The Responsibility of What We Have Been Given.
2026-10-01
🙏 Much Is Given, Much Is Required.
Thursday, 1 October 2026.
Opening Prayer.
Heavenly Father, I come before You on this first day of October, and I pray, Father, that today’s devotion will bring clarity into a lot of people’s hearts about what I do and why I do it. But most importantly, Lord, that it will touch them and give them hope.
Touch them to evaluate their relationship with Jesus. Touch them to desire a closer relationship with the Holy Spirit, and touch them to seek true salvation with fear and trembling, for every man needs to find his own way, and every man needs to care about his own salvation.
I ask this in Jesus’ precious name. Amen.
📖 Today’s Thought — Much Is Given, Much Is Required.
However, the principle is true that to whom much is given, much is required.
Responsibility is a very important thing to me as a devotional writer.
Over the years, I have been given a great deal by the Lord God as far as knowledge is concerned. My biblical knowledge is fairly good. At one stage, one of the elders in a church I attended told me that my knowledge of the Bible was ample enough for me to be a leader of a church myself.
That was never my calling.
My calling has been writing devotions like this.
And because I regard that calling as a responsibility, I carefully examine every line that is created when I use artificial intelligence to assist me with my writing.
There are people who believe that I am doing something wrong by using artificial intelligence.
I don’t believe that is the case.
Artificial intelligence is a tool.
The responsibility for what I publish remains with me.
Every word is moderated by me. Every paragraph is checked by me. Every Scripture is examined. Every theological statement must be considered before I allow it to become part of something that carries my name.
That matters because my greatest concern is not artificial intelligence.
My greatest concern is the well-being of Christians.
I want people to have a proper relationship with God.
I want people to know the Lord Jesus Christ.
And above everything else, I want people who read these devotions to understand that salvation is not something we inherit from our parents, receive because we attend church, or earn because we perform religious activities.
The lost need to understand that salvation is 100% in Christ alone.
Acts 4:12 says that there is no salvation in any other, and that there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.
That is the heart of the matter.
I am not a Christian because my parents were Christians.
I am not a Christian simply because I attend a good church.
I am not a Christian because I read my Bible.
I am not a Christian because I pray.
Those things may be important expressions of Christian life, but none of them, by themselves, makes a person born again.
The question is deeper.
Do I know Jesus Christ?
Do I have a relationship with Him?
Am I indwelt by the Holy Spirit?
Has my heart been changed?
Do I care about eternity?
Do I care about the salvation of other people?
These are serious questions.
Jesus Himself taught about judgment and eternity. We should therefore never treat salvation as a casual subject.
The Philippian jailer asked one of the most important questions a human being can ever ask:
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
The answer was wonderfully simple:
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
The question is not merely whether we call ourselves Christians.
The question is whether we belong to Christ.
And if much has been given to us, then much is required from us.
That includes responsibility for what we know, responsibility for what we teach, responsibility for what we publish, and above all, responsibility for what we do with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
🏛️ Church History — The Responsibility of Carrying the Gospel.
From the earliest days of the Christian Church, believers understood that the Gospel was something to be received, believed, lived, and proclaimed.
The Book of Acts gives us the earliest picture of the Christian Church after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ.
The apostles did not regard the Gospel as private information that belonged only to them.
They preached Christ openly.
They taught Scripture.
They cared for believers.
They endured opposition.
And they accepted personal responsibility for the message that had been entrusted to them.
The early Christians understood something that remains important today.
Knowing the truth creates responsibility.
The Apostle Paul expressed this principle particularly strongly when he described himself as a steward of the mysteries of God. A steward is not the owner. A steward is someone entrusted with something belonging to another.
That is an important distinction for anyone who writes about Christianity.
The Gospel does not belong to me.
It does not belong to a church denomination.
It does not belong to a preacher.
It does not belong to a devotional writer.
It belongs to God.
Throughout Christian history, faithful believers have therefore wrestled with the responsibility of preserving Scripture, teaching it accurately, and proclaiming Christ faithfully.
During the Protestant Reformation, figures such as Martin Luther placed enormous emphasis upon Scripture and the centrality of faith in Christ. The Reformers challenged the idea that human religious achievement could become the foundation of salvation.
Whatever differences Christians may have regarding church traditions, denominations, or theological systems, one central question remains:
What is the foundation of our salvation?
The New Testament repeatedly points us back to Jesus Christ.
That is why the responsibility of a Christian writer is not to make Christianity sound impressive.
It is to point people toward Christ.
And that is why I take the responsibility of writing these devotions seriously.
If I write something about Scripture, I must check it.
If I quote Scripture, I must quote it accurately.
If I express an interpretation, I must recognise that it is an interpretation.
And if I use artificial intelligence as part of the process, I must still take responsibility for the final words.
The machine is not accountable before God for what I publish.
I am.
✍️ A Poem — The Steward.
I was given words, but not the truth,
For Truth belonged to God.
