Are you using the talents before Jesus returns?

“I haven’t seen this before, though I have read these passages multiple times. This morning I was reading from Matthew 25. First comes the parable of the foolish and wise virgins, then it ends with:

“WATCH therefore, for you know neither the day not the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. FOR the kingdom of heaven is like a man travelling to a far country who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them….” (verse 13 and 14) and it goes on into the parable of the talents.

I always thought in the past that watching for the coming of Jesus was making sure my life is clean and pure and ready to enter heaven. The focus was usually on repenting (forsaking) of any sin in my life. The focus on what I should NOT DO, not on WHAT I AM NOT DOING.

And this is how it is with many believers in churches. They try to live clean lives, avoid sin, try to live a holy and pure life and … they think they are doing well and are ready for Christ’s return. But is this what the Scriptures are teaching? If we look at Matthew 25, Jesus teaches something slightly different.

From the parable of the foolish virgins, we learn that we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit on a regular basis to be able to be ready for the coming of Jesus. It’s not just about getting ready just before He returns, but about being faithful with the talents He gave you so you have something to show Him in terms of fruit at the last day!

Then Jesus makes a conclusion:

Watch therefore. Be careful and get ready, be filled with the Holy Spirit so you are ready for His coming.

But Jesus does not leave it there, He goes on to tell us WHY we need to watch and not be caught as the foolish virgins. The answer comes in verse 4: Watch therefore ……FOR the parable of the talents comes.

So what is Jesus trying to tell us here? What was the sin of the foolish virgins, was it doing something wrong or more not doing something right? They omitted getting filled with the Holy Spirit, not having God’s oil, anointing. They missed doing something.

So here are these foolish virgins who missed doing something important, vital, to be filled with the life of God and then Jesus gives them a warning:

Watch, get ready, don’t be like the foolish virgins, don’t omit getting filled with the life of God. Why? FOR ….God has entrusted you some talents and is expecting you to use them and produce fruit – and then goes in detail in the parable of the talents.

What is God saying here? Why you should watch and not be like the foolish virgins who failed to do what God wanted? Because God has entrusted you some talents and does not want to fail to use them! If you do, according to the parable of talents, there are DIRE consequences.

Let’s look at what happened with the virgins for failing to get filled with God’s life, omitting what God required of them? They were locked out! Does that sound like they were accepted into heaven? Not really, Jesus said He does not know them.

Then in the parable of the talents, the servant who received one talent, then hid it in the ground, comes to Jesus and explains why He did nothing with the talent entrusted to him.
He first makes an accusation towards the character of God – I knew you to be a hard man – how insulting! It’s almost like saying I don’t like you, you are too tough, it’s really not fair that you are this way towards me. You expect too much and expect me to do something with nothing. I don’t really like you God, I don’t love you.

He had an image of God in his heart that distorted Him and therefore everything else he did in life was a reflection of that. Yes, God is a consuming fire, that was told towards Christians by the way, but He is LOVE, which means that the intentions behind everything He does are pure and for our good.

If you have a distorted view of God, it will affect everything you do towards God and others. Becoming a diligent student of the nature and character of God is one of the wisest choices you can make in your life. It will save you from a lot of pain and eventually keep you from going to hell.

Why did he see Him as a hard man, based on the fact that he felt God wanted to reap from where He did not saw and to gather from where He has not scattered seed. BUT WAS THIS TRUE? We read earlier that he did receive a seed – one talent – and that God sowed something. So His accusation was based on a LIE. And the formation of the image of the character of God also came from this LIE.

Do you see how important knowing the truth is? We as Christians MUST be like the Bereans who always checked in the Bible to see if what the apostles told them was so. They were diligent students of the Bible. They studied it at home, not just listen to sermons at church, they did not blindly trust their preachers to present the truth to them?

Are you like that? Are you willing to put the effort in to study God’s word so you can live in the truth and not get bewitched by a lie that could lead you to serious danger for you soul. I will explain why I think it is serious danger and not only mild danger later in the article.

[And for those who are teachers, pastors, leaders in the church who teach God’s people, do you understand how important teaching the uncompromised truth is? How much effort do you put in making sure the church members understand the truth. Do you get close enough to them to see if they have the correct understanding? Do you take the time to know what they are thinking? Do you know God will require their blood, if they go to hell, from your hands? Look at the example of the apostle Paul who said in Acts 20:26-28:

“Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”

Why is Paul saying he was innocent of the blood of all men? Doesn’t this imply that you can be guilty of their blood? Where does this expression comes about being guilty of the blood of all men? It comes from Ecclesiastes:
Ezekiel 3:18
“When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand.”

Do you understand that if you do not warn and teach the whole counsel of God, the unpleasant parts to the flesh as well as the pleasant parts, God Almighty will require their blood from your hand! Are you willing to take the risk and compromise somewhat the message to please the people, to build your church and ministry, to appear as being successful? Or are you willing to preach the truth even if many leave the church as a result? …. Something to think about and choose.

