Who do you belong to? (1 Samuel 30:13)
While in pursuit of the Amalekites, David and his six hundred men came upon an Egyptian and asked him, “Who do you belong to?” That question is applicable for all of us today because our God will tolerate no rival. There will be no neutralities when it comes to our holy religion, and so the question is put before us: “Who do you belong to?” The Bible knows nothing of the fence-sitting saint.
There are only two answers to this question. By natural birth, we belong to the god of this age, who has blinded the minds of unbelievers (2 Corinthians 4:4). As children of Adam, we are sons of Satan. Adam, who was the federal head of humanity, rebelled against God and brought the curse of judgment down on all of his offspring. We are all born “dead in our transgressions and sins,” following “the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.” (Ephesians 2:1-2).
But those who have, by grace through faith, placed their trust in the atoning death of Jesus Christ belong to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by supernatural birth. As children of the Most High God, we have been made alive in Christ and we now belong to the family of faith.
So . . . what is your response to this all-important question? Who do you belong to? Consider the following:
What does your heart beat for?
I know the heart beats for a thousand different things, but what does your heart primarily beat for? Does it beat for the self or for your Savior? Does it beat for the expansion of your kingdom or for the kingdom of God? Does it beat for success at the expense of others or for their service? Jesus said, “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart” (Luke 6:45). What good things are you storing up in your heart?
What company do you keep?
We live in this world, and we keep company with many who belong to this world. But the deepest understanding of this question is this: Whom do we associate with or take delight in the company of? Is it those who are living for the Word or those who live for the world? Paul reminded us, “Bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33). Who in your life is shaping your character?
How do you spend your discretionary time and money?
It might surprise you, but what we do with our discretionary time and money goes a long way toward demonstrating whom we belong to. When we see all that we have as a gift from God, we will begin to invest more and more of it in ways that glorify our God. How we spend our time and money expresses our gratitude (or lack of gratitude) to God for our past, our priorities in the present, and our faith in God for our promised future.
Who do you belong to? Have you been straddling the fence lately? What would those closest to you say? Remember, your life is the only Bible many people around you will ever read. As they read your life, who would they say you belong to?
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 