13 Oct 2002 - To Do As We Ought To Do

¹ Jesus said to his disciples, "Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! ² It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble. ₃ Be on your guard! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. ⁴ And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, 'I repent,' you must forgive." ⁵ The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" ⁶ The Lord replied, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, "Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. ⁷ "Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, "Come here at once and take your place at the table'? ⁸ Would you not rather say to him, "Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink'? ⁹ Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? ¹⁰ So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, "We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!' "

Luke 17

How does God view your relationship to Him?

What are His emotions? How does He think he fits into your life?

There is a religious radio station here in town. On occasion when I am driving I listen to it. They sometimes play some pretty good music. (Yes, I know that it is old fashioned to listen to the radio while driving; but I haven't purchased a cel phone yet.) When the disk jockeys start chatting or some counselor starts counselling, one gets the idea that God is just beside Himself with pride when I do some little something like take my children to Bible school or listen intimately to my wife. Of course these are things God wants of us; and the fact that God reaches out for me and wants my love indicates that God places a high value on me as a person - the price of the blood of His Son.

So I am more valuable to God than "worthless."

On the other hand, the price God paid for me has nothing to do with any favors I might bestow on God. It has nothing to do with some need God has that I fulfill.

It is purely by His choice that he provided the means through which I may come to Him.

I am earning no brownie points when I practice righteousness. I am doing only what I ought to do.

It is when I fail to do even that much that I stand in need of God's Grace.

Yes, my relationship with God is similar to a Father-son relationship. It is also very much a Master-servant relationship. Modern christendom seems to be playing up God's Fatherly nature while at the same time neglecting His Masterly nature.

We like to play up the Loving God and ignore the Jealous God.

Some of us - maybe many of us - have a backwards understanding of the man-God relationship.

We seem to think that man is always reaching out for God; but clearly the relationship is the other way around. God seeks the love of man.

We seem to think that God is some kind of cosmic sugar-daddy who wants us to have every thing we want.

Just who do we think we are to think that God is our servant?

The relationship is supposed to be the other way around.

Today, whatever you do as God's servant. Do what you ought to do.

Oh, my Master, I am Your unworthy servant. I fail in the mere things that are to be expected of Your faithful servant. I bow down at Your feet in repentance and with gratitude for the grace You have extended to me in all my unworthiness. Today, I will do what I ought to do.

Neil Short, Tucson, AZ