Run and Don’t Lose Heart
Matthew 20:
1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
2 "Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3 "And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
4 "and said to them, ’You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went.
5 "Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.
6 "And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, ’Why have you been standing here idle all day?’
7 "They said to him, ’Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ’You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.’
8 "So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ’Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’
9 "And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius.
10 "But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius.
11 "And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner,
12 "saying, ’These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’
13 "But he answered one of them and said, ’Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?
14 ’Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.
15 ’Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’
Enter into the Race
One of the great truths about knowing Jesus Christ is that we are never too late to answer His call or to enter into His kingdom. God is a restorer of what has been lost regardless of what we have done in our lives. The greater our failure, the greater God’s grace is revealed to us! Look at Romans 5:
20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,
21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?
2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
God is not limited by our ability to be strong or righteous; in fact, grace is made available only to those who understand that they are sinners. The scriptures tell us that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble and while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly. The grace of God redeems us from our old life and we respond by dying to ourselves and living for Christ. This is exactly what the scripture teaches about baptism. After a man or woman surrenders their life to Christ, we follow up with baptism as an open, public profession of faith and identify ourselves with the death of Jesus Christ. When I obediently follow the mandate of baptism, I am testifying that I am dying to myself and God has given me new life. I am buried with Jesus Christ through baptism and He has raised me up as a new creation who is now a citizen of heaven. If you have never followed Christ in baptism as it is taught in scripture, it is very important to do so. Jesus was baptized as an example to His followers, the apostles and the early church all followed this example. Jesus even stated that it was necessary to fulfill righteousness.
Even though we know that baptism is not what saves the believer, it is the first act of obedience of the believer who desires to follow Christ. We are made righteous by the blood of Jesus Christ; however, once we receive the gift of salvation, we then walk in righteousness by obedience to Christ. Romans 6 states:
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!
16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.
18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
Obedience in itself does not give life any more than works earns salvation. Obedience leads to life and is the evidence that we know Jesus Christ as our Savior and friend. 1 John 2 tells us that the evidence that we know Christ is that we keep His word and walk as He walked. Obedience to God is the evidence that we know Him and also leads us down the path of life that God calls us to follow.
When we answer God’s call, we enter into the work He has called us to do. God does not reward us for the amount of work that we do, but based on our obedience. Just as the parable Jesus taught states, many will come into God’s will at different stages of life. Some will serve God faithfully their whole lives, some will hear God’s call later in life and some will come to Christ at the very end of their life. God does not give us the choice of when we are called or how long we will labor for Him; He only calls and we answer in obedience or turn away in disobedience.
We must remember one important principle, the labor of the Christian is not what we are doing for God, but what He is doing through us. We cannot take credit for what God has accomplished through our life. God calls us, equips us, leads us, upholds us with His hand and then produces the fruit of our labors. We do nothing except abide in Christ. The one who obeys from their youth has no more bragging rights than the one who God calls at the end of their life. It is all the work of God both to direct us to the point in our life where we see our need for Christ and to accomplish His will for us. Circumstances and consequences are nothing compared to God’s grace. He has promised that He will restore the years that the locusts have eaten. In other words, God allows us to follow our own will even when He knows it will harm us because He knows that once we see the worthlessness of our choice we will often be open to Him. When I follow my desires to their conclusion, I will find that everything I valued is completely valueless and often disastrous. Yet God is patient and allows our choices to drive us to look for something more to this life. When our life hits the point where nothing is working and nothing seems to have meaning, God is there at that moment calling us and encouraging us to answer His call to follow Him. He does not promise to shield us from the consequences of our choice, but He does promise to use everything in our life to work for our good. In this life and the life to come, God begins to restore the damage and fulfill His promises to us if we are faithful.
Finish Strong
The Bible calls our walk with God a race. The apostle Paul compared our Christian life to a long race; it is not to be run with speed, but endurance. Many people start off strong and fast but quickly fade away and even drop out of the race completely. I personally know many, many people who once seemed passionate about their walk with Christ but now don’t care at all and do not even attend church. God warned us not to forsake assembling together so that we could worship corporately and encourage one another. Yet many have let their hearts grow cold toward God and love everything except Him. It is ironic that many come to Christ because they have seen that this life has no value in itself. They grasp on to the hope of God, but when the emotions fade, they begin to seek the very lifestyle that they knew was hopeless before they knew Him.
It is vitally important to realize that true faith in Christ is not a moment in time, but a lifestyle that begins with Christ and ends with Christ. Look at Hebrews 12:
1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
Jesus Christ is the author of our faith and the beginning of our race and Jesus is the finisher of our faith. He is the goal before us and we run with endurance looking ahead to the time when we will see Him face to face and hear Him say, “Well done, you have been faithful, enter into your reward”. If we forget that He is our finish line and the goal we are striving for, we will also forget why we are racing. When a Christian loses sight of his or her goal, it will not be long before we will begin to question why we are running at all. Runners drop out of a race when the goal no longer seems important. You will also struggle to finish if you lose focus on Christ. God has promised that we will reap the reward of our work if we do not lose heart and fade away. A minister who serves God for years and then abandons the call is worse off than the vilest sinner who ends their life following God’s plan. God does not measure us on the points system, but on faithfulness and obedience. If I love God, I will be faithful. If I love the world, I may endure for a while, but I will eventually follow the one I love. It is the one who finishes the race that wins the prize. Jesus emphasized the importance of finishing the race many times. Look at these two passages:
Matthew 10:
22 "And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.
