Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
--2 Corinthians 5:20
I saw a news story not long ago about some of the poverty in many portions of our nation. The reporter went into some of the roughest areas of some American cities to see how many of these people, who had absolutely nothing at all, lived their lives. And as they were interviewing some of these people, my heart was so heavy. None of them, it seemed, had any purpose in life.
They asked one young man, "What are your dreams?" And he said, "I don’t know, just stay here." As I heard those words, I was struck by how many Christians live their spiritual lives just that way. They go to church on Sunday, maybe read their Bibles, but never reach for anything more.
As believers, God calls us to have a purpose. It's not just to go to church; it's to make a real impact for His name. We have been given a mission as ministers of reconciliation. And because of that, our work is never done until we go home to be with the Lord or He returns.
In Christ, you're an ambassador of the Kingdom. Live your life to tell others of His goodness, and make an impact for eternity!
BE AN AMBASSADOR OF GOD'S KINGDOM BY LIVING A LIFE OF IMPACT AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR GOD'S PURPOSES!
What We Owe God
Friday, February 21, 2020
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.”
Matthew 22:18–21
In their resentment at the way so many people received the message of Jesus and followed Him, the scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians—groups that often opposed each other bitterly—joined together to try to trap Jesus in a contradiction that would destroy His standing with the people. One of the tricks they tried was to ask Jesus whether they should be paying taxes to their Roman rulers. Many of the Jewish people deeply resented Roman rule, so if Jesus commended paying the tax, they would reject Him. On the other hand if He opposed paying the tax, they would denounce Him to the Roman government as a troublemaker. Jesus saw through their scheme and answered with the well-known command to render to Caesar the things that belong to him.
But in the same breath, Jesus also commands us to render to God what is rightfully His. Though God gives us salvation freely, there are things which we owe Him. “A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?” (Malachi 1:6). In truth, everything that we call our own belongs to God. We are just stewards caring for the possessions of another. And any act of obedience or sacrifice that He calls on us to make is nothing more than what we owe to Him.
Today's Growth Principle:
We owe a great deal to God, and we must be faithful to render to Him what is due.
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