We are among an era that can easily be described as The generation of self-enititlment. People demand their due without the work. They feel entitled to what ever they deem of value to their life. It’s truly a saddened state of affluency. This frame of mind plagues society with government moochers: I’m not talking about people unable to work, or those who work and still need assistance, I’m thankful we have a government who helps those truly in need, but I’m talking of those who feel entitled to it because they merely exist in this world. They want the finished product without the hard work. It’s an epidemic that could possibly one day break the back of our government….(hard not to go on with this thought, but I must proceed with my point) They want the crown of affluency without paying the cost, and one thing is sure, there is always a cost. Hard working Americans, and those who worked hard in times past are those paying the cost for your self-entitled affluent lifestyle. One more thing on this, and I’ll move on: Just to be plain spoken, a man who won’t provide for his own household is worse than an infidel in the eyes of God! 

I wish to stress how this attitude is a plague to humanity, and it doesn’t end there: This frame of mind fits the modern day religious world; they want the crown without having to pay the price. It’s foolish to think a Christian will one day recieve their crown in glory without having to pay a price. I believe this belief is a mixture of self-entitlement syndrome, and a mis-understanding about the grace of God. Having discussed self-entitlement, we see how people get this way, they feel they’re entitled to living in the grace of God, and they deserve all of his blessings, and ultimately they feel “I’m a good person, I deserve to go to Heaven.” Let’s look at reality: we deserve death, we are as of filthy rags, we don’t deserve anything except the penalty of our sins! Yet, we serve a God who took on humanity and revealed himself as saviour of the world. Jesus Christ lived on this earth 33 plus years, and if anyone deserved the affluency of life it was Him. He didn’t deserve rejection, hatred, not having a place to rest His head, lashings from a Roman soldier, a crown of thorns, and He unequivocally did not deserve Calvary-We Did! He beared the cross in His humanity, and he done all of this for humanity: He paid the penalty for our sins, and let me reiterate, we don’t deserve the affluency of life we live in, yet He died on a cross so we could live in His Grace! 

Paul reminds us in Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. 

The religous world has a mis construed ideal of living in the grace of God, they believe it doesn’t come with a price. It’s true Jesus paid the price of our sins that we may live in His grace, yet this free gift is available to those who are willing to bear their own cross. 

Romans 5:21 “That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” 

Grace will only reign in your life if you are submitted to it: Grace gives before it requires! It’s a free gift that we apply to ourselves through righteousness. In order for something to reign over you, you must be under it, or submitted to it! The umbrella of Grace with no submission is a folly and many have fallen prey to this mold of thinking! Paul told us grace would reign through righteousness, and righteousness requires you to live according to the word of God, and be willing to pay the cost for your crown. Grace isn’t a free ride to Heaven with free admission, He requires a price! We must not see the works we produce could ever merit salvation, but grace comes through Faith, and James reminds us “Faith without works is dead.” The works he is talking about is your faith being put to action. Your internal faith will produce an external manifestation -Mainly Obedience to His word! We must remember the words of Christ when he was talking to his disciples about the cost of discipleship!

Luke 9:23(KJV)And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Jesus let his disciples know true followers of Christ must be willing to deny their own ambitions and life’s endeavors and be willing to pick up their cross and follow Him: The life of a true follower of Jesus Christ comes with a price. There is always a price for a crown. If you intend on receiving your crown in glory, may I stress the importance of denying yourself of self-entitlement and free affluence, and realize there is a price for your crown! The price comes with a cross, and the road of a true Christian will not always be the easiest, it will be far less traveled, there will be exits along the way appealing to the flesh, it may get a little rocky at times, but it will always fail in comparison when we stay focused on the True price of a crown, -called Calvary! It’s the least we can do, for all that he’s done for us! 

God Bless, JDS