Friday: Further Thought ~ God’s Covenants With Us
Further Thought:
“Whenever God’s people, in any period of the world, have cheerfully and willingly carried out His plan in systematic benevolence [tithing] and in gifts and offerings, they have realized the standing promise that prosperity should attend all their labors just in proportion as they obeyed His requirements.
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
When they acknowledged the claims of God and complied with His requirements, honoring Him with their substance, their barns were filled with plenty. But when they robbed God in tithes and in offerings they were made to realize that they were not only robbing Him but themselves, for He limited His blessings to them just in proportion as they limited their offerings to Him.” — Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3, p. 395.
The Bible is very clear that we are saved through faith alone, a gift of God’s grace. Our obedience to God’s commands is a response to God’s grace; it doesn’t earn it (after all, if it were earned, it wouldn’t be grace: see Romans 4:1-4).
Indeed, when we look at God’s bilateral covenant with us, we can see both our blessings and our responsibilities. By our responses to what God offers to us, we establish our relationship with Him and, to a great degree, determine our own destiny. Obedience — the service and allegiance of love — is the true sign of discipleship. Instead of releasing us from obedience, it is faith, and faith only, that makes us partakers of the grace of Christ, which enables us to render the obedience that God asks from us.
Discussion Questions:
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Church accountants see the issues facing our church in terms of monetary value. That is not a patronizing statement. I have many friends who have been church accountants. Some of them have ensured that my pay went into my bank account each week and I am truly grateful for that. It is just that we all see problems in terms of our own knowledge and experience.
The question asked after the above statement is the one that I really take issue with.
The emphasis on "you" is mine because I think it should read as "we".
Irrespective of the theology, the payment (I am using payment deliberately here so hang on a bit before you tell me we "return" tithe) of tithe involves two entities, us and the church. Ultimately our willingness to pay tithe to the church involves two things. And yes, I know we are returning our tithe to God, but we do not just thow it up in the air and let God catch it!
1) Our view we have of the Church's use of tithe. I have to be honest here. The Church's distribution of tithe money has been less than transparent in the past and a lot of the hesitancy about paying tithe is simply because church members often do not have a clear picture of what happens to it. I believe the church is more transparent than it used to be but we still have a way to go.
In that respect, I think it is important that church members become involved in the business of the church. If you do not understand church finances, at least ensure that you appoint members whom you trust, that are knowledgeable in these matters, to the appropriate committees.
2) I think that the key to this question is involvement. Involvement is a lot more than just payment of money. One of the statements that I hear a lot in this area is: "Why doesn't the Church do ...?" It is not a case of "the Church". The question should be "Why don't we do ...?"
In my research about the Hebrew tithing system, I found that the total system has a lot more "we" in it than we give credit for. I intend to show this when I publish my post on Hebrew tithing next week.
When we put the "we" into church organisation, the notion of payment becomes redundant. And that is what is missing from the accountant view expressed above.
I believe every seven day adventist are faithful tithe payers. We studied where your heart is that's where your treasure is.
My question is who are those we consider to be seven day adventist?
We are told, God has given to the church all what it needs. I believe we will have to learn to trust God with five loaves and two fishes. It would a wonderful thing if one that have their names on the church books returning tithe and offering, invest in our education institutions, and mission. Sad to say it is not so. But the same God that was able rain manna from heaven and fed the five thousand is able to take the little those with a willing heart bring to him and multiply it.
Tithing is not and end in itself, it's a result. Yes, I'm surrounded by relatives that live from this (super) organization called Church, but I wouldn't worry about how much this organization is collecting. Let's state here first, GOD DOES NOT NEED MY MONEY! I am the one who needs God's blessings in my life! I am the one who needs God's blessings that no money can buy! I am the one who needs God's inner peace! And I'm not talking here about an exchange, I'm talking about a God Who is totally LOVE, capable of offering His ONLY SON for the salvation of ANYONE WHO ACCEPTS HIM! Tithing is for my own well-being! And if I truly understand what God has been doing in my life I am grateful, I want to to learn what this God has as 'suggestions' of how to deal with my financial means. God does not need my tithing, He longs for my heart! Tithing is just a healthy way to practice balance with my relationship with money. Offerings reflect my appreciation of the blessings God is bestowing right now in my life! CHURCH DOES NOT NEED MY TITHING OR MY OFFERINGS, I am the one who needs a Church which is guided by God, a Church which is a blessing to the community, a Church that is preparing herself as a precious bride for the most important wedding of all, the return of JESUS! I NEED THE TITHING AND THE PRACTICE OF GIVING OFFERINGS, I'm the one who needs God's love fulfilled in my life. Tithing and offerings are a RESULT, not a meaning! Do I want to really know God? He is willing to make my whole life better! Including my finances! Am I alive? Breathing? How much does a life cost? I receive so much but it seems that I do not care! If I am not seeing the Church growing (in all aspects) is because its members are not experiencing the true love of God! (And you know what? I can make a difference, ONE PERSON CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. If I have it, I can give it, and I can inspire others). Once I understand this, I care about doing God's will in all aspects of my life, including His counselings, promises, and covenants regarding material management.
It seems that the focus of the lesson is about the prosperity that will happen if we pay our tithes and offerings. Yes, there are many texts that refer to the blessings if we do and the curses if we don’t. But how would I explain this to the widow, the POOR widow, in Mark 12:41-44? Is there something deeper here that I/we are missing?
Perhaps a deeper consideration of tithing as one aspect of our acknowledgement of God as our Creator goes well beyond some sort of heavenly insurance policy that “obligates” the Creator to give us special treatment because we “pay the premiums”. Could it be that tithing is just one aspect of the development of a trusting relationship with God, so that we realise how blessed we are regardless of whether or not we receive any changes in our material circumstances. Look at those Jesus describes as “blessed” in the Sermon on the Mount.
As early as Cain and Abel, giving and sharing has been an integral part of the comprehensive renewing of the believer’s heart and mind; to establish how we interact with our fellow man and those who are in a relationship with our Creator and accepting Him as their God. I do not see giving and sharing as a ‘stand-alone’ action; it is the evidence of our new heart and renewed frame of mind.
God’s Covenants with man are the teaching/learning-ground for all who accept God and desire to walk closely with Him. Yes, tithes and offerings are given to sustain the ‘structure of the organization’, and to continue to reach out to those not yet part of the family of God. Though, at its core, is the recognition and understanding that as believers we do not ‘own’ anything of that which we are privileged to ‘partake in/consume/share’.
I recognized that at the beginning of the efforts to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, “the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, ..” – Acts 4:32-35. To my understanding, this then is the actual result/goal which our Savior’s Gospel will bring about in believers’ lives – seeing ourselves as part of one human family and, that those that believe, have become brothers and sisters in Christ - 1 Peter 2:16-17.
I would like to bring out a different aspect of covenants. Sunday's lesson seems to consider a contract and a covenant as interchangeable, but they are actually two different things. A contract is a legally binding agreement which both (or all) parties are obligated to fulfill. If one party breaks the contract, the whole thing is void. A covenant is a pledge between two parties to fulfill their part regardless of whether the other party fulfills their part. When we understand the difference, we can understand better how much God really loves us. He will never break His covenant, even when we break our end. This is so reassuring to me, because I can never fulfill all the covenant details on my own. Even better, God helps us keep our end of the covenant; when we ask for His help, He sends us the Holy Spirit to guide us.
I see the difference as being legalism vs love. When we understand the true nature of God's covenants with us, it's so much easier to respond with love, instead of fear of breaking a contract.