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The Limit of Our Responsibility

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart. And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them. And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.”
Luke 9:4–6
John Quincy Adams lost his bid for a second term in the White House and then did something no other former President has ever done. He ran for and won a seat in the House of Representatives, where he spent most of the rest of his life working to bring about the abolition of slavery. This position was not widely popular when Adams began his efforts, and often he labored nearly alone. Yet he refused to be discouraged or dissuaded from doing what he believed was right. Once Adams was asked how he kept going in the face of repeated disappointments and setbacks. Adams replied, “Duties are ours. Results are God’s.” Though he did not live to see slavery ended, his faithful work helped bring about the result he worked so long to see.
Many times we take on the responsibility for how people respond to the truth. But the only thing for which God holds us accountable is faithfulness in declaring the message. When Jesus sent the disciples out for their first preaching mission apart from Him, He told them up front that some people would not receive the message. When it seems that work for the Lord is in vain, we simply need to continue to be faithful in doing what He has commanded. Not everyone to whom we witness will get saved. Witness anyway. Not everyone we seek to disciple will continue to walk in the truth. Disciple anyway. Not everyone we love will respond with love in return. Love anyway. This is all that God holds us responsible to accomplish with our lives.

Today’s Growth Principle: 

As long as we are faithful, we can leave the results of our ministry in God’s hands.

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Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures   --1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Doesn’t it seem that bad news is all around us? It’s not only the top story on the news or the main headline in the paper…it seems to fill our day. But as believers, we know the best news we could ever hear…and we celebrate it this week. Easter is the day we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the grave. This is the event that conquered sin…that conquered death…and that made it possible for you and me to have a personal relationship with God! Perhaps, today, this is the first time you’ve ever heard or understood this Good News. If so, I want to tell you something: Jesus died on the cross for you. He wore a crown of thorns and was nailed to a tree because He loves you.  And He wants to have a personal relationship with you today. If you haven’t already, I pray you will you accept Jesus as your Savior today.  And if you have placed your faith in Christ, I challenge you to share that Good News with someone this week. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Easter! This Easter, share the Good News with someone who needs to hear it!