WORTHY
"And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me."
Matthew 10:38
Matthew 10:38
Did you know that even though we are saved by grace; we still have to be worthy? And for sure, some are worthy and some are not?
Listen to Jesus' words in:
Jesus requires 100% devotion! He gave His all and He demands ours!
Let's look at the parable of the wedding feast that Jesus likened unto heaven.
The first invited guests were the first seed of Abraham, the Jews. But as a whole, they rejected the Messiah. Certainly individually many received Jesus as Messiah and for sure it was through the Jews, “God's chosen people” that we have the Bible! We are even grafted into the same tree. But it is possible to be cut out! These "invited guests" were too busy in the field and too busy in their businesses. When the Father of the Groom sent word to “Come the feast is ready” they were not only too busy, some even killed the message-bearers. So in 70AD, Jerusalem and its people were destroyed and any people that survived were dispersed. The Father had said: "those who were invited were not worthy."
Stepping away from the parable for a moment, let us consider the olive tree for a moment.
We can be cut off the tree and they can be grafted in. “According to our unbelief”
The parable continues:
This is not a cheap wedding! The Father's Son, the Groom, paid for His bride with the Highest Price. He gave His all, even unto death. How could we think or treat that as cheap?
We must come according to the invitation! Proper attire required! Sinful street clothes are not acceptable! We need the blood-bought covering of the groom! Anything less than that is not acceptable!
The invitation was to all. But would you just wear rags or dirty work clothes to a wedding? And that is what our best righteousness is. If we are not covered by the righteousness of the Lord, then we are not fit. We were not saved from sin to stay in sin. We were saved to be delivered from a sinful life. We still sin, but not so easily; and we repent and seek to do better. It is one thing when a person walks according to a sinful nature and it is another, when one is born again and knows the difference. A born again person walking with Jesus, does not want to go back to a sinful life. This person fails sometimes, but it is not the same as before Jesus became Lord. With Jesus as Lord, (Master, Overseer, etc) we give up our ways for the Lord's ways. And are willing even unto death, to honor our Lord and His ways.
Another thought is this:
How do we know we have the wedding clothes? We received the open invitation! True repentance is the beginning!
Jesus said that there are 2 commandments so important, that all the rest are hung on them.
If we are not putting God first, if He is not #1 on the throne of our hearts, then we are not worthy. He is saying, we must love God with all we are=100%. So our actions should follow.
And He takes it a step further as we follow and get to know Him more. He says, If we forgive others, then our forgiveness is secure. Directly after the Lord's prayer for us, Jesus said:
If we have the love of God in us, we will love others. Certainly not in our own strength, but with His, we will love others. For the measure of grace we receive and give out, will be the measure of grace dealt back to us!
Jesus paid “the initial price” and it is also “the forever price.” Our salvation is secure “in” Jesus Christ.
The Lord says in,
Have you left “the old master of sin” behind? Have you “become new in Jesus Christ”? Did you “receive the love of the Father and His grace towards you”? Are you “passing it on”? Are you “taking up your cross daily” and “following in Jesus' footsteps”? Then you are worthy! If “we keep the Lord as Lord” on the throne of our hearts and follow Jesus' example of keeping the will of the Father as top priority! Then we cannot lose!
Look at this Parable of the Faithful Servant!
In Hebrews, the writer speaks of backsliding.
Pilate found Jesus innocent; it was the priests and their cohorts that condemned Him. Mark writes of the high priest and religious leaders:
He, the Messiah, who had done “no wrong” who was worthy unto God (without sin at all), was counted worthy unto death, so that the unworthy such as us, might be counted worthy to be redeemed.
A tremendous price, grounded in 100% pure love, was paid that we might live and to live forever with our Lord. Can we return a love like this, with anything less than being 100% faithful?
The Lord says, in Matthew 10, after the parable about being Faithful,
We must be faithful every day and to the end!
When speaking of the last days, the Lord said,
We must endure and stand firm to the end!
It is not a matter of our own righteousness by which we are saved. It is the righteousness of Jesus Christ alone that saves us. Jesus gave His whole heart and His whole life, down to the last drop of His holy blood - for us. If we are not willing to do the same, then sadly we are not worthy.
What is so wonderful is that when a person realizes what He did for us and how much He loves us, a person is anxious to return that love in the same fashion. And it is not at all offensive to hear this message today. But to those who love their own life more than Him, it is highly offensive! Being a Christian is not a feel good ideology. It is not wishful thinking.
A Holy God who wants faithfulness from us, has made a way for us through the giving of His own Son. He loves us in our weaknesses and picks us back up when we fail. He is not harsh. But He asks one thing. To love Him in return with all our hearts, all our strength, all our might and all we have. If we do that, no matter how human or frail we are, we are worthy!
Listen to Jesus' words in:
- Matthew 10:36-39 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.”
Jesus requires 100% devotion! He gave His all and He demands ours!
Let's look at the parable of the wedding feast that Jesus likened unto heaven.
- Matthew 22:2-10 "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. Again, he sent out other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding." ' But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.' So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests."
