Have you ever done something, which at the time you didn’t know was wrong, but later you found out that it was?
Have you ever raised a dog up from a puppy? The raising of a puppy can be a great instructional process, as we can learn many things which we could also apply to our own lives. One of these is learning the ability to tell the things that are right from the things that are wrong. As you will know if you have raised a puppy, a puppy will like to chew on many different things as their baby teeth are slowly replaced with their adult ones. They will chew on shoes, furniture, toys, basically anything that they can fit into their mouth. But obviously we don’t want them to just chew on anything they want, so we try to train them which things they can or can’t chew. Hopefully it doesn’t take a long time, but they will eventually learn.
Now, when your puppy has grown into an adult, they should know by that time what they are allowed to do, and what not to do, and in the case of biting or chewing on things, what they are allowed to chew on. It always brings a smile to me when I think of a memory of one of our dogs, who once did something that he wasn’t supposed to do, and when we walked into the room and saw what he had done, he lowered his head down to the ground, clearly knowing that he had done something wrong.
It is really incredible that a dog can know when they have done something wrong and feel sad about it, but some humans can’t.
Luke 12:42-48 “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.
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.”
In the case of the parable that Jesus spoke, the steward had been given a job to do. He had been given the task of watching over the lord’s household, and all of the servants and property were under his supervision and rule until the lord returned. But this steward didn’t do as was instructed to him by his lord. He knew what his commands were but he didn’t follow them.
This is different than someone who doesn’t know what they are supposed to do. When you have the knowledge of what is right and wrong, of what you should do and what you shouldn’t, then you have no excuse when you receive the punishment for your actions because of your willful sin.
Hebrews 10:26-31 “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
You can know what you are supposed to do and what is right and wrong, but if you choose to do the things that you know to be wrong, you should not be surprised when you receive punishment. We are commanded to keep ourselves from sin. Throughout the Bible you can find these instructions, and those who know what is written should abide by them, or else they are certainly deserving to be punished by the Lord.
When we come out of the world and separate ourselves from it’s sinful influences, turning ourselves into sevants of Christ, it is imperative that we do not go back. To go back and turn away from Christ after we have been saved from our sins is like throwing yourself back into the fire once you have been saved from it. Peter likened it to a pig going back into the mire once they have been washed.
2 Peter 2:20-22 – “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.”
Jesus calls us to be wise stewards for Him, and to do this we need to follow His Word. We need to keep ourselves free from sin, but in the chance that we do happen to sin we need to readily recognize it so that we may immediately repent and get those sins forgiven.
The Bible is right within your fingertips for you to read, study, and apply to your life. Jesus is calling you to be a wise steward for Him, so the question is…
Are you?
In Christ,
Andrew
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 