And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.
When the master returns to reckon with his servants, he takes the pound from the servant who failed to use and increase it and gives it to the servant who has gained ten pounds from one. The pound is the Lord's own capital first deposited with his servants in solemn trust, so no gain could be made without the deposit and all success in trading comes from him. It means the gifts, talents, abilities, opportunities and resources entrusted by God, including money, mind, influence, time, health and strength, to be put to diligent productive use for increase rather than buried, hoarded or selfishly withheld. Faithful, diligent, wise use increases capability and is rewarded with more and greater responsibility, while failure to use through sloth and selfish living forfeits the trust and the unused gift is lost to eternal loss. The use made of every talent will be scrutinized to see whether the capital was improved so the Lord receives his own with increase, and reward is decided by faithfulness rather than size.
Words and Reckoning
The order strips the unused pound from the servant who failed to put it to use and increase it and hands it to the servant who already has ten pounds gained from one. That loss is loss of the opportunity itself, with the servant judged unworthy of further trust, while faithful productive service is rewarded with greater responsibility. Each is held personally accountable for the trust as used, and reward or loss follows that use, with reward proportionate to work and the Lord expecting results.
The reckoning comes when the master returns and calls his servants to account and examines their work. It is the final day of account at Christ's coming as Judge, when the use made of every talent will be scrutinized to see whether the entrusted capital was improved so that the Lord receives His own with usury and interest. Mere profession has no value, and only love shown by works counts, on the principle of justification by faith and judgment by works through faith working by love to purify the soul as His temple. No idlers are excused from this solemn work, and each must answer to the Master when He comes.
Accounting is personal and measured by what was actually entrusted in proportion to gifts and known capacity. God does not demand from one with less what He demands from one with more, and no one answers for gifts he lacks or is required to produce more than he can. Yet merely returning the original without increase is not enough, for even one talent must be put to use and not left idle or buried, and the Master must receive His own with increase. Faithfulness rather than size wins commendation, so that faithful work with one talent is as valuable as with more, even a small gift faithfully used is accepted, and wise improvement develops what was given until even one gift can produce another. Responsibility for using it cannot be transferred to another, but belongs to the one who received it, including responsibility for the further gifts gained through its use.
The pound is the Lord's own capital first deposited with His servants in solemn trust, committed in a time of solemn privilege when destiny for life or for death is being decided. No gain could be made without the first deposit and no interest without the principle, for any gain by trading depends on what He first entrusted. All success in trading comes from Him, so the faithful servant takes no credit but ascribes all praise and glory to the Lord. Returning His own does not buy heaven; the time of trust is for faithful service, and the day of reckoning belongs to the Lord.
What the Pound Means
The pound is the gift, talent, ability, opportunity and resource entrusted by God to be put to work for His kingdom, and it includes money, mind, influence, time, health, strength and intellect. Every natural advantage is a talent, responsibility is measured by what is received so that greater gifts bring greater responsibility, and even the smallest gift and the humblest service are to be used rather than hidden. All that people possess is a loan purchased by Christ's blood, to be laid on God's altar with heart, soul, body and life consecrated to Him, and the question is not what belongs to a person but what use is made of what is entrusted. It is given for God's glory and not for selfish purposes, self-glory or selfish pleasure and extravagance, and hiding even a small talent instead of using it brings increased loss, forfeits further trust, and leaves the servant judged unworthy. Faithful use to save souls and promote His glory makes the lowliest service a consecrated gift, and through consecrated diligence the talent itself can be increased to wider influence and ability.
The pound so entrusted includes means, money, property, homes, land, tithes, gifts, offerings, work and abilities lent to build up the work wherever need is greatest. It is the Lord's talent of means to be used without selfish restriction to advance His cause, invested so that it gains other pounds and is returned with increase. Its proper use supports the work of saving others and rescuing souls, where even effort that saves one soul is worthwhile, and its use reveals whether a person loves God or loves the gift more. No one is forced to give, yet frugality and self-denial belong to faithful partnership with Him, with the one aim of giving the message of truth not only at home but in regions beyond, banishing avarice, overreaching and every dishonesty. Hiding money in a napkin and burying it in the earth is embezzling and misappropriating the Lord's goods away from His cause, done under His displeasure, and He will not sanction or prosper work or any person that diverts means into channels that bind it away from His cause.
