121 Money Part 2

Description

This course deals with Faith Promise Giving. It covers the history and man behind this idea.  Each key verse used in teaching this system of giving is covered, and looked at in light of its context.  Questions answered are: “Is Faith Promise Giving really the crowning or ultimate way to give?”  “Was God commending the Corinthian Church in regard to this matter, or was He correcting but another problem that they were having?”  You will see the clear answers to these questions and many more.

 

Bible Study Course

Money

Part 2

 

 

Welcome to Book 5 in the Practical Christian Living series of the Liberty Bible Course. This booklet deals with Faith Promise Giving. This study is written to be used with the KING JAMES version of the Bible, otherwise your answers are going to be incorrect. Please get your Bible, and begin another exciting study in God’s Word, that just might change your life!

 

Chapter 1

V. Faith Promise Giving

Note:   Faith Promise Giving is a system and teaching in regard to giving money to the Lord’s work. It was devised by a man named Oswald J. Smith; who, for many years, was the pastor of The People’s Church in Toronto, Canada.
We are dealing with his teaching, because it is so commonly used in fundamental churches. What you might not know, is that it is also used in a wide variety of denominations. A quick search on the Internet came up with pages by the following denominations promoting Faith Promise Giving: Baptist, Christian Reformed, Missionary Alliance, Nazarene, Wesleyan, Methodist, Evangelical Free Church, Bible, Church of Christ, and Presbyterian churches. Many more churches no doubt use the system and could be found, if a more thorough search was done.

 

A. Definition Of Terms.

    1. The common definition of Faith Promise Giving.

 

Faith Promise Giving

“Promising, by faith (normally, a year in advance), to give an amount of money

(which you do not presently have) to God for His work, if He will provide it for you.”

 

Note:   This is what Oswald J. Smith says about giving and faith. “Have you ever in your life given a Faith Offering, or have you only given a cash offering? IT DOES NOT REQUIRE ANY FAITH TO GIVE A CASH OFFERING. If I have a dollar in my pocket, all I have to do is tell my hand to go into my pocket, find the dollar, take it out and put it on the plate. I don’t have to pray about it. I don’t have to ask God for it. I don’t have to trust Him for any definite amount. I just have to give it.” (bold letters added for emphasis) (A Faith Promise Offering, by Oswald J. Smith). We will deal more with his definition after giving the Biblical definition of Faith Giving.

 

 

    2. The Biblical definition of Faith Giving.

 

Biblical Faith Giving

“Giving an amount of money to the Lord from what you presently have

(whether part, or all of it), and then, by faith, trusting God to meet your needs.”

 

        a. Mark 12:41 tells us, “And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were ________ cast in ________.”
b. The next verse says, “And there came a certain ________ widow, and she threw in ______ mites, which make a farthing.”
c. Verse 43 says, “And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast ________ in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:”
d. Jesus then tells why, in verse 44, “For all they did cast in of their __________________; but she of her want did cast in ______ that she had, even ______ her living.”

Note:    Consider Oswald J. Smith’s statement again, “Have you ever in your life given a Faith Offering, or have you only given a cash offering? IT DOES NOT REQUIRE ANY FAITH TO GIVE A CASH OFFERING. If I have a dollar in my pocket, all I have to do is tell my hand to go into my pocket, find the dollar, take it out and put it on the plate. I don’t have to pray about it. I don’t have to ask God for it. I don’t have to trust Him for any definite amount. I just have to give it.”

 

His statement does not match up at all with what Jesus taught. The widow gave

a cash offering, and the Lord highly honored her for it. SHE DID NOT PROMISE TO

GIVE THE LORD MORE THAN SHE HAD — but she gave all the cash that she did have.

 

    When Oswald J. Smith says, “It does not require any faith to give a cash offering,” he is greatly in error, and is assuming that everyone has cash in their pockets that is extra (money that they do not really need). But many people in this world barely make ends meet, when it comes to paying their bills.

 

When those people give the cash in their pockets, then they do not have the money to meet their

needs for gas, groceries, bills, etc. They have to then live by faith for the rest of that week or month.

 

    That is exactly the situation in which the widow was, after giving her two mites. “She of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.” Those two mites were all the money that she had by which to live for the time being — and she gave it all. Now, she would have to live by faith, that God would supply her needs.

 

Compare the two methods:

Faith Promise Giving
“Promising to give God an amount of money which you
do not have, then praying that He will supply it.”

Biblical Faith Giving
“Giving an amount of money from what you presently have,
then praying that God will supply your daily needs.”

B. Misapplications Of Scriptures.

Note:   What is the definition of the word misapplication? The word application means, “an act of putting to use; capacity for practical use.” (Merriam-Webster’s 11th Collegiate Dictionary).  The prefix mis means, “badly, wrongly; opposite or lack of.” (Merriam-Webster’s 11th Collegiate Dictionary).

 

When a Scripture verse or principle is misapplied, it is “put to the wrong use,” or “used in the wrong capacity.”

 

    That is exactly the case with the Faith Promise Giving system. It misapplies the principle of faith to support its method.

 

    1. The misapplication of Hebrews 11:1.

        a. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not ________.”

 

Misapplying Hebrews 11:1, the Faith Promise Giving system reaches the false conclusion

that you are not giving in faith, unless you promise to give God an amount of money

which you cannot see (an amount of money you cannot see in your pocket or

purse; an amount of money which you cannot see in your bank account;

an amount of money which you cannot see in your regular weekly check).

 

Note:   Such a statement clearly contradicts what Jesus taught His disciples in regard to the widow who only had two mites. Jesus highly honored her giving of the two mites that she could see. If that poor widow attended the average Faith Promise Missions Conference today, and only gave of what she had, she would be highly criticized for not stepping out on faith and promising to give of what she could not see. That conclusion is the exact opposite of what Jesus taught His disciples about giving.
In fact, Jesus did NOT commend the giving of the rich, because they were only giving of their abundance. “And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their ABUNDANCE; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.”
Now, please stop and think. Faith Promise Giving teaches that you are not giving in faith, unless you promise to give that which you do not have.

 

In the Faith Promise Giving system, what you are really praying for is extra  money,

or an abundance   of money over what you presently make or have, so you can give it to the Lord.

Is that what the system really teaches? Read it for yourself: “WITHOUT THE RESTRAINTS

ASSOCIATED WITH KNOWN INCOME AND RESOURCES, THE FAITH PROMISE EXPECTS

GOD TO SUPPLY HIS CHILDREN, LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY which they in turn give to His work.”

(Globe Missionary Evangelism http://www.gme.org/giving-fpg.shtml)

 

    They openly state that they are teaching a method that is not going to touch your present income, but is going to bring in an abundance from God, which you can then simply give right back to Him.   According to what Jesus taught, that is not something commendable — if you just give of the extra or abundance that you have received. That is no sacrifice on your part. Where is the faith involved there? But if you give from what you do have, and then depend upon the Lord to meet your daily needs, that does take faith — and that is exactly what the widow did, and what Jesus commended.

 

Note:   The Faith Promise Giving system also misapplies Hebrews 11:1, because it does not take into consideration the very definition of the word faith, which is given right in that verse.

        b. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the __________________ of things hoped for, the ________________ of things not seen.”

 

True faith is NOT a blind leap  in the dark or a guess.  True faith has evidence   and substance  to it.

 

Note:   Where does a person get that substance and evidence to prove something which he cannot see?

        c. Romans 10:17 says, “So then __________ cometh by hearing, and hearing by the ________ of God.”

 

Faith comes through hearing the Word of God. We then base what we do on

that substance   and evidence  which we have heard or read from the Bible.

 

Note:   Where is there evidence and substance in the Bible for teaching people to promise God that they will give Him a certain amount of money (a year in advance), which they do not have and cannot see? There is no such teaching in the Bible.
This is totally unlike the tithe, which is a percentage of what God actually gives to you. You are not asked to give money that you do not have, but ten percent of what God does give to you.

Chapter 2

    1. The misapplication of Hebrews 11:1.

    2. The misapplication of II Corinthians 8 & 9.

        a.   8:1, 2 says, “Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; How that in a great __________ of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep
________________ abounded unto the riches of their ____________________.”

Note:   We see that it was a difficult time of trials and poverty for these Christians of Macedonia, but they gave liberally from what they had. That would be exactly what the widow woman did — she was poor (two mites), but she gave liberally (all that she had).

        b. In verses 3, 4 we read, “For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; Praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the ________, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.”

 

Notice here that they were giving “beyond their power.”  The typical Faith Promise Giving

interpretation of that is, “They were promising to give money that they actually did not have

in their possession.” But that is clearly a faulty interpretation, because they were “Praying

us with much entreaty that we would RECEIVE the GIFT.” They were not trying to give

them I.O.U.’s, or Faith Promise Pledge Cards. They were pressing them to

accept the ACTUAL MONEY (gift) that they had for them.

