as an offering to the church, but tithing specifically means one-tenth of something. In terms of offerings, it means giving one-tenth of your gross income.
Related: My Favorite Verses on Giving
Are Christians Required to Tithe Today?
Is tithing for modern-day Christians? Tithing was a part of the Mosaic Law prior to the new covenant. It was required for Jews until Jesus became the fulfillment of the law when he died on the cross. So, therefore, the law to tithe was technically ended with Jesus’ death on the cross.
Tithing is not necessary to “earn” salvation or God’s forgiveness and grace. The Bible makes it very clear that the only way we can gain salvation is through our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
However, that is not where the story ends. Tithing is still applicable for modern day Christians.
And we will learn why tithing is truly the key to financial freedom.
Related: Does God Give Us More Than We Can Handle?
Is Tithing Important For Modern Day Christians?
Everything that we have is ultimately God’s. He gave us the ability to produce wealth, and he provides for all of our needs. We have simply been entrusted with his resources and need to be responsible for how we use them.
Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. 12 Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength. 1 Chronicles 29:11-12
God provides us with our wealth and we need to be good money managers of it. Biblically, this is referred to as being a steward.
As good stewards of God’s money, we need to invest in what matters most to God. The one thing that Jesus talked about most while on earth was the Kingdom of God. God cares most about people coming to know him. He desires for people to follow him.
We can invest in God’s #1 mission (His Kingdom) by investing in our local church through tithing.
What If I Can’t Afford to Tithe?
Financial distress is very real and many people have experienced it. It may put you in a position where you are asking, “Should I pay tithes or buy groceries?”
Even though your salvation will not be in jeopardy if you choose not to tithe, I would still encourage you to tithe even when you feel like money is tight. In fact, Jesus said something about it in Luke 6.
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much”
Luke 16:10
Tithing is like saying, “God, I trust you with my finances. I trust that you will provide for me even when I give everything that I have.”
When we practice tithing when we have very little, the practice will easily follow us as we earn more money. However, if you choose not to tithe when you feel like you just can’t afford it now, you won’t magically start tithing when you have more.
So can God trust you with his resources? Will you honor God with the way you spend your money by tithing?
Related 7 Lies Christians Believe About Money
The Result of Our Tithe
Did you know that the only time that God tells us to test him is when it comes to tithing?
That’s right, in Malachi chapter 3 God says,
“Return to me and I will return to you says the Lord Almighty. But ask, how are we to return? Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me! But you say in what way have we robbed you? In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse for you have robbed me, even this whole nation. 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 you will not have room enough for it. Then all the nations will call you blessed for yours will be a delightful land.”
Malachi 3:7-12
When we faithfully tithe, God promises to bless us. And not only will he bless us, but he will also bless us more than we can even handle! God promises to take care of all of our needs when we tithe.
When we choose to gratefully hand over 10% of our income, God wants to shower us with blessings. It is because we understand that everything that we have comes from the Lord alone. We trust that he will continue to provide for us even after we give a portion of our income to him.
Think of this example:
A father takes his daughter out for lunch and she orders a burger with fries. The father pays for the meal and they sit down to enjoy.
Towards the end of the meal, the father reaches over and asks the daughter if he can take one fry. The daughter quickly responds, “No, dad! These are my fries and if I give you one of them I might go hungry later!”
The father might feel betrayed, angry, and a bit agitated. He may feel the need to remind his daughter that he was actually the one that paid for her meal, and therefore, the food technically belonged to him. She could clearly forget about going out for ice cream later that day.
Now, what if instead, the daughter responded in this manner, “Sure dad, I would be glad to share my fries with you. You were the one who provided them to me in the first place so they do truly belong to you anyway. And I trust that even though I’m giving you one of my fries now, that you will continue to provide for me in the future. I know that you would never let me go hungry.”
Hearing this response, the father would be MORE than happy to go above and beyond to show his daughter how much he loves her. He would not only give her many hugs and kisses, but he would gladly take her out to ice cream to continue to shower her with his love.The posture of the daughter’s heart creates a desire in the father to bless her even further because he can see how thankful she is even when the blessings are very small.
This is just a simple way to view God’s love and desire to bless us when it comes to tithing. When we recognize that our money is not our own, and when we hand it over cheerfully, God desires to shower us with his love!
This is why tithing is the key to financial freedom.Our 90% will go further with God than 100% all on our own.
Tithing is the Key to Financial Freedom According to the Bible
Even though tithing is the key to financial freedom, that doesn’t mean we should tithe just to receive God’s blessing. He doesn’t work like a vending machine… The more you give does not equal more reward. At least not when we try to “game” the system that way.
God blesses those who truly put him first in their hearts, lives, and finances. We should view tithing as an act of worship and a way that we can ultimately thank God for all that he has provided us with.
And when we position our hearts in this way, God promises to bless us more than we can handle.That is truly why tithing is the key to financial freedom.
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