What Motivates a Firstfruit
to Righteousness?
I received a most intriguing question the other day via e-mail. It
read, “What motivates people in our church to start tithing and to keep
the Sabbath, Holy days etc.?” He stated that in his years in the
church, he had never seen the subject addressed.
He went on to ask if the motivation was founded on a fear of being
destroyed by God or just the promise of eternal life and happiness in
the Kingdom of God. Could it be the motivation is born in a
self-serving desire for power, position or the praise of others? Do
some people act religious for selfish reasons? Is wanting to be in the
Kingdom of God a selfish desire?
To answer these questions we must first review my previous Notebook
piece describing how churches of God work. That piece is located
here. Be sure to review the text, listen to the audio and study the
diagram. What we have learned is that any church of God is made up
of a cross-section from many, if not all of the following
classifications:
1] Faithful members moving forward in the
Salvation Process.
2] Faithful members currently
backsliding.
3] Babes in Christ only recently converted and new to the Salvation
Process (Heb. 5:13; 1 Peter 2:2).
4] Falsely converted. Once baptized, but not actually called and never
receiving the Holy Spirit (Mark 4)
5] Once converted members, now
fallen away from the Salvation Process and no longer possessing the
Holy Spirit of God. Still attending church (2
Thess 2:3).
6] Crept in unawares (Jude 4).
As we can easily conclude, yes, there are some in the church motivated
by a desire for power, position or the praise of others. A few are even
seeking to
scatter the church. It would not be surprising to find some totally
motivated by fear of the lake of fire and destruction by God. The key
word in that statement is “totally”. All of us are to have a
fear of God [not just respect but fear].
However, this fear is to be in balance with the fruits of the Spirit,
which include joy, love, faith and peace.
What Motivates Faithful
Members?
Everything so far is by way of introduction, for the man’s primary
question is what motivates faithful members in the Body of Christ to
obey God in tithing, keeping the Sabbath, overcoming sin, producing the
fruits of the Spirit and remaining faithful to the end in the Salvation
Process? By implementing Isaiah 28:10 and 13 [precept upon precept,
line upon line] we can find the answer.
Spiritual Motivation Not
Possible by Human Power
The Bible is replete with scripture showing that righteousness is not
inherent in man:
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can
know it? –Jer. 17:9
And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that
every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil
continually. –Gen. 6:5
What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman,
that he should be righteous? –
Job 15:14
Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
– Ps. 51:5
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and
have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good. God
looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were
any that did understand, that did seek God. Every one of them is gone
back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good,
no, not one. –Ps. 53:1-3
This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there
is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of
evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they
go to the dead. –Eccl. 9:3
And ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one
after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto
me. –Jer. 16:12
For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries,
fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.
–Matt. 15:19
For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts,
adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness,
deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All
these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
–Mark 7:21-23
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.
–Rom. 3:10
Conclusion:
Spiritual motivation does not come from the heart of man.
From Whence Comes
the Power?
Again to the scriptures:
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save
the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no
man, but the Spirit of God. –1 Cor.
2:11
But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and
ye know all things [about Salvation].
–1 John 2:20
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the
Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all
that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
–Acts 10:38
Now he which stablisheth us with you in
Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given
the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
–2 Cor. 1:21-22
Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated
iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil
of gladness above thy fellows. –Heb.
1:9
Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in
us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
–1 John 4:13
Evil men understand not judgment: but they
that seek the LORD understand all things.
–Prov 28:5
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name, it shall teach you all things, and
bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
–John 14:26
Howbeit when it, the Spirit of truth, is come,
it will guide you into all truth: for it shall not speak of itself; but
whatsoever it shall hear, that shall it speak: and it will shew you
things to come. –John 16:13
But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of
no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct
him? But we have the mind of Christ. –1 Cor.
2:15-16
Conclusion: Clearly everything
spiritual, including spiritual desire and motivation comes from God,
through Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, fill your lamps with the oil of great price.
How Do I Obtain
Increased Measures of God’s Spirit?
Generally this is accomplished in three spirit-driven steps:
1] Pray
2] Immerse
3] Invoke
1] Pray:
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye
have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The
Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children
of God. –Rom. 8:14-16
Without God’s Spirit in us, we are not the children of God.
Therefore pray without ceasing that God increases and maintains His
Spirit in us.
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the
Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of
Christ, he is none of his. –Rom. 8:9
2] Immerse:
When we were baptized, God had us to be immersed in water to wash
away sin in this watery grave. He will later immerse the earth in His
Word as the waters cover the sea. If God is to immerse the world in His
Word then, we are to immerse ourselves in the Word of God now. The Word
of God is spirit (Eph. 6:17) and the
more we are immersed in the Spirit, the more we will have.
For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the
LORD, as the waters cover the sea. –Hab. 2:14
3] Invoke:
In the letter to Laodicea, God writes that He would have us to be hot
rather than lukewarm. This word, “hot” is speaking to “fervency.” To
be fervent is to be active, efficient, be mighty in, work (effectually in). The more we
invoke the power of the Spirit of God in the form of love, joy, peace,
honesty, excellence, service, forgiveness and faith, the more we
increase the Spirit of God in us.
Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the
Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another
with a pure heart fervently. –1 Peter 1:22
Final Question Answered
The man’s final question to me was, “Is wanting to be in the Kingdom of
God a selfish desire?” The answer: not
for the faithful firstfruit disciple of Christ. Rather, it is a
faithful desire; something we look to in love and joy and faith. We, by
virtue of the Holy Spirit, are not focused on selfishness or
self-preservation but a longing to be with God, the Father and actively
carry out His eternal plan. We are looking forward to a time of mutual
giving among 100 billion new spirit beings. It is not a getting, but a
giving and sharing for eternity beginning with God giving abundantly
unto us.
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give
you the kingdom. – Luke 12:32
Phil 2:13
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good
pleasure. –Phil. 2:13
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of
the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the
beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness
of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded
toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the
mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath
purposed in himself. –Eph 1:5-9
For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the
everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
–2 Peter 1:11
So, allow God to increase the Holy Spirit in you and the spiritual
motivation will surely follow. |