Does my life reflect gratitude for God’s gift of eternal life?
Am I someone who acts like Christ and acts in His ways and sounds like Him, yet follows the devil and the world’s destruction under a false guise of religious freedom? I act this way. I abuse the freedom of being a Christian to sin regularly. I hate it. It seems like my flesh and soul long for sin, to do things that I know are wrong, to think about things I know are wrong, to say things I know are wrong, to watch things I know are wrong, to be things I know the Savior of the Universe would rebuke and chasten me for.
I sin so regularly that it feels like I am in a perpetual state of chaos.
'For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.' - Romans 7:14-20
I feel desperate, I hate my sin, and in turn, I hate my flesh. Why do I sin? Why do I continually do wrong things? Why do I continue to sin when I have been saved by Christ? Was His sacrifice not enough for me to stop sinning? I am exhausted from this continuous cycle.
I also give way to the sin of comfort, of not being active and present everywhere I can be to further God’s Kingdom under the excuse of being tired. I also sin in the way I act towards others. If I see someone on the road who clearly needs help, yet I drive by, am I not sinning? How can Jesus call me His? How can God love me when I fail Him so often?
Or how does it look to God when I don’t say hello to everyone I meet with a smile, just as we know Jesus did to everyone He saw (or assume, but I can’t imagine Jesus otherwise)? Why do I roll up my window when in another city and see someone with a sign saying “Hungry,” “Please Help,” “No Job 3 Kids,” how am I not failing Jesus’ commandment?
'For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”' - Matthew 25:35-46 NKJV
How will my Savior not look at me and say, “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.”
What did I do with that gift of grace? Did I bury it in the ground? Did I store up the things on this earth? Did I stay inside while the world worsened? Did I further God’s kingdom? Was I faithful over the things God gave me?
'“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’' - Matthew 25:14-30
We often overlook the deeper level of this parable. The man traveling to a far country, the lord of those servants is Jesus Christ. When He ascended into heaven, He promised to give us His Spirit so we would not be alone. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit entered into the disciples and in us once we gave our lives to Christ. Those talents represent the opportunities, gifts, and Spirit-empowered abilities God entrusts to believers. While salvation itself is secure (Romans 8:38-39), our stewardship of what He’s given will be evaluated (2 Corinthians 5:10). (This passage was also used in The Question of Wealth).
Some may have more skills than others, but we are all given a task to increase our talents. That isn’t to increase our own riches or ourselves but to go amongst the people and increase the number of believers worldwide. Am I like the first two servants who went and doubled their talents? Did I bring others along with me on the narrow path to righteousness? Or did I take the gifts/talents God gave me and bury them under, where no man can see, where no man can hear the Word of God? We are the body. We are His church. We are His hands and feet. Do I live up to that calling?
What I have said may sound like I believe that works provide us salvation. By no means! Without Jesus, works matter not! Instead, works are the natural outflow of salvation; works evidence genuine faith! Why do we bother to trip over works, or is salvation bought? IT IS NOT. But in every story we read in the Bible, we see that faith and works go hand in hand. Abraham’s faith with Issac, Moses’ faith with Pharaoh, David’s faith with Goliath, and Paul’s faith with his travels. Each time, it was not their doing but God’s! But each time, they had to MOVE. God works through us when we surrender to His Spirit! His grace empowers us not to be idle! Works will not get you to heaven, but if I know the Savior, why am I not working?
Even more, why am I not working and continuing to sin? Why do I fail my Father in heaven daily? I am grateful He is quick to forgive. To show my gratitude, I will do my work to prove to my God my sincerity of gratitude for His forgiveness.
Am I worthy?
I am not worthy to enter God’s kingdom. Without the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, I am nothing; there is no hope for me ever to be reconciled with God. Paul says it best.
'For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.' - Romans 5:6-11 NKJV
So while I will continue to grieve over my sin and my sinful ways, I will continue to proclaim that my best days are ahead. Satan will not prevail over me and over us.
Why? Because we have the first gift of salvation, redemption, and forgiveness.
'If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.' - 1 John 1:8-9 NKJV
If we confess our sins, take up our cross, and truly repent from our wicked ways, He will redeem us.
'Moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.' - Romans 5:20-21
It is not our doing, but the gift of God.
When I die, will my life reflect a life given to God? A life that strived after taking up my cross daily and giving it to God? To do all that I could to further God’s kingdom. Or did I stay inside and get focused on the things of this world? Will I continue to live in my sin?
I pray that day will not come.
I pray that each day, not just when I lie on my deathbed, will reflect a servant whose full focus was on serving His King!
I know I am saved, but am I faithful daily on this earth?
I am not afraid of condemnation; none of us should be. Jesus gave His life for us and paid the ultimate cost; we can do nothing more. But we can be His hands and feet. Do not be afraid, but desire to hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant!”
Maranatha, Watchman