 

Note:   Then what does it mean when it says, “beyond their power they were willing…” to give?  It means that they were giving more to Paul than they could afford, humanly speaking, because THEY HAD NO POWER OR MEANS TO REPLACE THAT MONEY, which they needed for their own bills.

        c. In verses 8, 9, it says, “I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to __________ the sincerity of your ________. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was ________, yet for your sakes he became ________, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”

Note:   The Corinthians were being challenged to prove their love for the Lord by being willing to give toward His work. They are given the example of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was rich (He actually had something), and He loved us so much that He was will to give it all up for our sakes.  The word poverty is defined as, “that which covers a range from extreme want of necessities to an absence of material comforts.” (Merriam-Webster’s 11th Collegiate Dictionary)

        d. Verses 10-12 summarize this truth very clearly, “And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a ________ ago. Now therefore ______________ the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye ________. For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man ________, and not according to that he hath not.”

Note:   The Corinthians, a year previously (vs. 10), had begun to give, but now were holding back, and did not seem to be giving like they started. What was the problem? They had an idea of what they wanted to give a year ago, but had not been able to come up with that much money.

 

Now at this point, the typical Faith Promise Giving message holds this up as

the crowning achievement of scriptural giving (the method of setting an

amount a YEAR IN ADVANCE that you are going to give to the Lord).

They are totally missing the real point of this passage — that THE METHOD HAD FAILED.

The Corinthians failed to meet that goal, and it then affected their giving. Their ZEAL

and intentions were commendable, but their METHOD was not right, and had failed.

 

    So now they had to BE CORRECTED as to what PROPER GIVING really is. “Now therefore PERFORM the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also OUT OF THAT WHICH YE HAVE. For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man HATH, and NOT ACCORDING TO THAT HE HATH NOT.”

 

The correct doctrine is this, “You are not held accountable for giving an amount

of money that you do not actually have.  But you are held accountable for how you

use the money that the Lord has given to you. So, now, OUT OF WHAT YOU DO

HAVE, give to the Lord as He so leads.”  The Charismatics are criticized (and rightly

so) for using the Corinthian Church as a model church for speaking in tongues. The

Corinthian Church was a carnal church, and was having to be corrected in that matter.

 

        e. I Corinthians 3:1 says, “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto ____________________, but as unto carnal, even as unto __________ in Christ.”

 

Fundamental churches have now come along and made another error of

the Corinthian Church, the model  of giving! They were NOT being commended

for promising to give a certain amount of money a year in advance, but were having

to be CORRECTED about the matter, and told to give of what they actually had.

 

Note:    Remember, they had to be told to GIVE of what they actually HAD. “Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye HAVE. For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man HATH, and not according to that he HATH NOT.”

 

Their ZEAL was commendable — but not their METHOD, so they had to be corrected.

 

Note:   In II Corinthians 9, their zeal is commended; but, once again, they are instructed to do more than talk, but to be generous out of that which they have. They have said that they are going to do something, and now they needed to fulfill it.

        f.    2 Corinthians 9:2-4, says, “For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was READY A YEAR AGO; and your ________ hath provoked very many. Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be __________: Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you ____________________, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.”

Note:   Here we find Paul admiring their zeal to give, and sharing it as a testimony to other churches — but he was not commending their method. He clearly stated that THEY WERE READY A YEAR AGO. How could that be, when they had not fulfilled their goal? They were ready a year ago, because God does not hold us accountable for what we might receive in the future, but for what we have today — and they were ready to give.

        g. Verse 5 says, “Therefore I thought it __________________ to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up before hand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be __________, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.”

Note:   Once again, their zeal was commendable, but because of their method Paul had to be so careful that they were READY when he got there, lest there be great embarrassment.

        h. Once again, the emphasis of verse 6 is teaching the OPPOSITE of what the typical Faith Promise Giving teaches. They teach you to pray for an amount that you do not have, so you can give it. Notice what this verse teaches. “But this I say, He which ____________ sparingly shall ________ also sparingly; and he which ____________ bountifully shall ________ also bountifully.”

 

God’s order is always that you SOW FIRST (that you give first), and then you will REAP accordingly.

 

Note:    Oswald J. Smith says, “A Faith Promise Offering is a Scriptural offering; it is a Pauline offering and, therefore, God blesses it.” (A Faith Promise Offering, by Oswald J. Smith)  That is not the truth. Paul was not praising the Corinthians’ method of giving, any more than he was praising their manner of speaking in tongues. To the contrary, Paul was being used of the Holy Spirit to correct the errors of the Corinthian Church.

 

II Corinthians 9:6 is very clear — you give first, and then God blesses accordingly.

The Bible never teaches us to promise to give God an amount of money that we do not have,

and then hope that He blesses us with that amount so we can keep our promise.

 

 

    1. The misapplication of Hebrews 11:1.
2. The misapplication of II Corinthians 8 & 9.

    3. The misapplication of I Samuel 1:9-11.

        a. I Samuel 1:9-11 says, “So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD. And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore. And she __________ a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man __________, then I will ________ him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.”

Note:   This incident is often applied to Faith Promise Giving, to try to prove that God wants us to ask Him for things, and then promise to give them back. It was not possible for Hannah to give first in the matter of a son, because she did not have one.

 

It is a faulty application to use this in regard to giving money, because there are many clear

verses of Scripture that tell us to GIVE FINANCIALLY FIRST, and then God will bless us in return.

 

        b. Luke 6:38 says, “________, and it shall be given unto ______; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”

Note:   That verse does NOT teach that God will give you money if you will just pray for it. That verse teaches that YOU MUST FIRST GIVE of what you already have, and THEN the Lord will multiply it, “…good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over…”

        c. Once again, II Corinthians 9:6 says, “But this I say, He which ____________ sparingly shall ________ also sparingly; and he which ____________ bountifully shall ________ also bountifully.”

 

In each case, sowing comes before reaping. There is no substance  or evidence

in the Bible to support the idea that you can keep all of your regular earnings for yourself

(all of the money which you can see), and simply pray for an abundance of money to give back to God.

 

Note:   Faith comes from hearing what the Bible says; and there is nothing in the Bible to promise that God will bless you financially — unless you first give to Him. And you can only give to God of what you actually have in your possession.  The Bible says that if you give sparingly, then you are going to reap sparingly (if you are not willing to give God much of what you actually have, then He is not going to give much in return). And if you give bountifully then you are going to reap bountifully (if you are willing to give much to God from what He has given to you, then He is going to bless you much in return).

 

It is clear that the money that you receive  is going to be based upon the money

that you first give.  That is the opposite teaching of Faith Promise Giving, which

teaches people to promise  large amounts of money to the Lord, and then pray   it in.

 

        d. Proverbs 19:17 says, “He that hath pity upon the poor ______________ unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he ______ him again.”

Note:   This verse does not teach sitting back and wishing or praying for a large amount of money to help the poor. It teaches GIVING FROM WHAT YOU HAVE to help the poor, and then God will repay you for it.

        e. Proverbs 3:27, 28 says, “Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the __________ of thine hand to do it. Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou ________ it by thee.”

Note:   That verse does NOT teach that we are to promise ahead of time how much money we are going to give, but to consider the present need, and GIVE FROM WHAT WE HAVE. We are not to wait for a year, or even until tomorrow — we are to give today.

        f. Philippians 4:15 says, “Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning ____________ and receiving, but ____ only.”
g. Philippians 4:16 continues, “For even in Thessalonica ye sent ________ and __________ unto my necessity.”
h. Philippians 4:19 then promises, “But my God shall ____________ all your ________ according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

 

Paul is often referred to as a missionary, because of his journeys to other countries

to give the gospel.  Notice that the Philippians did not have a Faith Promise Missions   program.

They did not promise Paul a certain amount of money — they simply gave of what they had

— more than once. Because they FIRST GAVE, God promised to SUPPLY all of their NEEDS.

Chapter 3

   

C. Deceitful statements.

Note:   The word deceitful means, “not honest; deceptive; misleading.” (Merriam-Webster’s 11th Collegiate Dictionary)

 

The Faith Promise Giving system is filled with deceit; that is, deceptive and misleading statements.

 

    1. Misleading statement #1 — Saying that a Faith Promise Offering is not a pledge.

Note:    Churches that use the Faith Promise Giving system usually say that making a pledge is wrong. Oswald J. Smith says this about it: “I do not believe in pledges. I have never taken up a pledge offering in my life. What is the difference, you ask, between a pledge offering and a Faith Promise Offering? All the difference in the world.”  

