The above title is my latest entry to my blog and I'm really surprised at the reaction of many folks to it. I would like to know what nairalanders' view is on it too.

For a summary: The article argues that salvation by Jesus is free and that the modern day gospel that call believers to PAY tithes is actually detracting from the power of the gospel and rendering it useless. And that many people would be Christians today if tithing was not made a pre-requsite for being a good Christian. Enjoy the article:

“I CANNOT AFFORD TO BE A CHRISTIAN”

Romans 8:32 - He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

2 Peter 1:2 - Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:


Evangelism remains a cardinal aspect of the Christian’s way of life. The call on us to “go ye…” by Jesus Christ cannot be over-emphasized especially in times like this when it seems the world itself is reeling from the weight of the sins of men. There is no other time in the history of the world that men need to hear the message of the saving works of Jesus Christ than now. But it seems to me that the world is tired of the gospel. An average non-Christian has heard these words “give your life to Christ…” so many times that it is making little sense to them day by day and thus there is a need to trust God for more creative ways of passing across the message of the cross to a world desperately in need of hearing it. As we endeavor to do this as Christians, we must also update ourselves about certain realities in the world today and the need for us as Christians to up our game, quit religion and avail ourselves as vessels to God to be used as his mouth piece to witness Jesus to a world in dire need of the salvation message.

One reality that we Christian seem not to notice about the mindset of a non Christian is the fact that many of such people cannot afford to be Christians. I use the word “afford” to drive home the fact that the Christianity that many espouse today cost too much financially and people cannot just afford to pay for it; and the best way of doing this is just to keep away from the gospel entirely. There is a certain false teaching in the heart and life of the Christian church today that says that for one to be a good Christian such an individual must pay a tithe of his income to a Christian clergy or to the church he worships in. And for this reason, many hard working and sensible individuals who, at one time or the other had considered the Christian message have been put off and relapsed into a world of sin. There is no scripture in the whole of the bible that says for one to be a Christian or for one to be a good Christian or for one to get to heaven, such an individual must pay a tithe of his weekly or monthly income to a clergy or church. To claim such is to put a sword through the heart of the gospel Jesus called the church to propagate around the world. The eternal gospel that God called us to tell the world is that Jesus Christ died a painful death on a Roman Cross to purchase salvation for the world. In doing this, Jesus paid for all that needs to be paid for. Anyone that believes the gospel of Jesus is not required to pay anything more both to be a Christian or to remain a Christian. Man’s salvation is fully paid for by the atoning work of Jesus on the cross of Calvary. Salvation is God’s free gift to human beings and any man can partake of this salvation by only believing in Jesus as his Lord and Savior.

This sort of conditional and false gospel tried to creep into the body of Christ in the early days of the apostles too. Christianity having been borne from a Jewish tradition was in danger of being influenced by Judaism, when some individuals began to say people could not be saved except they were circumcised first (Acts 15:1). This heresy was quickly dispelled by the apostles of Jesus when they showed the implication of Jesus’s dying on our faith: “But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.” (Acts 15:11). The grace of God in the cross of Jesus is the fact that God gives salvation freely to men and no one needs to work to earn it, talk less of paying for it. Grace is a favour that is not merited neither can it be paid for. The doctrine that teaches that Christians must pay tithe to their local churches is a false doctrine that is the result of a wrong interpretation of the tithe God demanded from the Children of Israel in the Old Testament as a kind of taxation to support the religious and civil life of those people. The tithe of the Old Testament is ten percent of the agricultural produce from God’s holy land. A land that God gave to the children of Israel and He instituted the tithe from any produce off that Land to be a paid to a tribe, the levites, who had no inheritance on the land. This tithe was expected to paid once, following the harvest, and was to be given to the levithes, who in turn paid a tithe of what they received to the priests for their own upkeep. The tithe was never money, even though money existed in Old Testament times. That system of tithing is however, today, defuct and obsolete, because the church of Jesus Christ is not physical Israel and there are no levities to pay tithes to today.

