Mark
9:41-50 (KJV)
41) For whosoever shall
give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ,
verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.
42)
And whosoever shall offend one of [these]
little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were
hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
To begin
our devotional for this morning, let’s look at verse 41. This verse is a part of a two verse section
of our text that describes for us two evidences of genuine salvation…
In vs 41
- we find evidence of a person who is the recipient of God’s gracious
salvation.
In vs 42
– we find evidence of a person who has never been saved by God’s grace.
When we look at verse 41 –
Please notice what this verse is teaching us….
1. “because ye belong
to Christ”. A person who has had a genuine salvation experience will
recognize that Christ owns them… He owns
us because He physically created us (Roms 9:20-21) and He purchased us on the
cross (1 Cor 6:19-20).
2. “For
whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink “ Based upon His ownership a genuine believer will then willingly seek to
help others who are in need. This help will involve self-sacrifice on the part
of the Christian, as he gives of himself to meet the needs of others.
Keep in mind, this help
can be in the form of physical or spiritual help. Not only is Christ teaching us that we should
meet the physical needs of others by giving them physical water to quench their
thirst; but also the Bible makes it clear that water can represent the truth of
His Word that can bring salvation to those who see their need. (John 4:5-15)
3. “in
my name” - A truly saved individual will desire for his
Lord to be glorified in this act of self-sacrifice. He will give credit and honor to Christ, as his
Redeemer and his Enabler, as he helps this needy individual.
4. “verily
I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward” – the Christian who submits to Christ, and glorifies
Him through the helping others in need, will be greatly blessed. That blessing involves the receipt of eternal
rewards that cannot be corrupted nor taken from them. (Matt 6:19-21) It is these same rewards that will enable the
true saint of God to glorify Him throughout eternity by laying these rewards
back at His feet. (Rev 4:10-11)
As we look to our lives
to recognize proofs of a God-given salvation we need to ask ourselves these
questions. By God’s grace we will be
able to answer all of them with an unhesitating “YES”!
1. Do we acknowledge,
joyfully, that we are a possession of Christ and therefore, responsible to
allow Him to use us any way He desires?
2. Are we willing to give of ourselves for
others in need? Are we willing to give
of both our physical possessions and our spiritual riches to meet their needs
and glorify our God?
3. When we serve the Lord, do we make sure that
we give him the credit for our service?
When we are “patted on the back” do we redirect that praise to Him
? Do we remind those around us it is
only because of Him that we are able to accomplish the task at hand?
4. Do we allow His promises of future rewards
motivate, strengthen and inspire us as we grow weary in our service for
Him? Do we highly value His rewards
realizing we will use them to glorify Him throughout eternity?
By God’s grace, may He
allow us to recognize all of these proofs of salvation as we examine our
service to Him.
May the
Lord bless us as we “Think On These Things”.
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