From Indulgences to Tithes: Are We Selling Salvation Again?

By †Gabriel Obiano, D.D.

Introduction: A Tale of Two Errors

In my last teaching, I warned about the claim that “if you don’t pay your tithe, you will go to hell.” I asked a simple but serious question: Can a person doomed for hell move to Heaven simply by paying his tithe, without knowing the message of the Cross and accepting Christ as his Lord and Savior?

Preaching about tithing and condemning people to hell because they didn't pay is misleading and dangerous. Let me tell you, this is not a new problem in the life of the Church. A similar scenario has occurred before in history.

This mandate to put a price tag on God’s grace happened at the center of one of the most pivotal moments in the Church’s story—the selling of indulgences in the 16th century.

Just as then, so today: when money is preached louder than the Cross, the Gospel is obscured. More emphasis is placed on the message of money rather than the message of the Cross. Should we now get rid of the Cross that we all should proclaim, and instead preach a gospel of salvation through paying tithes? Of course not. Let the message of the Cross prevail, and let every other misleading message be silenced.

The Historical Mirror: The Sale of Indulgences

Let’s be clear. Originally, an indulgence was meant to be a spiritual help. It was the Church’s way of saying: if a Christian, already forgiven of sin through confession, did works of prayer or charity, they could receive remission of the temporal punishment still due to sin. It was about purification—not about buying heaven.

But by the late Middle Ages, this good idea was abused. Preachers like Johann Tetzel turned indulgences into a money-making tool. People were told that with a few coins they could release souls from purgatory or even buy salvation for themselves. The famous line that summed up this distortion was: “As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs.”

What a mockery of the message of the Cross and of Him who was nailed to it! Was money ever the means by which people are saved? Money has never been a means of salvation. It never has and it never will. No matter how many coins you drop; no matter how many cheques you write to your local church, you cannot buy the grace of God which has been given to all men freely.

Can you see the problem? Grace was being advertised like a market product. The message of the Cross was pushed aside, replaced with the idea that God’s mercy had a price tag.

The Prophetic Voice: Martin Luther’s Stand

Into this confusion stepped Martin Luther—not first as a rebel, but as a pastor. He looked at the faces of ordinary believers who thought their eternity could be secured by money, and he was grieved.

I have witnessed some preachers talking about how much favor you will receive from God based on the amount of money you give to the local preacher or pastor. God's mercy does not depend on our effort or how much we are willing to drop in the box. God's mercy depends on God's mercy. Yes! You heard me right. God's mercy depends on His mercy. This simply means that God's mercy doesn't seek anyone's approval to fulfill that which is appointed. God's mercy seeks God's mercy. Mercy seeking mercy means that mercy can't be denied, and you don't have to pay for it. And the mercy I am talking about is the one the Father has released through Christ—His finished work on the Cross.

In 1517, Luther wrote his famous 95 Theses. Some of his strongest points were:

- True repentance is an inner turning of the heart, not an external payment.

- The Pope has no authority over purgatory, and certainly not over salvation.

- Trusting in indulgences was spiritually dangerous because it made people rely on paper certificates instead of the promises of Christ.

If God decided to make leaders of the church the gatekeepers of Heaven, I can tell you vehemently that it would be difficult for even a poor man to enter. Yes, I said it, and you know it's true. Like in that historical era of the Church, a prominent leader would start issuing certificates for entry into Heaven. But God knows the heart of men.

What if Christ had sold His blood on the Cross? I mean, after His resurrection, if He had decided to sell salvation to those willing to pay, do you think the majority of us could afford it? Consider the poor who are taxed so heavily that they sell what they have just to meet a tithing target. Do you think if God were that way with us, we would still have breath in us?

Let's not merchandise the gospel. Christ paid with His blood so that we would pay **NOTHING!**

Luther’s burden was this: the Gospel of grace had been covered up. And he shouted what the Scriptures have always taught—salvation is by faith alone, through grace alone, in Christ alone.

In a similar way to Luther, I shout that salvation cannot be bought. Tithe does not guarantee Heaven; Christ does.

You do not compel people to give or tithe. So, do not put fear in them and lie that by paying tithe, they will make heaven.

The Modern Parallel: Tithes as the New Indulgence?

Now, let’s look at today. We may not be selling indulgence papers anymore, but some messages on tithing sound just as dangerous as the historical era when indulgences were sold.

When a pulpit declares, “If you don’t pay tithe, you will go to hell,” is that not the same spirit? We may not be promising release from purgatory, but we are still teaching that God’s mercy depends on a financial transaction.

Don’t misunderstand me: tithing itself is not the problem. The Bible speaks of tithes and offerings as acts of worship, thanksgiving, and support for God’s work. But the danger is when tithing is preached as a condition for salvation or as a guarantee of God’s favor. That, brethren, is no different from the sale of indulgences. The same act is repeated, but with different tactics.

Both errors share the same root: replacing God’s free grace with a human payment system. Both shift trust away from Christ’s finished work to our own efforts and wallets.

A Call to Grace: Returning to the Heart of the Gospel

The heart of the Gospel has not changed. Our salvation, our peace, our inheritance—it all rests on the Cross of Jesus Christ, not on tithing, not on seed sowing, and not on anything that has to do with money.

Peter said it plainly: *“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed… but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect”* (1 Peter 1:18-19, NIV). His blood is what redeemed you, not how much you give to your local church or how much tithe you pay.

If you have been burdened with the fear that your eternity depends on your tithe slip, I have good news for you: Your place in Heaven was purchased by the blood of Jesus, not your bank account. That's the gospel for you today, and I hope you do not keep this message to yourself.

And to the Church, I say this: Preach the Cross above all else. Let tithing and generosity flow from grateful hearts, not fearful ones. Let believers give because they love Christ, not because they are terrified of curses, hell, and flames of fire. Our God is a just God.

Paul once asked the Galatians, who were being lured back into legalism: *“Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard?”* (Galatians 3:2, NIV).

Let us answer the same today: It is by faith, from first to last. Not faith today and legalism tomorrow. No! You cannot please God that way.

Brethren, the Church must never forget—salvation is not for sale. The only price was paid on Calvary. Jesus paid the price. No matter how rich you are, you cannot pay such a price, nor can you exchange it for money.

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Blessings +++