Sabbath: Honesty With God
Read for This Week’s Study: Luke 16:10, Lev. 27:30, Gen. 22:1-12, Heb. 12:2, Luke 11:42, Heb. 7:2-10, Nehemiah 13.
Memory Text: “But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience” (Luke 8:15).
What is an honest heart, and how is it revealed? Contemporary culture often views honesty as some vague, relativistic ethic; most people are occasionally dishonest but consider it acceptable as long as the infringement is not too great. Also specific circumstances, it is claimed, could justify some dishonesty.
Truth and honesty are always together. Yet, we were not born with an inclination to be honest; it is a learned moral virtue and is at the core of a steward’s moral character.
When we practice honesty good things come of it. For instance, there is never a worry about being caught in a lie or then having to cover it up. For this reason and more, honesty is a valuable personality trait, especially under difficult situations when the temptation might easily be toward dishonesty.
In this week’s lesson we will study the spiritual concept of honesty through the practice of tithing and see why tithing is vitally important to the steward and stewardship.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, February 17.
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Well, first off, being honest is not part of our nature in general. We are born to be dishonest is most thing. Now this is an interesting topic for the week. I guess first we have to know what dishonesty is all about.
Psalm 101:7
7 one who practices deceit
shall dwell in my house;
no one who utters lies
shall continue before my eyes.
Jeremiah 9:5
5 Everyone deceives his neighbor,
and no one speaks the truth;
they have taught their tongue to speak lies;
they weary themselves committing iniquity.
Tau: Psalms 101:7 reads "No one who practices deceit" etc.
...once we get out of the baby stage, we no longer can use sinful nature as an excuse for sinning. We now have choice. We choose to be honest with God. We can no longer say, Adam made me do it. When we choose to accept the Gospel of Christ, Christ gives us the power to be honest in tithing, do we bring forth fruit? Yes, if we remain in Him. Can we bring forth fruit if we don't remain in Him? Yes, but not with a honest heart. We may get the fruitless fig tree syndrome if we persist to remain without Him. Duty without love does not make for a good steward...
Matthew 6:21 says "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Tithing is a matter of heart. Returning 10% or more of our income instead of keeping that money for ourselves, shows that our heart isn't tied to our money and that we love God more than our money. After all, God is in control of everything. We have to remember that everything we have has been given to us by Him. Even though most of us probably work for the money we make each day/month even God has his hand there - He has given us the ability to do our works. Many who grasp what God has truly given them seem to agree that 10% doesn't even feel like enough! In addition, Tithe is not ours to keep.
It is amazing to me how in Hebrews 7:2-10 it speaks of King Melchizedek as having no beginning of life or end of days or even lineage etc. and etc. and yet we refuse to believe that HE WAS JESUS IN HUMAN FORM. Yet we accept that Jesus took HUMAN FORM in other places like when HE came to visit Abraham along with TWO OTHER heavenly beings, Genesis 18:2; or when HE walked with the THREE HEBREW WORTHIES in the FIERY FURNACE, etc. and etc.