Tag: entrusted

34.m. “‘Well done, good and faithful servant”

 

Matthew 25:14 For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Christ keeps no servants to be idle: they have received their all from him, and have nothing they can call their own but sin. Our receiving from Christ is in order to our working for him. The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. The day of account comes at last. We must all be reckoned with as to what good we have got to our own souls, and have done to others, by the advantages we have enjoyed. It is not meant that the improving of natural powers can entitle a man to Divine grace. It is the real Christian’s liberty and privilege to be employed as his Redeemer’s servant, in promoting his glory, and the good of his people: the love of Christ constrains him to live no longer to himself, but to Him that died for him, and rose again. Those who think it impossible to please God, and in vain to serve him, will do nothing to purpose in religion. They complain that He requires of them more than they are capable of, and punishes them for what they cannot help. Whatever they may pretend, the fact is, they dislike the character and work of the Lord. The slothful servant is sentenced to be deprived of his talent. This may be applied to the blessings of this life; but rather to the means of grace. Those who know not the day of their visitation, shall have the things that belong to their peace hid from their eyes. His doom is, to be cast into outer darkness. It is a usual way of expressing the miseries of the damned in hell. Here, as in what was said to the faithful servants, our Saviour goes out of the parable into the thing intended by it, and this serves as a key to the whole. Let us not envy sinners, or covet any of their perishing possessions. (Henry)

The manifestation of the grace of God in believers is for the single purpose of honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ. Though this manifestation might be in the form of helping others, giving, kindness, generosity, serving, proclaiming the Gospel, works of the hands, or wisdom of the mind they are all singularly for the honor and glory of Jesus Christ.  Any intent we have to keep some of this glory for ourselves robs its intended glory and honor from Jesus Christ. From Him, the talents are given and to Him, they belong with all their accumulated interest.  

Pray that God would open your eyes and ears to your heart, mind, and soul to the talents He has given to you, and then be a workman that uses these talents for His honor and glory. Anything kept for our own glory and honor is stealing from the King of Kings.

26.e. “Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

 

Galatians 1:10   For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

 Acts 4:19-20    But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge,  for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”

 1 Thessalonians 2:4    but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.

 2 Corinthians 5:9-10     So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

 Ephesians 6:6   not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,

 James 4:4    You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

 “There have always been preachers who have sought popular acclaim above all else, and there are some still. It is part of fallen human nature that even those charged with the responsibility of proclaiming the gospel can fall into the trap of trying to be popular rather than faithful.” (Morris) 

Being faithful with the gospel of Jesus Christ means we do not add to it or take away from it.  The same is true of God’s Word.  People pleasers give lip service and head nods toward things of God but their heart is in being joined with the world in a way that does not honor and glorify God.  The gospel of Jesus Christ can not be separated from heaven and hell, righteousness and sin, forgiveness and guilty, and Judgment.  How can a person know of the need for Jesus Christ without an understanding of these?  To water down the need is to obscure the greatness of grace, love, and mercy Jesus Christ gave when He sacrificed Himself for sinners.  God’s Word is clear in regards to man’s separation from Him due to sin.  “All have sinned and fall short” – Sin is and will be judged by God – Eternity awaits us all – Heaven and Hell – Eternity in heaven is a promise of God just as eternity in hell.  I can think of no other scripture that is as clear as what is written in the Gospel of John.  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” There is no other way by which a man can be saved. There is no way to be good enough or do good enough things to be right before the holiness of God.  It is only when there is a humble surrender of all self-reliance and complete reliance, trust, faith, and belief in and through Jesus Christ will any person be saved from eternal hell. God has given mankind free choice to choose between self and Christ, heaven and hell, forgiveness and guilt.  The message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the absolute need should never be diluted or obscured.  Wide is the road that leads to Hell and narrow is the path to Heaven.  Never let it be accounted to you that the gospel of Jesus Christ was diluted or obscured in any way.

25.k. “But as servants of God”

2 Corinthians 6:4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left

 Romans 14:18    Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.

 1 Thessalonians 2:3-11   For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive,  but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.

 Romans 5:3-4    Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,  and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,

 Colossians 1:11    being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy

 Hebrews 12:1   Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

 James 5:7-10    Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.  You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

 Revelation 3:10    Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.

We often think of patience as a passive thing – the ability to sit around and wait for something to happen. That is not the idea of the word Paul used here. It is an active endurance instead of a passive waiting. The ancient Greek word hupomone “does not describe the frame of mind which can sit down with folded hands and bowed head and let a torrent of troubles sweep over it in passive resignation. It describes the ability to bear things in such a triumphant way that it transfigures them.” (Barclay)

“Nowadays it is not the violence but the mockery or the amused contempt of the crowd against which the Christian must stand fast.” (Barclay)

 Paul knew he needed endurance, and he knew many things in his life drew him to seek that endurance. Some of them were the general trials of life, some were sufferings directly brought by others, and some were self-inflicted. Not every trial was the same, but they all made him need endurance.

The idea of on the right hand and on the left is of holding both offensive and defensive weapons. It probably has in mind “both advancing and being attacked.” “Particularly, the shield and the sword; the former on the left arm, the latter on the right hand. We have the doctrine of truth, and the power of God, as an armour to protect us on all sides, every where, and on all occasions.” (Clarke)

15. So that we are distinct

Exodus 33:14  And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”

Numbers 14:14    They have heard that you, O LORD, are in the midst of this people.

Exodus 19:5-6    Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine;  and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’

Deuteronomy 4:7    For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him?

1 Kings 8:53     For you separated them from among all the peoples of the earth to be your heritage,

2Corinthians 6:16  What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you,  and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”

Proverbs 9:6     Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.”

Acts 2:40    And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”

My presence will go with you, so that we are distinct, treasured possession, separate, speak of the difference in the lives of those who live for God. 

His presence will be with them; “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”, “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love”, “By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.”

His people will be distinct;  “I will give them a heart to know that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.” “declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” “ that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.”