 

“A pledge offering is between you and a church, between you and a missionary society,

and some day the deacons may come along and try to collect it, or you may receive a letter

asking for it. In other words, YOU CAN BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR A PLEDGE OFFERING.”

– Oswald J. Smith

 

   Now, he continues on with his statement, “A Faith Promise Offering, on the other hand, is between you and God. No one will ever ask you for it. No official will ever call on you to collect it. No one will ever send you a letter reminding you of it. IT IS A PROMISE MADE BY YOU TO GOD, and to God alone. If you are unable to pay it, all you have to do is tell God. Give Him your excuse and if He accepts it, you are free. You do not have to pay it. That, I say, is a Faith Promise Offering.” (A Faith Promise Offering, by Oswald J. Smith) (Bold letters added for emphasis). Most churches that use the Faith Promise Giving system, basically repeat Oswald J. Smith’s definition in somewhat their own words. Here is one: “To the question, ‘Is a faith-promise the same as a pledge?’ this was the answer given, ‘No. Faith-Promises are not pledges. A pledge is horizontal, i.e. made to a church, society, charity, or other worthy cause. The Faith-Promise, by contrast, is vertical, i.e. made to God as an act of faith. An effort is normally made to collect the pledge. No attempt is ever made to collect a Faith-Promise. If at the end of the promise period (usually one year), the person is unable to fulfill his/her faith-promise commitment, the matter is wholly between the person and God. Frequently, to emphasize this personal transaction between an individual and God, churches will record faith-promises anonymously.” (Globe Missionary Evangelism http://www.gme.org/giving-fpg.shtml)

 

Who made up their definition of the word pledge? That is exactly how people twist Scripture,

by making words mean whatever they want them to mean. Here is the recognized definition of the word

pledge: “a binding PROMISE or agreement to do or forbear” (Merriam-Webster’s 11th Collegiate Dictionary).

 

        a. II Corinthians 8:21 says, “Providing for ____________ things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.”

Note:   That verse is found right in the context of dealing with money.

        b. 1 Peter 2:12 says, “Having your conversation ____________ among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.”

Note:    Please notice that the word promise is used in the definition of the word pledge. “a binding PROMISE or agreement” A pledge is a promise that you are going to do something. Here is part of Oswald J. Smith’s definition of Faith Promise Giving, “It is a PROMISE made by you to God, and to God alone.”

 

According to all accepted rules of language and grammar, making a Faith Promise Offering

is definitely making a pledge. To try and argue otherwise is just being plain deceitful.

 

    What is the purpose of being deceitful in this matter? There is only one purpose — to get people to promise to give more money. Here is the testimony of Oswald J. Smith himself, “I have gone to many a church that has been opposed to a pledge offering, but as soon as I have explained the nature of a Faith Promise Offering, all opposition has disappeared.” (A Faith Promise Offering, by Oswald J. Smith)   Churches seem to be opposed to the Faith Promise Giving system, until they hear a deceitful presentation telling them that it is not really a pledge — when, in fact, it is a pledge.

 

 

    1. Misleading statement #1 — Saying that a Faith Promise Offering is not a pledge.

    2. Misleading statement #2 — Saying that you are not held responsible for the amount that you set as your Faith Promise Offering.

Note:   Their whole basis for saying that a pledge is unscriptural, is because they say it is binding upon you — some one or some organization could come after you to collect it. Here is what Oswald J. Smith said, “A pledge offering is between you and a church, between you and a missionary society, and some day the deacons may come along and try to collect it, or you may receive a letter asking for it. In other words, YOU CAN BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR A PLEDGE OFFERING.” He goes on to say, “A Faith Promise Offering, on the other hand, is between you and God. NO ONE WILL EVER ASK YOU FOR IT. No official will ever call on you to collect it. No one will ever send you a letter reminding you of it. It is a promise made by you to God, and to God alone.”

 

As a Christian, when you make a commitment you should

KEEP YOUR WORD — whether anyone comes asking for it or not.

 

        a. Proverbs 11:3 says, “The __________________ of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.”\

        b. Proverbs 19:1 says, “Better is the poor that walketh in his __________________, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.”

        c. Proverbs 20:7 says, “The just man walketh in his __________________: his children are blessed after him.”

 

What kind of reasoning is it to say that you should not make a commitment to certain ones,

because they may come after you to collect; but that it is okay to make commitments to others,

because they will not come after you? That is certainly not Biblical reasoning.

 

Note:   The whole case for saying that you are not held responsible for what you commit to giving as a Faith Promise Offering, is now seen to be a very misleading statement. We now pick up with Oswald J. Smith’s last statement, and show you how the end (the fine print) shows the opposite to be true. “It is a promise made by you to God, and to God alone. If you are unable to pay it, all you have to do is to tell God. GIVE HIM YOUR EXCUSE and IF HE ACCEPTS IT, YOU ARE FREE.”

 

If God accepts your excuse you are free? Why do you need an excuse at all, if there is nothing binding

about the Faith Promise Offering?   If God accepts your excuse you are free? Free from what?

How can there be a penalty for not fulfilling the commitment, if there was nothing binding about it?

 

    What you are seeing now is double-talk, and deceit, plain and simple. One thing is pushed and pushed — “Commit to giving a Faith Promise Offering, because you are not held liable if you cannot pay.” But at the very end, the fine print says a totally different thing. Remember what Oswald J. Smith said? “YOU CAN BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR A PLEDGE OFFERING” “A Faith Promise Offering, on the other hand, is between you and God. NO ONE WILL EVER ASK YOU FOR IT.”

Is God in the category of being a “no one?” The statement is deceitful, in that it first tells you

that NO ONE will ever come asking you to fulfill your promise. “No one” means NO ONE

— not man, not angels, not God. But then it tells you that if you do not fulfill your promise,

you can tell God why, and if he accepts your excuse, you are free. That is pure deceit.

 

 

    1. Misleading statement #1 — Saying that a Faith Promise Offering is not a  pledge.

    2. Misleading statement #2 — Saying that you are not held responsible for the amount that you set as your Faith Promise Offering.

    3. Misleading statement #3 — Strongly insinuating that promises made to God are not as binding as promises made to man.

Note:    Listen to Oswald J. Smith’s statement again, “I do not believe in pledges. I have never taken up a pledge offering in my life. What is the difference, you ask, between a pledge offering and a Faith Promise Offering? All the difference in the world. A pledge offering is between you and a church, between you and a missionary society, and some day the deacons may come along and try to collect it, or you may receive a letter asking for it. In other words, YOU CAN BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR A PLEDGE OFFERING.” A Faith Promise Offering, on the other hand, is between you and God. No one will ever ask you for it. No official will ever call on you to collect it. No one will ever send you a letter reminding you of it. IT IS A PROMISE MADE BY YOU TO GOD, and to God alone. If you are unable to pay it, all you have to do is tell God. Give Him your excuse and if He accepts it, you are free. You do not have to pay it. That, I say, is a Faith Promise Offering.”

 

Oswald J. Smith says that between the two systems there is “All the difference in the world.”

The difference that he strongly emphasizes is the part about being held responsible for

commitments made to man, but he definitely minimizes that aspect in relation to making a

commitment to God. Is that true? That we should be more fearful of commitments made to man,

than commitments made to God? Actually that is the exact opposite of what the Bible teaches.

 

        a. Luke 12:4,5 says, “And I say unto you my friends, Be not ____________ of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear ______, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”

        b. Malachi 1:6 says, “A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine ____________? and if I be a master, where is my ________? saith the LORD of hosts unto you…”

        c. Malachi 1:8 says, “And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy ________________; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.”

        d. Ecclesiastes 5:4, 5 says, “When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: ______ that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not ______, than that thou shouldest vow and not ______.”

        e. Ecclesiastes 5:1,2 says, “Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. Be not rash with thy __________, and let not thine heart be __________ to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.”

        f. Matthew 12:36,37 says, “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give ______________ thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy __________ thou shalt be condemned.”

 

The Bible clearly warns us to be very careful to fear God above anyone, and to be very careful

as to the words we utter before Him. That is the exact opposite of what Faith Promise Giving teaches.

It teaches that pledges to man are more fearful than commitments to God.

 

 

    1. Misleading statement #1 — Saying that a Faith Promise Offering is not a pledge.

    2. Misleading statement #2 — Saying that you are not held responsible for the amount that you set as your Faith Promise Offering.

    3. Misleading statement #3 — Strongly insinuating that promises made to God are not as binding as promises made to man.

    4. Misleading statement #4 — Saying that a Faith Promise Offering is not a commitment to a local church, but only to God.

Note:    Consider Oswald J. Smith’s statement again: “A pledge offering is between you and a church, between you and a missionary society, and some day the deacons may come along and try to collect it, or you may receive a letter asking for it. In other words, you can be held responsible for a pledge offering. A FAITH PROMISE OFFERING, ON THE OTHER HAND, IS BETWEEN YOU AND GOD.”

