Testimony for the Church — No. 12

Shifting Responsibilities

Those Sabbath-keeping brethren who shift the responsibility of their stewardship into the hands of their wives, while they are capable of managing the same themselves, are unwise, and in the transfer displease God. The stewardship of the husband cannot be transferred to the wife. Yet this is sometimes done to the great injury of both. Believing husbands have sometimes transferred their property to their unbelieving companions, hoping thereby to gratify them, disarm their opposition, and finally induce them to believe the truth. But this is no more nor less than hiring peace, or hiring them to believe the truth with the means God has lent them to advance his cause. This transfer is to one who has no sympathy for the truth, and what account will such render when the Great Master requires his own with usury? T12 44.1

Believing parents have frequently transferred their property to their unbelieving children, thus putting it out of their power to render to God the things that are his. By so doing, they lay off that responsibility which God has laid upon them, and place in the enemy's ranks means which God has entrusted to them to be returned to him by being invested in his cause when he shall require it of them. It is not in God's order that parents, who are capable of managing their own business, should give up the control of their property, even to children who are of the same faith. They seldom possess the devotion to the cause they should, and they have not been schooled in adversity and affliction, so as to place a high estimate upon the eternal treasure, and less upon the earthly. The means placed in the hands of such is the greatest evil. It is a temptation to them to place their affections upon the earthly, and trust to property, and feel that they need but little besides. Means coming into their possession which they have not acquired by their own exertion, they seldom use wisely. T12 44.2

The husband who transfers his property to his wife, opens for her a wide door of temptation, if she be a believer or unbeliever. If a believer, and her peculiar traits of character are penurious, rather inclined to selfishness and acquisitiveness, how much harder will be the battle for her with her husband's stewardship and her own to manage. In order for her to be saved, she must overcome all these peculiar, evil traits, and imitate the character of her divine Lord, seeking opportunity to do others good, loving others as Christ has loved us. She should cultivate the precious gift of love, possessed so largely by our Saviour. His life was characterized by noble, disinterested benevolence. His whole life was not marred by one selfish act. T12 45.1

Whatever the motives of the husband, he has placed a terrible stumbling-block in his wife's way, to hinder her in the work of overcoming. And if the transfer be made to the children, the same evil results may follow. His motives God reads. If he were selfish, that his means might be retained, and he has made the transfer as a covert to conceal his covetousness, and excuse himself from doing anything to advance the cause, the curse of Heaven will surely follow. God reads the purposes and intents of the heart. He tries the motives of the children of men. His signal, visible displeasure, may not be manifested as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira, yet their punishment in the end will in no case be lighter than that which was inflicted upon them. In their trying to deceive men, it was deceiving and lying to God. “The soul that sinneth it shall die.” Such can no better stand the test of the judgment, than the man to whom was committed the one talent who hid it in the earth. When God called him to account, he accused him of injustice. “I know thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strewed; and I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth [where the cause of God could not be benefited with it]; lo, there thou hast that is thine.” Saith God, “Take therefore the talent from him, and give to him that hath ten talents, and cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” This man was afraid that his lord would be benefited with the improvement of his talent. T12 45.2

I saw that there were many who have wrapped their talent in a napkin and hid it in the earth. They seem to think that every penny that is invested in the cause of God is lost, beyond redemption to them. To those who feel thus, it is even so. They will receive no reward. They give grudgingly, only because they feel necessitated to do something. God loveth the cheerful giver. Those who flatter themselves that they can shift their responsibility upon wife or children, are deceived by the enemy. Such a transfer will not lessen their responsibility. They are accountable for the means Heaven has entrusted to their care, and in no way can they excuse themselves of this responsibility, until they are released by their rendering back to God that which he has committed to them. T12 46.1

The love of the world separates from God. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. It is impossible for anyone to discern the truth while the world has their affections. The world comes between them and God, beclouding the vision, and benumbing the sensibilities to that degree that it is impossible for them to discern sacred things. God calls upon such: “Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted and mourn. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness.” Those who have stained their hands with the pollution of the world, are required to cleanse themselves from its stains. Those who think they can serve the world and yet love God, are double minded. But they cannot serve God and mammon. They are men of two minds, loving the world and losing all sense of their obligation to God, and yet professing to be Christ's followers. They are neither one thing nor the other. They will lose both worlds unless they cleanse their hands and purify their hearts through the pure principles of truth. “He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also to walk even as he walked. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as he is, so are we in this world.” “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” T12 47.1

It is worldly lust that is destroying true godliness. Love of the world, and the things that are in the world, is separating from the Father. The passion for earthly gain is increasing among those who profess to be looking for the soon appearing of our Saviour. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, control even professed Christians. They are seeking for the things of the world with avaricious lust, and many will sell eternal life for unholy gain. T12 48.1

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