Results or Source?
By Mike Rule

Many of us know we are saved by God's grace alone, but we truly believe we are sanctified by our good works. We believe that because we are acceptable to God we had better get busy and work hard to have something to show for His investment in us at the judgment day. Biblically we can build a case for this by looking at stories like the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30.

If I were to talk to a group of vacuum cleaners, I might tell them all they were expected to do because they were carpet sweepers. I could admonish them to be energized and to suck up the dirt in all situations they encounter. I could preach to them to be sure they were always cleaning in every situation in life and that they were always busy doing what they were created to do. They must be a shining example for all "vacuumdom."

However, there are a few simple things that I may have overlooked in this - First, are they plugged into the source of power? Second, how are they going to turn themselves on and move around to accomplish the task they were created for? People accomplish work through a vacuum; the vacuum does not generate it's own work.

Likewise, as Christians we are created to accomplish the work of God, but we do not generate that work, we can only participate in it as He chooses to work through us. Here is the real issue in Matthew 25. It is not the wise use of money Jesus is really talking about. He is talking about the wise use of life. God has entrusted us with life. To some He has given a lot, to others only a little. Are we going to invest that life in fear of doing wrong, or will we take steps of faith and invest ourselves richly in His kingdom? I am not talking about results, for chasing after results is living in fear. I am talking about living a life where there are no guarantees, and we do what we believe is the will of our Father regardless of outcome, trusting Him with the results.

Jesus was an example of this to us. If we are going to be imitators of Christ, let's not imitate His work, but imitate how He tapped into the source of His work. He said in John 14:10 "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works." Therefore let us not try to emulate the works of Christ, but be available to the Father for Him to accomplish His work through us. Let's go for the source and not the results. Let's walk by faith, and not by sight.

"By that will (of the Father) we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all". Hebrews 10:10