 

If these faith-promises are not pledges, (because they say “A pledge is ‘horizontal’, i.e. made to

a church…”), then why do the churches who practice Faith Promise Giving record the pledges?

 

    What could possibly be the purpose of having people fill out cards as to how much they are promising to give to God? If it is truly between God and the person — not between the person and the church, then why does the church need to know the amount? There are only two possible answers for that. The first possibility is that the church just wants to boast over the amount that its people promised to give to God. Although that may sound foolish to the average church member, that is exactly what often happens in the conversations that pastors have with one another. Amongst pastors, it is sometimes quite a matter of boasting, as to the size of their Faith Promise Giving. It is a subtle (and sometimes, not so subtle) way that pastors try to show other pastors that the blessing of God is upon their ministries.

        a. David made the mistake in getting puffed up over numbers, and was judged for it, in I Chronicles 21:1-4, 7,8 “And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to ____________ Israel. And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it. And Joab answered, The LORD make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel? Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Joab…. And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel. And David said unto God, I have ____________ greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.”

Note:    Although a lot of boasting is done as a result of tallying up the totals from Faith Promise Giving, there is another factor that is even worse.

 

It is plain dishonest to say that Faith Promise Giving is not a commitment to

the local church (as opposed to saying it is only a commitment to God), because in truth,

it is, and every pastor knows it. Local churches depend upon those figures to plan their

budgets — whether for Faith Promise Missions, or for Faith Promise Building programs.

So, in fact, the local church is depending upon those offerings to be received.

 

    Many churches only take on new missionaries after their Faith Promise Missions Conference each year. Why at that time? Because they wait to see how much money the people promise to give, and they take on missionaries according to that amount. Why play games that the pledges are not being made to the local church? They are. In fact, if a church member moves during the process of the year, he is encouraged to still send his Faith Promise Offering back to the local church where he made such a promise. If the promise was made only to God, then it would not matter at what local church the money was given — it would still go to God.

 

In spirit and in truth, local churches collect pledge cards (Faith Promise Cards), because they are

depending upon that money and those commitments made. There is something wrong with a way

of raising money, when you have to be deceitful to do it. Faith Promise Giving has all kinds of

deceit that commonly goes along with it — and church leaders know it.  Why is it used, then?

Because it raises so much money. Listen to Oswald J. Smith again: “I would never go back

to the cash offering. With a cash offering I could only get a very little, BUT WITH A FAITH

PROMISE OFFERING I CAN GET MUCH.” (A Faith Promise Offering, by Oswald J. Smith).

 

        b. I Timothy 6:10 says, “For the ________ of ____________ is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

Chapter 4

C. Deceitful statements.

    1. Misleading statement #1 — Saying that a Faith Promise Offering is not a pledge.

    2. Misleading statement #2 — Saying that you are not held responsible for the amount that you set as your Faith Promise Offering.

    3. Misleading statement #3 — Strongly insinuating that promises made to God are not as binding as promises made to man.

    4. Misleading statement #4 — Saying that a Faith Promise Offering is not a commitment to a local church, but only to God.

 

    5. Misleading statement #5 — Saying that no one will ever try and collect from you the Faith Promise Offering.

Note:    Notice, once again, the following statement: “An effort is normally made to collect the pledge. No attempt is ever made to collect a Faith-Promise. If at the end of the promise period (usually one year), the person is unable to fulfill his/her faith-promise commitment, the matter is wholly between the person and God.” (Globe Missionary Evangelism http://www.gme.org/giving-fpg.shtml)

 

That statement is not made in spirit and in truth, because a pastor has heard

church members severely rebuked in Faith Promise Missions meetings when the

previous year’s promised totals were not met. The people are preached at that they

“…lied to God last year.”  They “…robbed God,” and they need to “…pay up to God

what you promised!” No, the average church using Faith Promise Giving will not come

to your door demanding that you “PAY UP!”, but you will surely hear it from the pulpit,

if the money is not coming in like was promised. That is a deceitful means of trying to

collect the money that was emphasized the previous year as being “no strings attached.”

 

 

D. Unscriptural Results.

Note:   Many methods are accepted and followed by people because outwardly they seem to be successful, but some things take time to show the bad side effects from them.

 

   1. Pride is a result of the Faith Promise Giving system.

 

        a. Pride amongst preachers.

Note:    Consider Oswald J. Smith’s statement again: “I WOULD NEVER GO BACK TO THE CASH OFFERING. With a cash offering I COULD ONLY GET VERY LITTLE, but with a Faith Promise Offering I CAN GET MUCH.” Since when did God ever call preachers to raise money? How does Oswald J. Smith’s statement fit in with the qualifications for a pastor?

            1.) 1 Timothy 3:1-7 says, “This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to __________; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not ________________; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with __________ he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”

 

Was there any qualification listed there that said a preacher must be

good at raising money?  No. He is to be “apt to teach,” but it never says

that a church should look for a pastor who is “apt to raise a lot of money.”

 

Note:   In fact, when money is mentioned in regard to the pastor — a warning is given: “Not greedy of filthy lucre…” Consider Oswald J. Smith’s statement again, “I WOULD NEVER GO BACK TO THE CASH OFFERING. With a cash offering I COULD ONLY GET VERY LITTLE, but with a Faith Promise Offering I CAN GET MUCH.”

    What is the definition of greedy? “Having or showing a selfish desire for wealth and possessions” (Merriam-Webster’s 11th Collegiate Dictionary). Someone will immediately point out that Oswald J. Smith was not greedy, but just wanted to raise the money for missions. His motives are not what is being judged here, but his method is, and the outcome of his method. To see if Oswald J. Smith’s method produces the spirit of the definition of the word greedy “a SELFISH DESIRE for WEALTH,” or whether it brings glory to God, let us do a little test. In his following statement, count how many times the word God appears and is glorified, and how many times the word I or we appear.

    “I would never go back to the cash offering. With a cash offering I could only get a very little, but with a Faith Promise Offering I can get much. In our Annual Missionary Convention we never get more than $7,000 in cash, but we get a quarter of a million or more in Faith Promises.”

 

How many times was the word God  used in his statement? Zero times.

How many times was the word I  or we  used? Five times. When worldly means

are used to raise money, the glory always goes to man, and not to God. The money

raised may be used for God, but the glory clearly goes to man. Read his statement again.

 

            2.) Proverbs 11:2 says, “When __________ cometh, then cometh __________: but with the lowly is wisdom.”

            3.) Proverbs 16:18, 19 says, “__________ goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a ________. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the __________.”

Illustration:    A pastor began noticing how common it is today in promotional literature from churches, to advertise the value of the church property where a special speaker pastors, or did pastor. The same is true of Faith Promise Giving. It may mention the amount that that particular church raised a year for missions before that pastor came, and how much it presently is (or was when he left).

 

Whether knowingly, or unknowingly, financial matters in the church today are being used

to glorify man, instead of God. It is showing us that there is a problem in the church,

when the success or failure of a pastor is measured by the amount of money that he

has raised in his years’ of ministry, instead of his faithful preaching of the Word.

 

            4.) Acts 6:4 tells us what the early pastors were going to do, “But we will give ourselves continually to ____________, and to the ministry of the ________.”

Note:   Did you notice anything said there about raising money for the church or church projects? No.

 

Prayer   is one of the answers for financial needs — not fund-raising schemes.

Preaching the Word  is one of the answers for financial needs, that God may

stir hearts to give and lay up treasure in heaven, instead of treasure upon earth.

Spirit-filled preaching, and prayer to the Lord of the harvest is what is

needed to help the missionary effort — not fund raising schemes.

The same is true when a church needs to build.

 

 

   1. Pride is a result of the Faith Promise Giving system.

        a. Pride amongst preachers.

 

       b. Pride amongst church members.

            1.) Here is one more reason that filling out Faith Promise Giving cards is not Scriptural. How does that fit with Matthew 6:1-4? “Take heed that ye do not your alms before ______, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no ____________ of your Father which is in heaven.”

            2.) It continues on, “Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy ________ hand know what thy __________ hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.”

Note:   A person is not to give money in front of others to impress them, or there will be no heavenly reward. But also, great care is to be taken to NOT GLORY in PERSONAL AMOUNTS given to the Lord. “But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret:”

 

How can you give with one hand, and your other hand not know about it? What does that mean?

When you COUNT MONEY, you normally use BOTH HANDS to do it (one hand holds the money,

while the other hand is used to take the individual pieces of money one by one and count it).

If your left hand does not know what your right hand is giving, then it means that YOU ARE NOT

COUNTING THE TOTALS. You are just giving as there is a need, and as God enables and leads you to give.