The pound is also entrusted capital of light of truth, spiritual advantages, grace, power and ability to enlighten others with salvation. It is given to be invested, traded on and increased to God's glory, to be put to work in sharing truth and serving others rather than left unused. Those who have received great spiritual advantages are accountable to develop them and return the Lord's own with increase, and the talent given was meant to gain more through service to God. Burying it is letting souls die through doing nothing, and unearthing it belongs not to ministers alone but to all who profess the truth.
Trading means putting what is entrusted to diligent, productive, active and guarded use for increase, trusting Him with confidence while He searches for fruit and is displeased to find only leaves. It means bringing tithes to His treasury with willing and abundant offerings according as He has prospered, dispensing what He has lent in a wise and judicious manner, and learning to minister effectually as diligent laborers in the harvest field. Human effort in this work must cooperate with the Holy Spirit, whose power makes the work effective and to whom all success and credit belong, since no gain could be made without the first deposit and no interest without the principle. Burying the pound wrapped in a napkin in the earth means hiding, hoarding, tying hands fast, idleness in the marketplace, slothfulness, slothful church membership outside the Master's vineyard, selfish withholding and wasting abilities and resources on worldly investments instead of seeking salvation for others. That course lets souls die, hinders His work under His displeasure, fails the trust so that what was entrusted is taken away, and develops ability only when reversed into effectual labor that fits workers for positions of trust and influence for great good to the Master.
Faithful and Unfaithful Use
Faithful, diligent, wise use of what is entrusted increases capability and is rewarded with more and greater responsibility, while an unused gift is lost when the pound is taken from the servant who failed to use it and given to the servant whose pound has gained ten. The more talents are exercised the greater becomes the increase of capability, for faithful use develops what was given so that even one gift can produce another. Entrusted resources, including means, money, mind and influence, must be put to faithful productive use rather than hidden or hoarded, invested to advance the work so that increase is received with it. What is given is to be used to spread the light of truth, with watching for opportunity to represent the truth to others and win souls, requiring mental and moral improvement and growing in grace and knowledge, for unless the sown seed struggles above the soil into life it loses power to germinate. Servants are accountable in proportion to what has been entrusted, so the one entrusted with ten pounds is responsible for the good use of all ten, yet God does not demand from one with less what He demands from one with more, and faithfulness rather than size wins commendation with diligent service increased.
Failure to use through sloth, selfish living and withholding what belongs to God forfeits the trust, for the unfaithful servant loses the opportunity he failed to use and it is given to the one who has gained ten pounds. Hiding the gift and living selfishly brings no return, and burying it instead of trading faithfully risks losing what was entrusted when abilities and resources are wasted on worldly investments rather than serving God and seeking the salvation of others. Hoarding what is entrusted and doing nothing with it forfeits the gift and loses the soul, for the servant is judged unworthy of further trust and suffers eternal loss. Slothfulness and selfishly withholding what belongs to God hinder the work, and neglecting abilities and opportunities brings loss, while faithful use even of little leads to greater responsibility and reward.
Reward is decided by faithfulness rather than size, so faithful work with one talent is as valuable as with five talents, and even a small gift faithfully used is accepted. Each person is accountable for the gifts actually received and not for gifts lacking, and God does not demand from one with less what He demands from one with more. The responsibility to use one's gifts belongs to that person and cannot be transferred to another or taken over by human judgment, and neglecting small opportunities to serve in little things is failure in the call since no part of the work is insignificant.
Faithful trading requires greater self-denial and far less self-glorification, far more devotion in prayer and far less self-pleasing, with all done heartily as unto the Lord. It requires mental and moral improvement and growing in grace and knowledge, becoming laborers together with God with mind, soul and strength controlled by the Spirit to mold character after the divine similitude in harmony with appointed agencies. As men work on the plan of addition in the littles, God works on the plan of multiplication, so that littles given with pure-heartedness and gladness become precious influences, for no offering so given is small. Unfaithfulness robs God when men fail to connect with Him and to trade on tithes, gifts, offerings, work and abilities, failing in frugality and self-denial and forgetting that a return with interest is required, so what they have will be taken from them. Neglect in littles with complaints against God and brethren fails the call and will fail to gain eternal life, while the faithful steward does all he possibly can with the one aim of giving the message of truth not only in his own neighborhood but in regions beyond, cherishing love of the truth and sanctification that banishes avarice, overreaching and every dishonesty.
