From our family, to our office, to the church and even to our country we have RECEIVED SO MANY PRIVILEGES. But with PRIVILEGES also comes RESPONSIBILITIES. However, man wants only the privileges but not the responsibilities.

            But what is a PRIVILEGE and what is a RESPONSIBILITY? Are these two always together? First let us define each word. According to Cassell Concise Dictionary, PRIVILEGE means a benefit, a right, an advantage. And since it is a right or a benefit that is given by someone then that RIGHT /BENEFIT CAN BE TAKEN AWAY WHEN THE PERSON enjoying is FOUND TO BE IRRESPONSIBLE.

            RESPONSIBILITY means ability to act according to the laws of right and wrong; that for which one is responsible. This ability to act on what is right and wrong is a CHOICE A PERSON CAN MAKE BASED ON THE TRUE CONDITION OF HIS HEART. That is why for me A RESPONSIBLE PERSON IS A GRATEFUL PERSON, FIRST TO GOD AND TO WHOM THE PRIVILEGE IS BEING CHANELLED TO.

            Example, if a person lives in a house for free he must take care of everything he is PRIVILEGED TO HAVE AND USE, like the water, electricity, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, food, school, etc. Even as a LEGAL CHILD OF THE HOUSEHOLD, he/she must learn to be RESPONSIBLE with all the PRIVILEGES he/she is enjoying. This is a fact that all children living in their parent’s house must learn to understand. That it doesn’t mean they are THE PRESENT OWNERS of everything they have, but rather they are PRIVILEGED to have it all under their parents or guardian. And with such PRIVILEGES is the big R – RESPONSIBILITY. For anyone who IS NOT RESPONSIBLE TO THE PRIVILEGES RECEIVED will be considered as ungrateful. Do you agree?

            Another example is in the office or school context, whereby we observed RULES AND REGULATIONS carefully knowing we are so PRIVILEGED to be in such institution. AND WE EVEN TAKE PRIDE OF WHERE WE BELONG. Because of that we become RESPONSIBLE EMPLOYEE OR STUDENT because we know that once we lose touch of our RESPONSIBILITY we suffer the consequence.

            But I wonder why is it that when it comes to the CHURCH or in the HOUSEHOLD OF GOD, we ACT DIFFERENTLY? Why is this so when the Word of God in 1 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is A NEW CREATION; the OLD IS GONE, THE NEW HAS COME!” Since God declared US TO BE NEW in the POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, then we ought to HAVE A NEW ATTITUDE, A NEW CHARACTER IN CHRIST JESUS!

Then WHY………

            Why is it that we seemed to love the PRIVILEGE TO HEAR GOD’S WORD but HATE the RESPONSIBILITY OF ACTING IT OUT IN OUR LIVES?

            Why is it that we like the PRIVILEGE TO HANG in one or two or many MINSITRIES but we never like the RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE MINISTRY?

            Why is it that we like the PRIVILEGE OF GOING TO HEAVEN but we do not WORK ON OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO BE ENSURED to be in heaven?

            Why do we enjoy the PRIVILEGE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GOD even enrolling ourselves in IBI or Buhing Pulong but we never take the RESPONSIBILITY TO SHARE, TO TELL AND MOST OF ALL TO LIVE what we have learned NOT EVEN to our families and friends?

            To top it all, this is the worst. We like the PRIVILEGE to become CHILDREN OF GOD but we are IRRESPONSIBLE WITH OUR DUTIES as God’s children. Example, God gave us His two great commandments in Mt. 22: 37 & 39 that say “Love the Lord God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. Love your neighbour as yourself.” Yet we FAIL to be RESPONSIBLE in obeying these two commandments as very PRIVILEGED CHILDREN OF GOD, where ALL THE LAW and the PROPHETS hang on it. And we COMPLAIN that God is not answering our prayers or that God is not blessing us. We often wonder why our family is NOT attracted to Jesus Christ or why our family members are not encouraged to follow us in our FAITH? Or why our children, though they grow in Sunday school never learned to love God? AND WHY IS OUR FAMILY NOT BEING RESPONSIBLE IN VARIOUS ASPECTS OF LIFE NOT EVEN AT HOME?

            WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? The answer is in you and me. IF WE TRULY LOVE GOD WE NEED TO BE RESPONSIBLE CHRISTIANS FIRST AND FOREMOST. We need to demonstrate the PRINCIPLE OF GOD REGARDING ACCOUNTABILITY, which is RESPONSIBILITY IN EVERY PRIVILEGES.

            Dear brethren, with all the PRIVILEGES we receive from God out of the bounty of His love and grace also comes the RESPONSIBILITY to OBEY GOD. That is why many are weak, many are asleep, many are falling away because we never FULLY EMBRACED the idea that IN EVERY PRIVILEGE IS A RESPONSIBILITY.

            May we START NOW to become RESPONSIBLE CHRISTIANS in our church, home, school, office, even in the street, or wherever we are. May we be EXAMPLES to everyone. May our lives we worth WATCHING and FOLLOWING. May those who watch us, be inspired. May the Name of Jesus Christ be exalted in and over our lives.