Once again this morning we return to our study of ‘Meeting Our Maker.’ The Apostle Paul wrote –
Romans 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
I. A Day of Reckoning
The Bible teaches us that there is a day of reckoning coming for every individual. Paul tells us that ‘every one of us shall give an account of ourselves to God.’ As I pointed out last week, when Paul wrote this, he was speaking to Christians. In addition, he uses a pronoun that includes himself – ‘us’. Paul expected to have to stand before God and to give an account of how he had lived his life.
Every individual will one day stand before their Maker. However, what this means for the Christian and the non-Christian is very different.
A. What this means for the non-Christian
The Bible teaches us those who have never received Jesus Christ as his personal Savior, will one day stand before God and give an account for their sins. We read from the book of Revelation –
Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Contained in the courtroom of heaven is a complete record of all the deeds ever done by mankind. How critical is this record? We read from Revelation 21-
Revelation 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Heaven is a perfectly holy place and therefore even one sin would defile it. God, who Himself is holy, is not going to allow that to happen. That Bible says that God will not allow anything into heaven that could contaminate its purity. That includes everything from something we might call ‘abominable’ or detestable, to something as simple as a little white lie.
The Bible says that we all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. There is none of us who are righteous; no, not one. No one is entitled an entrance into heaven. I sometimes hear people say, “If anyone ever went to heaven, it would be so and so.” By saying that they are insinuating that this was such a good person that worked their way to heaven. But that’s not so. Even if that person committed just one sin, that one sin disqualified them from heaven. How then do people go to heaven?
The Bible says that those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life will enter into heaven. What is this book and how does it open the door to heaven?
B. What this means for the Christian
1. The Lamb’s Book of Life
The Lamb’s book of life contains the names of all those who have received Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. John the Baptist said of Jesus – ‘Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.’ (John 1:29) Two thousand years ago, Jesus, God’s Son, came to this earth in order to die on the cross for our sins. The Son of God became the Son of man so that He might die for the sins of the world. Like a lamb that was slaughtered in the Jewish Temple, Jesus gave His life to be sacrificed on the cross in order to pay the penalty for our sins. Because Christ died for our sins, the Bible says –
2. Therefore Now No Condemnation
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus…
The word ‘condemnation’ means judgment. There is no condemning judgment awaiting those who are in Christ Jesus. On the day someone’s name is written in the Lamb’s book of life, all of their sins are blotted out of the heaven’s record books. Jesus paid their penalty and therefore they are now in the sight of God – sinless. The biblical word is ‘righteous.’ Through our faith in the sacrifice of Christ, we are made as righteous as Christ Himself.
Therefore, because my name is in the Lamb’s book of life, I will never have to stand accountable for my sins. Jesus has already taken my place. Yet that does not mean that I am not accountable to God.
3. Grace and Our Accountability
Romans 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
a. Does Grace Free Us From All Accountability?
Many Christians believe that because they are saved by grace, they are free from any accountability concerning how they live their lives. They would quickly admit that it would be good if they would live a better life; but in reality that isn’t necessary because after all, grace covers all of our sins.
It is true, God’s grace does cover our sins; however, to stop there is to fall short of taking into to consideration all that the Bible has to say about the work of God’s grace in our lives. Paul wrote to Titus –
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly , righteously, and godly, in this present world.
Grace doesn’t say, “Go and live like you please.” Grace says, “Now that God has saved you and now that you have His power working in you; live a life that brings honor and glory to grace. Show the world what the grace of God can do!”
Perhaps we should pause here for a moment and define grace. The most common definition of grace is ‘unmerited favor.’ The Bible says that we were hopelessly lost in our sins. We were totally incapable of doing anything to save ourselves. God had every right to judge and condemn us; yet God did something amazing. God sent His Son to come and be the Savior of the world. God’s decision to do that was a demonstration of His grace or unmerited favor. That’s why we call it Amazing Grace.
But a careful study of the word grace and how it is used in the Bible will reveal that it means more than ‘unmerited favor.’ It also means God’s influence upon our lives. Note these words from the great Apostle Paul –
1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Many have said that Paul was the greatest Christian who ever lived; yet Paul declared that it was not him doing something for God, but God doing something through him. The success of his Christian life came as a result of the grace of God working in and through him. He was as he said to the Ephesians – “God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” He was a chosen vessel, empowered by the grace of God.
b. Stewards of God’s Grace
The Bible teaches us that as Christians, we are stewards of God’s grace. God saved us by His grace so that we might serve Him by His grace. One day, as born-again believers, we will stand before God to give an account, not for our sins, but what we did with the grace of God. It will be as though the Lord will say to us – “I saved you by My grace, and through My grace I gave you all the strength and power you ever needed to please Me. What did you do with My grace? Were you grateful for My grace and therefore gladly served Me, or did you waste My grace by living only for yourself?”
II. Stewards of the Grace of God
Though some may believe that grace frees us from any accountability before God, if anything, grace makes us even more accountable. Before grace, we were totally incapable of living a life that could be pleasing to God. But now with grace, we have everything that is needed for life and godliness. (see 2 Peter 1:3)
This important truth can be better understood through one of Christ’s parables. We often call it the Parable of the Talents and I believe that of all the parables Jesus taught, this is one of the most important.