Jesus has paid all that needs to be paid and God is not demanding anything from anyone save for simple faith in what Jesus has done on the cross for sinful humanity. What did Jesus do? God created a good world. A world devoid of sin, sickness, poverty and every sort of ill. He created man and put man in the world he created but man sinned and lost his relationship with God. In spite of this set back, God put in motion another plan to redeem man. When Jesus was to be born, the reason for his coming was stated: He was to come and save man from his sins (Matthew 1:21). Jesus did this by living a sinless life on earth by fulfilling the righteous requirements of the laws God had given Moses. In the laws of Moses, men could pay for their sins by killing a lamb. However, Jesus, who had lived the law perfectly, became a sinless lamb, whom God set forth as a propitiation for our sin. Like in the days of Moses, God put the sins of the whole world on Jesus and He died as the sacrificial Lamb of God for the sins of all men. Jesus paid for our sins by his death on a Roman Cross. This is what Jesus did.

But the story did not end there, Jesus would however, rise up from the dead after three days in the grave, having purchased eternal salvation for all who will believe in Him. This is the crux of the gospel message and this is what satan has been attacking from all times. When a man, having heard the gospel message, is convicted of his sins and repents before God, such a man is forgiven by God and is made a new creation in Christ. Such an individual is saved and has begun a glorious journey in God that started in grace and will most certainly end in grace. Such an individual need not pay a penny to be saved, to remain saved or to be saved into God’s glorious kingdom.

To conclude this essay, I wish to offer a proper and balanced perspective on the whole matter of money in the Christian church. While God does not demand we pay tithes or offering to be members of the Church His Son purchased with His blood, God demands our love. The truth is that a genuinely born-again individual will have God’s love shed abroad in his heart. He will see life from a new perspective: he would love God and he would love human beings. It is this love God has placed in the heart of such a converted fellow that leads him to give because love always gives. This giving is not by compulsion (2Corinthians 9:7) as is falsely depicted by the doctrine of tithing, but free will. What this free will giving shall be is not a matter for any church or pastor to determine for any of God’s saints: an individual may be so blessed by God that he determines in his heart to give 10% of his income to support the church were he is being discipled. That is just fine; but what he gives is not a tithe but a tenth of his income.

Despite the position I have taken in this essay I still encourage giving to the church because of the great need for the propagation of the gospel in these last days. There is the need for more money in mission works to parts of the world that have never heard the gospel message; there is the need to take care of the weak in the church: widows, orphans, the sick, homeless, jobless, etc. And there is the need to minister our physical blessings to our Pastors, as they minister spiritual things to us. All of these needs in church can be adequately taken care of by graceful, sacrificial, free willed offering; without the need to impose the false burden of tithe paying on the flock of God.

The message of this essay is that salvation is free: fully paid for by the death of Jesus on the cross. We cannot purchase salvation by good works, circumcision or by tithing. God is calling on every person who is not a Christian to re consider the gospel message, not in the light of the false one that the demands money from you but in the light of the true gospel that says God does not desire a penny from you; rather, God desires you. God has fully paid for your salvation in Christ Jesus and you need not pay anything to receive it or to keep it. Every human being created by God can afford to be a Christian because salvation in Jesus Christ is free!

1. I shall be writing a comprehensive essay on why Tithing Is Not An Obligation For The New Testament Christian in the very near future. In that essay, I shall be looking at all the scripture were the word tithe or tenth is mentioned in the bible with the hope of driving home the lesson that tithing is not required of Christians today.

Religion can never reform mankind because religion is slavery.

~Robert Green Ingersoll

A church is a place in which gentlemen who have never been to heaven brag about it to persons who will never get there.

What does reform mean in that context pls?

idnoble135: What does reform mean in that context pls?

Making life better

Edited
Very well then. I agree with that quote a hundred percent.
Jesus is the answer and not religion.

@Drummaboy
I was wondering what took you so long to post this article on NL.

Pastor Kun: @Drummaboy
I was wondering what took you so long to post this article on NL.

Abi O.

I just thought I should do it now, following the responses I got on my facebook and the fire I am facing in church bc of it right now!

BTW

I invite my friends to listen live to a radio presentation from the internet, anytime from 9am, as a popular broadcaster here in Ibadan has invited me for a live interview on my views which I shared with him that "a Christian revolution can fix Nigeria". We may also be discussing the above article.

