Covenanter Witness Vol. 55 - Rparchives.org

mine."way"nothing."receive?"ECHOES NUMBERBIBLE LESSONS FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 18, 1955QbvcnanterwitnessVOLUME LV, NO. 22TOPEKA, KANSAS, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1955One of the besetting sins of God's PeopleEternal EmbezzlementWilliam L. Fisk *Condensed from "The StandardA little child clutches his favorite toy in hishands and cries petulantly, "You can't have it. It'sThe parent attempts to show the child theselfishness of his ways or else chalks it up to his immaturity. As God observes us, His children to whomand for whom He has given everything, I suspectthat we often appear to Him quite as childish, livingout our self-centered experience.We may be religiously giving a tithe of our income and a portion of our time. This gives us nolicense to squander the ninety per cent we have leftnor to waste the remaining hours. Christian givingcannot be separated from Christian living nor can itbe divorced from doctrine. Consider itsInspirationSin is essentially the refusal to acknowledgeGod's supreme will as it relates to the individual'slife. It is unwillingness to accept the right of theLord to rule because of His two great unaided actsof creation and redemption. "We have turned everyone to his own (Isa. 53:6).For the unconverted sinner, this means ignoringthe righteousness of God as revealed in Christ Jesusand attempting to substitute a moral standard andpractice of our own. To the one who has been pardoned, purchased and empoweredsin involves theembezzlement of any part of our total personality forselfish purposes.The inspiration of stewardship is Biblical in itsorigin and its order.Direct commands for contributions are inscribedon many pages of the Word of God. "Honor the Lordwith thysubstance and with the firstfruits of allthine increase" (Prov. 3:10). Paul commended theCorinthian Christians because they had prefacedtheir dues with personal dedication which must everbe the spiritual sequence. "If I give and have notlove, it profiteth me The philanthropistmay be pagan."What hast thou that thou didst not(I Cor. 4:7). God has freely given us all things thatpertain to life and godliness. He expects that we willby faith use every potential which we possess to glorify Him.Our responsibility for offering a living sacrifice,including our substance, is not secondary. Think ofitsImportanceW. B. Hinson wrote : "The unused ability of thechurch is the exultation of hell, the surprise of heaven, the loss of man and the grief of God." With butfew exceptions Gospel churches proceed under halfsteamwith fifty per cent of the enrolled membershipdoing little, if anything, to promote the ministry ofthe church. Xerxes, leading an army of a million men,was heard to say, "Would that I had as many soldiersmen."as I haveGenuine, consecrated contributing is proof ofthe reality of our faith and our loyalty to JesusChrist who once said, "Not everyone who saith"Lord, Lord" shall enter into the kingdom of heaven ; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is inheaven."Giving is the finest discipline we can accept forthe development of our Christian lives. It teaches us :self-denial. In child-like faith that God is able to care(Continued on page 358)