What do I need to do to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant" when I arrive in heaven?

230 However the gift may be clearly recognised, and will be by spiritual judgment after it is used, yet faithfulness consists in using it in confidence in the Lord's character; unfaithfulness in waiting for something else. It cannot be personal grace thus characterised, if human appointment or any appointment by man be waited for. The points marked as the consequence on the Lord's return are two. First, there is a large reward given in government, ruler over many things. Secondly, actual personal association with Christ in blessing, not being blessed under Him as ruled over, but "Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." It does not seem that the energy and power of the Holy Ghost is taken away, though the scene of its exercise may be different (rule and joy instead of trading as a servant), save from the unprofitable servant, who is cast outside the light and glory of the kingdom. Let us remember that faithfulness consists in the use of a gift upon the ground of personal individual confidence in the character of the Lord as our master; and that this is the evidence of grace; waiting for anything else, of the want of it. The not using the talent when he had it flowed from positively false notions of God, thoughts of evil, the absence of grace, and a principle entirely condemned by the Lord as the proof of evil.

56 Let us say a few words more on the parable of the talents. Here the servant is called "good and faithful." It is that which occurs during the absence of Christ. He has delivered His goods to His servants; if they have understood His grace, if they have been touched by this mark of His confidence, they will have laboured with that which was given them, or else they will have wronged the character of their Master, not to have had an entire confidence in Him. There was only faithfulness, it is true, in the conduct of the two who had traded; for, why commit goods to them, if it was not to improve them? But the Lord keeps account of it; what He had confided was but a little thing in His eyes; but they had known Him and had been faithful. There was but one heart between Him and them, and now, at His return, they must enter into His joy; one heart in service, and one heart in joy. Also, "many things" were confided to them in His kingdom at the hour of His glory.

And here in our parable there are talents committed to each. Not merely the gift of an evangelist, pastor, or teacher; but anything, I take it, which we might employ for Christ. Abilities, time, money, etc. And, as has often been noticed, the praise is not "good and successful," but "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Then comes the injunction, "Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of Man comes at an hour when ye think not" (Luke 12:40). Peter then wants to know the extent of application of the parable, and gets his desire. "And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he comes shall find so doing. Of a truth I say to you, that he will make him ruler over all that he has" (Luke 12:42-44). Who is now the faithful and wise steward? is a question I have to ask myself. Am I a faithful servant? Am I a wise steward? It is not a question of success. The Lord never bids me be successful. No. The point is, am I wise, and am I faithful? To be really successful I must be faithful, and wise. Many servants have stopped short of the truth, because they feared that they might spoil their success. The Lord has said, also to us: "After a long time the lord of those servants comes, and reckons with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst to me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said to him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord" (Matt. 25:19-21). Carefully observe, it is "Well done, good and faithful servant," not "successful servant." I should like to find that man, the Lord says. Oh, do not look round about to see who the man is. The point for you and me, is — and the Lord exercise our hearts regarding it — Am I that man?

And then the Coming of the Lord and how He dealt with the good and faithful servants brings out another principle. Each receives a reward. To each the Lord saith, "Well, good and faithful bondman, thou wast faithful over few things, I will set thee over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." He does not speak a higher and better word of approval to the one who had the five talents and brought him five other talents. Both hear the same word of approval. It is therefore not the question of how much we have received of the Lord, but how we use that which He has given to us. Faithful service, even in the smallest matter, though there be but one talent, will bring approval.

(3) Another thing becomes manifest in result: that it is not the amount with which we are entrusted that ensures the reward, but the faithfulness shown as to it. The servant who had the five talents has gained five talents; but he who has gained but two has as much doubled his capital as the other has, and is received with the same approval into the joy of his lord. It would be possible for the one with the smaller trust, to win even the higher approbation; and it is something for the Lord to find one of His own willing to serve as cheerfully in a humbler as in a higher position. To a love that "seeketh not her own," all would be equal here, though love itself may "covet earnestly the best gifts," these meaning fuller capacity for love's sweet service.

The Lord's coming involves a day of reckoning. The re ports of the first two are similar, and the words of the Lord to each are the same, "Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful in a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." What believer does not deeply desire to hear these words from the Lord's lips? This is the proper portion of those who have walked by faith, whatever differences there may have been as regards gift and ability. Here, though the gift is different, the reward is the same. In Luke, where the trust is the same, the reward is different because there are different measures of gain (Ch.19:16-18). There the one pound given to each servant appears to correspond to "the faith which was once delivered to the saints" (Jude 3), that is, the precious truth of the word of God, which is the same communicated to all, by which believers gain, but each in differing measure. The reward is an incentive, but it is not the motive of service: the motive the Lord rewards is that of love toward Himself.

When we get to heaven, the Lord is going to review our lives with us (1 Cor. 3:13). Much that we regarded as Christian work may "be burned," and we as a workman shall "suffer loss" (verse 15). It will not be the amount but the character of the service that will be in question in the evaluation of works. "Well done, thou good and faithful servant" shall be the Lord's word of welcome then (Matt. 25:21). Work — much or little — characterized by prayer and performed according to the Lord's mind should be the aim of each one of us.

In interpreting Scripture the first thing to ascertain is, what is the mind of the Spirit; and, secondly, what is its present application. Many an unprofitable discussion would be spared if these principles were borne in mind. Thus, to refer at once to the question received concerning the parable of the talents, it is to travel wholly outside of the object of the parable to enquire whether the unprofitable servant was, or was not, a saved man (the same remark applies to Luke 12:45-46), because it deals simply with the responsibility of servants and their faithfulness or unfaithfulness as such. At the same time, if the question be urged, it is inconceivable that a servant, however unfaithful, if a saved soul, could be cast into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, or could have his portion with unbelievers. But it is objected that no one, unless converted, could be really a servant. This is true, only it must be remembered that God takes us all up on the ground of our profession. Every preacher therefore in Christendom, as well as everyone who undertakes any responsibility in connection with the house of God, will be treated as a servant, and be reckoned with as such at the Lord's appearing. (Compare 1 Cor. 3:12-17.) It is on this account that the apostle bids us to purge ourselves out from among the vessels of dishonour in 2 Tim. 2. Recollecting this, we may well be led to searchings of heart, and to look for grace to use whatever the Lord has entrusted to us, whether gift or anything else, for His service, in view of the reckoning of that day when He will appraise our stewardship according to His own perfect standard of infallible knowledge. Oh that each one of us may earnestly crave for the commendation, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant," in that day.

To return to our parable, there is one thing specially to be noticed here, as showing the Lord's sovereignty and wisdom in connection with ministry. He gave differently to each, and to each according to his ability. Each one had a natural capacity which fitted him for the service in which he was employed, and gifts bestowed according to the measure of the gift of Christ for its fulfilment. "He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets, and some, evangelists, and some pastors and teachers." (Eph. 4) The servant must have certain natural qualifications for his work, besides the power of the Spirit of God. If the Lord calls a man to preach the gospel, there will be a natural ability for it. Then the Lord may create in his heart by the Holy Spirit a real love for souls, which is the best gift of the evangelist. Then he ought to stir up and exercise his gift according to his ability, for the blessing of souls and the glory of God. May we remember that we are responsible for these two things — the gift graciously bestowed, and the ability in which the gift is to be exercised. When the Lord comes to reckon with His servants, it will not be enough to say, I was never educated for, or appointed to, the ministry. The question will be, Did I wait on the Lord to be used by Him according to what He had fitted me for? or did I hide my talent in the earth? Faithfulness or unfaithfulness to Him will be the only thing in question.