I was given knowledge, not a crown,
And called to walk the road.
I was given eyes to read the Word,
And ears to hear His call.
I was given hands to write it down,
Yet Christ must stand above it all.
Much is given.
Much is required.
The steward must be true.
Not every word that leaves the pen
Will pass the testing through.
So search my heart, O Lord of grace,
And search the words I write.
Let nothing born of pride remain,
Let Christ remain the light.
If knowledge makes me greater,
Then let me kneel much lower.
For every gift I have received
Came from the Holy Giver.
And when this earthly work is done,
When every page is still,
Let people say they found not me,
But Jesus Christ revealed.
📜 Scripture One — Luke 12:47–48.
“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 12:47–48
Reflection.
This passage gives us the full context behind the familiar statement, “unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required.”
Jesus connects knowledge and responsibility.
The more that has been entrusted to us, the greater our responsibility to use it faithfully.
Knowledge carries responsibility.
Opportunity carries responsibility.
Influence carries responsibility.
The ability to write carries responsibility.
And the knowledge of the Gospel carries an enormous responsibility.
This does not mean that God expects every Christian to become a preacher, pastor, missionary, or author.
It means that whatever God has entrusted to us should be handled faithfully.
Your gift may be teaching.
It may be encouraging someone who is struggling.
It may be raising children.
It may be serving quietly in your church.
It may simply be being the person who shows Christ’s love to someone who desperately needs it.
The question is not whether your gift is impressive.
The question is whether you are faithful with what you have been given.
Question for today:
What has God entrusted to me, and am I using it faithfully?
✝️ Scripture Two — Acts 4:10–12.
“Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:10–12
Reflection.
This is the complete statement surrounding the declaration that salvation is found in no other.
Peter was speaking about Jesus Christ of Nazareth and explicitly declaring that it was through Jesus that the man stood healed.
He then identified Jesus as the stone rejected by the builders, yet become the head of the corner.
And then comes the unmistakable statement:
“Neither is there salvation in any other.”
Peter does not leave the statement incomplete.
He explains why:
“For there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
The Christian message is therefore centred upon the Person of Jesus Christ.
Christianity is not ultimately about belonging to a particular social group.
It is not about having Christian parents.
It is not about attending a particular building.
It is not about possessing a religious identity.
The apostles pointed people to a Person.
Jesus Christ.
That distinction matters enormously.
A person can grow up surrounded by Christianity and still need to come to Christ personally.
A person can know the Bible intellectually and still need to surrender their life to Jesus.
A person can attend church for decades and still need to examine their relationship with Christ.
That is why assurance of salvation matters.
We should not be satisfied merely because we carry the label “Christian.”
We should ask whether our faith is genuinely centred upon Jesus Christ.
Salvation is not something we manufacture through our own goodness.
It is God’s gift through Christ.
Question for today:
If someone asked me why I believe I am saved, would my answer ultimately point to Jesus Christ?
🕊️ Scripture Three — Acts 16:30–31.
“And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Acts 16:30–31
Reflection.
When the Philippian jailer asked what he needed to do to be saved, Paul and Silas did not give him a complicated religious programme.
They pointed him toward Christ.
The question itself is worth remembering:
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
And the answer is equally important:
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
This does not mean that Christian discipleship is unimportant.
It means that Christian discipleship begins with Christ.
We read the Bible because we want to know God.
We pray because we want fellowship with God.
We attend church because we gather with God’s people.
We serve because Christ has changed us.
We obey because we love Him.
These things are expressions of Christian life.
They are not substitutes for Christ.
There is a profound difference between doing Christian things and belonging to Christ.
That is why every person should examine their own relationship with Jesus.
Not their parents’ relationship.
Not their pastor’s relationship.
Not their spouse’s relationship.
Not their church’s relationship.
Their own relationship with Jesus Christ.
Question for today:
Have I personally placed my faith in Jesus Christ, or have I simply inherited a Christian identity from the people and environment around me?
🛠️ Practical Tip — Examine the Foundation.
Today, take a few quiet minutes and examine the foundation of your faith.
Ask yourself:
- Do I know Jesus Christ personally?
- Do I trust Him for my salvation?
- Do I recognise my need for His grace?
- Am I growing in my understanding of Scripture?
- Does the Holy Spirit’s work in my life lead me toward Christ?
- Am I becoming more concerned about eternity and the spiritual welfare of others?
- Am I relying on Christ, or am I relying upon religious activity?
Do not answer these questions merely according to how you feel today.
Take them seriously.
Open your Bible.
Pray.
Ask God to reveal anything that needs to be corrected.
And remember that genuine Christian assurance is not built upon our ability to convince ourselves that we are good enough.
Our confidence ultimately rests in Jesus Christ and the promises of God.
📋 Daily Exercise — What Has Been Given to Me?
Take a sheet of paper and make three columns.
Column One — What I Have Been Given.
