27
COMPOUND GRACE AND ESCALATING RESPONSIBILITY And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more (Luke 12:42-48).
This parable deals with the final judgment. It teaches that there will be a final accounting to God by every steward. God will impose appropriate sanctions, positive and negative, on that day. But He will announce preliminary judgment at the time of each person's death. There will be a preliminary day of judgment at the time of each person's death (Luke 16:19-25).(1)
The parable announces the servanthood status of all men. Every person is a steward under God, whether or not he or she acknowledges this. Every person has been given administrative authority over resources, including himself or herself. These resources belong to God as the Creator. They are not handed out free of charge by God to autonomous men. Every steward is responsible to God for the use of the resources entrusted to him or her by God. "Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful" (I Cor. 4:2).
The theme of stewardship is a familiar one in Jesus' parables. An owner transfers control over some of his resources to several stewards. Then he goes on a journey. He returns, assembles the stewards, and asks for the return of his assets, plus any increase. This is the owner's prerogative. Some stewards have performed well. Others have not. Each receives an appropriate reward (Luke 19:12-27).(2)
This theme has its origin in the garden of Eden. God provided Adam with life, knowledge, resources, experience (naming the animals), and a wife. He also gave Adam a command to which a negative sanction was attached: do not eat from a particular tree or else you will die. He then departed, leaving Adam in charge of His assets. Later, He returned to assess Adam's handling of these assets. He then handed out appropriate negative sanctions, though with a promised positive sanction. He promised the serpent that an heir of Adam would injure the head of the seed of the serpent: "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel" (Gen. 3:15). This means covenantal deliverance for redeemed mankind.
The final sanctions will be consistent with the performance of the recipients. "For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God" (Eph. 5:5). Were it not for the grace of God, which is based on the perfect performance of the promised seed, Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:16), final judgment would doom every person, for we are all unprofitable servants apart from God's grace. "So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do" (Luke 17:10). We have all broken God's law (Rom. 3:23). But Christ's perfection becomes the possession of every redeemed person. His performance becomes our performance.
This raises a major question: Will every redeemed person receive the same reward, since the basis of all rewards is Christ's perfection? Will there be equality in heaven? This passage indicates that there will be varying rewards and varying punishments on judgment day. So, there are degrees of grace and degrees of reward, despite the fact that Christ's perfection is the sole basis of our entrance into heaven and then the post-resurrection New Heaven and New Earth. This is not easy to explain.
The Faithful and Wise Steward The first steward in this parable has been faithful to the master. He has also been competent. His administration of the master's assets is praiseworthy. He receives a positive sanction: authority over all of the master's possessions (v. 44).
Obviously, this steward is Jesus Christ. He is the heir of God's kingdom. No one but Christ is entitled to receive control over all of God's household. God is uniquely pleased with Christ's performance. This is explicitly taught in the New Testament as a fulfillment of the Old Testament. "Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all; And charged them that they should not make him known: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust" (Matt. 12:14-21).
The judicial transfer of the Master's entire household has already taken place. "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth" (Matt. 28:18). As God the Father's lawful heir, Jesus Christ is now the Master. Jesus' inheritance from God the Father is behind us historically. His resurrection from the dead was preliminary evidence of this transfer. His visible ascension into heaven was additional evidence. His sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was second-party confirmation. "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning" (John 15:26-27). Then came the fall of Jerusalem.(3)
The visible transfer of the Master's household to Christ is not yet visible to His servants in history. The transfer will be publicly revealed at the final judgment. This will coincide with the culmination of the church's work in history to extend God's kingdom.
The model of the faithful stewardship is Jesus Christ's earthly ministry. He demonstrated faithfulness unto death.
I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father (John 10:11-18).
The faithful steward in the parable cares for those servants who are under his authority. We know this because of the practice of the unfaithful steward: he beats his subordinates. "But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken" (v. 45). The faithful steward's care for his subordinates reveals that he can be trusted to care permanently for every servant in the master's household. "And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?" (v. 42). This steward will feed them all.
Jesus Christ is the good steward. He has inherited all of the household. Covenant-keepers are openly under His authority as subordinate stewards in history. We have received a share in His inheritance as adopted sons. But we are still required to demonstrate our ability to handle God's assets. We are in only a preliminary phase of the inheritance. We are like sons who have been given an earnest (down payment) of their inheritance as a means of testing their dedication and competence. The final distribution of the inheritance by God on judgment day will be in terms of our performance in history.
Two Unfaithful Stewards In contrast to the faithful steward are the unfaithful stewards. One of them beats his subordinates and drinks to excess. He treats the master's property carelessly. He is not interested in building up his master's property. He is interested in consuming it.
This passage indicates that there are degrees of mismanagement. The differentiating factor here is knowledge of the master's will. One of the stewards has more accurate knowledge of his master's will. This difference determines the severity of the negative sanctions imposed by the master. "The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more" (vv. 46-48).
