Believing For More Than Benefits
Part 67 - Luke 17:11-19 (ESV) - Pastor Tim Kroeker
Job 13:15a:
“Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him…”
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Perhaps you’ve taken a job just for the benefits. Maybe you’re a new mom who’d prefer to stay home with the baby but you get health coverage through your work. So, you put in part-time hours to keep that benefit. Maybe you're ready to retire but you keep working until fully vested in the company’s pension plan. You hang on for the benefits.
Sometimes we maintain personal relationships just for the benefits. There are advantages to being friends with certain people. They throw really good parties, insist on picking up the lunch tab, or always flatter you with compliments.
Many people approach their relationship with God in the same way. They’re in it for the benefits.
Continuing in our salvation story, we read that as Jesus approached a certain village he encountered ten lepers. This group of desperate men recognized Jesus’ power to heal and begged him for mercy. When he sent the men away they were all healed. However, only one came back to give thanks and to worship Jesus. All the men were healed but only the one who worshiped was then saved. We see that God graciously bestows benefits on everyone. But, he only graciously saves some, those who worship Jesus as Savior and Lord. Like the ten lepers, people are drawn to Jesus for many reasons. But saving faith means believing in Jesus for more than just benefits.
