There is More to Being a Christian than Being Born-Again
So many people who profess to be saved, have no clue what the walk with Christ is all about. The word walk is an action word, and it is not just working in the church in different organizations/ministries like ushering, greeting people and so on.
I am not saying it’s wrong to work in the church, but work is a by-product of salvation. It is more important to function in our gifts. God wants His children to fulfill His purpose in our lives. It is called stewardship which means what God has given us to manage.
Once we are saved, salvation is permanent - and one can never lose this precious gift that has been given to us. However, we will not be rewarded for what God called us to do, if we do not fulfill what His purpose is for us.
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. My Father and I are one (John 10:27-30).
I have heard over the years that you can pluck yourself out of God’s hand, which is the most ridiculous thing anyone can say. To say that they are saying they have more power than God.
It is so sad when some of God’s people have no clue as to what their gifts are. Over the span of thirty eight years, four churches that I was a member of had books about finding out what a person’s gifts were. Each writer would say the same thing when it came to certain gifts, and the five-fold ministry was not included.
The way some of the gifts were described was erroneous. This is why I don’t depend on commentaries and some books; the Word of God is the Source for everything we need to know.
This is an example of our stewardship (what we have been given to manage).
In these verses, Jesus is the Master who came from a far country (heaven) and distributed talents (symbolic of gifts) to His servants to invest. 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. After a long time, Jesus came back.
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 (symbolic of the Judgment Seat of Christ).
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 (Matthew 25:14-23).
We should be thankful that God loves us so much that He wants us to encourage one another through these precious gifts.
To be continued
Betty A. Burnett ~ burnettministries.org
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