This indicates that there is no equality in hell (Luke 16:23-31), which is temporary, or the lake of fire (Rev. 20:14-15), which is permanent, any more than there is in heaven (I Cor. 3:9-15), which is equally temporary, or the post-resurrection New Heaven and New Earth, which is permanent (Rev. 21; 22). Men's performances differ. They are judged accordingly. This passage indicates that God's final judgment is also based on men's knowledge as well as actual performance. This complicates the issue of judgment.
Judas vs. Gamaliel
The New Testament's supreme model of an unfaithful steward is Judas. He walked with Jesus for several years. He heard His words. Yet he remained a thief. He was also a liar who posed as the spokesman of the poor. "Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein" (John 12:4-6). Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (Matt. 26:15). His judgment was severe. "And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!" (Luke 22:22).
Gamaliel was no follower of Jesus. He was a religious leader. At a key point in time, he recommended toleration for the church in Jerusalem. The council listened to him and followed his advice for a while (Acts 5:34-40). Only after the stoning of Stephen did persecution break out (Acts 8:1).
Judas was actively evil. Gamaliel was passively evil. The former sought to destroy Jesus. The latter did not come to embrace the apostles' message, but he recommended that they be left alone. Judas was the greater sinner.
In every generation, there are covenant-breakers of intense evil and others who seem to be men with religious wisdom. Since 1950, the twentieth-century West's retroactive representative figures are probably Hitler and Gandhi, although some analysts might substitute Stalin for Hitler.(4) The final judgment of God will fall on all covenant-breakers. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). But there are degrees of rebellion and therefore degrees of punishment. Gandhi was not a monster. Hitler and Stalin were.
The Burden of Knowledge This passage indicates that the degree of rebellion is related to the rebel's knowledge of God's will. He who knows more about the revealed will of God necessarily possesses greater responsibility to obey God. "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin" (James 4:17). This raises some difficult theological problems.
Judgments in History
Does this principle apply to God's judgments in history as well as eternity? If it does, then this would seem to place limits on what any person or society can attain in the extension of the kingdom of God. If ever-greater knowledge imposes an ever-greater responsibility on individuals and societies, then at some point, they will not perform up to this ever-increasing standard. They may be increasing in faithfulness according to the standard imposed on them at the beginning of the dominion process, but the standard keeps rising. At some point, God will bring negative sanctions against them. These sanctions are chastisements, not destructive. They are judgments unto restoration. They are accompanied by grace. Where, then, is worldwide dominion, if increasing knowledge always brings with it a great reversal when men fail to meet the ever-higher standards?
If this principle of reversal applies to historical judgments, then it is even worse for covenant-breakers. As they become more consistent with their God-denying presuppositions, they increase in the knowledge of evil. God becomes more outraged. He brings judgment unto oblivion against them. This seems to be what the second commandment teaches. "Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments" (Ex. 20:5-6). The rebellious society is cut off in history after a few generations. It cannot compound its evil over long periods of time. It loses influence.
Compound Grace
Grace is not static. It can and does increase. Our increased knowledge of God's will for our lives can and should bring with it our increased reliance on His grace. Our blessings are intended to increase our confidence in God's covenant with us. "But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day" (Deut. 8:18). There is positive feedback in history for covenant-keepers: grace empowers us to obey; obedience produces blessings; and blessings increase our confidence in God's covenant, which should lead to greater obedience.
The great risk here is the lure of works righteousness. Redeemed men are tempted to believe that their good works are the basis of their blessings from God. This is a major theological error. A man's good works are God's predestined gifts to him. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:8-10). He does not produce good works autonomously, the way a spider spins a web.
Paul warned the church at Galatia not to imagine that the source of their obedience was from anything except the Spirit of God. We do not receive the Holy Spirit by means our conformity to God's law. We receive Him by faith. "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" (Gal. 3:1-3).
Each redeemed sinner's progressive sanctification in history is as much a matter of undeserved grace to him as his definitive sanctification was at the time of his conversion. He should use his conformity or lack of conformity to God's law as an indicator of his progressive sanctification, but he brings nothing of value to God on his account. God does not reward anyone in terms of his autonomous works. He rewards His saints in terms of the grace that He has given to each of them. His grace alone has enabled them to obey. By honoring obedient saints, God the Father honors Jesus Christ, who alone is the source of their obedience.
We dare not forget this: the sole source of our obedience is God. We therefore must return to God in the name of Jesus Christ, day after day, begging for more grace to obey. We must plead daily for the gift of obedience. We must ask daily for forgiveness. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9). We must not turn our eyes from the sole source of our obedience: the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. If we imagine that our works impress God after our conversion, leading Him to give us more benefits as a matter of contractual obligation with us, then we are under the same illusion that keeps covenant-breakers in spiritual darkness before their conversion. Works righteousness is a constant temptation for fallen man.
