Our Seven Responsibilities as Christians (Part Two)

Last week we talked about being a witness. The Lord wants to bless us so that others can see - so that we can be a witness to the greatness of the Lord. There are things others can't see - that’s when He wants us to share the good word about His goodness and His mercy. People can be and are overcome by the words of our testimony; so be a witness each and every time you can!

We also talked about being salt and about how salt preserves things. As a young girl, I remember that when my granddaddy would kill a hog, he would put salt on the ham and then hang it up in the smoke house. The salt he put on that ham would preserve it for the longest time. That’s what the Lord want us to do with the Word - keep (preserve) it in our heart and then do it... AND share it with others.

The last thing we mentioned last week was about the light. Oh how we need to keep the light burning in our lives! In the natural, when you walk into a room at night and the light is off, you can’t see your way. BUT once you flip that switch, the darkness flees. It works the same in the spiritual - when we keep the light of the Word burning, it will chase away those dark attitudes that will try to come in.

Now, let's move on to the rest of our seven responsibilities...

4.   BRANCHES: We have a responsibility to be fruitful branches for Jesus (John15:5). This is the Lord’s desire for each branch abiding in Him. We cannot bear the fruit of His nature by ourselves, and we must abide in Him. We must spend time in the Word and in prayer, and let the Holy Ghost show us those things in us that are unlike Him. We must then allow Him to cut off those branches in us that are unlike His nature. 

5.   EPISTLES: We have a responsibility to be a living epistle - or a living letter - that everyone can clearly read. A living epistle written with God’s pen of love, that's engraved upon our heart (II Corinthians 3:2-3). All of us, regardless of how young we may be, influence others for or against God. You and I are the only Bible many people will ever read - as a result, God has laid upon us the responsibility to be clean and pure in our living, so that we won't be a stumbling block for others going to Him. 

6.   AMBASSADORS: We have a responsibility to be a good ambassador for Christ. An ambassador is an official representative of his own nation in another country. We are invited in to be ambassadors for Christ (II Corinthians 5:20). We are strangers and foreigners in this natural world. Our nation is a heavenly one and our business in this country (world) is to represent our Lord and King in such a manner that other people will want to follow and serve Him also. 

7.   STEWARD: We have a responsibility to be faithful workers (or stewards) in His service (I Peter 4: 10). There must be someone maintaining the affairs of the church. Israel had three groups - warriors, workers, and worshippers. The warriors were ready to defend the people of God and the church; to war against the enemies of our soul. Likewise, there must be workers to help in God's house; it would be hard to carry on properly without workers, right? However, the greatest privilege of all is to be a worshipper. As worshippers we have the right through the blood of Jesus to approach the throne of mercy and grace to offers up praises and thanksgiving unto him that sitteth on the throne.

As Christians, we have great responsibilities - but Jesus has already done the hard part for us! So let's do our part with the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ; to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever.

With all that said, let the church say amen… and AMEN!