The word Christian, comes form the Greek Χριστιανός (Christianos) which means “follower of Christ” [1]. It is a name or a term used to identify someone who has repented from his sins, denied himself, and renounced his own life and agenda to fully embrace the love and will of God.
Christians are the redeemed for God as described in Revelation 5:9-10, coming from every tribe and language and people and nation on earth. They were purchased by the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect (1 Peter 1:19).
They are children of God, adopted thought the Holy Spirit (Galatians 4:6-7), and servants of the Great King (Hebrews 12:28).
Being a christian means to serve God
In Matthew 16:24-25, Jesus tells us what anyone willing to follow Him should do: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it”.
Denying ourselves is the first [required] step to become a follower of Christ. Then comes endurance before hardships as we live our faith on a daily basis. As Christians, we testify daily of the death, burial, and resurrection of our LORD so that unbelievers may be reached by the Gospel.
However, in our modern day society, being a Christian has become more a cultural thing than a day by day commitment to the One who saved us.
In this contemporary world, denying ourselves has turned into denying some portions of the Word of God – that make us uncomfortable – and Taking up our cross is literal translated by wearing a cross pendant on a necklace.
The great commission
In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus describes in a parable what will happen to the church in general and His followers and servants in particular at His [second] coming. This parable know as the “parable of the talents” is about a master (Jesus Himself) traveling to a far country (Heaven).
Before his departure, this master gathers his servants and delivers his goods to them, giving to each according to his own ability. Thus, the first one received five talents, the second two and the third one. Immediately after dividing up his goods, this master went on a journey.
After His resurrection from the dead and before His ascension to Heavens, Jesus told His disciples: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).
Jesus also instructed them to remain in the city of Jerusalem until they are “endued with power from on high” (Luke24:49) – talking about the coming of the Holy Spirit, promised by the Father to be with them and empower them in spreading the good news of the Kingdom of God.
After saying this, Jesus was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God (Mark 16:19).
Those are the last words of Jesus-Christ on earth, a mandate to His church know as “the great commission”.
The great commission was given to all disciples and believers, not just to the twelve apostles who attended Him. Even today, we as Christians have the responsibility to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth and make disciples of Christ.
To some, more has been given, to others, less. But to every believer the LORD has given talent(s) and of the use of these talents we will all give an account when He returns from His journey.
The faithful servant
The Christian who received the great commission with joy and applies his heart to it is the faithful servant.
He or She preaches the Word in season and out of season, convinces, rebukes, exhorts, with all longsuffering and teachings (2 Timothy 2 4:2).
The faithful servant builds himself up on his most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keeping himself in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life (Jude 1:20).
The reward of the faithful servant
In chapters two and three of the book of Revelation, Jesus makes known to us the rewards He will give those who remain faithful until the end. He also says in Matthew 19:29 that everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for His name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.
However, the primary reward of the faithful servant is: the satisfaction of his master.
As servant of Christ, we are looking forward for His will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven, not seeking things for ourselves, but making His agenda our priority – sowing where He has not sown and scattering seed where He has not, for He gave us the seed to sow and commissioned us to do so.
In the parable, when time for settling accounts with their master came, the two hard-working servants came forward and gave a positive report: they earned twice as much as they were given.
Their Lord, very pleased, congratulated each of them saying “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord”.
The unprofitable servant
The wicked and lazy servant is an unprofitable servant.
After been commissioned and entrusted with a talent, he decides: 1) not to work [like the others], 2) to hide the talent his Lord gave him (in the ground – where it cannot produce anything at all). And finally, 3) to come up with an excuse to justify his action.
Who is the unprofitable servant?
The unprofitable servant is the Christian who does not do any work for the Kingdom of God. It is the person who knowingly decides to quarantine the spiritual gifts he received from the LORD in a place where they cannot multiply, touch lives, and benefit the advancement of the Church.
He or she is afraid of men, especially of being ridiculed and mocked while witnessing the Kingdom of God.
in Luke 9:26, Jesus says: “whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels.”
The unprofitable servant is inactive while many are perishing because they have not yet heard or received the Good News of the Kingdom of God. He or she scatters abroad and does not gather for the LORD, for Jesus says: “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad” (Matthew 12:30).
Unfortunately, the unprofitable servant represents most Christians today.
The unprofitable servant: a tree that does not bear fruits
Trees are often used throughout the Bible to symbolize men and their spiritual conditions.
Jesus said in John 15:1-5: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me”
The reward of the unprofitable servant
The unprofitable servant thought to himself that he will not put any effort into doing what was required him with the talent he received, and came up with a justification for his inactivity; Giving back to his master what was his, as it was.
“But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’.” (Matthew 25:26:30)
There will be no reward for the unprofitable servant.
Christians who have forsaken the will of God – which is that no man should perish but have eternal life (John 3:16) – will not enter the Kingdom of God.
On the day our LORD returns, they will lose all they were given. What they have will be taken from them — even salvation.
Because they are self-satisfied and only caring about themselves, complacent Christians will be cast into the outer darkness.