 

    That is the exact opposite of what Faith Promise Giving teaches. In that system, your left hand does know what your right hand is giving, because you set the amount a year in advance. There would be a definite amount firmly in the mind, and would tempt the person to boast about the amount given (whether just in the heart and mind, or outwardly with the mouth), which would then take away any heavenly reward for giving. These verses are clear about giving — if we want earthly praise, then that is our reward, and there will be no heavenly reward for it. “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.”

Chapter 5

D. Unscriptural Results.

    1. Pride is a result of the Faith Promise Giving system.

 

    2. Debt/surety is a result of the Faith Promise Giving system.

Note:   When people try to say that faith-giving is promising to give to God an amount of money which you presently cannot see or do not have, that is NOT faith-giving, but is by definition a different financial term called surety, and the Bible clearly WARNS us to NOT BECOME SURETY.

 

Surety   = “a formal engagement (as a pledge) given for the fulfillment of an undertaking;

guarantee; a basis of confidence or security.” (Merriam-Webster’s 11th Collegiate Dictionary)

 

    Listen to the many warnings about becoming surety.

        a. Proverbs 6:1-5 says, “My son, if thou be ____________ for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, Thou art ____________ with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the __________ of thy mouth. Do this now, my son, and ______________ thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend. Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.”

Note:   If you have become surety for a financial matter, you are snared with the words of your mouth (you have entered a trap). The Bible tells you to go as quickly as possible and get out of that bad situation.

        b. Proverbs 11:15 says, “He that is ____________ for a stranger shall smart for it: and he that hateth suretiship is sure.”

        c. Proverbs 17:18 says, “A man ________ of understanding striketh hands, and becometh ____________ in the presence of his friend.”

Note:   Some will argue that Faith Promise Giving is not becoming surety for a debt. Please look back at the definition of surety on the previous page, and then notice the following statements from those who teach Faith Promise Giving. It is clearly surety for a debt — a debt to God.   Here is a typical definition of Faith Promise Giving: “A Faith-Promise is a PROMISE to give, based upon a person’s faith in God’s provision. In making a Faith-Promise, a believer looks to God ‘in faith’ asking Him how much he/she should PROMISE TO GIVE and then committing to give as God provides.” (emphasis added) (Globe Missionary Evangelism http://www.gme.org/giving-fpg.shtml) When a person makes a faith promise, it is indeed a PROMISE to God. What if you do not fulfill it?

        d. Ecclesiastes 5:1, 2 says, “Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. Be not rash with thy __________, and let not thine heart be __________ to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.” e. Ecclesiastes 5:4-6 says, “When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: ______ that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not ______, than that thou shouldest vow and not ______. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an __________: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?”

Note:   What has made CREDIT CARDS so popular with both BUSINESSES and BANKS? Think of the many headaches associated with credit cards. People often charge more on them than which they can make the payment, and they end up declaring bankruptcy. Credit cards are frequently stolen, and items are purchased with them before the customer can call his/her bank. Added to this, each store loses a little profit on each credit card sale, as a service fee to the bank who holds the card.

 

Considering all of the above (and more negative aspects of credit cards could be given),

why would any bank or store get involved in such a system? Because PEOPLE BUY MORE

on credit, than they do with cash.  In the end, the stores SELL MORE when people buy on credit,

so they MAKE MORE MONEY overall on sales. The banks also do well, because people do buy

more than they can pay off at the end of the month. That means that those people are charged

interest on the unpaid balance (usually a high rate of interest), which brings the bank profit. So despite the

bankruptcies with which the bank must contend; overall, they still make out very well on the credit card system.

 

    Now read Oswald J. Smith’s statement again. “I would never go back to the cash offering. With a cash offering I could only get a very little, but with a Faith Promise Offering I can get much. In our Annual Missionary Convention we never get more than $7,000 in cash, but we get a quarter of a million or more in Faith Promises.” (A Faith Promise Offering, by Oswald J. Smith)

 

Oswald J. Smith found a gold mine (humanly speaking) when he introduced giving to

missions on the credit plan. “You do not have the money today? That is okay, just give

to missions on credit. Tell your local church that you will commit to a debt for missions

for the next year, and they will spend that money right now. You can just pay them back

on monthly terms.” Do churches actually collect all the money that people promise to give?

No. Statistics reveal that it is common for churches to collect only 75-80% of the money

promised, so they factor in those losses in their budget. But they still find out

that they can bring in much more money on credit, than on cash.

 

    Faith Promise Giving and its promise or pledge cards is no different than the Promissory Notes given to banks in years past when taking out a loan. Promissory Note = “a note containing or conveying a promise or assurance.” (Merriam-Webster’s 11th Collegiate Dictionary)

 

Note:  We are told that financial problems are one of the biggest causes of marital trouble. Because of that, we teach people to get out of debt. We tell them, “Do not buy something, unless you have the cash. If you cannot use a credit card and pay the bill at the end of the month, then cut up your credit cards so you do not have the temptation to use them.”

Does it not seem very inconsistent to then tell those same people to promise to give God

an amount of money which they do not have? It is very hypocritical to teach people it is

wrong to commit themselves to buying things for which they do not have the cash, and

then turn right around and pressure them through preaching to commit themselves to

promising to give God an amount of money which they do not have.  It is no wonder that

Christian homes are said to be breaking up at the same rate of the world today. We are

using the same financial schemes that the world uses; thus putting Christian families

under the same financial pressures in the church, as they face in the world.

 

 

D. Unscriptural Results.

    1. Pride is a result of the Faith Promise Giving system.

    2. Debt/surety is a result of the Faith Promise Giving system.

 

    3. Unethical emotional appeals are a result of the Faith Promise Giving system.

Illustration:    A pastor visited another fundamental, local church in his area during the last night of their Faith Promise Missions Conference. The speaker was a veteran missionary, and he closed his message by telling a story about a native pastor who was giving a tremendous Faith Promise Offering. The point was clear in the Missions Conference, “If this poor, native pastor can promise to give money that he does not even have, what is wrong with you rich Americans sitting in the pews? You need to also promise to give money that you do not have!” That emotional story really brought in the Faith Promise Offerings (Pledges) in that meeting. In fact, the amount was so high, that when the pastor of that church received the tally to announce at the end of the service; he mentioned, more than once, that he doubted that much would ever actually be given.

    The visiting pastor did not believe that the true Biblical definition of faith giving was promising to give God an amount that he did not have; but giving from what he did have, so he contacted the missionary speaker for information as to how he could give a gift to that native pastor. The visiting pastor was greatly grieved when he was contacted back (the missionary did not get in touch with him personally, but sent this information through another person). He was told that it would not be possible to give that native pastor a gift, because he was no longer in the ministry. He had been put out of the ministry. But the pastor was told that there were other worthy native pastors to which he could give a gift.

Do you see how that missionary speaker used a deceitful tactic to play upon the

emotions of the congregation? He was causing them to feel less spiritual than that

native pastor, for their lack of giving (and his tactic succeeded); when, in fact, that

native pastor was not spiritual at all, and was no longer even in the ministry.  It goes

to show you how that when you try to raise money using worldly schemes,

it is real easy to become deceitful and unethical in the process.

 

 

D. Unscriptural Results.

    1. Pride is a result of the Faith Promise Giving system.

    2. Debt/surety is a result of the Faith Promise Giving system.

    3. Unethical emotional appeals are a result of the Faith Promise Giving system.

 

   4. Wrong statements/conclusions are emphasized as a result of the Faith Promise Giving system.

Note:    Consider this statement made by a group promoting Faith Promise Giving. “Faith-Promise giving takes giving to another level. When making a faith-promise, a believer looks to God to give more. In effect the believer asks, “How much can I trust God to give through me?” This kind of expectant faith offers God an opportunity to pour limitless amounts of money into His work through His people. Without the restraints associated with known income and resources, the Faith-Promise expects God to supply to His children, large amounts of money which they in turn give to His work.” (Globe Missionary Evangelism http://www.gme.org/giving-fpg.shtml) If the reader is not alarmed at the statement, “How much can I trust God to give through me?”, then something is wrong.

 

The truth is the exact opposite of that statement. The problem is not

whether you can trust God to give you enough money. The real problem is

“CAN GOD TRUST YOU with the amount of money that He has already given to you?”

 

        a. Luke 16:10,11 says, “He that is faithful in that which is __________ is faithful also in ________: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?”

Note:   The whole faith-promise giving concept is exactly backwards. “Without the restraints associated with known income and resources, the Faith-Promise expects God to supply to His children, large amounts of money which they in turn give to His work.”

 

God is not going to bless His people with large amounts of money, if they are not

faithful in giving with the small amount of money that they already have. If they are not

faithful to Him with a small amount, then they would not be faithful to Him with a large amount.

