Las Vegas, Nevada Church
Affiliated with the Intercontinental Church of God and the Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association

What Motivates a Firstfruit to Righteousness?                  MP3

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 (Hebrews 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 Thessalonians 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? –Jeremiah 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. –Genesis 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. – Psalm 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. –Psalm 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. –Ecclesiastes 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. –Jeremiah 16:12

For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. –Matthew 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. –Romans 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 Corinthians 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 Corinthians 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. –Hebrews 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. –Proverbs 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 Corinthians 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. –Romans 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. –Romans 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 (Ephesians 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. –Habakkuk 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.

Luke 12:32
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Philippians 2:13

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

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. –Ephesians 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.

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Las Vegas, Nevada Church of God - part of The Intercontinental Church of God and The Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association - Tyler, Texas