IS IT A SACRIFICE? by Stephen N. Haskell

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Feb 24, 1887

IS IT A SACRIFICE?

By Stephen N. Haskell

THE spirit of sacrifice is an essential element in the Christian religion. The expression is used to describe such acts as partake of the same spirit that brought Christ to this earth. It was a renunciation by him of the glory which he had with the Father before the world was, and the humbling of himself, even to the death of the cross, that we might be saved. It is a spirit of disinterested benevolence, a yielding of that which is precious to us for the good of others. The first religious service of which we have any account was a sacrifice by man, prefiguring the death of Christ upon the cross. In the Mosaic economy, the sacrifice of animals and the gifts of the first-fruits were numerous, and when the people lost the spirit of giving the best, so that their labor and service was merely formal, the offerings were not acceptable in God's sight, and the people became estranged in their hearts from God.

Malachi, the last prophet of the Old Testament, testifies that the Jews had lost the proper spirit, as they offered for sacrifices the blind, the lame, and the sick, and such animals as were worthless. They had gone so far that they would not even shut the doors of the Lord's house, or kindle a fire upon his altar for naught. They must be paid for everything that they did in the service of God. They also said, "What a weariness is it!" and they snuffed at the services of the Lord's house, and brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick. God then pronounces the following curse upon them: "But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing; for I am a great King, saith the Lord of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen."

Every work of reform has been carried forward by those who possessed a spirit of sacrifice. In the early history of this message, it was sustained almost exclusively by the offerings and donations of the poor. Many a man gave of his substance until he was reduced to poverty, and though in many instances God afterwards blessed such ones temporally, there are living witnesses to-day who can testify that their farms and all their earthly possessions were consumed in sustaining the Third Angel's Message in its early history. Our brethren since that time have been called upon to help the cause of God in a special sense. Our work is an aggressive one. From the beginning it has been as it was in the days of Luther, Wesley, and other reformers; it is a reformatory work from beginning to end. We never expect while probation lasts that we shall reach a time when we shall cease to enter new fields. When the work is finished the Lord will come, and the saints will be taken from this earth. We have a special warning to give to the world; and when that warning has been given, and has produced its effects, the saints will be gathered. We must enter new fields, and gain new conquests as individuals, and as a people, and this will continually call for an increased outlay of means.

Help will be needed as long as probation lasts. In the closing of this work, when the half-hearted and world-loving professor sees that probation is really ending, he will bring his money and lay it at the feet of God's servants, but there will be no use for it. Then James 5:1-3 will be literally fulfilled. But at the present time means are wanted. Men and women are called upon to sacrifice whatever talents they possess. Our brethren have given nobly to help the work in the past, and many have pledged liberally of their means to help in the present crisis; but the question arises, Who makes real sacrifices to advance the truth of God? Is it those who make pledges that they will give of their means, and then refrain from disposing of their property until they can get the highest market price, while the cause is left to suffer? If such individuals conclude that they have done their duty, when God's providence opens the way for a disposal of their property but they hold on in hopes of getting the full value, they will find that they have made a mistake. The Jews were to reckon the value of their land in proportion to the number of years to the jubilee. Do our brethren and sisters take this into account in their efforts to dispose of their property?

Again, our institutions are the safest places in which our brethren can deposit their means. Banks are failing almost constantly, and every worldly enterprise is insecure; but the institutions planted in the interests of present truth, and sustained by our people as a body, can never fail so long as they are devoted to that work, and so long as there is a demand for the truth. Our brethren are induced to place their means in these institutions to help forward the work. This is a good move, and by this means the cause is carried forward; but if they merely loan their money to our institutions, and receive as much interest as they would in the banks, or from outside parties, is there any sacrifice in this? We think not. Would it not be far better, if we have means in the world, to take it and sacrifice at least the interest, giving the cause the use of the money, and have it so arranged that should the individual die, the money could not be drawn out from the work of God by heirs or those who would not recognize that it had been consecrated to a sacred work. There would be some sacrifice in this.

But we often hear it said, "We have a few hundred or a few thousand dollars out at interest, and every year we give the income to the Lord." Now it would help the work of the Lord far more to place the principal without interest in our institutions. Then the institution not only gets the benefit of the interest on the money, but the money itself, and so long as they hold it, it counts the same as though it had been actually given.

The time has come when "sell and give alms" is present truth. The cause is languishing in almost every part of the field. Funds are wanted in every department of the work. Missions are to be established in fields which are untouched as yet, and those already established must be sustained. These missions bring no money back to our institutions to pay those who loan their money with interest. But if our brethren have money out at interest, we think it would be commendable, and they would manifest a spirit of sacrifice, if they would take that means which they have, and if they cannot give it, at least place it in the cause without interest. Some of our brethren have borrowed money to the extent of the worth of their property, and from the proceeds of their farms have paid the interest, loaning the principal to our institutions. We do not say that this is the duty of all, and in fact it would be unnecessary for all to do this if those who have means had a disposition to place it in the cause without interest.

A few days since we received several hundred dollars from an individual who thought that a great sacrifice had been made in taking the money from the bank and loaning it to our institutions, though it is safer than in the bank, and at the same time he is receiving more interest than could be obtained at the bank. Certainly there could be no sacrifice in this.

We have often feared that as the demands of the work for means are great, and we have encouraged our brethren to loan their means by paying interest, as has been done in the past, they would get a false idea of sacrifice. There are cases in which widows or individuals who are feeble have means, and depend upon the income from the same for support. In such cases we think it perfectly right and proper that interest be paid; but for our brethren to loan to the Lord, and place their money in a safer place than any worldly institution, and then require as much interest as they would in the world, we think is a great mistake if they think by so doing they are making a sacrifice. We hope none of our brethren will be deceived in this matter, but that they will make such sacrifices as God will be pleased to accept, and that the spirit of sacrifice will run through our people far and near. May the Lord bless our brethren in this respect. The Lord is coming soon, and we want to prepare to meet him, and do our work, and transact our business in such a manner that God can accept the efforts which we put forth. This spirit is what God requires. It is the Lord's cause and the Lord's work, and none of our institutions in any way contribute to the advantage of any individual. S. N. H.