“He that is faithful in that which is LEAST is faithful also in MUCH: and he that is unjust in the

least is unjust also in much.” Your income, howsoever small it may be, IS NO RESTRAINT TO GOD.

The widow gave two mites, and the Lord said that she gave more than those who cast in much.

GOD HAS NEVER BEEN LIMITED BY THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WHICH HIS PEOPLE POSSESS.

 

        b. Was God limited by the small amount of food that His disciples could find in Mark 8:1-9? No, not in the least.

            1.) Verses 1-3 say, “In those days the multitude being very great, and having ______________ to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them, I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to ______: And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far.”

            2.) Verses 4-6 say, “And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? And he asked them, How many ____________ have ye? And they said, __________. And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people.”

            3.) Verses 7-9 say, “And they had a ______ small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them. So they did ______, and were ____________: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets. And they that had eaten were about ________ thousand: and he sent them away.”

 

God is not limited in the least by the small amount that His people possess.

He can take the smallest amount and multiply it, and have a huge abundance left over in the end!

 

        c. Philippians 4:19 says, “But my God shall supply all your need according to ______    ____________ in __________ by Christ Jesus.”

Note:   It is GOD’S RICHES — NOT OURS that finance His work. And God is never hard-up for finances.

        d. Psalm 50:10 says, “For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a ________________ hills.”

Note:   If you think that God is limited in what He can accomplish because we do not have enough people writing down on a piece of paper how much money they would like God to give them, then you are greatly in error!

 

The Bible never teaches Christians to promise to give an amount of money to God which they do not even have

in their possession. We are NOT held accountable for what we would like to have, but what we actually have.

 

        e. II Corinthians 8:12 says, “For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man ________, and not according to that he ________    ______.”

        f. The Bible goes on to say in the next two verses, “For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened: But by an equality, that now at this time ________ abundance may be a supply for their want, that ___________ abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:”

Note:    Remember what God clearly says, “For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.” Jesus said that the poor widow gave more than the rich. She did not promise to give what she did not have — she simply gave of what she did have. In her case, she gave all that she had, and now had to truly live by faith.

 

F. Apparent Blessings.

Question:    If Faith Promise Giving is unscriptural (the type that says you are not really giving by faith, unless you promise to give more than you actually have), then why does God seem to be prospering it so much? Churches that use that method often have huge mission budgets. Many sincere people are in churches where the Faith Promise Missions and Faith Promise Building methods are being used. They have taken part in the promises (pledges), and God has graciously allowed them to fulfill their commitments. In fact, God has seemed to bless them in their own needs and families. The question is, “Why has God blessed them for taking part in a system which is unscriptural?”

 

The answer is this, God is blessing them, not for taking part in an unscriptural system, but

for their sowing generously to His work. The reason that God is blessing those individuals,

is because they are NOT WAITING idly by for God to give them an ABUNDANCE so they can

give it back. They are giving sacrificially from what they have, and God is blessing them.

People can do that without unwisely and unscripturally promising to give God a certain

amount of money a year in advance. Anyone can, week by week, give prayerfully

and sacrificially to the Lord’s work, and be blessed because of it.

 

Note:   There are many who refuse to look at the Scriptural facts dealing with this system, because they are blinded by its apparent overwhelming success. They are very inconsistent with their methods of deciding what is right and what is wrong. For example, what about the Charismatic Movement of today? If they are so wrong doctrinally (and they are), then why do they seem to be so blessed? They have huge church buildings. They control most of religious TV programming. They seldom seem to lack for finances. Many have thousands of people attending their churches. If Faith Promise Giving is okay because it brings in so much money, then why is not the Charismatic Movement okay as well?

 

The end   never justifies the means. You may do something unscriptural,

and not see the full negative impact until years down the road.

 

    1. Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way which ______________ right unto a man, but the ______ thereof are the ways of death.”

Note:   Do not allow emotional stories and experiences to guide your life. Let the clear Word of God teach you.

    2.   2 Corinthians 8:12 says, “For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man ________, and NOT according to that he HATH ______.”

 

This verse ALONE proves that the Faith Promise Giving system is unscriptural.

When it comes to giving money, God accepts your giving FROM WHAT YOU

HAVE — NOT FROM WHAT YOU DO NOT HAVE. God does not expect, nor

ask you to give or promise something which you do not even have.

 

Note:   If you talk to a Charismatic very long, and show him what the Bible teaches, he is going to say, “I do not know about that (what the Bible teaches), but I know what I have EXPERIENCED!” Experience is his authority, not the Bible.  Sadly, when it comes to Faith Promise Giving, many people who attend fundamental churches are living the same way. The Bible is clear on the subject, but they say, “I do not know about that (what the Bible teaches), but I know what I have EXPEREINCED!”

Determine in your heart to give the Biblical way. When it is time to give; or when a special need

arises, prayerfully consider what God has entrusted to you. Be willing to give as God leads; and

then live, by faith, trusting God to meet your needs. It is easy to say, “If I had a million dollars,

I would give half of it to you!” But it would be much harder to say, “I will give you half of what

is in my bank account right now!” God is not so much interested as to what you would do IF

you had a certain amount of money (He already knows what you would do, anyway).  What He

is interested in is what you are doing with the money that you do have right now.

 

    3. Luke 16:10-12 says, “He that is ________________ in that which is __________ is faithful also in much: and he that is ____________ in the __________ is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your ______?”

Note:   God is not interested in what you would do for missions if you had a million dollars in your pocket. God is interested in what you would do for missions if you only had a dollar in your pocket, because that would tell the story as to what you would do if you had more.   What many people mistake as the blessings of God upon Faith Promise Giving, is actually the blessings of God upon His people as they are simply generous in giving of what they have to Him.

    4.   2   Corinthians 9:6 says, “But this I say, He which soweth __________________ shall reap also __________________; and he which soweth ______________________ shall reap also ______________________.”

    5.   2   Corinthians 9:7,8 says, “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace ____________ toward you; that ye, always having all ______________________ in all things, may abound to every good work:”

Note:   How sad that worldly, high-pressure sales techniques have entered into the church today. God does not want people to give grudgingly or of necessity. God wants people to give cheerfully, because Christians are one day going to be judged on the sort of their works for Him — not on the quantity of what they have done or given.

    6.   1   Corinthians 3:13-15 says, “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what ________ it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a ____________. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer ________: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”

 

Money that is given of necessity or grudgingly is all going to go up in smoke

at the Judgment Seat. How much better to cheerfully give of what you have

today, than to make promises about giving tomorrow.

MONEY — PART   2

FINAL TEST

When you are finished with this test, please return the entire booklet back to us for grading. When it is graded, the booklet will be returned to you, along with the next booklet. May God richly guide you and give you wisdom from your study of this subject!

    1. The common definition of Faith Promise Giving is, “__________________, by faith (normally, a ________ in advance), to give an amount of money (which you do ______ presently have) to God for His work, if He will provide it for you.”

    2. The Biblical definition of Faith Giving is, “____________ an amount of money to the Lord from what you presently ________ (whether part, or all of it), and then, by faith, trusting God to meet your __________.”

    3. Mark 12:41 tells us, “And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were ________ cast in ________.”

    4. The next verse says, “And there came a certain ________ widow, and she threw in ______ mites, which make a farthing.”

    5. Verse 43 says, “And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast ________ in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:”

    6. Jesus then tells why, in verse 44, “For all they did cast in of their __________________; but she of her want did cast in ______ that she had, even ______ her living.”

    7. Consider Oswald J. Smith’s statement again, “Have you ever in your life given a Faith Offering, or have you only given a cash offering? It does not require any _________ to give a cash offering. If I have a dollar in my pocket, all I have to do is tell my hand to go into my pocket, find the dollar, take it out and put it on the plate. I don’t have to pray about it. I don’t have to ask God for it. I don’t have to trust Him for any definite amount. I just have to give it.”

    8. His statement does not match up at all with what Jesus taught. The widow gave a cash offering, and the Lord highly honored her for it. She did not promise to give the Lord more than she had — but she gave ______ the ________ that she did have.

    9. When Oswald J. Smith says, “It does not require any faith to give a cash offering,” he is greatly in __________, and is assuming that everyone has cash in their pockets that is __________ (money that they do not really need). But many people in this world barely make ends meet, when it comes to paying their bills. When those people give the cash in their pockets, then they do not have the money to meet their needs for gas, groceries, bills, etc. They have to then live by __________ for the rest of that week or month.

    10. Misapplying Hebrews 11:1, the Faith Promise Giving system reaches the false conclusion that you are not giving in faith, unless you ______________ to give God an amount of money which you cannot ______ (an amount of money you cannot see in your pocket or purse; an amount of money which you cannot see in your bank account; an amount of money which you cannot see in your regular weekly check).

