There are several ways that Jesus urges us to take seriously the shortness of life and the certainty of final judgment, and to plan for it shrewdly and wisely.

In one of them Luke records Jesus’ story of the unjust manager who used his employer’s assets to buy himself a retirement.  While Jesus doesn’t recommend that kind of dishonesty, He does tell us that our

Master actually urges us to shrewdly use His assets to make friends that will welcome us into heaven.

We do this whenever we act out of faith to be a personal blessing to those around us.  This can be as obvious as helping someone who needs it, either with money or help or companionship.  We also do it when we confess our faith in Christ to others and when we live in a way that takes God’s word seriously.

Christians act very shrewdly when they seek a marriage partner who will grow in faith with them and who will bring the children up in God’s word.  We act very shrewdly when we live in our families with forgiveness toward one another.  We use worldly wealth judiciously when we provide a Christian education for our children, and when we spend it on things of lasting value.  We use our time wisely when a regular portion is spent with God’s word.

We live our lives seriously as Christians when we examine all the ideas blasted at us through the media and reject what is at odds with God’s word.  We are a blessing to others when, without being “holier than thou” we live before the world in a Christian marriage, a Christian family, a Christian work-ethic, and a Christian way of living.

We use our worldly wealth shrewdly when we spend it in ways that take life, death, and eternal life seriously.
 

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I.  The Word of Unbelief Brings Death
II. The Word of Christ Bring Life
III. Word Rooted in Truth of the Atoning Sacrifice

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