Accountability and Judgment
Every talent entrusted will be scrutinized at the final reckoning to see whether the capital was improved so that the Lord receives His own with usury and interest, according to the entrusted capital and the measure of the gift. Mere profession of faith has no value, and only love shown by works counts as genuine, on the principle that servants are justified by faith and judged by their works, faith working by love to purify the soul from moral defilement to become His temple. No idler is excused, for talents are given in solemn trust with solemn work to do, proportioned to varied capabilities, and the pound is the Master's own capital of light of truth and spiritual advantages to be invested, traded upon and increased to His glory for return with usury. Taking the pound from the slothful servant and giving it to him that hath ten pounds means that hoarding His goods and doing nothing forfeits the gift and loses the soul, while faithful use that improves character and ability is rewarded with more.
All that is possessed is a loan purchased by His own blood and suffering, and all are stewards of His grace and custodians of the Master's goods in partnership with Him, entrusted with tithes, gifts, offerings, work and abilities of which He will surely require His own with interest from each one. The question is not what belongs to a person but what use is made of what is entrusted, with time, gifts and offerings to be laid on His altar and heart, soul, body and life consecrated to Him, and the lowliest talents and humblest service become consecrated gifts when exercised to save souls and promote His glory, while greater learning, talents and money only increase and intensify responsibility. No one is forced to give, but those who are unfaithful in returning what is His, who refuse to connect with their Maker and to serve and trade on what is entrusted, who fail in frugality and self-denial and forget that a return is required, will not long keep the blessing entrusted to them, and what they have will be taken from them. Misuse through selfish extravagance, misapplication and degrading to selfish use is robbery against Him, and those who double what was put out to use receive the commendation to enter into the joy of their Lord, for all depends on using present time and opportunities to occupy till He comes. A faithful steward does all he possibly can with the one aim of giving the message of truth not only in his own neighborhood but in regions beyond, cherishing the love of the truth and the sanctification received through the truth that banishes avarice, overreaching and every kind of dishonesty.
Belonging to the church does not secure entrance into the kingdom, for people are accountable for how they use the opportunities and resources entrusted to them. Faithful service includes obeying His known will, developing Christian character, and helping and encouraging others, and doing nothing to aid the work of salvation is perilous. He searches for fruit and is displeased to find nothing but leaves, requiring active, guarded use of entrusted talents rather than tying hands fast by binding them in a napkin and hiding them in the earth. His claims rest with compassion, mercy and long-suffering even on those given great light, and faithful stewardship means trusting Him and looking to Him with confidence. Disciples cannot remain slothful servants but must work, watching for opportunity to represent the truth to others and win souls, and the more they exercise their talents the greater will be their increase of capability. Unless the seed sown struggles above the soil springing up into life it will lose all its power to germinate, which teaches the necessity of mental and moral improvement, of growing in grace and knowledge.
The owner investigates how His goods were used, and He looks upon men in responsible positions and upon institutions to see if they do unselfishly the work entrusted to them. A steward entrusted with his master's goods must serve the master's interests, and using the trust selfishly for personal gain perverts that responsibility and fails the test of stewardship. Those who misuse entrusted wealth for luxury while people suffer and His work is hindered are unfaithful stewards, while faithful use of what He entrusts brings reward. He especially requires the means entrusted to His stewards to be used to advance His work in neglected parts of His vineyard and in cities and countries that have never heard the message of warning. If stewards refuse to respond and by selfishness close the doors He has opened for His blessings to flow, He removes His gifts, means and resources from the unfaithful and gives them to those who will honor the trust reposed in them and cooperate intelligently with Him, finding another way to accomplish His purpose and leaving the unfaithful barren.
Practical Stewardship Applications
Those who have means, and especially wealthy parents, are to use what is entrusted to them during their own lifetime to advance the work while probation lasts, rather than burying it or leaving that work to their children or to others after death. Faithfulness means dispensing what is lent with present reason and ability in wise and judicious self-denial, sustaining the cause of truth and supporting needy laborers and their families in mission fields, following Christ who became poor that through His poverty men might be made rich. Homes, land, and money are among these trusts, and their proper use includes rescuing souls, where even an effort that saves one soul is worthwhile. No one is to hand over stewardship so that another person manages it, for each is accountable for improving and using in the Lord's work what God has entrusted, including helping those in need, since all means belong to God.
