God tells us that no one possess anything unless it is given from above (1 Chron
29:14; John 3:27). This means that everything that someone has is a gift of God’s
grace and extended out of His unbounded abundance (Eph 2:8-9). In Scripture,
God tells us that giving back to God keeps us grounded in His grace. So as
humankind’s provider, God instructs us to give because it reminds us of His
generosity as the recipients of Christ’s established salvation (2 Cor 9).
The Tithe: In both the Old Testament and the New Testament, God’s
covenant people offered a tenth of their annual earnings for the care and
instruction of the chosen people. God established this compulsory portion
so His people were united in His purposed salvation (Deut 14:22 and
Matt 23:23). As such, tithing signifies not only that God is first in a
person’s life but also that she wants to see God’s kingdom expand through
the church as individuals are saved, healed, and transformed (Mal 3:10).