PASTOR BOLA BELLO
God will not trust you if He hasn’t confirmed true commitment from you. There are two categories of things that will not allow us to be committed to God- sin and weights. Our nation is in such a sad state because of the effects of sin. People are dishonest and steal the resources which are meant for the development of structures and institutions. Thus putting all and sundry unto a false position of sicknesses and poverty. This is power of sin and death at work. This could reduce our faithfulness and shift our attention from being committed to God. However we can be saved from this if we are faithfully committed to God.
[biblegateway passage=”Matthew 24:42-51″ display=”Matthew 24:42-51″]
We must be aware that a faithful steward is loyal and committed to his master. He is truthful and his allegiance is unto his master. A faithful steward shows allegiance unto his master because there is a reward for rendering his service to his master. In this context, faithfulness and commitment are synonymous, and our commitment must be full, not halfway. Until our commitment is confirmed we cannot be trusted.
We have not shown commitment because of our default disposition towards a reward system. If we do not understand God’s reward system, we will encounter difficulties in being committed to Him. There are two kinds of reward system that Christ gave and they are both equally important.
These reward systems are explained in the story of the prodigal son and his brother. The prodigal son wanted present (instant) gratification and wasted it when he got it. His brother wanted a gratification later. All these are imbedded in salvation. If you have a wrong impression about God’s reward system, you will miss out. The revealed salvation and salvation to be revealed are meant for every believer.
[biblegateway passage=”Colossians 1:2-7″ display=”Colossians 1:2-7″]
The message of the Gospel is the good tidings of Christ, that man has been redeemed from the powers of sin and its implication. The Gospel of Christ is to save us from sin, oppression, sickness, most importantly poverty. Our eternal life in Christ is as important as the benefits we will receive on earth when we are committed to Christ. Attaching importance to just one of these will make you lose the other. We must have the expectation that our commitment brings certain rewards. God may not be instant, but He will never be late.
[biblegateway passage=”1 Peter 1:3-4″ display=”1 Peter 1:3-4″], [biblegateway passage=”Proverbs 12:24″ display=”Proverbs 12:24″]
At the end time, there is going to be a resurrected you. There is eternal salvation and the ephemeral, you cannot be committed to God and not have both the eternal salvation and ephemeral. There are certain areas in which we must deliberately show our commitment. God reciprocates commitment.
Slothfulness has its own rewards too. A person who has not shown commitment to the things of God cannot become a master. Many problems in the body of Christ arise because some individuals have found themselves in leadership positions when they have never been (trained) in the place service. Before you can become a faithful steward, you must be a trustworthy follower. You must diligently seek God and put all your trust in Him. God cannot trust you if you are not committed. Give the best of your time unto God. Your service is not unto man but unto God.