Means are to be invested when and where the Spirit indicates, without restriction by compromise and without shifting stewardship upon any man or set of men. They are to enter mission fields that require means and neglected parts of the vineyard, including cities and countries that have never heard the warning, rather than living on barely enough to sustain life. The ability to write is given in wise providence so that means will come into the hands of stewards to be used wisely for the advancement of the cause. Experience enables stewards to see ways and opportunities of helping the cause that others would not discern. Money and abilities are God's trusts to be employed faithfully to bring people to the knowledge of the truth so they produce increase, and faithful stewards put the Lord's goods to work for the owner's purposes toward the day of reckoning.
Those who have means are to return the Lord His own at once without a day or hour of delay, to relieve His suffering institutions out of embarrassment and to sustain sanitariums and advance the gospel. Those in responsible positions are to set the example by planning and working with greater earnestness than for their own property, with all doing what they can. Offerings are to be brought saying they freely give Him of His own, and rightly employing property has eternal consequences. Even a small amount is accepted because it is placed in the hands of Christ in the person of His afflicted brethren, and when His people do their part heavenly angels will be commissioned to help in this time of special need.
Unearthing the talent is learning how to minister effectually to others, becoming diligent laborers in the harvest field who win souls, spread light, and develop ability for positions of trust and influence so great good is accomplished. This work of making Christ known to a perishing world belongs not to ministers alone but to all who profess the truth, for God has given to every man his work of enlightening others with salvation. The minister's wife is to work earnestly and faithfully with her husband to save souls, not setting aside this responsibility for personal wishes, pleasures, or natural preferences. Each must use the Lord's entrusted goods and will answer for that work when He returns, for the Lord expects results and reward is proportionate to work.
Faithfulness in little things decides the reward, for faithful work by one with one talent is as valuable in God's sight as faithful work by one with five talents, and neglecting small opportunities to serve in little things is failure in the call. As one works on the plan of addition in the littles, doing all heartily as unto the Lord with greater self-denial, far less self-glorification and self-pleasing, and far more devotion in prayer, God works on the plan of multiplication so that those littles become the most precious influences in His work. No offering is small that is given with pure-heartedness and gladness of soul. Time, gifts, and offerings are to be laid on God's altar with heart, soul, body, and life consecrated to God, with no selfish extravagance, luxury, misuse, misapplication, or diversion to selfish purposes while people suffer and God's work is hindered.
When the master returns to reckon with his servants, he takes the pound from the servant who failed to use and increase it and gives it to the servant who has gained ten pounds from one. The pound is the Lord's own capital first deposited with his servants in solemn trust, so no gain could be made without the deposit and all success in trading comes from him. It means the gifts, talents, abilities, opportunities and resources entrusted by God, including money, mind, influence, time, health and strength, to be put to diligent productive use for increase rather than buried, hoarded or selfishly withheld. Faithful, diligent, wise use increases capability and is rewarded with more and greater responsibility, while failure to use through sloth and selfish living forfeits the trust and the unused gift is lost to eternal loss. The use made of every talent will be scrutinized to see whether the capital was improved so the Lord receives his own with increase, and reward is decided by faithfulness rather than size.
Words and Reckoning
The order strips the unused pound from the servant who failed to put it to use and increase it and hands it to the servant who already has ten pounds gained from one. That loss is loss of the opportunity itself, with the servant judged unworthy of further trust, while faithful productive service is rewarded with greater responsibility. Each is held personally accountable for the trust as used, and reward or loss follows that use, with reward proportionate to work and the Lord expecting results.
The reckoning comes when the master returns and calls his servants to account and examines their work. It is the final day of account at Christ's coming as Judge, when the use made of every talent will be scrutinized to see whether the entrusted capital was improved so that the Lord receives His own with usury and interest. Mere profession has no value, and only love shown by works counts, on the principle of justification by faith and judgment by works through faith working by love to purify the soul as His temple. No idlers are excused from this solemn work, and each must answer to the Master when He comes.
Accounting is personal and measured by what was actually entrusted in proportion to gifts and known capacity. God does not demand from one with less what He demands from one with more, and no one answers for gifts he lacks or is required to produce more than he can. Yet merely returning the original without increase is not enough, for even one talent must be put to use and not left idle or buried, and the Master must receive His own with increase. Faithfulness rather than size wins commendation, so that faithful work with one talent is as valuable as with more, even a small gift faithfully used is accepted, and wise improvement develops what was given until even one gift can produce another. Responsibility for using it cannot be transferred to another, but belongs to the one who received it, including responsibility for the further gifts gained through its use.
