Each Christian has a responsibility to God and to his neighbor to do the best he can to further the cause of Christ in whatever capacity possible. God has chosen us to do his work. "So then, my beloved, even as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:12-13). As we do those things that will bring salvation to fruition in us, God works in us in the sense that he accomplishes what he wants to do through our efforts. We are his tools, his chosen instruments in accomplishing his work here on the earth.

Paul tells us, also, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey the lusts thereof: neither present your members unto sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves unto God, as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God (Rom. 6:12-13). God accomplishes much through us if we are what we ought to be and are doing what he has designed us to do. But the work he has designed for us in saving souls suffers when we bury our talents.

God has designed that the world should be drawn to him through our example. So a part of the work that God has designed for us is to live righteously before our fellow man. Jesus said, "Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 5:16). The life that we live is attractive others in more than one way. First, our behavior toward others is based on our love for them. "Owe no man anything, save to love one another: for he that loveth his neighbor hath fulfilled the law" (Rom. 13:8). "All things therefore whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do ye also unto them: for this is the law and the prophets" (Matt. 7:12). The Golden Rule came from Jesus as a foundation stone of our lives. He didn’t give it so that we might have a quaint saying, but that we should live it. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control; against such there is no law. And they that are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts thereof" (Gal. 5:22-24). As we strive to be the best people we can be, the work that God wants done in us is accomplished.

We live today as Christians on the "Buddy System." God has designed that we should accomplish his work by looking out for each other, through exhortation. Paul wrote, "Brethren, even if a man be overtaken in any trespass, ye who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ" (Gal. 6:1-2). We all need exhortation, but sometimes we get a little defensive. But our defensiveness does not change the need. It is vital to God’s cause and the spiritual welfare of the brethren that exhortation take place. "Take heed, brethren, lest haply there shall be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God: but exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called To-day; lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin" (Heb. 3:12-13). The lives we live as Christians today is filled with dangers and trials just like in the days of the apostles. We may at times face different kinds of temptations, but the ones we face are just as deadly. "Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Pet. 5:8). In the mighty jungle of this world, the lion never sleeps, and spiritual death is a constant factor. So we must watch with a serious eye. And we must watch out for one another. "My brethren, if any among you err from the truth, and one convert him; let him know, that he who converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins" (Jas. 5:19-20). God accomplishes a lot when we serve him to encourage and exhort to faithfulness our brethren.

God works in us to evangelize. We are the chosen instruments of God in this. The Great Commission was given to the apostles. "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned" (Mark 16:15-16). The intention of God is that they pass on the torch to us. The apostleship was not intended to be a permanent office in the church on the earth. And preaching was not intended to be stopped when the last apostle died. Paul told Timothy, the evangelist, "Preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching" (2 Tim. 4:2). But evangelists were never intended to be the only conduit of gospel teaching. Paul also told Timothy, "And the things which thou hast heard from me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also" (2 Tim. 2:2). The evangelist is to commit the saving gospel to faithful Christians with the intent that they should teach it. The question, "Do I have any responsibility in teaching the word?" can be answered with another: "Am I a faithful Christian?" If you are a faithful Christian, you will be compelled by the command of Christ, and the love you have for your fellowman to be a teacher of that word. It is through the proclamation of the gospel that God saves souls (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 1:21). He intends that work to be accomplished by us as his servants. "… for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:12-13).

We are to present ourselves unto God as instruments of righteousness. This is how we do it.