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Tithes and Offerings

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International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jun 24, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 24.

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Tithes and Offerings.

TO WHOM DO MAN AND ALL HIS POSSESSIONS BELONG?

(Lesson 1, July 6, 1889)
1. WHAT was man's nature before he sinned? "Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions." Eccl. 7:29.
2. What relation did he sustain to the creation? "Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet; all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas." Ps. 8:6-8. "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." Gen. 1:26.
3. How did he lose this dominion? "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." "And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it, cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." "Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken." Gen. 3:6, 17-19, 23.
4. How many were affected by his fall? "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." Rom. 5:12.
5. Who is the author of sin? "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." 1 John 3:8. "And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat." Gen. 3:13.
6. In what manner did man come under the control of Satan? "While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption; for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage." 2 Pet. 2:19.
7. What relation does he now naturally sustain to sin? "For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold under sin." Rom. 7:14.
8. How much was lost by the fall of man? —Holiness, dominion, and life.
9. Who came into possession of the earth through the fall of man? "The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he?" Job 9:24.
10. Of whom are those who sin? 1 John 3:8.
11. How does the apostle describe the world in its present state? "And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness." 1 John 5:19.
12. Who is the acknowledged ruler of this world? "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience." Eph. 2:2.
13. What titles does he bear? "Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out." John 12:31. "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." 2 Cor. 4:4.
14. For what purpose did Christ come into the world? "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:10. "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." 1 John 3:8, last part.
15. In what way did he redeem man from death? "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man." "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." Heb. 2:9, 14.
16. What assurance have we that the lost possession will be redeemed? "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." Eph. 1:13, 14.
17. How much will then be redeemed? "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write; for these words are true and faithful." Rev. 21:4, 5. "Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled; thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust. Thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created; and thou renewest the face of the earth. The glory of the Lord shall endure forever; the Lord shall rejoice in his works." Ps. 104:29-31.
18. What relation will man then sustain to the creation? "He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son." Rev. 21:7.
19. Through whom is this dominion to be restored. "And thou, O tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem." Micah 4:8. "That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him; in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." Eph. 1:10, 11.
20. What relation does man sustain to the purchased possession in this life? "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." Rom. 8:17.
21. What was the price for man's redemption? "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." 1 Peter 1:18, 19. "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." 1 John 3:16.
22. Then to whom does man and all he possesses belong? "What! know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? for ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." 1 Cor. 6:19, 20.
23. From whom does man derive power to get wealth? "And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God; for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day." Deut. 8:17, 18.
24. Can man therefore glory in what he possesses? "Therefore let no man glory in men; for all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's." 1 Cor. 3:21-23. "Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth; for in these things I delight, saith the Lord." Jer. 9:23, 24.

NOTES.

IT is stated in answer to question 8 that man lost by the fall holiness, dominion, and life. This will be evident to all who will briefly consider the matter. 1. God created man upright and pronounced him good. Eccl. 7:29; Gen. 1:31. Man was therefore holy, not righteous; for righteousness implies a character formed in harmony with a rule of right, but holy in the sense that he belonged to God, and was wholly free from sin. He transgressed the command of God and became a sinner, or lost his holiness. 2. God gave him dominion over the earth. Gen. 1:28; Ps. 115:16. But when man transgressed he became a child of Satan, a slave of sin (Rom. 7:14); and therefore his dominion passed to Satan, to whom he had yielded. 3. If man had continued to obey God, he would never have died. Righteousness tendeth to life (Prov. 10:16, 17; 11:30); but man sinned, and the wages of sin is death. Rom. 6:23. Therefore man lost by the fall holiness, dominion, and life.
"THE earth is given into the hand of the wicked." Job 9:24. The wicked of course includes wicked men, but it does not refer to them primarily. Satan is the root of wickedness—wicked men are the branches. Said Jesus to the Jews, "Ye are of your father the devil." John 8:44. That is, as regards character, wicked men are the offspring of Satan. When man was created, God gave him dominion over the earth (Gen. 1:26); but when man turned from God and yielded to Satan, he became subject to Satan, and the world passed under Satan's control. Hence Satan is called in the Scriptures "the prince of this world" (John 12:31), and "the god of this world" (2 Cor. 4:4); or, according to another scripture, "We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in the evil [wicked] one." 1 John 5:19. Revised Version. Therefore when Job says, "The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; he covereth the faces of the judges thereof," it means that Satan and his servants so rule that the faces of the righteous judges are covered for shame and grief. See 2 Sam. 19:4, and Jer. 14:4.