Greed and the Pentecostal Holiness Church Print E-mail

The Pentecostal Holiness adopted this resolution at the Solemn Assembly both to repent for the past and reconcile in the present. From http://www.iphc.org/docs/solemn/greed.html

CONFESSION:
God's principle of sowing and reaping declares that when we scatter, we increase, and when we withhold, we come to poverty. Greed has turned us from this divine rule to follow the god of materialism, and this is an abomination in Your sight (Luke 16:15). Greed has caused us to pursue the "American dream" which has ensnared us in the cares of this life. Often, our conversations and joys have centered on the abundance of things, rather than on spiritual riches.

Greed has caused us to rob God by withholding our tithes and offerings. This sin has brought a curse upon us as individuals and as a church. It has blinded us to the truth that radical generosity releases abundant blessings from God's hand. Greed has kept us from giving joyously and from teaching about the blessing of giving. We have allowed a "poverty complex" to make our giving and our thinking small. Greed has caused us to withhold our offerings for evangelism outreach at home, and it has limited our spreading of the gospel around the world. It reveals our lack of faith both individually and corporately.

REPENTANCE:
Father, we now repent and turn from our greed. We declare that all we possess comes from You. We lay at Your feet the greed that has ensnared us in the cares of life, caused our minds to be upon material things, and crippled our world outreach. We confess that we have robbed by not giving You what is Yours-the full tithe. We repent of our lack of faith and our failure to follow Your principles for giving and receiving financial blessing.

Forgive us, O God, of greed and all that it has caused in our lives as individuals and in the International Pentecostal Holiness Church. Fill us with joy as we learn radical generosity.

RESPONSE: Hear us, O Lord, as we make this confession, and forgive us of the sin of greed, for all we have comes from You and belongs to You. We will be radical in our giving, for You love a cheerful giver.

AFFIRMATION: Father, You have exposed to us our sin of greed. We have repented of this sin and now celebrate Your abundant generosity toward us. We affirm our covenant to bring the whole tithe into the storehouse and to give ourselves to a lifestyle of radical generosity.

RESPONSE: For You love a cheerful giver.

AFFIRMATION: Beyond the tithe You require of us, we will joyfully release into Your hands generous offerings for the expansion of Your kingdom around the world.

RESPONSE: For You love a cheerful giver.

AFFIRMATION: Enlarge our thinking and increase our faith to recognize that You are the eternal Resource to fulfill the Great Commission. We will live to give that others may be blessed.

RESPONSE: Father, we now reject the greed and materialism that have ensnared us, and affirm that all we have comes from You and belongs to You. We will be radical in our giving, for You love a cheerful giver.

REFERENCE SCRIPTURES: I Corinthians 6:9-10; I Corinthians 5:11; Matthew 6:24; Matthew 6:19-21 Isaiah 32:8; Luke 6:38; John 3:16