Works righteousness breaks the compounding of grace. Works righteousness always falls short of the mark. Stewards who believe that they must try harder, work more, and accumulate more on behalf of God are trapped on a treadmill that keeps going faster than they can comfortably walk. They will eventually stumble and fall. They believe that their efforts will impress God. They are incorrect. Jesus Christ's efforts impress God. What every covenant-keeper needs is constant reliance on God's grace to meet the requirements of the law. Increased grace is supposed to match each increase of responsibility that accompanies God's external blessings. Without additional grace, a redeemed man's successes in overcoming sin do not compound as rapidly as his responsibility to God does. He always falls behind his knowledge of what God requires from him. To the extent that he attributes anything positive that he does for God to anything other than God's grace through faith, he is caught in this trap: "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more" (v. 48b).
Fruits of the Spirit Paul listed the fruits of the Spirit: "But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness" (I Tim. 6:11). Peter offered a similar list: "And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins" (II Pet. 1:5-9).
In his commentary on Galatians, Luther presented his case for grace as the sole basis of man's justification. But grace is the sole basis of redeemed men's sanctification, too. "Wherefore all the duties of a Christian man, as to love his wife, to bring up his children, to govern his family, and such like (which unto them are worldly and carnal) are the fruits of the spirit."(5) "Also by the same power of the Holy Ghost from being adulterers, wrathful, impatient, and covetous persons, ye are become chaste, gentle, patient, and lovers of your neighbours. . . . Now, to love thy neighbour so heartily, that thou art ready to bestow thy money, thy goods, thine eyes, and all that thou hast for his salvation, and moreover to suffer patiently all adversities and afflictions, these, no doubt, are the effects and fruits of the Spirit, and these, saith he, ye received and enjoyed, before these false teachers came among you. But ye received these things not by the law, but of God, who ministered unto you, and daily increased in you by His Holy Spirit, that the gospel had a most happy course among you, in teaching, believing, working and suffering."(6)
The fruits of the Spirit are the marks of our progressive sanctification in history. They are not the result of our efforts to try harder. They are a free gift from God. The faithful Christian should pray to God for these daily fruits. These fruits testify to the faithfulness of God in helping His stewards to remain productive for Him. Biblical law provides the guidelines, but the Holy Spirit provides the actual fruit. We judge the quality of the fruit that we display in our lives by means of biblical law, but apart from the Holy Spirit, we cannot begin to meet the law's requirements. Biblical law is too holy. Its standard is too rigorous. "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all" (James 2:10).
Conclusion The wise steward in the parable is Jesus Christ. He has already received from God full authority over God's entire household. This household is the kingdom of God.
As stewards under Christ, we are required to show a profit. We cannot do this apart from God's progressive grace to us over time. Progressive grace is the sole source of our ability to meet Jesus' ever-increasing demands on His people as they mature spiritually. Why does He increase His demands on us? Because He gives more success to us. This increases our knowledge of how God's covenants work. It also increases the burden on us. The only legitimate way to deal with this ever-heavier burden is to plead for more grace from God. His grace must match our increased responsibility, or else we will fail. We will either lay down our burden or be crushed by it.
The compounding of wealth or other forms of kingdom success brings covenant-keepers under ever-greater requirements. The load keeps getting heavier because the blessings keep compounding. The only legitimate way of escape is a systematic appeal for more grace to obey God's law. Redeemed men cannot bring sufficient works before God to repay Him for the grace they have already received. Grace always precedes law. We cannot use our obedience to God's law to repay God for His grace to us. We are always debtors on our own account. We need to draw on Christ's account to pay our ever-increasing debt. There is no other way. Our debt keeps getting bigger. Only His account is large enough to enable us to stay ahead of our liabilities.
The possibility of kingdom expansion is always with us because God's grace is freely available. The kingdom expands in history because God provides compound grace to faithful stewards. This grace matches their ever-increasing responsibilities. Without grace to match responsibility, the kingdom of God would reach the limits of redeemed men's performance and then fall back. It could not get very far. In a self-funded dominion march around the world, redeemed men would never even reach Emmaus.
Footnotes:
1. Chapter 39, below.
2. Chapter 44, below.
3. David Chilton, The Days of Vengeance: An Exposition of the Book of Revelation (Ft. Worth, Texas: Dominion Press, 1987).
4. I surely would. The man attended a seminary in his youth. He oversaw the murder of tens of millions of his people.
5. Comment on Galatians 3:3. Martin Luther, Commentary on Galatians, Erasmus Middleton trans. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Kregel, 1979), p. 120.
6. Comment on Galatians 3:5. Ibid., pp. 122, 123.
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