Making the Wisest Investment in Life Complete Article Parts 1-4

Text: Genesis 1:26-28 And God said, Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. [27] So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created He him, male and female created He them. [28] And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Part I The Creator God

God created man in His own image. God was creator; man was created to be able to use and mold the world and have dominion over it. God created out of nothing (ex nihilo); man cannot do that, but He can take the world which God made – a world of space, matter, and time, and mankind was responsible to God for what he did with God’s creation. Let us remember: Psalm 24:1 The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

When man fell under the temptation of Satan, Satan became the prince of this world and man was no longer the master of the world. This fall affected the entire creation. Romans 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 

When man fell, God moved to restore mankind. He sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins. Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He first intimated this when addressing Satan in Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his head. 

We have responsibilities to God first as our creator, who commanded us to have dominion over creation, and also as our redeemer, who restored our relationship with Him. God has given us not only the necessary materials in the material universe but also the time to do it. We are responsible to Him, and He will reward us for our service for Him which is also empowered by Him. 

Part II – The Creator Son and the Indwelling Holy Spirit

Jesus Christ is the creator of the universe:

1.     John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] The same was in the beginning with God. [3] All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made…[14] And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.

2.     Hebrews 1:1 God, who in sundry times and in diverse manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets [2] Hath in the last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; [3] who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high…

3.     Colossians 1:15 Who (Jesus Christ) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn (prototokos – speaking of preeminence, not procreation) of every creature: [16] For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: [17] And he is before all things, and by him all things consist (hold together).

Jesus Christ, the creator of the universe is also the power that holds everything in its proper place. He keeps every atom from exploding – for the protons in the nucleus to reman together although the positive charges should reject each other and be attracted to the negative electrons. He keeps the millions of nucleotides in the precise order in the chromosomes so that the living organisms grow and reproduce. He arranges the ecologic balance within various eco-systems. And He indwells us by His spirit! John 14:16 And I (Jesus speaking) will pay the Father and he shall give you another (another like me, not another different from me) Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; [17] Even the Spirit of truth, who the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him, but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you (remember this is before the cross and Pentecost), and shall be in you. Romans 8:9 But ye (speaking to believers) are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Thus, the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ indwells each believer and empowers his service for God. And we will be judged as to what we do with the talents which God has entrusted to us.

Part III – God gives to each of us specific talents to be used for His glory: 

I Corinthians 12:4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit, [5] And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord, [6] And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. [7] But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal…[12] For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ… Each part of the body is needed for the body to function optimally. Each makes his own contribution. 

God wants us to work together with Him for His glory. I Corinthians 3:9a For we are laborers together with God… He directs, He coordinates, He empowers us. And He wants us to serve Him actively day for day. Psalm 118:24 This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom… [17] And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands, establish thou it.

For us to be co-laborers with God, we must submit to His leadership and seek His glory. He gives us both the talents we need to be successful in His eyes, and enough time to accomplish what He calls us to do. May we praise Him for the privilege of working with Him knowing that our work will be blessed with eternal rewards!

Part IV We will face God in judgment:

If we have received Jesus Christ as our savior, we will not face judgment for the penalty for our sins. We have received forgiveness of sins and His righteousness is imputed to us. II Corinthians 5:21 For he (God the Father) hath made him (Jesus Christ, God the Son) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. But we will face judgment for our works done as to whether or not we will receive rewards! Remember that we are co-laborers with God Himself! Romans 14:10b for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ… [12] So then every one of us shall give an account of himself to God. II Corinthians 5:10 for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body; according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 

Shortly before his death, Jesus gives two parables in Matthew 25:14-30, the parable of the talents, and Luke 19:11-27. In both parables, a master goes away for a long period of time and entrusts his goods to his servants. In one parable, each receives the same amount (one pound – but this is a lot of money), and two work to earn 10 pounds and 5 pounds before the Lord returns. One simply buries the money and returns it without any investment. In the other parable, one man receives 5 talents (an enormous amount of money) and one 2 talents (also a lot of money) and each doubles it. The third man buries the talent. In both parables, there is great reward for those who work with what the Lord entrusts into their hands, but the lazy servant who does no work is punished and loses his reward. The reward in each parable is the opportunity for even greater service for the Master and to enjoy his blessing.

In a third parable, we are confronted with an unrighteous steward who loses his stewardship by misuse of funds. Luke 16:1 And he (Jesus) said also unto his disciples; There was a certain man which had a steward, and the same was accused unto him that he wasted his goods. And he called him, and said unto him; How is it that I hear this of thee? Give an account of thy stewardship, for thou mayest be no longer steward… Jesus goes on to relate that the steward continued to cheat his employer in such a way that those who owed his master would be indebted to him and would help him in the future. Jesus said that the man worked wisely looking to the future, although he was a scoundrel. He then advised the disciples to invest wisely into their future. Luke 16:9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness, that when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. [13b] Ye cannot serve God and mammon (money]

Conclusion:

God has entrusted us with talents so that we will labor with Him. We need to invest our entire lives in serving Him with our time, talents, and goods, looking for our eternal reward which we will enjoy with Him forever.