These are some solid verses in the New Testament concerning our destiny. Do you believe the Lord is real? Do you believe He will come back? Do you believe one day He will ask you to give an account? Why are you not solemn? Why are you not serious? Why are you not desperate? Will you just keep what the Lord gave you, not go back to the world, and stay away from sin? You may be a good Christian coming to all the church meetings and keeping all that the Lord has given you. But in this parable the Lord says He wants to recover what is His with interest. This should be enough to cause us to be desperate. Do not say it is too hard, that the opposition is so prevailing. This is just an excuse. This is like telling the Lord He is a hard man, reaping where He did not sow and gathering where He did not scatter. You may take this excuse, but the Lord will never take it. The Lord will take your excuse as a condemnation to you. It is quite possible that we could be this slothful servant.

Paul said that he solemnly charged Timothy by the Lord's appearing and His kingdom (2 Tim. 4:1). His appearing is seen in Matthew 25 with the slothful slave. The kingdom is a kingdom of reward or punishment according to what we have been and what we have done since we were saved until He comes back. In 2 Timothy 4:8 Paul says that he will be awarded with the crown of righteousness by the Lord, the righteous Judge. Paul seriously warned and charged Timothy, not by love nor by kindness, but by the Lord's appearing and by His kingdom. You will be either rewarded or be punished by the righteous Judge righteously at His appearing. This is serious.

Since I saw this fifty years ago, I began to be serious. This seriousness has kept me many times from backsliding and from being slothful. One day He will see me and I will meet Him. In His appearing, I have to give Him an account, and He will decide whether I will receive a reward or a punishment in the coming kingdom. It is a solemn thing. Do not think it is alright if you do not bear fruit for years. I hope this word will stir up your aggressive desperation. As a human being, I must believe in the Lord Jesus; as one of His believers, I must love Him; and as one who loves Him, I must bear fruit. This is serious. No need to say at His coming, at His appearing, even today if I do not bear fruit He will cut me off, take me away from all His riches, from all His supply, from all His enjoyment. Then at His coming I will surely suffer loss (1 Cor. 3:15). I will have to suffer punishment for one thousand years in the manifestation of the kingdom.