The pound is the Lord's own capital first deposited with His servants in solemn trust, committed in a time of solemn privilege when destiny for life or for death is being decided. No gain could be made without the first deposit and no interest without the principle, for any gain by trading depends on what He first entrusted. All success in trading comes from Him, so the faithful servant takes no credit but ascribes all praise and glory to the Lord. Returning His own does not buy heaven; the time of trust is for faithful service, and the day of reckoning belongs to the Lord.
What the Pound Means
The pound is the gift, talent, ability, opportunity and resource entrusted by God to be put to work for His kingdom, and it includes money, mind, influence, time, health, strength and intellect. Every natural advantage is a talent, responsibility is measured by what is received so that greater gifts bring greater responsibility, and even the smallest gift and the humblest service are to be used rather than hidden. All that people possess is a loan purchased by Christ's blood, to be laid on God's altar with heart, soul, body and life consecrated to Him, and the question is not what belongs to a person but what use is made of what is entrusted. It is given for God's glory and not for selfish purposes, self-glory or selfish pleasure and extravagance, and hiding even a small talent instead of using it brings increased loss, forfeits further trust, and leaves the servant judged unworthy. Faithful use to save souls and promote His glory makes the lowliest service a consecrated gift, and through consecrated diligence the talent itself can be increased to wider influence and ability.
The pound so entrusted includes means, money, property, homes, land, tithes, gifts, offerings, work and abilities lent to build up the work wherever need is greatest. It is the Lord's talent of means to be used without selfish restriction to advance His cause, invested so that it gains other pounds and is returned with increase. Its proper use supports the work of saving others and rescuing souls, where even effort that saves one soul is worthwhile, and its use reveals whether a person loves God or loves the gift more. No one is forced to give, yet frugality and self-denial belong to faithful partnership with Him, with the one aim of giving the message of truth not only at home but in regions beyond, banishing avarice, overreaching and every dishonesty. Hiding money in a napkin and burying it in the earth is embezzling and misappropriating the Lord's goods away from His cause, done under His displeasure, and He will not sanction or prosper work or any person that diverts means into channels that bind it away from His cause.
The pound is also entrusted capital of light of truth, spiritual advantages, grace, power and ability to enlighten others with salvation. It is given to be invested, traded on and increased to God's glory, to be put to work in sharing truth and serving others rather than left unused. Those who have received great spiritual advantages are accountable to develop them and return the Lord's own with increase, and the talent given was meant to gain more through service to God. Burying it is letting souls die through doing nothing, and unearthing it belongs not to ministers alone but to all who profess the truth.
Trading means putting what is entrusted to diligent, productive, active and guarded use for increase, trusting Him with confidence while He searches for fruit and is displeased to find only leaves. It means bringing tithes to His treasury with willing and abundant offerings according as He has prospered, dispensing what He has lent in a wise and judicious manner, and learning to minister effectually as diligent laborers in the harvest field. Human effort in this work must cooperate with the Holy Spirit, whose power makes the work effective and to whom all success and credit belong, since no gain could be made without the first deposit and no interest without the principle. Burying the pound wrapped in a napkin in the earth means hiding, hoarding, tying hands fast, idleness in the marketplace, slothfulness, slothful church membership outside the Master's vineyard, selfish withholding and wasting abilities and resources on worldly investments instead of seeking salvation for others. That course lets souls die, hinders His work under His displeasure, fails the trust so that what was entrusted is taken away, and develops ability only when reversed into effectual labor that fits workers for positions of trust and influence for great good to the Master.
Faithful and Unfaithful Use
Faithful, diligent, wise use of what is entrusted increases capability and is rewarded with more and greater responsibility, while an unused gift is lost when the pound is taken from the servant who failed to use it and given to the servant whose pound has gained ten. The more talents are exercised the greater becomes the increase of capability, for faithful use develops what was given so that even one gift can produce another. Entrusted resources, including means, money, mind and influence, must be put to faithful productive use rather than hidden or hoarded, invested to advance the work so that increase is received with it. What is given is to be used to spread the light of truth, with watching for opportunity to represent the truth to others and win souls, requiring mental and moral improvement and growing in grace and knowledge, for unless the sown seed struggles above the soil into life it loses power to germinate. Servants are accountable in proportion to what has been entrusted, so the one entrusted with ten pounds is responsible for the good use of all ten, yet God does not demand from one with less what He demands from one with more, and faithfulness rather than size wins commendation with diligent service increased.
