Why Can't I?Sample

The Principle of Ownership

Love is a big word today, and it’s an important word in the Bible, too. It was love that caused God to send His Son to be our Saviour. “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16). God’s love for you was very costly. He paid a big price to make you one of His own.

When it comes to decisions about what to do and where to go, Christians sometimes forget they belong to Jesus Christ, who has redeemed them. The Bible says, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, ... and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body” (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

God’s claim on your life includes a claim on everything you do. When you make a decision about entertainment or about anything else without considering Him, you are denying His ownership of you.

The principle of Christ’s ownership of a believer sounds like serious business, and it is. But here is where love enters. You consult the Lord when you make a decision, not because you fear Him, but because you love Him. “For the love of Christ controls us” (2 Cor. 5:14).

One way you can see the principle of ownership work in your life is to remember this: Because Jesus Christ has a claim on your life, no person or habit or pastime should be more important to you than He is. Perhaps there’s nothing wrong with whatever interests you, but if it takes a more important place in your life than Christ does, it has become wrong.

What is competing with the Lord for first place in your life? Entertainment is only one thing. The Bible says, “No one can serve two masters” (Matt. 6:24). If you remember who you belong to, you will be able to keep your activities in their proper perspective.

[All Scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible.]