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“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

Matthew 25:21

Faith and faithfulness are not necessarily the same. It takes faith to believe that Jesus is the Son of God but it takes faithfulness to serve God to the end. We are all called not only to believe in Christ but to also serve Him faithfully.

In our verse of the day, Jesus gives the ultimate commendation every servant of God is yearning to hear. This is popularly known as the “Parable of the Talents.” Three servants were entrusted with bags of gold: one with five bags, another with two, and another with one.

The first two servants were faithful in their service to their master and received a commendation. But the last servant hid his bag of gold in the ground and was not given any reward. This man was afraid of failing that he never exerted any effort to succeed. He had a lot of fear, which rendered him ineffective. He didn’t even think about investing his bag of gold in the bank! In other words, he was an unfaithful servant. He was eventually sentenced to be punished for eternity.

This parable describes the reward system God is going to employ at the rewarding ceremony in heaven. First and foremost, to be eligible for a reward, one must be saved (the three servants were under the rule of their master, to begin with). If one is not yet saved, he cannot please God (Hebrews 11:6). You can’t be faithful unless you have faith.

Just as the three servants were given the same item (bags of gold), we Christians are also given the same mission: The Great Commission, which is Jesus’ mandate for all believers to preach the Gospel and make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). If we want to be productive in this area, we must experience the reality of the Good News. In other words, our lives must be changed by the fact that Jesus died for our sins.

If we understand and live by the truth of the Gospel, sharing it with others doesn’t have to be an uphill battle. Our message is heard only if people see us you living it. It’s hard to disprove the power of the Gospel if the one who shares it has been radically changed by God!

If you were to come before God and hold an account for your part in the Great Commission, will He call you a good and faithful servant? Have you reached anyone to share the hope that is found in Jesus Christ? Do not let your life pass by without winning a soul for Christ.

Pursue the Saviour today!