Our Responsibilities as Disciples

Salvation is a free gift of God that is received by grace through faith (Eph 2:8-9). It is free, but it does come with certain responsibilities. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:10 that “we are His creation–created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.” As Christians, we are to be good stewards of what God has entrusted to us. In other words, Christians are not owners, but managers. Everything we have, we have received from God. Our time, talent, and treasure are God’s gifts. He is the Owner and all we have comes through God’s grace. Even though we do not own them, we are responsible for them. Remember, a manager is employed to manage particular things on behalf of the owner. Managers are entrusted and responsible. The manager works for the owner and is held accountable to the owner. A true sign of genuine faith is the desire and commitment to honor your Lord with your life. Every Christian is accountable to God and this morning we shall discuss three important responsibilities we have as disciples of Jesus Christ: to love, serve, and give. 

Responsible to Love

Christians are called to love God and love others. We love because we are loved. We know what true love looks and feels like because we know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The love of Christ transforms us and flows out of us onto all that we meet. One of the distinctive aspects of the fruit of the Spirit is love (Gal 5:22). Having been blessed in this way, we are called to share this love and are accountable to love God and love others.  

Love God. In response to a question regarding the greatest commandment of the Law, Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command” (Matt 22:37-38). Christians must remember that everything we do must be motivated by our love for God. He is our Creator, Ruler, Sustainer, and Provider. The Bible tells us that “we love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). True faith is shown in our love for God.

Love Others. Jesus, in His response about the great commandment, continued by saying: “The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt 22:39-40). Jesus intentionally mentioned this second commandment because our love for God is demonstrated by our love for others. The Apostle John wrote: “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For the person who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:20). John also quoted Jesus: “By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). We cannot hate one another and love God.

Responsible to Serve

Christians should serve God and others. Jesus’ ministry is summarized in Matthew 20:28, “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Jesus came to serve, not be served and we are called to imitate our Lord. Jesus tells us that we should not strive to be the greatest but a servant (Luke 22:26). We should devote ourselves to serving others out of love for them and in order to lead them to Christ. We will be much more effective in our service than in our demands. Let us humble ourselves before God and others and be useful instruments in God’s hands as He brings salvation to sinners.

Responsible to Give

Christians should be the most cheerful and generous givers in the world. How shall we properly manage God’s gifts in a manner that pleases Him? We use them to further God’s agenda “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10); not our own. We must be on guard against greed. Greed is dangerous because it is the belief that everything we have is for us. Andy Stanley defines greed as “the assumption that everything is for my consumption.” We must not be selfish hoarders, but should be cheerful givers (2 Cor 9:7). We should give cheerfully and sacrificially.

A few Bible verses will help us better understand. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.” 1 Corinthians 4:7, “For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you didn’t receive? If, in fact, you did receive it, why do you boast as if you hadn’t received it?” Therefore, give for the glory of God. What are some practical ways we can give? We give our time, talent, and treasure.

Give Your Time 

Who owns your time? We always make time for what is important. If you believe that God is most important, then you will give all of your time to God as a “living sacrifice” (Rom 12:1). This means you are diligent to give your schedule to God and ask Him to fill in the appointments and set the agenda. Also consider: What occupies most of your time? Does it contribute to or hinder your spiritual growth and maturity? What occupies most of your thoughts? Is it good, holy, and pure? Or not? Do you make time during the week for worshiping God at your local church?

Give Your Talent

Who benefits most from your talents? You? God? We have been created, designed, and gifted by God for His glory. Each of us have been given talents and gifts and are expected to use them. If you use your talent for God’s glory then you will be blessed, but if you do not use your talent for God’s glory then you will be disciplined (Matt 25). Consider: Are you using your gifts and talents selfishly or for God? Are you using your gifts and talents so that people will grow in spiritual maturity and have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? 

Give Your Treasure

To whom are you accountable for your money? Every dollar that you have in your possession has been given to you by God. He is the rightful owner and He has given it to you to manage. As managers of God’s resources we will one day give an account of what we did with it. Consider: Do you admit that everything belongs to God and you are not the owner but a manager of it? Do you give cheerfully (2 Cor 9:7) to your local church? To good causes? Do you fail to give a portion of your income back to God because you are afraid you will not have enough to live on? Remember, giving is an act of faith that you are trusting God to take care of you. Trust Him and give cheerfully.