Sell Your Possessions

“And behold, one came and said to Him, Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?  So He said to him, Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.  He said to Him, Which? Jesus said, You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness,  Honor your father and your mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  The young man said to Him, All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?  Jesus said to him, If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven; and come, follow Me.  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had many possessions.”  Matthew 19:16-22

 

What can we say that we have done for Christ?

 

What have we given up for the sake of whom who died on the Cross for our sins, who rose again from the dead, who sits at the right hand of God, the Son of God, Jesus, who is the author and finisher of our Salvation?

 

“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 persistently harasses us, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 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.”  Hebrews 12:1-2

 

Really what does it come down to?

 

What does God really expect from the Believer?

 

Not only how should we behave, but what should our actions be in regards to being Saved?

 

Jesus says, “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:30

 

When we look at the world, when we see what it does, does not the light that is in us expose that which is in the world?

 

Think about it, consider it. 

 

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a grain measure, but on a lampstand, and it shines for all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven.”  Matthew 5:14-16

 

The Christian life condemns men, often not by words, but rather by our actions.  Are we bearing witness of the light that is in us? 

 

Are we shining so that those who are around us see there is something different, whether or not they are ill towards us?

 

“Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has been released from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh in the lusts of men, but in the will of God.  For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in licentiousness, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.  In this regard, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same overflow of dissipation, blaspheming.”  1st Peter 4:1-4

 

Christ changes all who repent and by faith believe into Him. 

 

“For the love of Christ holds us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should no longer live unto themselves, but unto Him who died for them and rose again.  Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.  Now all things are from God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,  that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the Word of reconciliation.  Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ. As God is exhorting through us, we beseech you on Christ’s behalf, Be reconciled to God.  For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”  2nd Corinthians 5:14-21

 

When we work for an employer, we have obligations.  When our employer gives us a task to do, we are obligated to do it.  What happens when we don’t do what we are supposed to?

 

What happens when our employer finds out that we haven’t been using the resources that they have given us to use appropriately?

 

Will an employee sign up their employer for a catering event without the permission of the owner? 

 

Would an employee decide to no longer sell products or provide the service that their boss is in charge of?

 

How is it that Christians, who have a greater obligation to God, who are citizens of Heaven, decide that they will not provide God service?

 

How is it that a Christian, who is accountable to Jesus Christ, decides that they are not going to follow the commandments?

 

If we as mere people know how to be obedient to those who provide for us, how is it that we often forget to be obedient to God, in which our Salvation is through His Son Jesus Christ?

 

When I have managed people beforehand and I set a task for them to do, I held them accountable.  While there are certainly times that when I would question an employee as to why something that I asked for didn’t get done and they had given a valid reason, other times their reasoning was that they had no regard to what I had told them to do.

 

Has God not tasked those who are His to do certain things?

 

Has God not told all Believers to be a light to the world? 

 

Has God not given simple commandments that we are to follow.

 

I’ve used this example before and will use it again.  It is a harsh one, one that might be hard to understand living in America.  Imagine if you will living in a country like Saudi Arabia, under King Salman. 

 

Here the kingdom is not a constitutional kingdom, like the British, but rather an absolute monarch.  This king is in total control, as the kings of old often were.  There are still some kingdoms like this throughout the world.  What if you were in his employment?  What if the king had assigned you to a task, one of which you were to complete and then give an account to him?

 

If the king had given you a task and some time and money to complete it, imagine if instead of doing the task that you were given, spent the money on living and decided not to do the king’s bidding.

 

Would you then go in before the king when called?  Would you be concerned about what he would do?  If you were smart, you would run, you would hide yourself, for nothing good could come about from your disobedience.  Your life would likely be on the line, the executioner may very well be waiting right there to swiftly execute the king’s command.  If you were lucky, there may be a dungeon and the bitter food that goes along with it.  Then you might hope that the king’s successor would remember you and take you out of that dungeon, certainly being a poor beggar on the outside of the walls of the king’s dwelling would be better than the horrific conditions of your cell. 

 

As Believers we serve the Most High, we serve the King of Kings.  How is it that so many Believers simply do not do as they are told?  How is it that so many Believers squander the free gift of Salvation that they have received, not bearing fruit unto the Lord?

 

My friends, it should not be this way.  We, as the body of Christ, must endeavor to do His will and to live accordingly.  We must strive to be without spot or blemish.  For one day the King will call us to Himself and we will give an account of ourselves to Him.

 

“But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.  I charge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep the commandment without spot, blameless until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will reveal in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and eternal power. Amen.”  1st Timothy 6:11-16

 

“Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and without blemish”… 2nd Peter 3:14

 

“Therefore we strive, whether at home or away, to be well pleasing to Him.  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”  2nd Corinthians 5:9-10

 

Amen!