James says that those who are teachers come under stricter judgement. I don’t want to be judged, but God says I WILL be judged, evaluated by Him. He also does not accept ignorance as an excuse, because He tells us in the word to:

“Study to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. “ 1 Timothy 2:15]

But for now, let’s return to our parable of the talents. We see that God was not pleased with someone who did not use his talents. In Jesus’ mind he was not watching properly for the return of Jesus by being faithful with what God entrusted him. He was not faithful to do the will of God that was specific to his life, based on the gifts and talents God invested in him.

How about you? Are you watching by doing the will of God specific to your life? Are you diligently seeking to find out what that specific will is? Is it important to you?

From what I have seen in my travels through many churches in 4 continents, especially in the west, is that many people in the church tend to be content with living a decent life, abstaining from sin in general and they feel this is good enough. But here Jesus reveals that it is not good enough, He expects you to also use the talents He gave you towards fulfilling the specific will He has for your life. Do you really believe that? This part of the Scripture teaches that. If you can show me something different from Scriptures I will believe you. But if you can’t PLEASE TAKE HEED, as IT HAS DIRE CIRCUMSTANCES.

How can I prove from Scripture that not using your talents brings you in SERIOUS/ FATAL DANGER? Let’s look at the parable of talents and how God dealt with the servant who did not use his one talent, but rather hid it in the ground and did nothing with it.

God first of all calls him wicked and lazy. Wicked people do not enter heaven when found unrepented before the judgement seat of Christ. God called him wicked when God called all accounts, which represents when we go before God in the end, at the judgement seat of Christ. If you are called wicked now and repent by changing, then you are covered by grace. But when you are called wicked at the last day when God calls all accounts, there is no more grace to cover you then. The time of grace has passed and the time of evaluation and judgement has come.

Then He took the talent and gave it to another who was faithful. Lastly, He cast the UNPROFITABLE servant into the outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Just by definition a servant is meant to do as he is told. To take the talent and trade with it. He was an unprofitable servant who did nothing. He was a disobedient servant. What was his future, after being judged by God the Father? In the outer darkness, where there is WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH. Is there weeping in heaven? God says:

Revelation 21:4
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Does this fit with the idea of weeping and gnashing of teeth in heaven?

Then let’s look at other places where the same ‘weeping and gnashing of teeth’ is used in Scriptures:
Matthew 8:12
But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Matthew 22:13
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.’
Matthew 24:51
and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 25:30
And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Luke 13:28
There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.

What is the picture created through these verses? That of sons cast out, that of taking someone prisoner, binding him and removing him from God’s presence, being cut in two, common on! Are these pictures of someone who has a good relationship with God?

I think the last Scripture says it all:
You will see others in the kingdom, but you yourself out. It clearly says you will be OUT OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD!!! Not in some corner that is part of the Kingdom! Not in remorse in your soul, but OUT of the kingdom. The Word says it, and it is hard sometimes for our flesh to receive the truth, but I will leave you to wrestle with the author of those words which I just quoted.

Did you know that this last Scripture comes right after the Scripture that says:
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. “ (Matthew 7:13)

What is the context teaching here, there is danger when God says: weeping and gnashing of teeth.

So what is the message in the parable of talents in the end?

You need to watch and not be like the foolish versions who did nothing to prepare and have the life of God in them, the fullness of the Spirit, but be like those who put their talents received from God to good use to fulfil the will of God. Don’t be like the wicked servant who was cast out of the kingdom of God!

I know this is uncomfortable teaching for the flesh. I know it’s hard to face such truths. But I rather be hit by the truth and face it, rather than living a lie that can destroy me.

What kind of people are we to be in the face of such revelation? I think the most fitted Scripture now is:

“Work out your salvation with fear and trembling” … I’ll leave you to do that….Remember, you deceive yourself into a lie when you only hear and don’t become a doer. And lies are dangerous, even to the point of eternal death….

And know this: God is on your side and willing to help you, guide you and give you all the grace and the anointing you need to be able to live the specific will He has planned for you to do and use the talents He gave you.

So go for it, your eternal destiny is at stake! Don’t be casual about it, this is way too important to fail at. Treat the fulfilling of the will of God and the using of your talents as if your life depends upon it, CAUSE IT DOES!

God will forgive failures where we try sincerely but fall short of the mark, but He will not accept weak excuses as why we did not do it. He will also in the end not forgive wilful refusal to do it, not even under the excuse of ‘I am weak and unable’ – that’s the point you have to seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit like the wise virgins did in order to fulfil the will of God. If you have not been baptized in the Holy Spirit, please read here about it, cause you need this baptism to be able to do the will of God. By yourself you will fail, but with the power of God, we know God never fails.

Neither will ‘I did not know what His will was or how to do it’ go down well with God. He expects you to seek Him and find out. And He gave you His Word as a reference. Have you taken the message serious enough to study it as if your life depends on it? Did you put the effort necessary to find out? God rewards the diligent seekers, not just casual inquirers. Why should He share secrets with those who are not really that interested in finding out?

His heart is to reveal His will to you, and to help you overcome and fulfil it by the power of the Holy Spirit!

Please feel free to write your comments and any questions that might arise in your heart and mind after reading this article. I know it’s not an easy piece of meat to chew. But it’s worth it for the sake of your eternal soul!