Have We Been Good Stewards for God?

"Steward" is a word that is not used much in conversation today, so let's start with the definitions most applicable to the a biblical context. A steward is:

1. a person who manages another's property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another or others.


2. a person who has charge of the household of another, buying or obtaining food, directing the servants, etc.

The Apostles described those who preach and teach the Word of God as "stewards".

"Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of
the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found
faithful." (1 Corinthians 4:1-2)

So let's carefully consider what is being said here. First, the gospel was given by Jesus Christ and it is "his". No one else has the right to claim ownership of the gospel, nor has the right to use it as it pleases them. Jesus is very particular about his gospel and does not take favorably to anyone who manipulates it or uses it for their own agenda or gain. The people Jesus chooses to preach or teach the gospel are "stewards" of the gospel. The gospel is to be administered according to how Jesus wants it done, not them; and Jesus will hold his stewards accountable for what they do with it and how they present it to others.

"And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord
shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due
season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so
doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he
hath. But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and
shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for
him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will
appoint him his portion with the unbelievers." (Luke 12:42-46)

So let's bring this down to our day, and "us". What has the Lord shown us concerning his gospel and his will for our lives? What has he made us "steward" over? Most people know more about what God expects of them than they should, because they are not obeying what God has shown them. God has made you and me a "steward" over our souls and our lives.

But wait a minute, it is "my soul" and "my life", some would think (or they live that way whether they think or say it.) No! It is not "ours". God has lent to us a soul, and has given us time on earth to live for him to prove if we will be a good and faithful steward of our soul and our life. "Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die." (Ezekiel 18:4)

A true Christian is supposed to be a good servant and steward over all that God has given them in this life. This is a hard saying for people to grasp in our day and age of much personal ownership and many personal rights. But by the love of God, they can. "Love of God" meaning their devoted faithfulness to God's will for their life - not their love for what God will do according to their selfish purpose. (We live in a very "twisted" and lost religious minded society today, and we must be careful it does not "rub" off on us!)

All that we are and own belongs to God, if we are truly serving him: "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

So what has God shown you that he has given you? Have you been a true and faithful steward to use it for his kingdom - or do you use it for your little kingdom? What has God shown you concerning what you should be obeying? Are you being obedient?

"And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." (Luke 12:47-48)

Do You See the Kingdom of God?

There are many ideas about the kingdom of God: where it is, when it will be, What is is like, etc. But what does the Bible have to say about the kingdom? It is amazing how many people think they know based upon what some one or some preacher told them, but they never have studied the Bible to find out for themselves!

Where is the kingdom of God?

Jesus said "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:20)

Jesus is not interested in a earthly throne, for he told Pilate "My kingdom is not of this world." (John 18:36) The throne Jesus is interested in is our hearts. He wants us to love him faithfully as his servant, from the very depths of our hearts in love. He wants to conquer our hearts by the love he has for us and showed us when he died for us on the cross!

When Jesus witnesses his love to us when we read his Word, or when we hear it from someone, or we see it lived by someone else, then the kingdom of God comes near to us:

"And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you." (Luke 10:9-11)

When will the kingdom of God come?

Some would try to put the kingdom of God off until some time in the future and try to say that it has not come yet. But what did Jesus and the Apostles say? Jesus said 2000 years ago that it was "at hand" and that it would come right during that generation:

• "And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." (Mark 1:15)
• "And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power." (Mark 9:1)
• "So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled." (Luke 21:31-32)
• "The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it." (Luke 16:16)

The only thing regarding the kingdom of God that will happen later is that at the end of the world, Jesus will deliver it all up to God the Father. Everyone who is already part of it by means of the new birth, or the changed heart, will be delivered up to the Father in heaven to be with him forever.

"Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power." (1 Corinthians 15:24)

So what is the kingdom of God like and who is part of it?
"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." (Romans 14:17)

Those who are part of the kingdom of God are good and holy. Now none of them started out that way because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. But by the power of Jesus' blood to save them from sin (meaning out of sin, not in it) they have been made clean and to live holy.

"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

So again the question "Do you see the kingdom of God?" If you have not been saved you may have some greater understanding, but until you have fully repented and had Jesus save you, you still have much you don't see:

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." (John 3:3-7)

Being "born again" is not the modern "churchy" saying that many religious people claim to have today, but rather it is something life-changing in the very depths of the heart and soul. A change that only Jesus can perform in the heart that will produce such a love for him that you will obey his Word and be faithful to not sin against him.

"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil..." (1 John 3:9-10)

Jesus is a powerful King over his kingdom, and he has the power to completely transform your heart and life to the holy way: "For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power." (1 Corinthians 4:20)

Renewed in Knowledge After the Image of Jesus Christ?

Are you in the image of Jesus Christ, or are you in the image of a false god - an idol? You might say "I'm a Christian, not an idolator". A lot of people believe and claim that, but that does not make it so for the Bible tells us that the "devils believe and tremble" but they are not Christians. It does take something more, doesn't it?

Remember an image (or idol) is a resemblance of some god, or someone - and yes, people do worship people. Essentially all religions started with the worship of a person or an individual's beliefs or philosophies. The physical idol did not just create itself. It took a real person to think of how it would look, and then to fabricate the image. The same is true of religious doctrines or teachings. They needed to first become understood and believed within the mind of some person before they were ever spoken or written down.

