“各人要照自己的进项抽出来留着”（林前16:2）。{FH.53 .1}
捐献是福音宗教的一部分。救恩的计划是以牺牲为基础的。耶稣离开天廷，成为贫穷，使我们因祂的贫穷可以成为富足。祂在地上的生活是无私的，表现出卑辱和牺牲的特征。仆人岂能大过主人呢？我们既享有祂为我们成就的伟大救恩，岂可拒不跟从我们的主，不象祂那样舍己呢？世界的救赎主既为我们受了那么多的苦，我们既是祂身上的肢体，岂可活在无谓的自我放纵中呢？不可以。舍己乃是作门徒的必要条件。……{FH.53 .2}
我们的元首基督在救恩的伟大工作上带了头。但祂已把那工作委托给祂在地上的信徒。这项工作的开展离不开钱财。祂已赐给祂子民一个计划，为兴旺祂的圣工筹集足够的钱财。十分之一的制度就是为此而设立的。它可以回溯到摩西的时代，甚至可以追溯到亚当的日子。主在很久以前就赐下了这个明确的制度，要求人们为宗教的目的向上帝奉献礼物。……{FH.53 .3}
上帝并不强迫我们向祂的圣工奉献。我们的行动必须出于自愿。祂不愿用不乐意的奉献补充祂的府库。祂在定期捐献计划中，原是要使我们与造我们的主有更亲密的关系，且使我们同情关爱我们的同胞，从而使我们负有责任，抵制自私，加强无私慷慨的性情。我们容易自私自利，向慷慨的行为关闭心门。主计划借着要我们定期奉献礼物，养成捐献的习惯，视之为基督徒的本分。使我们的心借着一次奉献敞开之后，还没来得及关闭并变得自私冷淡，就进行另一次奉献。……{FH.53 .4}
每个男女和儿童都可成为主的司库。……{FH.53 .5}
上帝计划我们在推进祂的圣工中负一部分责任，乃是为了我们的益处。借着使我们成为祂的同工，祂尊荣了我们。祂已命定自己的子民必须合作，以便培养并保持运用行善的爱心。——《时兆》，1886年5月18日。{FH.53 .6}
Giving, a Habit Born of Love, February 10
Let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper.?1 Corinthians 16:2.?{FH 53.1}[1]
Giving is a part of gospel religion. The foundation of the plan of salvation was laid in sacrifice. Jesus left the royal courts of heaven and became poor, that we through His poverty might be made rich. His life on earth was unselfish, marked with humiliation and sacrifice. And is the servant greater than his Lord? Shall we, partakers of the great salvation which He wrought out for us, refuse to follow our Lord, and to share in His self-denial? When the world’s Redeemer has suffered so much for us, shall we, the members of His body, live in thoughtless self-indulgence? No; self-denial is an essential condition of discipleship....?{FH 53.2}[2]
Christ, as our head, led out in the great work of salvation, but He has entrusted that work to His followers upon earth. It cannot be carried on without means, and He has given His people a plan for raising means sufficient to make His cause prosperous. The tithing system, instituted for this purpose, reaches back to the time of Moses. Even as far back as the days of Adam, long before the definite system was given, men were required to offer to God gifts for religious purposes....?{FH 53.3}[3]
God does not compel us to give to His cause. Our action must be voluntary. He will not have His treasury replenished with unwilling offerings. His design in the plan of systematic giving was to bring us into close relationship with our Creator and in sympathy and love with our fellow human beings, thus placing upon us responsibilities that would counteract selfishness and strengthen disinterested, generous impulses. We are inclined to be selfish and to close our hearts to generous deeds. The Lord, by requiring gifts to be made at stated times, designed that giving should become a habit and be looked upon as a Christian duty. The heart, opened by one gift, was not to have time to close and become selfishly cold, before another offering was bestowed....?{FH 53.4}[4]
Every man, woman, and child may become a treasurer for the Lord....?{FH 53.5}[5]
It is for our own good that He has planned to have us bear some part in the advancement of His cause. He has honored us by making us coworkers with Himself. He has ordained that there should be a necessity for the cooperation of His people, that they may cultivate and keep in exercise their benevolent affections.—Signs of the Times, March. 18, 1886.?{FH 53.6}[6]
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