February 5th 2023
When Jesus Askes You The Question, “Do You Believe This?” What Is Your Answer?
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Jesus told a parable “The workers in the vineyard” to His disciples. A landowner hired men to work in his vineyard, and they started working early in the day. For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. (Matthew 20:1-2). Then he went out other times later in the day and hired other workers, who made themselves available for him to hire. Then at the end of the day, he paid all of them at the same time, so they knew how much he paid each of them.
The ones who had worked longer started to complain, as they were all being paid the same wages. "But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ "So the last will be first, and the first will be last. (Matthew 20:13-16). No matter how long a person is a Christian their award of salvation is the same as someone who accepted their salvation on their death bed. Salvation is a gift from God, and how long we live after receiving it does not matter.
Remember, immediately when you accepted your salvation your perspective on life was changed, and you started travelling on the narrow path that leads to heaven and forever being with Jesus! So, the later in your life that you accept salvation the less time you will have to enjoy being a new creation. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17). It has been said that your age is more accurate to know how long you will continue to live, then to know how long you have already lived! Just like your mortal birth, your immortal birth or being born again, gives you a clean start.
The rich young man asked Jesus what he still needed to do before he could become a disciple of Jesus. Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." (Matthew 19:21-24).
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:25-26). Are you working so “you will have treasure in heaven?” During that time most religious people believed that if you were poor, it was because you had done some things that offended God during your life. Therefore, rich people were most likely going to heaven when they died. Here it seemed that this man’s wealth was holding him back from being ready to follow Jesus!
Peter answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?" Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. (Matthew 19:27-30). Did you understand those comments from Jesus? In essence, Jesus said, everyone who has left earthly possessions, and if necessary personal relationships, for my sake, will inherit eternal life.
Can you direct your life in a way that will put following Jesus Christ before everything else in this cursed world so that you will always be available to serve God? We all have responsibilities in this life assigned to us by God. Being rich in this world is not the problem, the problem is working on getting rich at the expense of then having no time to become a follower of Jesus! The book of Job teaches us this important story. Job’s possessions did not own him, he owned them, and still believed he was a servant of God.
When God took away Job’s earthly possessions, including his family members, Job still remained true to God. God blessed Job again with earthly wealth, and God required Satan to no longer inflect pain and suffering on Job! While I doubt that many of us, if any, could pass the tests Job passed! However, we can still conduct our lives in a way to honor Jesus and seek to be His disciple, and still have earthly possessions and personal relationships while continuing to work so “you will have treasure in heaven?”
Jesus once asked Martha a question about what she believed about Him. Jesus then asked her a second question. Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26). Jesus first told her that He is the Savior, then He asked her, ”Do you believe this?" The answer to Jesus’ question must be answered positively by you (us) before our immortal soul will be saved!
When Jesus asks you the question, ”Do you believe this?" What is your answer?
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Jesus told a parable “The workers in the vineyard” to His disciples. A landowner hired men to work in his vineyard, and they started working early in the day. For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. (Matthew 20:1-2). Then he went out other times later in the day and hired other workers, who made themselves available for him to hire. Then at the end of the day, he paid all of them at the same time, so they knew how much he paid each of them.
The ones who had worked longer started to complain, as they were all being paid the same wages. "But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ "So the last will be first, and the first will be last. (Matthew 20:13-16). No matter how long a person is a Christian their award of salvation is the same as someone who accepted their salvation on their death bed. Salvation is a gift from God, and how long we live after receiving it does not matter.
Remember, immediately when you accepted your salvation your perspective on life was changed, and you started travelling on the narrow path that leads to heaven and forever being with Jesus! So, the later in your life that you accept salvation the less time you will have to enjoy being a new creation. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17). It has been said that your age is more accurate to know how long you will continue to live, then to know how long you have already lived! Just like your mortal birth, your immortal birth or being born again, gives you a clean start.
The rich young man asked Jesus what he still needed to do before he could become a disciple of Jesus. Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." (Matthew 19:21-24).
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:25-26). Are you working so “you will have treasure in heaven?” During that time most religious people believed that if you were poor, it was because you had done some things that offended God during your life. Therefore, rich people were most likely going to heaven when they died. Here it seemed that this man’s wealth was holding him back from being ready to follow Jesus!
Peter answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?" Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. (Matthew 19:27-30). Did you understand those comments from Jesus? In essence, Jesus said, everyone who has left earthly possessions, and if necessary personal relationships, for my sake, will inherit eternal life.
Can you direct your life in a way that will put following Jesus Christ before everything else in this cursed world so that you will always be available to serve God? We all have responsibilities in this life assigned to us by God. Being rich in this world is not the problem, the problem is working on getting rich at the expense of then having no time to become a follower of Jesus! The book of Job teaches us this important story. Job’s possessions did not own him, he owned them, and still believed he was a servant of God.
When God took away Job’s earthly possessions, including his family members, Job still remained true to God. God blessed Job again with earthly wealth, and God required Satan to no longer inflect pain and suffering on Job! While I doubt that many of us, if any, could pass the tests Job passed! However, we can still conduct our lives in a way to honor Jesus and seek to be His disciple, and still have earthly possessions and personal relationships while continuing to work so “you will have treasure in heaven?”
Jesus once asked Martha a question about what she believed about Him. Jesus then asked her a second question. Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26). Jesus first told her that He is the Savior, then He asked her, ”Do you believe this?" The answer to Jesus’ question must be answered positively by you (us) before our immortal soul will be saved!
When Jesus asks you the question, ”Do you believe this?" What is your answer?
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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