Ready to give an account?

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#9999FF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>(The parable of the talents and the three servants)</B></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="05f8e5e0.jpg" border=0 width="142" height="94" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <B>(The parable is in </B></div> <div> <B>Matthew 25:14 - 30)</B></div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <div> <B>Ready to give an account?</B></div> <div>  Jesus goes immediately into the parable of the talents. </div> <div> In this He warns us; to be ready to give an <B>account</B> of our actions to Him. </div> <div> God gave to each one. All that we have is from God, except sin. </div> <div> Peter wrote:</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> “Each one should use whatever <B>gift</B> he has <B>received</B> to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in it’s various forms.” <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#3399CC" FACE="Verdana" >(1Peter 4)</FONT></div> <div> He gives to some more, to others less. </div> <div> That is <B>not</B> a problem. </div> <div> The first two servants went <B>at once</B>, and put their money to work. </div> <div> We need to be <B>diligent</B> in our usefulness to the Lord. </div> <div> And to have the attitude of laying our lives <B>down</B>, for the <B>glory</B> of God. </div> <div> The more we do for God, the more thankful we are to Him, for making use of us. </div> <div> It is good for us to bear in mind what God has <B>given</B> us, so that we will know more of what is expected from us. </div> <div> And here lies a danger. </div> <div> We can say that we haven’t got the opportunities of serving God that <B>others</B> have got. </div> <div> Or we find that we are limited in what we can do for God, and we can end up doing <B>nothing</B> of the little that we <B>should</B> have done. </div> <div> Notice the servant with the one talent didn’t <B>misuse</B> it in gross sins. </div> <div> He probably seemed a clean living sort of person.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="24ad1550.jpg" border=0 width="209" height="85" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">We will be in huge trouble, if we don’t use what God has <B>given us</B> for good purposes.</div> <div> And, if we pursue our <B>own</B> interests, and pleasures. </div> <bR> <div> We cannot rely on giving back what we were given.</div> <div> Perhaps the servant thought, that if he gave back <B>less</B> than what he was given, he would <B>not</B> be accepted, but if he gave back what had been given him, then he would narrowly be <B>accepted</B> by God. </div> <div> OK no great rewards, but he thought he would be accepted. </div> <div> Do any of us think like that? </div> <div> How many people will rely on their plea: </div> <div> “I didn’t waste my money, I didn’t use my time in bad and evil things, I didn’t ridicule the Bible, I didn’t persecute anybody”, etc, etc. </div> <div> We speak often about salvation is by faith, and that is correct. </div> <div> But there is no such thing as an armchair Christian. </div> <div> James takes up this point further by saying: </div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> “What good is it, if someone claims to have faith <B>but</B> has <B>no</B> deeds. Can such faith <B>save</B> them?" <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#3399CC" FACE="Verdana" >(James 2:14)</FONT></div> <div> James also wrote:</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> “Faith by itself, if <B>not</B> accompanied by action, is <B>dead</B>.”</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#3399CC" FACE="Verdana" >and: </FONT>“A person is justified by what he does and <B>not</B> by faith alone.”</div> <div> So when this servant was sentenced to hell, what was he convicted of? </div> <div> Laziness. </div> <div> Lazy servants are wicked servants. </div> <div> A failure to do what we <B>should</B>, and <B>could</B> have done, is lazy <B>and</B> wicked. </div> <div> We tend to think that it is the bad things that we <B>do</B>, that deserves the punishment of hell. </div> <div> But here Jesus is saying that it is the good things that we <B>don't</B> do, that deserves the fires of hell. </div> <div> Let’s return to the two servants who were faithful. </div> <div> Jesus called them faithful. </div> <div> And that’s a key word: faithful. </div> <div> How Christ will view us will be according to our <B>faithfulness</B>, and not our potential usefulness. </div> <div> Christ will see our <B>sincerity</B>, and not our success. </div> <div> If we trust in Christ to save us, <B>then</B> we will give delight to God, by being <B>diligent</B> in our labours for Him. </div> <div> The lazy servant was called ‘<B>profitable</B>’ and in one sense we are all unprofitable <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#3399CC" FACE="Verdana" >(Luke 17:10).</FONT> </div> <div> We cannot profit God.</div> <div> But we can be fruitful, and therefore God will be glorified in what we do. </div> <div> Jesus commended the two servants. </div> <div> What music in our ears! </div> <div> “Well done, good and <B>faithful</B> servant!”<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#3399CC" FACE="Verdana" > </FONT></div> <div> Jesus Christ has <B>honour</B> in store for those who honour Him. </div> <div> He has a <B>crown</B> of righteousness <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#3399CC" FACE="Verdana" >(2 Timothy 4:8) </FONT></div> <div> He has a kingdom for us to inherit. <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#3399CC" FACE="Verdana" >(Matthew 25:34) </FONT></div> <div> And He will grant the one who overcomes to sit with Him on His throne. <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#3399CC" FACE="Verdana" >(Revelation 3:21)</FONT> </div> <div> Notice the disproportion between; the work done and the <B>huge</B> reward. </div> <div> Are we ready to give an <B>account</B> of our actions to Him?</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="id157.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Bible Explained"><U>Comment or contact</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The End of the World"><U><B>Return to the End of the World menu</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bible Explained"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <div> Vulture image: thanks to Serif ARTGallery CD</div> <div> TV image:  thanks to GSP 100,000 clipart CD.</div> <div> ©  2003 Bible  Explained part of www.seeking-god.co.uk</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>