How Are We to Live?

HOW MUCH TIME DO WE HAVE LEFT ON THIS EARTH? ONLY GOD KNOWS IF IT IS TODAY OR WE LIVE TO MEET JESUS IN THE CLOUDS.

So, how are we to live? As managers of heaven’s resources,1 God requires us to be faithful.2 What is faithfulness? Jesus illustrates faithfulness in the parable of the talents3 and in the parable of the nobleman (Luke 19:13-26).

Since we cannot take to heaven all that God has loaned us, as the end nears, how do we know when to return to Him what He has loaned us? The Lord’s messenger counsels us, “Houses and lands will be of no use to the saints in the time of trouble, for they will then have to flee before infuriated mobs, and at that time their possessions cannot be disposed of to advance the cause of present truth. I was shown that it is the will of God that the saints should cut loose from every encumbrance before the time of trouble comes, and make a covenant with God through sacrifice. If they have their property on the altar, and earnestly inquire of God for duty, He will teach them when to dispose of these things. Then they will be free in the time of trouble, and have no clogs to weigh them down.”4

When that time comes, how will we know if it is God, not Satan telling us to dispose of our assets for the finishing of His work? When God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham knew it was God, not Satan asking him to offer his son. How did Abraham know? Even though Satan was there trying to create doubt,5 Abraham knew it was God making the request as he knew God personally, just as we must. And so he obeyed.

Let’s make this practical. God comes to me and says, “Vialo, sell your home, cash out your 403(b), sell all your other assets, and put the proceeds into the finishing of My work.” By the grace of God, I pray I will obey as promptly as Abraham did. If I am as tight with God as Abraham was, I will obey6 and I will “walk by faith, not by sight.”7

So must we all! Then, by His grace, we will hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant … Enter into the joy of your [L]ord.”8 P

1. Psalm 24:1

2. I Corinthians 4:2

3. Matthew 25:14–30, Luke 19:11–27

4. Counsels on Stewardship 59, 60

5. Patriarchs and Prophets 148

6. The Desire of Ages 668

7. II Corinthians 5:7

8. Matthew 25:21. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. ©1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.