God wants believers to serve Him in truth. In fact, it is this very issue that will determine “of what sort” our work is at the judgment seat of Christ.
When an individual gets things right with God, he should likewise look for opportunities to make things right with others he might have done wrong.
Many people choose to continue in sin thinking that the consequences are not mounting up. The scriptures indicate something quite different.
Most people assume the Lord’s actions are motivated almost solely because of His love for man. Yet, God works for His own glory and for His own name’s sake.
Science frequently uses natural reasoning and ordinary terminology to explain away the hand of God as He interacts with mankind. Without God, the more book learning that people get, the more ignorant they seem to become. It should come as no surprise that the Lord said that the last days would be plagued with people who could not see the truth due to their educated state (1 Timothy 6:20; Daniel 12:4; 2 Timothy 3:7). The reality is that the process of bringing a child into this world is a process that declares the handywork of God. It is God that works in the life and health of an unborn child to ensure that the child grows and matures properly. When men seek natural explanations for God’s work, they dismiss the miraculous involvement of God.
The relationship between the master and his stewards is one built upon trust. The master places his possessions into the hands of a steward. He will be reluctant to do this unless that man has proven himself trustworthy. The apostle Paul found no shame in claiming to be a faithful steward of God (1 Corinthians 4:1). As such, he understood the principle that the ministry was placed under his care because God had entrusted it to him (1 Corinthians 9:17; Colossians 1:25; 1 Thessalonians 2:4; 1 Timothy 1:11; Titus 1:3). This fact affected everything the apostle said and did. This truth constantly reminded him that he did not live for himself, and that one day he must give an account for his stewardship.
Sin can never be flippantly disregarded. If the Lord is just, and He is, He must mete out consequences for rebellion. The biblical descriptions of the Lord’s reaction to rebellion varies from “he will be wroth” (Joshua 22:18) to “then shall the hand of the LORD be against you” (1 Samuel 12:15) to “ye shall be devoured with the sword” (Isaiah 1:20) to “I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee” (Exodus 33:5) to “I will purge out from among you the rebels” (Ezekiel 20:38) to “I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings” (Malachi 2:2). Though there are variations in the response, the constant truth remains that the Lord hates rebellion and responds to the rebellion with judgment.
Man’s opinion concerning the sinfulness of sin very rarely reflects God’s holy, perfect, and righteous declarations. This is because man does not think like God. The Lord expressed these sentiments in Isaiah 55:8-9 when He said, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, . . . For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Even a cursory study of rebellion verifies these truths as a man generally thinks of it more lightly than he ought. Man describes rebellion as strong willed or independent; however, God provides an accurate description as He states that “rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” Because God likens rebellion to witchcraft, the Old Testament punishment for rebellion was likewise death (Deuteronomy 21:18-23). There can be no doubt as to the seriousness of this sin from God’s perspective.
Many people fail to enjoy the present blessings by worrying about the inevitability of future difficulties. Though each time of life is certainly filled with its difficulties, it is also filled with tremendous opportunities for blessing. When young, a person ought to rejoice in his youth while keeping in mind that God will bring his deeds into judgment. When growing older, people ought to rejoice in getting married, having children, working, and serving the Lord. As one grows older, he can enjoy the benefits of each phase of life knowing that God has special blessings in store for each day. After all, why be robbed of today’s joys by worry concerning troubles and sorrows that may never come to pass? And if they do transpire, effort spent in worrying about them was useless.
From youth, man is gripped by sin’s attraction. As he ages, the source of temptation may vary, but the fact that he is tempted remains constant. Paul instructed young Timothy to “flee . . . youthful lusts” (2 Timothy 2:22), yet Solomon’s heart was turned after other gods when he “was old” (1 Kings 11:4). Many believers have wasted the precious years of youth by succumbing to the youthful lusts of which Paul warned Timothy. Others have fought the good fight in their youth, only to regretfully compromise in their waning years. There is no time or age for the believer to be at ease concerning sin. Sin can be pleasurable but is always deceptive with uncertain outcomes for those who indulge.
