Maintaining Faithfulness
Randall Caselman
10/21/98
Maintaining Faithfulness
The parables of Jesus contain life changing principles with eternal significance.
In the parable of talents. One was given five talents, one two and another one. A talent was a great sum of money. Depending on whether it was a gold or silver talent, it could be worth a thousand or tens of thousands of dollars.
When the master returned, he asked an accounting from his servants. The one given five talents had doubled his, the one with two had doubled his. The master’s response was,
well done good and faithful servants!
However, the one talent individual came saying,
Lord, I was afraid and hid my talent: Here it is, I give you back what is yours. The master was disappointed. His talent was taken from him and given to another. The unprofitable servant was removed from the master’s presence into outer darkness.
What eternal principles can we learn from this Jesus story?
Talent is equal to task.
God never asked us to accomplish anything that He has not talented us, equipped us, gifted us to do. Each of these servants was given a different amount, but a sufficient amount.
Scripture does not teach us that all men are equal We must not Americanize the text. Men and women are different, always have been. Our attempting to make everyone equal is causing serious problems in the church, our families, our nation and in our schools. People are unique, gifted and talented differently. No amount of legislation can change this. God calls us to be different.
The body is made up of many parts, being many they make one body, head, hands, eyes, feet. In fact, God has arranged the parts in the body, everyone of them, just as He wanted them to be.
Judgment is on doing, not having.
The test of faithfulness, success, is not based upon on what we have, but what we do with what we have.
Isn’t it time we stop trying to have more, stop trying to catch up with others (the Jones's) or drag them down to our level? Just be what God has asked us to be, regardless of the possessions of others. Faithfulness is not based upon what we have, but upon our discovery and doing God’s will in our life. Paul said,
I have learned to be content when it comes to having, content in need, content in abundance, content in being well fed, content in hunger, content in plenty, content in want. Contentment is not having, possessing, but in doing.
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
Fear is failure.
Fear comes from Satan, not from God. Fear is never an acceptable excuse before God for our actions. Moses, when called by God in the burning bush, began to make excuses out of fear. Moses had the same fears we have. God didn’t accept his excuses, won’t accept ours. Abraham lied about Sarah being his wife, not once but twice. Abraham’s failure was caused by fear. Our failure in areas of leadership, evangelism and teaching is caused by our fear, isn’t it?
Honest now?
God does not call us to be extraordinary people, doing extraordinary things. He wants us to respond to Him out of faith, not shrinking back in fear. Listen to the Hebrews' writer and then to Paul.
Without faith it is impossible to please Him: For he that pleases God must believe that He is, and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and discipline.
A time of judgment is coming.
Failure is eternal separation from God. Our parable teaches that one day the Master will return. There will be an accounting of how we have dealt with God's blessing us.
It is appointed unto man once to die and then the judgment.
If that day came today, what would be our destiny? Scripture tells us the judgment day will be a reward and a blessing for those whom the Master finds watching, waiting, doing, serving the Jesus in others. But eternal separation awaits those who are not prepared, not doing, not waiting, watching, not using their gifts from God. Hell is not
just for the liar, murderer, idolator and the sexually immoral, but also for the unfaithful servant. Paul was plain in his writing to the church at Corinth,
It is required of stewards, servants, those who have been given a trust, that they be found faithful.
Persevere! Keep plodding! Be persistent! Serve in such a way that one day, we will hear the Master say,
well done, good and faithful servant.
—Randall Casleman
