The True Way of Gospel Support by F. M. W.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 21, 1910

The True Way of Gospel Support

By F. M. W.

MAN can not improve upon God’s ways and methods. Whenever he seeks to do that, and substitutes human devisings for divine plans, spiritual loss will always follow. The Scriptures of truth plainly bring to view a divine plan for the support of the gospel ministry. It is by direct, simple, outright giving. Through the giving of the tenth, through free-will offerings according to the spirit of the giver, God designed his work to be carried on in the world.

In contrast with this, witness the many man-made devices which have crept in among his professed children. The great Christian church to-day feels that

when money is to be raised for religious or philanthropic purposes, some means must be devised whereby the giver shall receive something in the way of value returned. Questionable, worldly methods are introduced; hence, we have the oyster supper, the ice-cream festival, the grab-bag, the church raffle, the church dance, and a multitude of other devices to secure contributions to some worthy cause. All this is contrary to, and subversive of, the gospel principle. God calls upon men to give, not because they hope to receive something in return, but from love, the same principle that inspired the sacrifice of Christ.

Speaking upon this question, the Sunday School Times of July 2 makes the following excellent comment:—

The most successful churches, like the most successful men, are those that hold closest to God’s revealed will. As to whether the churches that do this are in the majority, that is an unimportant question, of no practical bearing on one’s duty; and the editor has no information upon it. The men of that type are not yet in the majority; very likely the churches are not. Majorities are usually wrong in questions of high moral stand. But abundant information has been secured and published in these columns,—and there is more to come,—to show that churches that have rested their entire support upon the God-ordained appeal to people to give outright to the Lord’s work, have had no difficulty whatsoever in securing all that was needed, and much more than they had ever been able to secure by the unworthy combining of barter with giving. The most successful churches—both financially and spiritually—take God at his word.

It is well to take God at his word, and to follow his divine order. When we depart from that, either as a church or as individuals, we wander off into the paths of darkness and unbelief. Love for God and for our perishing fellow men should be the only incentive needed to move us to liberality in the Master’s service.

F. M. W.