The link to the radio broadcast: http://radio.securenetsystems.net/radio_player_large.cfm?stationCallSign=SPLASHFM

Splash FM, Ibadan.

hmmm....


m'nbo...mi o ti de.

@ Drummaboy: Which radio station and what's the frequency so I could manually tune in ? Internet is out of it.

@ topic: I certainly agree that tithe isn't compulsory. At a point in my Christianity I thought it was and tithed faithfully, out of my small savings (was 15 ) But I then realised, moreso after coming to Nairaland, that indeed it wasn't explicitly stated save from pastor's who made it out to be necessary as a means for blessing using the Bible as a basis as most would do. I noted also that the early church didn't tithe but theirs was a non-compulsive contribution, which most partook in anyways, to meet their collective needs. I think the church has strayed from the precedent set in Acts. Maybe as a consequence of getting bigger. In any case, truth be told, tithe is good for the financial needs for the church. That need not be used to fraudulently claim the Bible demands 10% (though I think it's a honest mistake by some) for blessing. I didn't see reactions on your blog.

DrummaBoy:

Abi O.

I just thought I should do it now, following the responses I got on my facebook and the fire I am facing in church bc of it right now!

Just be firm, I can assure you that you would continue to face a lot of fire and probably make one or two enemies. Personally I have faced a lot of battles based on my stance on tithes but I have always come out victorious. All I do is tell my adversaries to read, interprete and contrast deut 14:22-29 with the false version of tithes practised today. Trust me it always has a sobering effect on tithe mongers as it exposes the folly of the modern church tithing and leaves no room for them to manipulate scripture to justify their false version of tithes.

@OP,
From the way you people go about this anti-tithe preaching its obvious that your churches are imposing it on members and even preaching it frequently as if the life of the church depends on it. My church doesn't impose it in anyway. Its a freewill thing between you and God so no collection of tithe during any of our services and the preaching of it is once in years. Infact some years ago I use to feel uncomfortable that our church preach tithe once in so many years and I was saying to myself; does it mean they want members to be robbing God ignorantly. That they should be raising the consciousness in people's heart by preaching it once or twice in a year not years. When I confronted the church leadership they said they are not here to preach money. That its between an individual and God and that that's why there is no money collection of any sort in our services. In the sign board of our churches all over the world its written-"no collection, no donation,your spiritual welfare is our concern". My own stand is this- tithers should not impose tithing on people and anti-tithers should also not impose their teachings on people. Let each group present their case and let God guide the individual in deciding which one to accept. For me I still give my tithe and am very ok with it.

alexleo: @OP,
From the way you people go about this anti-tithe preaching its obvious that your churches are imposing it on members and even preaching it frequently as if the life of the church depends on it. My church doesn't impose it in anyway. Its a freewill thing between you and God so no collection of tithe during any of our services and the preaching of it is once in years. Infact some years ago I use to feel uncomfortable that our church preach tithe once in so many years and I was saying to myself; does it mean they want members to be robbing God ignorantly. That they should be raising the consciousness in people's heart by preaching it once or twice in a year not years. When I confronted the church leadership they said they are not here to preach money. That its between an individual and God and that that's why there is no money collection of any sort in our services. In the sign board of our churches all over the world its written-"no collection, no donation,your spiritual welfare is our concern". My own stand is this- tithers should not impose tithing on people and anti-tithers should also not impose their teachings on people. Let each group present their case and let God guide the individual in deciding which one to accept. For me I still give my tithe and am very ok with it.

You have said it all. Me too still give my tithe and i am very ok with it,infact i don't regret it.
On the issue of tithe,ppl should be left alone to decide for themselves,whether they want to pay or not,let God lead them to whatever decision.
This is just a small matter,we have 'weightier' issues.
Shalom.

Mintayo:
You have said it all. Me too still give my tithe and i am very ok with it,infact i don't regret it.
On the issue of tithe,ppl should be left alone to decide for themselves,whether they want to pay or not,let God lead them to whatever decision.
This is just a small matter,we have 'weightier' issues.
Shalom.

