God has given us every reason to expect great things from Him.
Jeremiah 33:1–3 (KJV 1900) — 1 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying, 2 Thus saith the Lord the maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, to establish it; the Lord is his name; 3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
Ephesians 1:18–20 (ESV) — 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
Romans 8:32 (ESV) — 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
What does God expect from us? Well that depends on what He has given us or done for us. Creation speaks of God’s eternal power and divine nature that everyone who denies God His proper honor in submission is without excuse and shall be judged accordingly.
Romans 1:18–23 (ESV) — 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
However, those who have been blessed by God to know and follow Him have a continued responsibility to use what has been given to them as they grow in the grace and knowledge of God through what He has given them already.
Ephesians 2:8–10 (ESV) — 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Luke 12:43–48 (ESV) — 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 45 But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. 47 And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. 48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.
Let’s home in on this concept of God’s expectation of you. It’s evident through the teaching of Scripture that God holds you to a higher standard to whom He has revealed His truth. The standard He expects is to take whatever has been given or revealed and use it to His glory to which He rewards with more revealed truth and understanding. Jesus gave us the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30 in which two out of three servants who had taken what was given them and doubled it were then given more. Whereas the one of the three that did nothing, not only had what had been given to him taken away, he was also thrown into utter darkness. The lesson being this: God holds you responsible to take what has been given to you and use it to His glory, thereby multiplying. As you do He gives more but with more comes more responsibility. When that is used to His glory then He gives more, etc. On the other hand, when we do not use what He has given to us, He judges us as “worthless servants” or servants who bring no value. Granted, we hold to the truth that none of us are saved by works and this has nothing to do with our justification, that is all by grace. However, when God has been gracious to us in saving us, He lavishes great gifts of grace in understanding the mysteries of His will. It is to those who have been so graciously blessed that He reminds, “to whom much is given, much is required.”
You can’t get away from responsibility. There is no easy chair to sit and do nothing in the Kingdom of God. If you are a Christian, you have responsibility to use what you have been given. Too many Christians spend their lives taking in but never putting forth the effort to minister to others, as in mentoring or discipling even though Jesus made it clear in the “Great Commission” that Christians are “to go and make disciples…” When Christians are not using their gifts, talent, and knowledge to the glory of God they become like Moses described the children of Israel in Deuteronomy as He said they “grew fat and kicked.”
Deuteronomy 32:15–16 (ESV) — 15 “But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked; you grew fat, stout, and sleek; then he forsook God who made him and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation. 16 They stirred him to jealousy with strange gods; with abominations they provoked him to anger.
It’s a pretty good sign of disobedience to God’s expectation when His people murmur and complain yet feel like they are pleasing God by taking in preaching, teaching, conferences, etc. “To whom much is given, much is required.” Are you living up to God’s expectation of all He has given you?
If not, thank God for His truth that brings us to repent of our ways and find grace to set a new path of serving Him.
Proverbs 28:13 (ESV) — 13 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
Godspeed,
Bob Brubaker