So the questions we need answered are:

1. What was the source of inspiration that caused the person(s) to write or speak about what I believe today?


2. How can I today discern and know that what I believe in has come from a true inspiration?

The answer to both of these very important questions lies with the very "source" of inspiration and life - for you. Does your inspiration for all your living and doing come from the true God? Because if it does not, that means it is a false, dead (no real spiritual life) religion. No real God, then there is no real life: and we are found believing and worshiping a dead thing. Essentially nothing more than a dead idol, although there may not be any physical image, and we may even believe that our beliefs are not founded in religion.

What is your underlying inspiration or motivation for what you call "life"? It is critically important that you clearly understand and know! Where you will be in eternity is dependent upon if you get this right in your lifetime!

The true God: the faithful, loving and merciful heavenly Father has provided a clear and faithful way for everyone to be able to know. He has provided a living resemblance of himself and the true words he has spoken. That perfect resemblance we can compare to is his own Son, Jesus Christ whom he sent to earth to live, and to die, for us!

How do we compare to Jesus? Are we walking worthy of the Lord by obeying his word and following his spiritual living example - walking in the footsteps of him "who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth"? (1 Peter 2:20 - 25)

True Worship of Jesus Christ (continued)

Does your worship have true spiritual life, or is it as dead as an idol?

Through Jesus Christ came the promise of the Spirit of life: God's Holy Spirit. In order for the true Holy Spirit to reign in the heart of the individual, their personal spirit must yield full control to him.

"Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God." Romans 6:12-13

I am NOT talking about modern-day, so-called Pentecostalism where people get taken by a strange spirit and jibber-jabber and claim the Spirit of God. God does not cause people to act strange, nor does God force his Spirit on anyone, nor does he give his Spirit to someone who is still sinning. Jesus Christ saves completely from sin and then one can receive the Spirit of life, God's Holy Spirit into a new holy vessel. If one that had the Holy Ghost sins against God, the Spirit of God (the true Spirit of life) leaves because they no longer are letting him reign on the throne of their heart.

What I am talking about is the new life that Christ gives us when we completely yield to God to serve him. Our old way of living that produces sin (spiritual death) must stop! Yes, our own way, that still includes sin, spiritually only resembles the deadness of idolatry - even though we may call it "Christian".

"What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness." Romans 6:15-18

Which leads us back to the main point, true life must be in true worship, and the Spirit of God is what we need for life! If we have the outward form or resemblance because of a knowledge of God's word, but don't allow his Spirit to have full control over our very choices and purposes - then all we will have is the resemblance, or image of the true, but without the life. In other words, the resemblance of a dead idol, or idolatry.

There is a spirit that attends idolatry worship (just like it does in modern day Pentecostalism) but that spirit cannot produce true life by true holiness. It produces a "form of godliness" but it is not the real thing.

"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." II Timothy 3:1-5

Being a religious worshiper, yet still living under the power of sin, will only produce spiritual death. Therefore the image you will resemble is that of a dead idol and not the living God. God wants us to be a resemblance to the true living God, by the power of holiness working through our life by Jesus Christ.

The True Worship of Jesus Christ

Many today are very confused and deceived concerning how to worship God:

"Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them."
Psalms 115:4-8

Let's see, they that make and trust in an idol are like that idol... are they like an image that has no life? Well, I remember it is written "And this is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." (I John 5:11) Also, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (John 1:14)

Jesus was the Word of God come to life by how he lived it, and we must be obedient to the truth of God's Word, and his Spirit to have life. It is critical that both God's Word and his Spirit are part of our life, because true worship is a whole life lived for Christ and completely under his direction! Without both, people are still only taking part in idolatry - yes nothing more than the worship of an idol; although they may call themselves "Christians". What is an idol? It is an image, or resemblance of something or someone, but that is all that it is because it does not have life - or spirit in it. Only God created life, and true spiritual life can only come through his Son, Jesus Christ.

So are people without true spiritual life like a lifeless idol?

One may be very religious and do many works of a religious nature (idolators often do a lot of works), but Jesus came to earth as the "express image" of God (see Hebrews 1:3, Colossians 1:12-19, II Corinthians 4:4). This means he was not just a lifeless resemblance of God, like an idol. He also was not like a person who is physically alive, but is still bound to the spiritual death of sinful passions and lusts. (Most people are their own idol, they serve themselves, but they are dead in sins of disobedience.) Jesus did not serve his own interests, he always did the will of the heavenly Father. He was the perfect, full "express image" of the Father - he was a "live" spiritual resemblance of his Father's love!

God also wants us to be a "living" resemblance of his Son, Jesus Christ. He does not want us serving a dead image. Nor does he want us serving ourselves - being dead in trespasses and in sins (nor being a very religious, so called "Christian" but yet still serving our sinful passions.) He wants us to be resurrected to a new life in Christ Jesus! Resurrected out of a life of sin being made clean and holy through the sacrifice of Jesus' blood.

Like Jesus, God wants us to spiritually be in the image of his Son (Col 3:10), a holy and living resemblance of God - not lifeless, like an idol.

(Note: more to be continued on this thought in my next blog post.)