I read this passage today as if it was the first time that I had seen it:
No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light. (Luke 8:16)
Obviously this is talking about being a witness to the world. When you are saved, you receive the Light of the World and you want to shine that Light in the darkness so that everyone can see the truth about salvation. You don’t cover it up inside your vessel to hide it. Neither do you put it under your bed because you are too lazy to get up and shine the Light. You put it on a candlestick or lampstand so everyone can see.
But then He follows up with this next verse:
For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither anything hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. (Luke 8:17)
What is the connection here? Could it be that the Lord is warning us that when we refuse to obey His commands to be a witness to the world that our sin will not be hidden. God sees and will make it manifest on the Day of Judgment.
And then He follows up with something very chilling:
Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have. (Luke 8:18)
Just before Jesus left to ascend into the heavens, He had one last request. It wasn’t to build ministries, hand out canned goods, be nice to everyone, or get wrapped up in a myriad of “church” things. It was simple: go win souls. Make disciples. Go into the entire world and preach the Gospel. All those other things may be good, but that’s not what He told us to do. We seem to be doing everything else except what He asked us to do.
Could it be that the Lord is warning us that unto those who faithfully follow His command to win souls, will be given blessings, but those who do not will lose what they seem to have? What is it that they “seem” to have that they can so easily lose?
When we look at the parables of the Sheep and the Goats in Matthew 25, the Good Samaritan in Luke 10, the Church of Ephesus in Revelations 2, the True Vine in John 15, and many other places, we see a severe warning that we will be judged, not according to our “church” works, but according to whether we had mercy on the lost or not. That was the only difference separating the sheep and the goats. It was the difference between the Good Samaritan and the priest and Levite. It was the one thing that kept your branch from drying up and being broken off to throw in the fire.
Could it be that, like those in Amos 6 who are at ease in Zion, if we settle back and rest in our salvation, thinking that we do not have to worry about facing a reckoning for our lack of mercy, that the salvation that we “seem” to have is a lukewarm and has no real substance to it?
I know everyone wants to think that everyone is going to Heaven, and that because we believe in Jesus and go to church that we will escape Hell. But read carefully, my friend. The warnings are all through the Bible … if you take time to see them.
If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works? (Proverbs 24:11-12)
But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand. (Ezekiel 33:6)
And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. (Luke 8:10)
Something to think about …
Brother Dale, Subscribe