Every soul newly born into the kingdom of God becomes a new creation. His old nature passes away when he experiences the new birth, and a new life begins. A new creature is begotten through the work of the Holy Spirit, and a new life like that of the Master is lived. One of the first fruits of the new life is the first fruit of the Holy Spirit —love. The nature has been changed so that the sinner re-created in Christ Jesus becomes like Christ. The spirit of Christ is love. "God is love." "God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son."
The very nature of the newborn soul is love, and love is a giving quality. Love give without measure, without hoping for something material in return. It gives because to give is its very nature. Love can never give as much as it desires to give, till it has exhausted all its resources and given itself besides. God gave His Son, and heaven, and eternal life to all who would believe. Christ gave Himself. The true minister gives his all, his service, his strength, his means, because, Christlike, he loves.
"God loveth a cheerful giver," writes Paul through the Holy Spirit. This must be to show us that in God's sight a real giver is one who loves to give. When true love prompts the giving, it is a joy, a pleasure. Giving to those we love is not a tax, nor can it be compulsory. If I am compelled to give, and I give unwillingly, that is not giving in the Bible sense. Instead, it is superior authority compelling the gift, and compulsory giving is robbery. When a child gives up his sweets or something else he cherishes because of threatened punishment, he is not giving. He feels despoiled and unjustly treated. Such a minister gives his offering because he feels compelled to give by church action, he is not blessed. He must give gladly and willingly.
All through the ages the cause of God has been supported by tithes and offerings. From the day Abraham paid a tithe to Melchizedek, of all he had taken from the heathen kings in the plain of Jordan, until now, it has been God's plan that tithes and offerings should sustain His work.
Organized giving is not a tax. Tithe paying has never been compulsory among us. It is not a test of church fellowship. A man is free ,i to give or not to give. That is his duty toward God. We cannot by law make a man think i proper thoughts. We urge the thinking of clean, pure thoughts rather than of the impure and unclean, but, in spite of that fact, each man thinks as he will. So it is in giving, each makes his own choice. Happy is the worker who chooses both to think right and to do right on all occasions.
With us, the minister leads in all things. His example goes a long way in helping others to choose to do what is right. A sneer, or a remark, such as, "I hate to be taxed," "I propose to give as I please," has an ever-widening influence; and many a man, on hearing such a remark, especially if it comes from one who is a leader, neglects doing what would help him spiritually.
Our work has succeeded because of our unity.
What one church or one individual cannot do alone, many churches put together can do with ease. For this reason we pool our donations. and with the total, much is accomplished. Thus in tithes, in annual offerings, in Week of Sacrifice offerings, and in other gifts, an individual could do his duty, but there is not much that this small amount alone could accomplish in spreading the truth. Suppose my Week of Sacrifice offering, less my tithe, is thirty dollars, more or less. That is a small sum. It could do something, but nothing great. However, if a thousand fellow workers would join me in that offering, and each give thirty dollars, there would be thirty thousand dollars. And if five thousand joined in the plan, there would be one hundred fifty thousand dollars for God's work. Thus it is with tithe and all offerings. Unity—all doing the same thing —makes great things possible. But failure to do our individual part makes inroads upon the total results to whatever extent there is such failure.
The spirit of all giving is love. When one gives grudgingly, or of necessity, there is little regard. The heart must be right with God to make giving a pleasure to the giver, and acceptable to the Lord, the ultimate receiver and final rewarder. To the true Christian, giving is a very part of his life. To him it is meat and drink; it is joy and peace. Every offering, such as the offering of the approaching Week of Sacrifice, is a new privilege, every call a new opportunity; and to plan for these offerings, to deny self to meet these opportunities, is a part of the richest Christian experience.
The true Christian lives to give, not to receive. Every day he prays, "Lord, open my eyes that I may see opportunities to serve, and make my heart willing in the day of Thy power." So let us go on giving and praying, fulfilling God's plan now, as it was fulfilled before our day.
