RISE UP AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
“The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” (John 5:7-8 NKJV)
It is absolutely easy to find excuses for your wrong actions, or to find someone to blame for your wrong actions.
You don’t need to think too deep or far to find many excuses to justify your failure in life. Neither do you need to search too wide or far before you find many people you can blame for your failure in life.
Without being taught, we all know how to play the blame game effectively. This is one of the expressions or manifestations of the sinful nature we inherited from Adam.
The depraved flesh will never take responsibility for disobeying God’s commandments. The flesh will always seek to justify its actions or seek for someone or something to blame for its actions.
Adam would not take the blame for eating the forbidden fruit; rather, he laid all the blame on Eve. Neither would Eve take the blame; she passed the blame on the serpent (Gen. 3:12-19).
We all were born with the evil inclination or disposition to refuse to take blame or responsibility for our wrong actions.
You may feel a fleeting or temporary relief when you find excuses or someone to blame for your wrong actions. However, this will not take away the evil consequences of your wrong actions.
Even though Adam blamed Eve for his disobedience and Eve blamed the serpent for her disobedience, yet none of them escaped the terrible consequences of their disobedience (Gen. 3:15-19).
In the book of John chapter five, the Scripture clearly presents the shocking account of a man who had an infirmity and remained in that condition for thirty-eight years.
Although God had made provision for his healing, yet this sick man remained in the same condition for many years. Why?
Because he was full of excuses!
Because he was blaming others for his condition!
Because he would not take responsibility for his healing!
While this sick man was lying by the pool of Bethesda, he watched for many years how many sick people like him were being made whole by stepping into the pool first after the stirring of the water by an angel.
Similarly, many religious people today are standing with arms akimbo, watching others take responsibility for their lives, appropriating and possessing their inheritance in Christ, and stepping out in faith to fulfil God’s purposes for their lives.
As long as this sick man by the pool of Bethesda was seeking for someone to carry him into the pool after the angel had stirred the water, he remained in his sick condition. If not for the mercy of the Lord, he would have certainly remained in that condition until his death.
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Even when the Lord Jesus came to him, asking, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man was still full of excuses, blaming his condition on others, even though it was his sin that brought the infirmity on him.
John 5:5-9 – NKJV
5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.
6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”
7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”
8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.”
9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.
If you don’t rise up to take responsibility for your life, your condition may remain the same. No one else can do better for you what you can do for yourself!
You don’t go forward in life by blaming someone else for your stagnation. Your situation will not get better in life if you fail to take responsibility for your life. When you continually shirk your responsibility, you are continually wasting your opportunity in life.
Although the grace of God has provided salvation as a free gift for all men, yet it is only those who put their trust in the person and finished work of Jesus that will be saved and receive the gift of everlasting life (Eph. 2:8-9, John 3:16, 36).
Nobody can reach out in faith and receive the gift of everlasting life for you; it is your personal responsibility to do so.
Anyone who fails to take up personal responsibility of putting his trust in Jesus Christ for salvation will die in his sins and face God’s judgement after death.
The Lord Jesus warned the Jews, saying, “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” (John 8:24 NKJV).
The born-again believers are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:17). God’s children are already blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 1:3). In Christ, all things are yours (1 Cor. 3:21).
However, you will not be able to appropriate and enjoy to the fullest all your blessings in Christ without you growing up in the grace and revelation knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. No one else can grow up in the grace and revelation knowledge of Jesus for you.
This is your personal responsibility!
Sadly, many believers today who are heirs of God are living as slaves because they choose not take up responsibility for their spiritual growth. Rather than seeking to grow in the grace and revelation knowledge of Jesus Christ, they are relying upon some pastors or prophets to do for them what they should do for themselves.
It is simply foolishness to constantly depend upon someone else to fast and pray for you, to seek for God’s leading and guidance for you, to discern God’s will for you, or to exercise faith in God’s Word for your healing, deliverance, victory or breakthrough in life.
This is your personal responsibility!
The Scripture commands, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ…” (2 Pet. 3:18 KJV).
Beloved, God surely has great things in store for you, but they will not fall on your lap. They will come to you as you grow in the grace and revelation knowledge of Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:2-3 – KJV
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.
Therefore, rise up today with a mindset and resolution to take responsibility for your spiritual growth. Quit seeking, finding, or making excuses for not growing in the grace and revelation knowledge of Jesus Christ. Quit blaming someone else for your wrong actions or inactions in life.
Prayer: My Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for all the good things You have graciously provided for me in Christ. My Dear Holy Spirit, teach and help me to grow increasingly in the grace and revelation knowledge of Jesus Christ, in Jesus’ name. Amen.