“For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:9-11).

Today I am sitting here with tears in my eyes. Not tears of sorrow or pain, but tears of joy. My two youngest grandchildren have given their lives to Jesus and have made the public statement of being baptized. My heart is filled with joy. As I think about their decision, I also ponder the chain of events that led to this moment. When my husband was a little boy, he was a handful. He had a loving nature, but he also was angry and belligerent. He had an aunt who cared enough about him to take him to Sunday school and tried to teach him about Jesus.

Fast forward many years. When I met Ron, he was a wonderful man who was divorced and had two children. I fell in love with Ron and his two children. The only problem was that Ron thought he was a Christian, but he didn’t know Jesus! He thought he was a Christian because he was born in the United States. In spite of that, we were soon married; and after a couple of years, we had a child of our own. Three wonderful kids, and I love each one deeply. Ron and I had a very good marriage, but I hadn’t been walking with the Lord like I should have. Eventually I felt the need to get back to a better place in my Christian walk. Ron said he wouldn’t stand in my way and would even attend a worship service with me once in a while.

Long story short, within a month the Holy Spirit got ahold of Ron, and there was no turning back. He fell in love with Jesus and gave his life to Him. Ron spent every possible minute studying his Bible. The seeds that Aunt Lois planted thirty years earlier had finally taken root and grew. When Ron accepted Christ, his whole attitude changed. It wasn’t a contrived change, but one that was real and from the Holy Spirit working in him. Ron understood what Christ had done for Him on the cross, which instilled in him a strong desire to share the Gospel with everyone around him. This led him to begin planting seeds in others, beginning with his family.

Because Ron was not ashamed of Christ, all three of his children have accepted the Lord for salvation; and now all of his grandchildren have made that all-important profession of faith. They are all baptized out of obedience and as public evidence of their choice. The seeds planted in Ron’s life so many years ago are a legacy given by Aunt Lois, and have passed from one generation to the next.

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). 

The mother of my two young grandchildren heard the Gospel from her father, Ron, who heard it from Aunt Lois. This blessing will continue to be passed on to generations to come. Even though Aunt Lois was the first strong influence in Ron’s life, the fact is, faith didn’t begin with her. Someone who had heard the Gospel from someone else had shared the Gospel with her.

The legacy of faith came through many centuries, beginning with those first disciples who were brave enough to proclaim the Gospel in spite of persecution – Peter, James, John, Andrew, Thomas, Philip, and the others who were chosen by Jesus to follow Him and learn. Those men faced persecution and death, but nothing could stop them from proclaiming the Good News of salvation to people who were dead in sin. They walked with Jesus as He traveled through Galilee, Gadara, Jerusalem, and other places. They saw His miracles and heard His words. When Jesus conquered death and arose from the grave, they were the ones whom He told to spread the Gospel to the unsaved world.

It was Thomas who had doubts about the resurrection. He hadn’t been there when Jesus entered the locked room and spoke with the disciples who were hiding in fear and confusion. Thomas wouldn’t believe Christ had risen from the grave unless he saw the nail prints and the wounded side. Yes, he was the first doubting Thomas. A week later he had his chance. Jesus appeared again, and this time Thomas had no doubts. When he saw Jesus, he believed in the resurrection.

“And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).

Jesus knew that Thomas had doubted, but also knew he would be faithful to spread the Gospel. “Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:29).

Because they began planting the seeds of faith, others believed in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. People like Barnabas, Titus, Timothy, and Paul gave their lives to Christ, and continued to share God’s truth throughout their lives.

You can be a part of this long legacy of faith. Are you a Christian? Then simply share your faith. Say a few words to a friend about Jesus. Don’t feel that you have to be the one who gives a powerful message and brings many people to salvation. God may call you to do that, but more likely He will just ask you to plant a seed or water one that someone else planted.

Scripture tells us of the evangelism of Paul. He spoke to many people who rejected his message of the Gospel, but he never stopped evangelizing. How many seeds did he plant? Some of those people who heard him speak may have thought about the message, then heard someone else speak the same Gospel message, and the seeds planted by Paul may have taken root.

“Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:5-6).

No matter what any person does, it’s God who truly makes the seeds grow. “So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:7).

An added benefit to the joy of sharing the Gospel is the fact that God will reward your effort. “Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour” (1 Corinthians 3:8).

Yes, sharing the Gospel is works, and we aren’t saved by works. What we do in the name of Jesus should come from the love and gratitude we have for His sacrifice. Scripture makes it clear that there are rewards in Heaven for the works we do on Earth.

It may seem as if there’s plenty of time to start doing your part to plant, water, or reap. The truth is, you cannot begin too soon to work for the Lord. The fields of the world are aching to be planted with the seed of God’s word. You may be the one to plant a seed by inviting someone to attend a Bible study with you, or by sharing the Gospel with a friend who is searching for truth. That seed may take many years to germinate when someone else comes along and waters the seed you planted. Whatever part you play in bringing someone to salvation, you are working together with many others who are also doing their part. More importantly, we are all working with God.

Jesus said, “And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours” (John 4:36-38).

The important point is that you do your part. It took over 30 years for the seeds Aunt Lois planted in my husband to take root and grow. What if she had just waited for someone else to make Jesus known to him? Aunt Lois went to be with the Lord many years ago, but the rewards she earned are still adding up. Ron came to know Jesus and passed his faith on to his children, who have passed their faith on to their children. I know that the next generation will be grounded in faith.

Every one of us comes in contact with people every day, and we have the opportunity to plant seeds, water what was planted, or reap the harvest of a soul who finally comes to salvation through Jesus Christ.

“Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake” (Psalm 115:1).

Don’t wait; share your faith while there’s still time. Whether you plant the seed or water it, do whatever God asks of you. All glory goes to Him.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

www.straitandnarrowministry.com

ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Ron and Nathele Graham’s previous commentaries archived at https://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html

All original scripture is “theopneustos” – God breathed.

If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

Why? That’s a question you hear a lot if you spend time around a very young child. It’s a word you might get very tired of hearing, but they have a natural curiosity. “It’s time for bed.” “Why?” “Eat your salad.” “Why”. They might ask, “Why is the sky blue” or “Why is water wet?” It can sometimes get very tiresome. There are much bigger questions than a toddler might ask, but too often we think it might be disrespectful to question God. “Why do I have cancer?” “Why did I lose my job?’ “Why do I need salvation?” Questions are good if they’re asked in order to gain information. The wrong way to get answers is to defiantly question God.

Throughout His ministry on earth, Jesus encountered many people. Many of them had questions, but some just seemed to accept what He said. When He first began His ministry on earth, He called certain men to follow Him. Most of these men willingly followed Him without question. Peter and Andrew were brothers who were fishermen. They willingly dropped their nets when Jesus called them to follow Him.

“And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him” (Matthew 4:19-20).

It was the same way when Matthew (Levi) was called. “And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him” (Mark 2:14).

These men, and others, willingly left their livelihoods behind because the Holy Spirit revealed that Jesus was special. It seems as if the disciples had no question as to whether they should leave everything behind and follow Jesus. We might question whether or not it’s smart to leave a profitable fishing business, or the profitable but dishonest business of collecting taxes, but they followed Him and He provided for their needs. As they followed Him, they had questions, and those questions helped their understanding of His ways.

Not everyone who was called went without question. “The day following, Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me” (John 1:43). 

It seems as if Philip had been looking for the Messiah, and recognized that Jesus was the One he had been waiting for. He immediately shared the Good News with a friend.

“Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see” (John 1:45-46).

Apparently, Nathanael also had been awaiting the Messiah, but wasn’t as certain that someone from Nazareth could possibly be the One. We can learn a lot from Nathaniel. It’s good to ask questions, but it’s good to be ready to accept the answer. Jesus wasn’t there for the conversation between Philip and Nathanael, but knew what was said. Jesus greeted Nathanael before introductions were made, which brought more questions from Nathanael.

“Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou was under the fig tree, I saw thee” (John 1:48).