Matthew 25:14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
A. The Servants God Chooses
One of the reasons some Christians are not more active in their service for the Lord is because they believe that they aren’t able to do anything productive. “I don’t have any talents”, they say. We should note that the word ‘talent’, as it is found in this passage, doesn’t refer to a talent as we might think of talent. Jesus is not talking about some special ability that makes us stand out above all the rest. When Jesus used the word ‘talent’ in this parable, it was a symbol of responsibility. The master entrusted each of his servant with certain responsibilities regarding certain aspects of his kingdom.
We should note that the master entrusted five talents to one servant, two to another, and to another, one. Why the varied amounts? The Bible says that he gave to each man according to that man’s ability to manage. What determines our abilities in the kingdom of God? Is the person who stands in the pulpit greater than the person who stands before a group of 4 and 5 year olds during Sunday School? Is the person who sings in the choir greater than the person who sings to children in the nursery? Not in the kingdom of God. Jesus said that the greatest among us is the one chooses to be a servant. In the kingdom of God, it’s not so much about ‘what we do’ as it is ‘why we do it.’ Paul wrote –
1 Corinthians 1:26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
God doesn’t choose the spectacular to serve Him. God chooses common, ordinary folks. Why does God prefer common people over celebrities?
1 Corinthians 1:29 That no flesh should glory in his presence. 31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
God chooses to use common ordinary people to serve Him because they are often the best in bringing Him glory. We might think that the guy with the five talents was the one with the greatest abilities, but perhaps he was the one with the best attitude. It seems that both he and the guy who had two were very grateful for the opportunities to serve their master and did everything they could to please him.
B. The Strength God Supplies
God often chooses weak vessels to serve Him because they will be the ones most appreciative of His grace and therefore ultimately bring Him the most glory. Most of us hate to be put in a position that is over our heads. We like to do things that we know we can do. However, if we can do it without the help of God, God doesn’t receive any glory. It’s when we are weak in ourselves that we can be strong in the Lord. Even though I have been in the ministry for a number of years, the Lord continually makes me weak so that I will rely on Him and receive His strength.
The need for God’s grace can best be seen in Christ’s teaching on the vine and the branches.
John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
The branch can live and produce fruit only as long as it remains attached to the vine. The moment the branch is severed from the vine, the branch begins to wither and to die. Spiritually speaking, the nourishment that the vine sends out to the branch is the grace of God. Grace flows from the vine into the branch and enables it to produce fruit. The Christian life is not about what we can do for God, but what we allow God to do through us. Paul wrote –
Philippians 2:12 …work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Even the desire to do what is right comes from God. Through His Holy Spirit, God speaks to us and guides us and calls us to live for Him. Whenever God does so, we have to make a choice:
- Will I yield to the will of God and allow Him to do what He wants?
- Or will I resist the will of God and do what I want?
Brethren, we will one day stand before our Lord and be held accountable for every one of those choices. We will not stand accountable for our sins, but for our surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ over our lives. I suppose that we could say that to not surrender is to sin. To resist the will of God is to sin against God. To better understand this, let’s return to our parable of the talents.
C. The Success God Blesses
Matthew 25:14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. 18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.
19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. 21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. 26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: 27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. 28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
This parable has both a positive and a negative aspect. Jesus is both encouraging and warning us. Let’s deal first with the negative aspect of the story.
1. The Rebuke of the Unfaithful
What did one of the servants do with his entrusted responsibilities? He wasted his opportunities. He went and buried his one talent in the ground and kept it there until his master returned. Most likely even then he would not have retrieved the talent if he had not been forced to.
Why did this man waste his opportunities to serve his master? The master called him slothful which means lazy. He was too lazy to serve his master. The word slothful can also mean hesitant. The man said that he was afraid of failure, therefore he thought it safer to keep the talent safe in the ground, than to perhaps lose it. The master also called him ‘wicked.’ Though the servant had lots of excuses for why he didn’t serve his master, the master ultimately categorized him as being wicked. Some believe that this man was never saved in the first place and his fruitlessness was evidence of his false profession. Exactly what Jesus meant by casting him into outer darkness is unclear. Some believe that it means that he was cast into hell. Others believe that it means that he lost many of the privileges he could have enjoyed. Regardless of how you view it, it’s bad. This wicked, lazy servant received a strong reprimand for his unfaithfulness.
2. The Reward of the Faithful
In great contrast to him, we have the two faithful servants.
20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. 21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
The master commended both of these servants for being ‘faithful.’ The one man was faithful to the properly manage the five talents and the other the two. The man with five was not viewed as being better than the one with two. Both men were commended for being faithful.
In closing I want to point out how these two men were rewarded:
a. Reward of position – ‘I will make the ruler over many things’
Many believe that there will be positions of service in heaven and those positions will be awarded based upon our service today.
b. Reward of pleasure – ‘enter thou into the joy of thy lord’
Just as there may be degrees of suffering in hell, there may also be degrees of joyfulness in heaven. I will explain this more in a later sermon.
c. Reward of praise – ‘Well done thou good and faithful servant’
Of all the rewards a man might receive in heaven, none will be greater than to hear our Savior say – ‘Well done thou good and faithful servant.’ When we see the One who died for us, we will be glad that we lived for Him.
CONCLUSION
It is very easy to fall into the rut of complacency, however, scripture repeatedly reminds us of the importance of watching, waiting, and working for our coming Savior. I close with this portion of scripture-
Revelation 22:12 …behold , I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
Revelation 22:20 … Even so, come , Lord Jesus.
"Seeds of Faith" 