God does not want you to neglect your family's needs, or a neighbor's needs to put more money in the coffers of an already wealthy Church.

Proverbs 22:16 He that oppresseth the poor to increase his [riches, and] he that giveth to the rich, [shall] surely [come] to want.

But I will say further. God does not want the saved to place themselves under the Mosaic/Levitic Law! That's right. He does not want the saved to be bound by the Mosaic/Levitic Law.

in Acts 15, the Law is described as a yoke... a burden, that not even the Apostles were able to keep perfectly. And the Holy Ghost thought it good that no greater burden be required of the Gentile Converts than four necessary things. Tithing was not one of those "necessary things."

Still not convinced that the Christian is not to keep the Law? Paul's letter to Timothy should convince you. There, we read:

1 Timothy 1:8-10 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disOBedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

Paul tells Timothy that the Law is good, but he tells Timothy that it is not for the saved. Rather, it is for the unsaved. If you are saved, you are not required to follow the Mosaic/Levitic Law.

Still not convinced? In his letter to the Galatians, Paul wrote:

Galatians 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

If you attempt to keep one of the laws written in the Mosaic/Levitic Law, you had better keep all the laws written in the Mosaic/Levitic Law. If you don't, according to the above verse... you are cursed.

Still not convinced? Read on...

Romans 7:1-4 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

Uh-oh! In the above passage, we find that we (the saved) are married to Christ. When we go to the house of the Law, we are committing spiritual adultery. Do you really want to be seen as a spiritual adulterer in God's eyes?

You may think, "OK, so we are not to place ourselves under the Mosaic/Levitic Law. I guess that means we are free now to steal, kill, covet, etc.."

My question would be, "Why would you want to do those things? They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." (see Galatians 5:24)

Those who are Christ's will not have the desire to steal, kill, covet, etc.. They will want to do the things that are pleasing to God.

Does this mean then, that we will never sin if we are Christ's? No, Paul clearly reveals that we can sin. Paul said in his letter to the Romans:

Romans 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

This fleshly tabernacle will sin from time to time. And if one is saved, one will feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit if, and when, that one does sin.

Friend, don't submit yourself to an Old Covenant Law that God's Word reveals is a ministration of death. (see2 Corinthians 3:7) Rather, submit yourself to God. Commit yourself to loving Christ and fellow man and you will find that if you follow those two rules you will not want to steal, kill, covet, etc..