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Theology
’m going to state at the outset that I believe you can’t out-give God. My proof is John 3:16, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” No one in the history of the world has ever or will ever out-give that gift. Scripture abounds with statements about how God will meet our needs if we give (see 2 Corinthians 9:6–11). The truth is that if we give to others generously as an expression of love for them and because of the grace that God has shown to us, God will generously provide for us. If that is what you think when saying, you can’t outgive God, then great. But often that isn’t the
case. This and two other issues can make this saying problematic. One issue is Scripture-twisting. Malachi 3:10 is probably one of the most misinterpreted and misapplied Old Testament verses of our day. I have heard or read countless testimonials where people claimed Malachi 3:10 and put God to the test. “’Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,’ says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, ’I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!’” The problem is that this does not teach that Christians are to give tithes or that God
