Investing into the gift of Christ Jesus!

“I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away.” Luke 19:26

The gift of salvation does not belong to you. It is a gift from God. You cannot keep the gift for yourself. This will only bring the retribution of God upon you. 

Let’s explore this subject through a parable of Jesus. This story took place as Jesus was nearing Jerusalem shortly before He was crucified. 

There were two controversies circulating among the people. The Israelites thought Jesus would become King and rule over the world. The religious leaders despised Jesus and wanted to destroy Him. (You will see the thread of the life of Jesus throughout this story.)

The parable begins with a rich master who is going to another country to be appointed king and then will return home.

The master gives ten mina coins (three months of salary) to ten of His servants and tells them to put the money to work. 

But his servants hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, “We don’t want this man to be our king”. This is the atmosphere Jesus lived in prior to His death.

The master leaves to become anointed king and returns home. He checks in with the servants to see how they managed his money.

The first servant doubled the value of the coins. The master said well done. You are a trustworthy servant. He rewarded the servant with authority over ten cities.

The second servant increased the master’s investment by fifty percent and was rewarded with authority over five cities.

The third servant hid the master’s money. He was afraid of the master and viewed him as a hard or severe man. He responded “You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.” 

The servant was referring to the master’s faith and how he managed his life. He also thought the master was very demanding of those who worked for him.

The master believed his money was given to Him by God and he was responsible to make it increase. He also believed the seeds for his crops were the work of God and he was accountable to reap a rich harvest. 

The master confronted the wicked servant. He asked  the servant “Why didn’t you put the money in a bank to earn interest? Then the master took his money away and gave it to the first servant.

In concluding this parable Jesus said “I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away.”

As a believer, Jesus has given you the gift of salvation. The challenge is what are you going to do with this precious gift?

Here’s how you can make a powerful investment into the gift of Jesus:

Pray vigilantly. Seek the wisdom and productivity of God in all your efforts.

Listen for the voice of God. The Holy Spirit is alive within you and desires to help you in all your endeavors. All you require is an open mind to hear God.

Meditate on the Word of God. This will teach you the values of Jesus and how to appropriate them in your life. 

Treat others with respect and courtesy.

Honor those who have authority over you. 

Pray for the Living Water to flow out of your heart touching those living in darkness. The Living Water is the love, joy, and compassion of Jesus along with all the fruit of the Spirit. 

You cannot be effective in your work unless your motives are in alignment with Jesus. The priority is to make Jesus the centerpiece of your life and commit your works to Him.

Jesus wants your obedience to Him above all else. When He speaks to you respond with a submissive attitude.

The follower of Christ is a member of the “set apart” people of God. You live in the world but you are not of the world. You walk with God by faith believing in His promises.

You will attract others to Jesus through your faith; never by works. People are attracted to the Living Christ not a book of religion.

The authenticity of Christ saves lives!

You can listen to the podcast here. https://anchor.fm/hal-hollister8/episodes/Investing-into-the-gift-of-Christ-Jesus-esd17e