    11. If that poor widow attended the average Faith Promise Missions Conference today, and only gave of what she ______, she would be highly criticized for not stepping out on __________ and promising to give of what she could not see. That conclusion is the exact ________________ of what Jesus taught His disciples about giving.

    12. Jesus did ______ commend the giving of the rich, because they were only giving of their abundance. “And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their __________________; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.”

    13. Now, please stop and think. Faith Promise Giving teaches that you are not giving in faith, unless you promise to give that which you do not have. In the Faith Promise Giving system, what you are really praying for is extra money, or an __________________ of money over what you presently make or have, so you can give it to the Lord. Is that what the system really teaches? Read it for yourself: “Without the restraints associated with known income and resources, the Faith Promise expects God to supply His children, __________ amounts of money which they in turn ________ to His work.” (Globe Missionary Evangelism http://www.gme.org/giving-fpg.shtml)

    14. They openly state that they are teaching a method that is not going to __________ your present income, but is going to bring in an __________________ from God, which you can then simply give right back to Him. According to what Jesus taught, that is ______ something commendable — if you just give of the extra or abundance that you have received. That is no sacrifice on your part. Where is the __________ involved there?

    15. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the __________________ of things hoped for, the ________________ of things not seen.” True faith is NOT a blind leap in the dark or a guess. True faith has evidence and substance to it.

    16. Romans 10:17 says, “So then __________ cometh by hearing, and hearing by the ________ of God.” Faith comes through hearing the Word of God. We then base what we do on that substance and evidence which we have heard or read from the Bible.

    17. The misapplication of 2 Corinthians 8 & 9 is another major problem with the Faith Promise Giving system. In 2 Corinthians 8:3-4 we read, “For to their power, I bear record, yea, and ____________ their __________ they were willing of themselves; Praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the ________, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.” Notice here that they were giving “beyond their power.” The typical Faith Promise Giving interpretation of that is, “They were promising to give money that they actually did not have in their possession.” But that is clearly a faulty interpretation, because they were “Praying us with much entreaty that we would RECEIVE the GIFT.” They were not trying to give them I.O.U.’s, or Faith Promise Pledge Cards. They were pressing them to accept the ACTUAL MONEY (gift) that they had for them.

    18. Then what does it mean when it says, “beyond their power they were willing…” to give? It means that they were giving more to Paul than they could ____________, humanly speaking, because they had no power or means to ______________ that money, which they ____________ for their own bills.

    19.    2 Corinthians 8:10-12 says, “And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a ________ ago. Now therefore ______________ the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye ________. For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man ________, and not according to that he ________   ______.”

    20. The Corinthians, a year previously, had stated that they had wanted to do something special for the work of God. What was the problem? They were WAITING for that SPECIAL AMOUNT to be ______________ (that amount that they had stated a year previously), before they were going to give.

    21. Now at this point, the typical Faith Promise Giving message holds this up as the ________________ achievement of scriptural giving (the method of setting an amount a YEAR IN ADVANCE that you are going to give to the Lord). They are totally missing the real point of this passage — that the method ____________. Their zeal and intentions were commendable, but their method was not right, and had failed.

    22. So now they had to be corrected as to what proper giving really is. “Now therefore PERFORM the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to ________, so there may be a performance also ______ of that which ye ________. For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man ________, and not according to that he ________ ______.”

    23. The Charismatics are criticized (and rightly so) for using the Corinthian Church as a __________ church for speaking in ______________. The Corinthian Church was a ____________ church, and was having to be __________________ in that matter.

    24.    1 Corinthians 3:1 says, “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto ____________________, but as unto ____________, even as unto __________ in Christ.”

    25. Fundamental churches have now come along and made another __________ of the Corinthian Church, the __________ of giving! They were NOT being commended for promising to give a certain amount of money a year in advance, but were having to be __________________ about the matter, and told to give of what they actually had.

    26. Once again, the emphasis of 2 Corinthians 9:6 is teaching the OPPOSITE of what the typical Faith Promise Giving teaches. They teach you to pray for an amount that you do not have, so you can give it. Notice what this verse teaches. “But this I say, He which ____________ sparingly shall ________ also sparingly; and he which ____________ bountifully shall ________ also bountifully.” God’s order is always that you SOW FIRST (that you give first), and then you will REAP accordingly.

    27. Oswald J. Smith says, “A Faith Promise Offering is a Scriptural offering; it is a Pauline offering and, therefore, God blesses it.” (A Faith Promise Offering, by Oswald J. Smith) That is not the truth. Paul was not praising the Corinthians’ method of giving, any more than he was praising their manner of speaking in tongues. To the contrary, Paul was being used of the Holy Spirit to ______________ the errors of the Corinthian Church.

    28.    2 Corinthians 9:6 is very clear — you give __________, and then God ______________ accordingly. The Bible never teaches us to promise to give God an amount of money that we do not have, and then hope that He blesses us with that amount so we can keep our promise.

    29. Luke 6:38 says, “________, and it shall be given unto ______; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” That verse does NOT teach that God will give you money if you will just pray for it. That verse teaches that YOU MUST FIRST GIVE of what you already have, and THEN the Lord will multiply it, “…good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over…”

    30. In each case, ____________ comes before ______________. There is no substance or evidence in the Bible to support the idea that you can keep all of your regular earnings for yourself (all of the money which you can see), and simply pray for an abundance of money to give back to God.

    31. It is clear that the money that you ______________ is going to be based upon the money that you first ________. That is the opposite teaching of Faith Promise Giving, which teaches people to promise large amounts of money to the Lord, and then pray it in.

    32. The Faith Promise Giving system is filled with deceit; that is, deceptive and misleading statements. Misleading statement #1 — Saying that a Faith Promise Offering is not a ____________.

    33. Churches that use the Faith Promise Giving system usually say that making a pledge is __________. Oswald J. Smith says this about it: “I do not believe in pledges. I have never taken up a pledge offering in my life. What is the difference, you ask, between a pledge offering and a Faith Promise Offering? All the difference in the world. A pledge offering is between you and a church, between you and a missionary society, and some day the deacons may come along and try to collect it, or you may receive a letter asking for it. In other words, you can be held ______________________ for a pledge offering.”- Oswald J. Smith

    34. Now, he continues on with his statement, “A Faith Promise Offering, on the other hand, is between you and God. No one will ever ask you for it. No official will ever call on you to collect it. No one will ever send you a letter reminding you of it. It is a ______________ made by you to ______, and to God alone. If you are unable to pay it, all you have to do is tell God. Give Him your ____________ and if He accepts it, you are free. You do not have to pay it. That, I say, is a Faith Promise Offering.” (A Faith Promise Offering, by Oswald J. Smith)

    35. Who made up their definition of the word pledge? That is exactly how people twist Scripture, by making words mean whatever they want them to mean. Here is the recognized definition of the word pledge: “a binding ______________ or agreement to do or forbear” (Merriam-Webster?s 11th Collegiate Dictionary).

    36. Here is part of Oswald J. Smith?s definition of Faith Promise Giving, “It is a PROMISE made by you to God, and to God alone.” According to all accepted rules of language and grammar, making a Faith Promise Offering is definitely making a ____________. To try and argue otherwise is just being plain __________________.

    37. Misleading statement #2 — Saying that you are not held ______________________ for the amount that you set as your Faith Promise Offering. Their whole basis for saying that a pledge is unscriptural, is because they say it is binding upon you — some one or some organization could come after you to ______________ it. As a Christian, when you make a commitment you should ________ your word — whether anyone comes asking for it or not.

    38. Proverbs 11:3 says, “The __________________ of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.”

    39. What kind of reasoning is it to say that you should not make a commitment to certain ones, because they may come after you to collect; but that it is okay to make commitments to others, because they will not come after you? That is certainly not ________________ reasoning.

    40. Misleading statement #3 — Strongly insinuating that promises made to God are not as binding as promises made to man. Listen to Oswald J. Smith’s statement again, “What is the difference, you ask, between a pledge offering and a Faith Promise Offering? All the difference in the world. A pledge offering is between you and a church, between you and a missionary society, and some day the deacons may come along and try to collect it, or you may receive a letter asking for it. In other words, YOU CAN BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR A PLEDGE OFFERING.  A Faith Promise Offering, on the other hand, is between you and God. No one will ever ask you for it. No official will ever call on you to collect it. No one will ever send you a letter reminding you of it. IT IS A PROMISE MADE BY YOU TO GOD, and to God alone. If you are unable to pay it, all you have to do is tell God. Give Him your excuse and if He accepts it, you are free. You do not have to pay it. That, I say, is a Faith Promise Offering.”  Oswald J. Smith says that between the two systems there is “All the difference in the world.” The difference that he strongly emphasizes is the part about being held ______________________ for commitments made to ______, but he definitely minimizes that aspect in relation to making a commitment to ______. Is that true? That we should be more fearful of commitments made to man, than commitments made to God? Actually that is the exact opposite of what the Bible teaches.

