The Principle in the Offering
By Henry S. Shaw
To Make Offerings as Well as Pay Our Tithes—
God Gave and Thus Showed His Love The whole gospel plan is founded on the principle of giving. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. Not Selfish Gain with the Lord
It was not for selfish gain that the Lord made this greatest of sacrifices. It was done that “we should not perish.” It was all for others, not for Himself. Another text says: “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich.” 2 Cor. 8:9. These texts reveal the basis upon which both the Father and the Son made the great153sacrifice for man’s redemption. God gave His Son, that we “should not perish”; and Christ became poor, that we “might be rich.” All this infinite gift has been poured out for the redemption of a race of sinful men and women, who are poor and blind, alienated from the life of God, and without hope; and with it comes the message, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matt. 11:28. Expressions of Our Gratitude
Offerings to the Lord are only expressions of gratitude by which we show our appreciation of our Redeemer’s sacrifice, and cooperate with Him in the salvation of our fellow men. While both tithes and offerings test our loyalty to the Lord, yet they are not the same. The offering does not answer for the tithe, nor the tithe for the offering. The tithe is a stipulated per cent of our funds, “the tenth,” which the Lord has designated, and reserved sacred to Himself. It is not our own. It is “holy unto the Lord.” Offerings are made from our own nine tenths left us after the tithe has been paid. The offering is not a stipulated per cent of our funds, as is the tithe. The amount of offerings is left to our own free will. Sometimes it is more, and again it is less, according to the financial circumstances, and the inclination of the individual’s heart to give. The poor widow gave two mites, which was all she had. Some other people, on the same occasion, were giving of their abundance, and having an abundance left for themselves. The Lord said she gave more than they all, because she gave all she had. From this it appears that the amount given is not so much an index to the real heart of the giver, as is the amount remaining after the offering is made. Here is a means by which the human heart is revealed. One may not discern what is in his own heart, till the Spirit of God brings a test to him. The tongue may utter things that do not prove to be the real sentiment of the heart. He Looked for His Smallest Coin
The story is told of a man who, while the mission offering was taken, solemnly joined in singing that heaven-inspired stanza: “Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a tribute far too small.
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my life, my soul, my all,” yet all the time he sang, he was fumbling the money over in his pocket to find the smallest coin. Our appreciation of the Lord’s great sacrifice is measured by what we are willing to invest in it. A man may talk and write about it, he may sing and pray about it, but if he will not put personal sacrifice into it, he fails to grasp the significance of the gospel principle, he has no real heart in it. “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Invests Where His Heart Is
A man’s treasure cannot remain separate from that which he holds in highest esteem. If he esteems heaven above all else, his treasure will be invested in the thing he has most faith in. It cannot be otherwise. That would be contrary to nature. An individual may have faith enough to awaken his conscience and move him to make an open profession of Christ, and this is good as far as it goes; but his real heart love for Jesus is tested as he passes on through the field of sacrifice. If he will day by day discover where his treasure is invested, he may be sure his heart is near. A man cannot possibly “serve two masters” at the same time. He cannot go to heaven if he is tied to the earth. The Lord says: “There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.” Prov. 11:24. And again: “Thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth.” Deut. 8:18. Men would be more prosperous if in their plans they gave more thought to the obligations they owe to the Lord for His manifold mercies and blessings. From time to time, the Lord has sent messages by the prophets, calling attention to this important matter. “The harvest of the field is perished,” says Joel. “The vine is dried up, . . . and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men. . . . The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered.” Joel 1:11-17. The prophet Haggai mentions similar conditions in his testimony: “Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; . . . and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. . . . Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the Lord of hosts. Because of Mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.” Haggai 1:5-9. These scriptures picture the condition of many people in the world to-day. It is a sad thing to see a man toiling from year to year with no returns. He sees his purposes fail. Instead of prosperity, he sees adversity. His harvest “is perished”; his wheat and corn, his vineyard, his apple trees, and all the trees of the field wither away. His “barns are broken down.” He cannot repair them, because he has no harvest. His herds and flocks have no pasture; and even though he should earn wages, he only brings it home to “put into a bag with holes.” “Why? saith the Lord of hosts. Because of Mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house. Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, . . . And I called for a drought upon the land, . . . and upon all the labor of the hands.” Verses 9-11. The Prophets Wrote for Us
These things written by the prophets certainly should cause us to reflect seriously. The apostle says: “Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” Rom. 15:4. “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.” Matt. 6:20. “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over: . . . For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” Luke 6:38. “Gather My saints together unto Me; those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.” Ps. 50:5.