Matthew 24:
12 "And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.
13 "But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
Over and over, Jesus reiterated the principle that we must endure until the end. Jesus also stated:
Luke 9:
62 But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
The one who looks back does not see the finish line. Their heart is not on Jesus Christ who bought them with the price of His own blood, but they are looking at the pleasures of the world that remain their focus. How quickly we forget the empty promises of satisfaction the world offers and how easily we are deceived into taking the bait of sin. If our focus is sure, so will our direction be sure. Christianity is not an idle lifestyle, but we are commanded to put our efforts into knowing God, His word and applying it to our lives. Look at 2 Peter 1:
3 … His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,
6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,
7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.
8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;
11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
There is much more to Christianity than saying a ‘sinner’s prayer’ and then thinking we have a ticket to heaven. We are called to “make your call and election sure”. If a Christian is not doing these things, their faith is dead. God has commanded that we be diligent to do these things. To be diligent means to be earnest in accomplishing something or to strive hard after a goal. We cannot sit idly and expect our faith to grow; we are commanded to pursue hard after the things of God. If we are diligent in our faith, God has promised to fulfill our lives and accomplish His purpose through us. We will be rewarded for the work God has done through us because we cared about the things of God. This is the promise; the warning is found one chapter later in 2 Peter 2:
20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.
21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.
22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire."
The Bible makes it clear that it is worse to follow Christ and turn away than it is to never have known Him at all. The only way we can become entangled again in the sins of the world is to neglect our call for diligence. Is there anything in life that can be neglected and remain valuable? Left alone, everything slides toward chaos. If you plant a garden and never care for it the weeds will over run it and it will not produce vegetables or flowers. What athlete will remain successful without practice and conditioning? If you never strive for a goal or apply yourself to your job, you will be unemployed and without a future. If you have children and do not take care to guide, correct and teach them, they will naturally become rebellious and destructive. By design, the Christian’s walk will not survive unless he or she has an active relationship with God and applies their life to diligence concerning the things of God.
Reap What You Sow
Galatians 6:
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
One of the great misconceptions of Christianity is that we can live like the godless world around us while claiming to be a follower of Christ. Even though the Bible is filled with warnings against this mindset, those claiming to be Christians are willingly deceived into believing that salvation is a ticket to heaven and once you get the free pass we can continue to live apart from God’s ways.
To live against God while claiming to be a child of God is mockery to the word of God. In the end we find that God is not mocked – His word will stand true. Those who live by the flesh in this life will reap corruption. Those who truly know Christ will sow in the Spirit and will reap the inheritance of eternal life and the promises of God. This passage makes it clear that those who are truly followers of Jesus Christ will live by the word of God and those who remain in the corruption of the world will live by the flesh. Jesus taught this principle and each apostle drove home this point again and again. The New Testament warns repeatedly that we should be on guard against returning to sin and that we should be on guard against false teachers that erroneously instructs the church to put their focus on worldly things rather than the holiness of God. Even though Jesus and each apostle warned the church against living for fleshly desires, inevitably people get offended when this is taught. We don’t like to be reminded if our heart is contrary to God. Often I will get letters calling me judgmental when I speak against sin, but we are commanded to teach the things God has revealed in His word. Keep in mind that the warnings of God are not to create guilt, but to direct the believer away from harm and into the eternal blessings of God.
James 4:
4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
James is not alone; the same warning is echoed by the apostle John:
1 John 2:
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1 John 3:
10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.
Our lifestyle does not save us, but it does reveal whether we are children of God or children of the devil. If Jesus Christ is our righteousness and we are following and walking in a relationship with Him, we will practice righteousness. You cannot walk with God while you live in sin. Many people say, “I love God”, yet they refuse to follow Him. If someone loves God, they will obey the word of God. If someone does not love God they will live in disobedience and remain unconcerned over their sins that grieve the heart of God. Look at the teaching of Jesus in John 14:
15 " If you love Me, keep My commandments.
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21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."
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23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
24 "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.
The evidence that you know Christ is that you love Christ. The evidence that you love Christ is that you obey His word. This does not mean that you will never fail or will never sin. The Bible makes it clear that our flesh wars against the Spirit of God within us and will continue to war against Him until this life is over. However, we are also promised that when we sin, God is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse our sins by the blood of Jesus Christ when we confess and forsake our sins. When we walk in the light (in fellowship with Jesus Christ), His blood washes our sins (1 John 1:7). When we walk in the darkness and live contrary to God, we have no forgiveness and are deceiving ourselves. This is explained in 1 John 2:
4 He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
We must be diligent knowing that we will reap what we sow in our lives. God has given us new life and everything we need for godliness and righteousness. Those who seek God will always find Him and those who are diligent to know His word and live by it have the promise that all these good things will abound and we will have complete and fruitful lives. It is God who works in us, our goal is to live and walk in obedience to Him. Focus on Jesus Christ who is the finisher of our faith. Without this focus, Christianity is reduced to mere religion and distractions will draw us back into the life God has delivered us from.
Eddie Snipes.
Pleasant Hill Christian Fellowship
www.exchangedlife.com