    41. Luke 12:4,5 says, “And I say unto you my friends, Be not ____________ of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear ______, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”

    42. Ecclesiastes 5:4, 5 says, “When thou vowest a vow unto ______, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: ______ that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not ______, than that thou shouldest vow and not ______.”

    43. Misleading statement #4 — Saying that a Faith Promise Offering is not a commitment to a local church, but only to God. It is plain dishonest to say that Faith Promise Giving is not a commitment to the local church (as opposed to saying it is only a commitment to God), because in truth, it is, and every pastor knows it. Local churches ____________ upon those figures to plan their ______________ — whether for Faith Promise Missions, or for Faith Promise Building programs. So, in fact, the local church is depending upon those offerings to be received.

    44. Pride is a result of the Faith Promise Giving system. Consider Oswald J. Smith’s statement again: “I would never go back to the cash offering. With a cash offering I could only get very ____________, but with a Faith Promise Offering I can get ________.”

    45. To see if Oswald J. Smith’s method produces the spirit of the definition of the word greedy “a SELFISH DESIRE for WEALTH,” or whether it brings glory to God, let us do a little test. In his following statement, count how many times the word God appears and is glorified, and how many times the word I or we appear. “___ would never go back to the cash offering. With a cash offering ___ could only get a very little, but with a Faith Promise Offering ___ can get much. In our Annual Missionary Convention ____ never get more than $7,000 in cash, but ____ get a quarter of a million or more in Faith Promises.” How many times was the word God used in his statement? _________ times. How many times was the word I or we used? ________ times.

    46. Debt/surety is a result of the Faith Promise Giving system. When people try to say that faith-giving is promising to give to God an amount of money which you presently cannot see or do not have, that is NOT faith-giving, but is by definition a different financial term called ____________, and the Bible clearly WARNS us to NOT BECOME SURETY. Surety is “a formal engagement (as a ____________) given for the fulfillment of an undertaking; guarantee; a basis of confidence or security.” (Merriam-Webster’s 11th Collegiate Dictionary)

    47. Proverbs 6:1-5 says, “My son, if thou be ____________ for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, Thou art ____________ with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the __________ of thy mouth. Do this now, my son, and ______________ thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend. Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand   of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.”

    48. What has made credit cards so popular with both businesses and banks? Think of the many headaches associated with credit cards. People often charge more on them than which they can make the payment, and they end up declaring bankruptcy. Credit cards are frequently stolen, and items are purchased with them before the customer can call his/her bank. Added to this, each store loses a little profit on each credit card sale, as a service fee to the bank who holds the card. Considering all of the above (and more negative aspects of credit cards could be given), why would any bank or store get involved in such a system? Because people ______ more on ____________, than they do with cash.

    49. Now read Oswald J. Smith’s statement again. “I would __________ go back to the ________ offering. With a cash offering I could only get a very ____________, but with a Faith Promise Offering I can get ________. In our Annual Missionary Convention we never get more than $7,000 in cash, but we get a quarter of a million or more in Faith Promises.” (A Faith Promise Offering, by Oswald J. Smith) Oswald J. Smith found a gold mine (humanly speaking) when he introduced giving to missions on the credit plan. “You do not have the money today? That is okay, just give to missions on credit. Tell your local church that you will commit to a debt for missions for the next year, and they will spend that money right now. You can just pay them back on monthly terms.”

    50. Do churches actually collect all the money that people promise to give? No. Statistics reveal that it is common for churches to collect only __________% of the money promised, so they factor in those losses in their budget. But they still find out that they can bring in much more money on ____________, than on cash. Faith Promise Giving and its promise or pledge cards is no different than the Promissory Notes given to banks in years past when taking out a loan. Promissory Note = “a note containing or conveying a ______________ or assurance” (Merriam-Webster’s 11th Collegiate Dictionary).

    51. Wrong statements/conclusions are emphasized as a result of the Faith Promise Giving system. Consider this statement made by a group promoting Faith Promise Giving. “Faith-Promise giving takes giving to another level. When making a faith-promise, a believer looks to God to give more. In effect the believer asks, “How much can I trust ______ to ________ through me?” (Globe Missionary Evangelism http://www.gme.org/giving-fpg.shtml) The truth is the exact opposite of that statement. The problem is not whether you can trust God to give you enough money. The real problem is “CAN GOD TRUST YOU with the amount of money that He has already given to you?”

    52. Luke 16:10,11 says, “He that is faithful in that which is __________ is faithful also in ________: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?”

    53. Sadly, when it comes to Faith Promise Giving, many people who attend fundamental churches are living the same way. The Bible is clear on the subject, but they say, “I do not know about that (what the Bible ______________), but I know what I have ______________________!”

 

 

 

Are you certain that if you died today, you would go to heaven?

1. Do you realize that you have sinned?

(Romans 3:23)  “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

(1 John 1:8)   “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

(Ecclesiastes 7:20)   “For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.”

 

2. Do you realize the penalty for your sin?

(Romans 6:23)   “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

 

3. Do you realize that if you die in your sin, you will go to hell?

(Psalms 9:17)   “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”

(Proverbs 15:24)   “The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.”

(Luke 12:4-5)   “And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.   But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”

 

4. Do you realize that the Lord Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, paid that death penalty for you?

(Matthew 1:21-23)    “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.    Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,     Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

(John 14:6-7)    “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.   If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.”

(John 3:16)    “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.”

(Romans 5:8)   “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

(1 Peter 3:18)   “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.”

(1 Peter 2:24)   “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

 

5. Do you realize that it is only through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that you can be saved, and not through any good works of your own?

(1 John 1:7)   “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

(1 Peter 1:18-19)   “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.”

(Ephesians 2:8-9)   “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:    Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

(Titus 3:5-7)   “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;   Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;   That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

 

6. Do you realize that after Jesus died for your sins, He arose victorious from the grave the third day, proving that His sacrifice was sufficient to pay for all of the sins of the whole world?

(1 Corinthians 15:1-4)    “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;   By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.    For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;   And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”

 

7. Do you realize that to be saved you must repent (you must have the desire to turn from your sin and false beliefs, and have the desire for God to transform your life)?

(Luke 13:3)   “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

(Acts 3:19)   “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.”

(Acts 26:20)   “But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.”

(Mark 9:43-48)   “And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:   Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.   And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:   Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.   And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:   Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

 

8. Do you realize that after you get saved, God’s first command for you is to get baptized and then to live for Him?

(Acts 2:41)   “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”

(Romans 6:1-4)   “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?   God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?   Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?    Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

(2 Corinthians 5:17)    “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

(Titus 3:3-8)   “For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.   But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,   Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;   Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;   That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.   This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.”

(Titus 2:11-14)    “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,   Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;   Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;   Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”

(1 Corinthians 6:9-11)   “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,   Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.   And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”

(Galatians 5:19-26)   “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,   Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,   Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.   But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,    Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.   And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.   If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.   Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.”

(1 Corinthians 11:14-15)   “Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?    But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.”

(Deuteronomy 22:5)   “The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.”

(Ephesians 4:22-32)   “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;   And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;   And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.    Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.   Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:   Neither give place to the devil.   Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.   Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.   And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.   Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:    And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

 

9. Are you ready to now ask the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive you of all your sins, and to save you?

(John 1:12)   “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”

(Romans 10:9-11)   “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.   For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.    For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”

(Romans 10:13)   “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

(1 John 5:13)   “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

 

 

ATTENTION:    If you die before you make this decision, then you will spend eternity in the torment of hell fire.  Turn from your wickedness and sin, and humble yourself before Almighty God right now.

Bow your head right now and confess to God that you are a sinner deserving judgment.  Ask the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive you of all your sins, and to save you.  Tell Him that you now repent, and ask Him to cleanse your life, and to give you the power to live for Him.  Tell Him that you are trusting in His shed blood alone to cleanse you from all your sin.  Ask Him to lead you to a good, Bible-preaching church, where you can follow the first command after salvation — that of getting baptized and publicly confessing your faith in Him.  Ask Him to help you find some good Christian friends to encourage you in the faith and to help you grow.

 

If you have just asked the Lord Jesus Christ to save you, please copy this into an email with your name, so we can rejoice with you.

________________________________________________ (sign name here)

________________________________________________ (date)

 

#BC-E-121     @  2007    LIBERTY GOSPEL TRACTS

This Bible Study Course may be printed off for personal study, but cannot be printed in quantity

and distributed without prior written permission from Liberty Gospel Tracts.

www.libertygospeltracts.com

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