Failure to use through sloth, selfish living and withholding what belongs to God forfeits the trust, for the unfaithful servant loses the opportunity he failed to use and it is given to the one who has gained ten pounds. Hiding the gift and living selfishly brings no return, and burying it instead of trading faithfully risks losing what was entrusted when abilities and resources are wasted on worldly investments rather than serving God and seeking the salvation of others. Hoarding what is entrusted and doing nothing with it forfeits the gift and loses the soul, for the servant is judged unworthy of further trust and suffers eternal loss. Slothfulness and selfishly withholding what belongs to God hinder the work, and neglecting abilities and opportunities brings loss, while faithful use even of little leads to greater responsibility and reward.
Reward is decided by faithfulness rather than size, so faithful work with one talent is as valuable as with five talents, and even a small gift faithfully used is accepted. Each person is accountable for the gifts actually received and not for gifts lacking, and God does not demand from one with less what He demands from one with more. The responsibility to use one's gifts belongs to that person and cannot be transferred to another or taken over by human judgment, and neglecting small opportunities to serve in little things is failure in the call since no part of the work is insignificant.
Faithful trading requires greater self-denial and far less self-glorification, far more devotion in prayer and far less self-pleasing, with all done heartily as unto the Lord. It requires mental and moral improvement and growing in grace and knowledge, becoming laborers together with God with mind, soul and strength controlled by the Spirit to mold character after the divine similitude in harmony with appointed agencies. As men work on the plan of addition in the littles, God works on the plan of multiplication, so that littles given with pure-heartedness and gladness become precious influences, for no offering so given is small. Unfaithfulness robs God when men fail to connect with Him and to trade on tithes, gifts, offerings, work and abilities, failing in frugality and self-denial and forgetting that a return with interest is required, so what they have will be taken from them. Neglect in littles with complaints against God and brethren fails the call and will fail to gain eternal life, while the faithful steward does all he possibly can with the one aim of giving the message of truth not only in his own neighborhood but in regions beyond, cherishing love of the truth and sanctification that banishes avarice, overreaching and every dishonesty.
Accountability and Judgment
Every talent entrusted will be scrutinized at the final reckoning to see whether the capital was improved so that the Lord receives His own with usury and interest, according to the entrusted capital and the measure of the gift. Mere profession of faith has no value, and only love shown by works counts as genuine, on the principle that servants are justified by faith and judged by their works, faith working by love to purify the soul from moral defilement to become His temple. No idler is excused, for talents are given in solemn trust with solemn work to do, proportioned to varied capabilities, and the pound is the Master's own capital of light of truth and spiritual advantages to be invested, traded upon and increased to His glory for return with usury. Taking the pound from the slothful servant and giving it to him that hath ten pounds means that hoarding His goods and doing nothing forfeits the gift and loses the soul, while faithful use that improves character and ability is rewarded with more.
All that is possessed is a loan purchased by His own blood and suffering, and all are stewards of His grace and custodians of the Master's goods in partnership with Him, entrusted with tithes, gifts, offerings, work and abilities of which He will surely require His own with interest from each one. The question is not what belongs to a person but what use is made of what is entrusted, with time, gifts and offerings to be laid on His altar and heart, soul, body and life consecrated to Him, and the lowliest talents and humblest service become consecrated gifts when exercised to save souls and promote His glory, while greater learning, talents and money only increase and intensify responsibility. No one is forced to give, but those who are unfaithful in returning what is His, who refuse to connect with their Maker and to serve and trade on what is entrusted, who fail in frugality and self-denial and forget that a return is required, will not long keep the blessing entrusted to them, and what they have will be taken from them. Misuse through selfish extravagance, misapplication and degrading to selfish use is robbery against Him, and those who double what was put out to use receive the commendation to enter into the joy of their Lord, for all depends on using present time and opportunities to occupy till He comes. A faithful steward does all he possibly can with the one aim of giving the message of truth not only in his own neighborhood but in regions beyond, cherishing the love of the truth and the sanctification received through the truth that banishes avarice, overreaching and every kind of dishonesty.