Write down the abilities, opportunities, knowledge, relationships, possessions, experiences, and spiritual gifts that God has entrusted to you.
Column Two — How Am I Using Them?
Be honest.
Are they being used for God’s glory, for other people’s benefit, for your own purposes, or simply being wasted?
Column Three — What Can I Do Differently?
Choose one thing.
Not ten.
Not twenty.
One.
Ask God to show you how you can use that particular gift or opportunity more faithfully.
Then do it.
Responsibility becomes meaningful when it turns into action.
🌅 Heavenly View — When the Steward Meets the Master.
One day, every Christian will stand before the Lord.
The things that seem enormously important today will eventually become history.
The money.
The possessions.
The arguments.
The disappointments.
The jobs.
The political battles.
The struggles of daily life.
All of them will eventually pass.
But eternity will not.
That is why salvation matters so much.
That is why the Gospel matters.
And that is why responsibility matters.
Imagine standing before the One who gave you every ability you possess.
The One who gave you your opportunities.
The One who gave you your time.
The One who gave you the ability to think, speak, write, teach, work, love, serve, create, and encourage.
What will matter then?
Not how impressive we looked.
Not how many people knew our names.
Not how many articles we wrote.
Not how many people admired us.
What will matter is whether we were faithful.
For the Christian writer, that thought is sobering.
Every article becomes an opportunity.
Every word becomes an opportunity.
Every Scripture reference becomes an opportunity.
Every reader becomes a person who may be carrying a burden that we cannot see.
That is why I want these devotions to point beyond me.
If somebody remembers my name but forgets Jesus, I have missed the point.
If somebody remembers something I wrote but never encounters Christ, I have missed the point.
But if something written here causes one person to open a Bible, kneel beside a bed, call upon Jesus Christ, repent, believe, and begin a genuine relationship with God, then the words have served their purpose.
The writer is only the steward.
Christ must remain the centre.
🙏 Closing Prayer.
Heavenly Father, I thank You for this opportunity to once again create a devotion.
Please forgive me for not putting out that many devotions in the last few weeks. Lord, You know the circumstances. You know how difficult it is for Julian and me to survive. And I’m sure there are many others who are struggling as well.
I recently read a message from a close friend, James Thompson. He has been retrenched recently and is once again looking for a job. It is so hard for many South Africans to keep jobs and make a living, especially the elderly and those who are not earning big salaries, and those who face limited opportunities.
Father, we bring these struggles before You.
We pray for those who have lost their employment.
We pray for those who cannot find work.
We pray for families who are struggling to put food on the table.
We pray for the elderly who feel forgotten.
We pray for young people searching for opportunities.
And we pray for our country.
Lord, You tell us to pray for those who govern, and we do pray.
We pray for justice.
We pray for wisdom.
We pray for fairness.
We pray for equal dignity and equal protection under the law.
We pray that those entrusted with authority will remember that leadership is also a responsibility before You.
We pray for healing from the wounds of our history.
We pray that racial division, hatred, fear, prejudice, bitterness, and political manipulation will not control our future.
Father, where there is injustice, bring justice.
Where there is discrimination, bring fairness.
Where there is hatred, bring reconciliation.
Where there is corruption, bring accountability.
Where there is poverty, bring opportunity.
Where there is fear, bring peace.
And where people have allowed political divisions to become more important than human dignity, change their hearts.
We pray for South Africa.
We pray for peace.
We pray for unity.
We pray that our people will remember that divided people become weak, while people who work together can build something better.
Most importantly, Father, break the spiritual strongholds that prevent people from seeing one another as human beings created in Your image.
Open the eyes of our leaders.
Open the eyes of our communities.
Open my eyes as well.
Teach us to seek justice without hatred.
Teach us to speak truth without bitterness.
Teach us to defend what is right without becoming consumed by anger.
And above everything else, teach us to seek Jesus Christ.
Because political systems will change.
Governments will change.
Economies will change.
Jobs will come and go.
But Your Word remains.
Your salvation remains.
And Jesus Christ remains Lord.
I ask for Your intervention, Lord, in Jesus’ precious name.
Amen.
💭 Final Thought.
Much has been given to each of us.
The question is not whether we have enough.
The question is:
What are we doing with what we have?
If God has given you knowledge, use it wisely.
If God has given you a voice, use it responsibly.
If God has given you opportunity, use it faithfully.
If God has given you the Gospel, do not keep it hidden.
And if you are still uncertain about your relationship with Jesus Christ, do not ignore that uncertainty.
Ask the question.
Seek the answer.
Open the Scriptures.
Call upon Jesus.
Because ultimately, the greatest responsibility any human being has is not what we do with our possessions, careers, talents, or influence.
It is what we do with Jesus Christ.
Much is given. Much is required.
🗡️ God’s Journalist — Cody — Dei Scriptor
Sanguine et Igne Veritas Revelata
With ChatGPT and the Holy Spirit.
