The Christian Embezzler
Part One
Christian embezzler?
The phrase, Christian embezzler, is an oxymoron, as there is no room for thievery or misappropriation in the life of an advancing disciple. One cannot function as a Christian and be involved in embezzlement at the same time.
Yet, there are many who claim to be Christians that take much of what God has given to them (for His glory), and use it to please or to promote themselves instead. This amounts to embezzlement in the spiritual realm.
There is nothing wrong with pursuing and enjoying legitimate earthly prosperity (1), providing that it does not take one’s focus of attention and participation away from the individual plan that God has in mind.
A critical part in the individual plan that God has in mind for each and every born-again believer is the specific spiritual gift and its accompanying ministry (area of service) that he or she has been given to spiritually minister to others.
Have you identified your individual spiritual gift (2) and its accompanying area of service for the spiritual well-being of others? You can’t execute a plan if you don’t know what the plan is.
Sometimes our gift and area of service is made known to us up front (3), whereas others, such as in my case, will learn of it after God has prepared us for it. I have explored many different areas of service, but God has always brought me to (or back to) an environment of solitude, with a Bible and a keyboard, where I can study and teach the Bible through the written material that I produce.
To study and to teach the Word of God is the primary function of an ordained pastor-teacher. I was ordained to do so in 2O08.
Once one discovers his or her spiritual gift and the individual way that it is to be exercised, it will fit like a tailor-made glove, and become a driving force in the life of an advancing disciple.
The devil will generate adversity, and his world will offer many distractions designed to take an advancing disciple away from the individual plan that God has in mind.
Among these distractions is the pursuit of more money and or what money can buy, but one cannot serve both God and money at the same time (4). A part of the cost of discipleship is the loss of prosperity that one would likely otherwise receive by doing things via the ways of the world.
Many justify their independent actions by pointing out all the earthly good they do for their family and other people by the good deeds that they do. But many atheists and non-Christians can make the same boast and claim.
If good deeds earned eternal life, then even atheists and non-Christians (who do good deeds) would have at least a little Heaven coming. They do not (5). All the good deeds in the world will not generate one second of eternal life.
Advancing disciples will develop the divine perspective.
“For what does it benefit a person to gain (or to be given) the whole world and forfeit (the spiritual well-being of) his soul (Mark 8: 36 NASB2020 parenthesis mine)?”
The devil appreciates all the help he can get, trying to make his world (6) a better place to live. Establishing a prosperous kingdom that is independent of God (denying Him the glory), has been the devil’s desire long before Man was even created.
Many unedified Christians have simply never come to the realization that the human race, and each individual member of it, was created primarily to glorify God.
As of the Church Age, the first time an individual glorifies God is if and when he or she is born again (7). This takes a conscious decision on the part of the individual soul.
Until then, he or she is physically alive, but spiritually dead, headed down the road that leads to destruction (8), no matter how otherwise religious, well behaved, materially prosperous, or engaged in good deeds, that he or she may be.
A person is born again if and when he or she chooses to believe when presented with the unadulterated Gospel Message, encapsulated in John 3: 16, 18.
The unadulterated Gospel Message has had no further requirements added to it in order to obtain or to retain salvation.
Sad to say, contrary to the warning of Gal. 1: 8, there are many adulterated Gospel Messages WITHIN the so-called Christian Community that do just that.
“But even if we (recognized leaders of the Church), or an angel (messenger) from heaven, should preach to you a different gospel (means of obtaining or retaining salvation) contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed (Gal. 1: 8 NASB202O/parentheses mine).”
In ancient Galatia, the issue was the alleged need for physical circumcision. As time went on, sacraments, rituals (e.g., water baptisms), good behavior, and good deeds would be promoted as additional requirements to “really” be saved.
Such add-ons are held in high esteem by those involved, but actually can amount to blasphemy, if they imply that faith in the Person and the atoning Work of the Lord Jesus Christ is not enough to obtain and to retain salvation.
There is a place and purpose for some of the aforementioned activities, but they have nothing to do with obtaining or retaining salvation.
Part of the problem is the failure to distinguish between the one-time requirement to be saved, and the MANY ongoing requirements associated with discipleship. These topics are lessons for another day.
Once born-again, among other things, the believer is forever sealed (10) and receives a regenerated spirit (9). This sealing (baptism) and regeneration is the Work of God the Holy Spirit, requiring no assistance or input by human clergy. The believer then enters into his or her post salvation spiritual life here on Earth. The born-again believer continues to glorify God on a daily basis if and when he or she embraces Biblical discipleship.
Biblical discipleship calls for the ongoing, daily, intake, and studying (10) of the Word of God, and the application (11) of its principles to all that one thinks, says, and does, 24/7.
Biblical discipleship is initially for the development of spiritual maturity in oneself, but with the long-term objective of participation in the Great Commission (12), evangelizing and edifying others.
In this presentation, we will be focusing in on the embezzlement of the body and the soul. However, the principle also applies to everything else (e.g., our time, talents, treasures) that we have been given by God to bring Him glory.
End of Part One
(1) 3John 1:2 (2) 1Cor. 12 (3) Acts 9: 15 (4) Matt. 6: 24 (5) Rev.20:15 (6) Luke 4: 6 (7) John 3: 5,7 (8) Matt.7: 13 (9) Titus 3: 5 (10) Eph. 4: 30. (11) 2Pet.3: 18 (12) James 1:22 (13) Matt.28: 19, 20

Go To Part Two