“No one can serve two masters…”  (Matthew 6)

 

Years ago, when I laboured on a landscaping crew, the foreman would ask everyone a crude question. He would ask if you, as a heterosexual male, would have relations with another male for a million (1,000,000.00) dollars. I’m not sure what his purpose was with this question…maybe he was testing a persons convictions, he was not homosexual, so it was not a way to find a sex partner.

Some men would say, “For a million dollars? Yeah, of course.”  Others said (and this was telling), “It depend on if he was cute or not.”  Others would say, “No way, dude.” My answer was, Nope. Each of the answers above say something about the person answering the question. My answer was based on Christ-ian principles and a fear of grieving God. To a person without convictions or principles, the answer is easy. The unprincipled man would think, a few minutes of disgust and abasement is worth a million dollars.

This question need not be a crude and offensive question. This questions comes down to this, What is your price?

In the eighties (80’s) and nineties (90’s) there was a professional wrestler called the Million Dollar Man. His real name is Ted Dibiase and today he is a Christ-ian and he speaks for the faith. His character in wrestling was a man that loved money and would use money to humiliate others. “Would you kiss my boots for five-hundred (500) dollars?”  I’ll give you five-hundred (500) dollars, says the Million Dollar man if you can bounce this basketball ten (10) times and as the boy got to nine (9) the Million Dollar Man would kick the ball and the kid would be laughed at with Dibiase’s maniacal laugh (The kid got the money behind the scenes).

Reader, Is this not an interesting question, Do you, as a child of God, have a price?  Would you do something wrong for a price.  I couldn’t watch it, but there was a show called “Fear Factor” and on this show persons would abase themselves for cash. I was embarrassed for them as they, themselves had no shame. They would eat disgusting things, they would lay in a tub and let snakes slither all over them and things like that.

When I was a kid, I saw a guy pass around an ash tray. Everyone present (except me) would spit hockers and loogies into this ash tray. This guy, for one dollar ($1.00), would then lick all of that which was in the ash tray.  I cringe to this day.

There is more going on with the persons mentioned above other than the obvious. There must be deep seated issues, or greed, or a need for acceptance. Right? or am I just wound too tight? The doctrine that would explain this voluntery abasement would be the docrtine of human depravity (Genesis 6:5)

Reader, if an atheist asked you to do something for cash would you do it? This atheist is militant and wants to show Christ-ians are no better off than non-Christ-ians. So he asks a Christ-ian…he asks you, to do something and it isn’t even that bad of a thing to do, say, chew a piece of bubble gum off the street, would you for that cash abase yourself? How much money would it take? Would you justify it by saying the money will go to a good cause or would you stand and refuse the ridiculous offer because you do not want to grieve your Lord and because you are a representative of Christ?

On the other hand, as asked above, could you justify your abasement in order to obtain a large amount of money so that you could help someone or something? Would you not be self-centered if you refuse to do something that would help so many others? Let’s be specific.

An orphange is in need of funds or it will close down and all the ophans would be wards of an evil state. Then, an atheist appears and says, “I will give you a million dollars and all you have to do is say, Christ means nothing to me.” many persons are watching you and wondering what will you do. The lost would say, “What kind of Christ-ian is that” if you did not do what you were asked to do for the sake of the children?”  Others are thinking, “I’m glad i’m not in that position.” And others say, “No way! No How!” but they can say that because they are not being tested or tempted.

What is the answer? What would you do? Is there a right or wrong answer? Does this fall under Christ-ian liberty? Methinks the answer is simple, NO! I will not abase myself to save the orphanage because to abase myself is to say God is not. It would say, God is not Present and knowledgable of the ophanage’s dire straits. It would say, God is not able, God is not sovereign, God is not wise and God does not know the end from the beginning. You would be putting yourself in the place of God if you gave in.

The doctrine that we could look at is the doctrine of redemption or the doctrine that states, we are bought with the price of Christ’s Blood. This doctrine states: we are not our own, we are the property of Christ Jesus. Therefore, if put in a position as described above, the answer is simple. I have not the right to act upon your offer for I have been purchased by the Blood of Christ.

Other reasons or causes of defying the evil offer:
*One’s Christ-ian witness.
*To act upon the offer will not ever bring any glory to Christ and to glorify God is our purpose in all that we say and do. “Whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Abasing one’s self does not bring glory to God.
*To demonstrate the convictions of the Christ-ian.
*To demonstrate the difference between God’s people and the world’s / (s)atan’s people.
*To demonstrate money is not a draw for the right-minded Christ-ian.
*To demonstrate the person who bows in prayer and submission to Christ, bows to no other and serves no other master….understanding to serve Christ is to serve others in His Name and for His Sake.

In summary: *The lost may have a price wherewith they will abase themselves. *The Christ-ian is not free to abase himself or herself because the Christ-ian is bought by the high cost of Christ’s Blood.

Godspeed.