Belonging to the church does not secure entrance into the kingdom, for people are accountable for how they use the opportunities and resources entrusted to them. Faithful service includes obeying His known will, developing Christian character, and helping and encouraging others, and doing nothing to aid the work of salvation is perilous. He searches for fruit and is displeased to find nothing but leaves, requiring active, guarded use of entrusted talents rather than tying hands fast by binding them in a napkin and hiding them in the earth. His claims rest with compassion, mercy and long-suffering even on those given great light, and faithful stewardship means trusting Him and looking to Him with confidence. Disciples cannot remain slothful servants but must work, watching for opportunity to represent the truth to others and win souls, and the more they exercise their talents the greater will be their increase of capability. Unless the seed sown struggles above the soil springing up into life it will lose all its power to germinate, which teaches the necessity of mental and moral improvement, of growing in grace and knowledge.
The owner investigates how His goods were used, and He looks upon men in responsible positions and upon institutions to see if they do unselfishly the work entrusted to them. A steward entrusted with his master's goods must serve the master's interests, and using the trust selfishly for personal gain perverts that responsibility and fails the test of stewardship. Those who misuse entrusted wealth for luxury while people suffer and His work is hindered are unfaithful stewards, while faithful use of what He entrusts brings reward. He especially requires the means entrusted to His stewards to be used to advance His work in neglected parts of His vineyard and in cities and countries that have never heard the message of warning. If stewards refuse to respond and by selfishness close the doors He has opened for His blessings to flow, He removes His gifts, means and resources from the unfaithful and gives them to those who will honor the trust reposed in them and cooperate intelligently with Him, finding another way to accomplish His purpose and leaving the unfaithful barren.
Practical Stewardship Applications
Those who have means, and especially wealthy parents, are to use what is entrusted to them during their own lifetime to advance the work while probation lasts, rather than burying it or leaving that work to their children or to others after death. Faithfulness means dispensing what is lent with present reason and ability in wise and judicious self-denial, sustaining the cause of truth and supporting needy laborers and their families in mission fields, following Christ who became poor that through His poverty men might be made rich. Homes, land, and money are among these trusts, and their proper use includes rescuing souls, where even an effort that saves one soul is worthwhile. No one is to hand over stewardship so that another person manages it, for each is accountable for improving and using in the Lord's work what God has entrusted, including helping those in need, since all means belong to God.
Means are to be invested when and where the Spirit indicates, without restriction by compromise and without shifting stewardship upon any man or set of men. They are to enter mission fields that require means and neglected parts of the vineyard, including cities and countries that have never heard the warning, rather than living on barely enough to sustain life. The ability to write is given in wise providence so that means will come into the hands of stewards to be used wisely for the advancement of the cause. Experience enables stewards to see ways and opportunities of helping the cause that others would not discern. Money and abilities are God's trusts to be employed faithfully to bring people to the knowledge of the truth so they produce increase, and faithful stewards put the Lord's goods to work for the owner's purposes toward the day of reckoning.
Those who have means are to return the Lord His own at once without a day or hour of delay, to relieve His suffering institutions out of embarrassment and to sustain sanitariums and advance the gospel. Those in responsible positions are to set the example by planning and working with greater earnestness than for their own property, with all doing what they can. Offerings are to be brought saying they freely give Him of His own, and rightly employing property has eternal consequences. Even a small amount is accepted because it is placed in the hands of Christ in the person of His afflicted brethren, and when His people do their part heavenly angels will be commissioned to help in this time of special need.
Unearthing the talent is learning how to minister effectually to others, becoming diligent laborers in the harvest field who win souls, spread light, and develop ability for positions of trust and influence so great good is accomplished. This work of making Christ known to a perishing world belongs not to ministers alone but to all who profess the truth, for God has given to every man his work of enlightening others with salvation. The minister's wife is to work earnestly and faithfully with her husband to save souls, not setting aside this responsibility for personal wishes, pleasures, or natural preferences. Each must use the Lord's entrusted goods and will answer for that work when He returns, for the Lord expects results and reward is proportionate to work.
Faithfulness in little things decides the reward, for faithful work by one with one talent is as valuable in God's sight as faithful work by one with five talents, and neglecting small opportunities to serve in little things is failure in the call. As one works on the plan of addition in the littles, doing all heartily as unto the Lord with greater self-denial, far less self-glorification and self-pleasing, and far more devotion in prayer, God works on the plan of multiplication so that those littles become the most precious influences in His work. No offering is small that is given with pure-heartedness and gladness of soul. Time, gifts, and offerings are to be laid on God's altar with heart, soul, body, and life consecrated to God, with no selfish extravagance, luxury, misuse, misapplication, or diversion to selfish purposes while people suffer and God's work is hindered.