I recently had a conversation with one of my students who was wrestling with the idea that he hasn’t done enough to earn God’s favor. The beauty of the gospel is that our relationship with God does not depend upon what we do but upon God’s work of salvation centered in Jesus. Paul sums this up well: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).

Our response to this tremendous gift is an outpouring of gratitude. Deuteronomy 26 describes the annual offering of “firstfruits” and the tri- annual tithe (v. 2). These requirements of the Law were not to be done out of a sense of obligation or to earn God’s favor. Instead, they were to be the natural response to what God had done. When the worshiper presented the basket of firstfruits to the priest, he would recite an important story (vv. 5–10). He would recount how Abraham was a “wandering Aramean” whose descendants ended up in Egypt (v. 5). They grew to become a great nation but were enslaved by Pharaoh (v. 6). The people cried out to the Lord, and the Lord delivered them from slavery into the land of Canaan, “flowing with milk and honey” (vv. 8–9). The worshiper was now offering a gift of thanksgiving (v. 11).

These tithes and offerings were not only used to support the priesthood, but would also be enjoyed by the worshiper and their family (v. 11). Additionally, they were used to provide for the “Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow” (v. 12). Like ancient Israel, we can forget what God has done for us. In communion, we remember Christ’s death for our sin and look forward to His return. Believing this precious truth results in a life grounded in gratitude.

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