Jesus knows you and sees you even before you come to Him. If you have questions, ask Him for answers. Nathanael did. “Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel” (John 1:49).

Nathanael found the answer he had been seeking, even though that answer didn’t exactly fit what he expected. Like Nathanael, when we ask God a question, we need to be ready to accept His answer even if it doesn’t fit our preconceived ideas.

There were others who questioned Jesus. The Pharisees had many questions, but they were only looking for the answers they thought they already knew. They weren’t seeking the truth. There were many encounters that ended with angry words and accusations. Still, there was one Pharisee who was looking for truth and went to Jesus with his questions.

“There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him” (John 3:1-2).

Nicodemus was seeking answers. He wasn’t asking questions in order to trap Jesus or mock Him, but he wanted to understand the truth. Because he asked questions, we have the benefit of the answers which Jesus gave him.

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

Everyone must be born again in order to gain eternal life. The Holy Spirit is sealed within Christians when we first believe, and He will help us to find answers to our many questions. Unless a person is led by the Holy Spirit, God’s word is impossible to understand.

“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:5-6).

Every person is born once of the flesh, but the second birth is spiritual. That’s when you admit you’re a sinner and humbly accept the gift of salvation from Christ. It’s an answer to Nicodemus’ questions that gives us the most comforting words from Jesus.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:16-19).

Jesus didn’t enter His creation to bring condemnation, but to give the only way to gain eternal life. The gift of salvation is there for whoever will accept it by faith.

When we ask questions, how does God answer? Now, that’s a good question. The answer could come in various ways. You might talk with your pastor, or a friend might have the answer you are seeking. Maybe you’ll hear a song, and the words seem to give you the answer. You can be absolutely sure that if the answer is from God it will never contradict Scripture. Maybe your question is regarding a job. You have studied to become a school teacher and there’s a position available which pays good, but requires you to teach the lie of evolution and sexual diversity. Should you take that job and compromise truth? The answer is found in the first chapter of Romans. Read it for yourself. When we fail to recognize God as the Creator, He allows the sin of homosexuality to abound.

“For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves the recompence of their error which was meet” (Romans 1:26-27).

Instead of teaching lies and stumbling children, it would be better to teach in a Christian school. The pay may not be as high, but like Peter and Andrew who left their nets to follow Jesus, He will provide for your needs. What if you’re a Christian who is contemplating moving in with a boyfriend or girlfriend. Take the question to God, then abide by His answer. Scripture says that any sexual encounter outside of a one-man/one-woman marriage is fornication, and therefore sin. When the Apostles were trying to answer the question of whether Gentiles had to first embrace Jewish Law in order to be saved, they prayed. The answer they received didn’t contradict the Old Testament Scriptures.

“For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; that ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves ye shall do well. Fare ye well” (Acts 15:28-29).

There you have it. There was a question, and the Apostles prayed for an answer.

Any sexual relation outside of marriage is fornication, so God says ‘No, you can’t move in with your boyfriend or girlfriend.’ Scripture says you aren’t to stumble anyone nor are you to give the appearance of evil. How about asking God if you should join in partnership or marriage with a non-believer?

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14).

Christians are in the world, but aren’t to be part of the world. Our choices have to be based upon God’s ways, and sometimes that means making a sacrifice. The “sacrifice” of not fulfilling the lust of the flesh pales in comparison to the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for your salvation. When you say you’re a Christian, then you need to follow Christ.

Seek His way, not the way of evil. Don’t go to Jesus and ask Him questions and expect Him to give you an answer that fits your will instead of His.

“For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil” (1 Peter 3:12). 

Nicodemus was a good example of someone who was truly asking questions in order to know truth. You may be the one God uses to answer the questions of others, so you need to hold God’s ways higher than the ways of the world.

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15).

Have answers for others and also live your life so that others can see God living in you.

Don’t be afraid to take questions to God. Those questions are important, and He will answer.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

www.straitandnarrowministry.com

ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Ron and Nathele Graham’s previous commentaries archived at https://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html

All original scripture is “theopneustos” – God breathed.

If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.