Nobody is stopping you from "paying" your tithe. All we are doing is letting people know that contrary to all the lies they have been fed over the years about tithe that tithing is not required of christians.

Pastor Kun:

Nobody is stopping you from "paying" your tithe. All we are doing is letting people know that contrary to all the lies they have been fed over the years about tithe that tithing is not required of christians.

I don't like discussing this issue but let me ask,by saying tithing is not required of christains,are you saying that christains should not pay tithe at all?

So na you be that guy Edmond Obilo interviewed this morning ba? Nice one Bro.... I knew i heard a line of argument that can only come from Nairaland...lol. You did great.

Mintayo:
I don't like discussing this issue but let me ask,by saying tithing is not required of christains,are you saying that christains should not pay tithe at all?

I am not saying christians should not "pay" tithes if they choose to my grouse is that most people that do are doing so because they have been deceived into believing it is required of them as christians. Preaching mandatory tithes to christians is clear spiritual fraud to me and must not be condoned. As a christian I feel pained that my religion is being used to defraud believers on a global scale. Preachers ought to preach the truth about tithes and let believers know it's not a christian requirement. Believers should be left to determine how much they want to give be it 1%, 5%, 10% or 20%

Truth is that most churches in Nigeria are created basically for the purpose of money making, especially among the new generation churches. That's why they emphasize so much on money, not just tithing but they create various other means of making members to drop heavy pay. A situation where money is mentioned in every church service under whatever name- tithe or offering or sowing seed or whatever is not good at all.

@alexleo
Whether mandatory or by choice, any contrived monetary arrangements or obligations between a person and god is nothing but a fraud.

If you really think that you need to pay god, I am 100% sure that you don't believe in god.
I have been saying it that religious faith rests entirely on doubts.
Making payments to god is proof.
It is a desperate act of bribery by the giver, and fraud by the receiver.

plaetton: @alexleo
Whether mandatory or by choice, any contrived monetary arrangements or obligations between a person and god is nothing but a fraud.

If you really think that you need to pay god, I am 100% sure that you don't believe in god.
I have been saying it that religious faith rests entirely on doubts.
Making payments to god is proof.
It a desperate act of bribery by the giver, and fraud by the receiver.

You don't believe in God so I have nothing to discuss with you in this matter concerning the household of God. If you want us to discuss about God then you have to believe in him first. Then we start. Thanks.

alexleo:

You don't believe in God so I have nothing to discuss with you in this matter concerning the household of God. If you want us to discuss about God then you have to believe in him first. Then we start. Thanks.

Omg!
You crack me up. Do you declare that people have to believe in god first before you start preaching to them?
Another case religious decoherence.
It happens when religious myth meets the firewall of common sense.

plaetton:

Omg!
You crack me up. Do you declare that people have to believe in god first before you start preaching to them?
Another case religious decoherence.
It happens when religious myth meets the firewall of common sense.

If I want to preach to you then tithe is not the first thing we should talk about. The first thing we should talk about is the salvation of your soul which the death of Jesus has made possible for you to receive. John 3:16 says " for God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life. By the death and ressurection of Jesus Christ, you are entitled to obtain mercy from his throne of grace. What Jesus requires from you is to believe that he died for you and that his blood shed on the cross can cleanse you from all sins. This is the first thing you should do. If you humbly pray to Jesus with faith in your heart, you will expeerience his beautiful and loving touch in your heart and your life will be transformed totally.

alexleo: Truth is that most churches in Nigeria are created basically for the purpose money making, especially among the new generation churches. That's why they emphasize so much on money, not just tithing but they create various other means of making members to drop heavy pay. A situation where money is mentioned in every church service under whatever name- tithe or offering or sowing seed or whatever is not good at all.

yeah thar is tru, i read from a pastor in america he is born in nigeria and he fights also against this new churches in nigeria who only want money and tell aboujt miracles and healing and .......
I read my bible and i know god want a giver and he understand when it is sometimes not possible to give, and to give mean help a person who realy need it not give money to the rich pastors and oveerse... and what names they all have.

Nigerians pray to the angel of the light,.......

Wow!