The first invited guests were the first seed of Abraham, the Jews. But as a whole, they rejected the Messiah. Certainly individually many received Jesus as Messiah and for sure it was through the Jews, “God's chosen people” that we have the Bible! We are even grafted into the same tree. But it is possible to be cut out! These "invited guests" were too busy in the field and too busy in their businesses. When the Father of the Groom sent word to “Come the feast is ready” they were not only too busy, some even killed the message-bearers. So in 70AD, Jerusalem and its people were destroyed and any people that survived were dispersed. The Father had said: "those who were invited were not worthy."
Stepping away from the parable for a moment, let us consider the olive tree for a moment.
- Romans 11:17-21 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, "Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in." Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.
- Romans 11:22-23 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
We can be cut off the tree and they can be grafted in. “According to our unbelief”
The parable continues:
- Matthew 22:11-14 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' For many are called, but few are chosen.
This is not a cheap wedding! The Father's Son, the Groom, paid for His bride with the Highest Price. He gave His all, even unto death. How could we think or treat that as cheap?
We must come according to the invitation! Proper attire required! Sinful street clothes are not acceptable! We need the blood-bought covering of the groom! Anything less than that is not acceptable!
The invitation was to all. But would you just wear rags or dirty work clothes to a wedding? And that is what our best righteousness is. If we are not covered by the righteousness of the Lord, then we are not fit. We were not saved from sin to stay in sin. We were saved to be delivered from a sinful life. We still sin, but not so easily; and we repent and seek to do better. It is one thing when a person walks according to a sinful nature and it is another, when one is born again and knows the difference. A born again person walking with Jesus, does not want to go back to a sinful life. This person fails sometimes, but it is not the same as before Jesus became Lord. With Jesus as Lord, (Master, Overseer, etc) we give up our ways for the Lord's ways. And are willing even unto death, to honor our Lord and His ways.
Another thought is this:
How do we know we have the wedding clothes? We received the open invitation! True repentance is the beginning!
Jesus said that there are 2 commandments so important, that all the rest are hung on them.
- Matthew 22:36-40 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
If we are not putting God first, if He is not #1 on the throne of our hearts, then we are not worthy. He is saying, we must love God with all we are=100%. So our actions should follow.
And He takes it a step further as we follow and get to know Him more. He says, If we forgive others, then our forgiveness is secure. Directly after the Lord's prayer for us, Jesus said:
- Matthew 6:14-15 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
If we have the love of God in us, we will love others. Certainly not in our own strength, but with His, we will love others. For the measure of grace we receive and give out, will be the measure of grace dealt back to us!
Jesus paid “the initial price” and it is also “the forever price.” Our salvation is secure “in” Jesus Christ.
The Lord says in,
- Matthew 10:38 "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.”
Have you left “the old master of sin” behind? Have you “become new in Jesus Christ”? Did you “receive the love of the Father and His grace towards you”? Are you “passing it on”? Are you “taking up your cross daily” and “following in Jesus' footsteps”? Then you are worthy! If “we keep the Lord as Lord” on the throne of our hearts and follow Jesus' example of keeping the will of the Father as top priority! Then we cannot lose!
Look at this Parable of the Faithful Servant!
- Luke 12:35-48 "Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
Then Peter said to Him, "Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?" And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. But if that servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.”
“And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.”
- Philippians 1:27-29 Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake...
- Colossians 1:9-10 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God...
- I Corinthians 10:17-18 But "he who glories, let him glory in the Lord." For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.
In Hebrews, the writer speaks of backsliding.
- Hebrews 10:29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
- John 19:4 “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him."
Pilate found Jesus innocent; it was the priests and their cohorts that condemned Him. Mark writes of the high priest and religious leaders:
- Mark14:65 Then some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, "Prophesy!" And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands.
He, the Messiah, who had done “no wrong” who was worthy unto God (without sin at all), was counted worthy unto death, so that the unworthy such as us, might be counted worthy to be redeemed.
A tremendous price, grounded in 100% pure love, was paid that we might live and to live forever with our Lord. Can we return a love like this, with anything less than being 100% faithful?
The Lord says, in Matthew 10, after the parable about being Faithful,
- Matthew 10:32 "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven."
We must be faithful every day and to the end!
When speaking of the last days, the Lord said,
- Matthew 24:12-13 "And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved."
We must endure and stand firm to the end!
- Revelation 3:1-6 "And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, 'These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
It is not a matter of our own righteousness by which we are saved. It is the righteousness of Jesus Christ alone that saves us. Jesus gave His whole heart and His whole life, down to the last drop of His holy blood - for us. If we are not willing to do the same, then sadly we are not worthy.
What is so wonderful is that when a person realizes what He did for us and how much He loves us, a person is anxious to return that love in the same fashion. And it is not at all offensive to hear this message today. But to those who love their own life more than Him, it is highly offensive! Being a Christian is not a feel good ideology. It is not wishful thinking.
- Matthew 16:24-27 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works."
A Holy God who wants faithfulness from us, has made a way for us through the giving of His own Son. He loves us in our weaknesses and picks us back up when we fail. He is not harsh. But He asks one thing. To love Him in return with all our hearts, all our strength, all our might and all we have. If we do that, no matter how human or frail we are, we are worthy!
Copyright © 2016 E. Cockrell. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
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