07.16.14 

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. - 1 John 1:9 NKJV. 

Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. - Matthew 26:41 NKJV. 

Jacob Rogers of Smyrna, Georgia was the victim of a hit-and-run driver. Thankfully, his injuries were minor as the vehicle struck the left side of the bike injuring his left foot and damaging the left pedal. One of the witnesses called 911 and the police arrived at the scene of the accident soon afterwards. Jacob was advised by the police that it would likely be one or two days before a detective could be assigned to investigate the hit-and-run accident.  

Jacob decided to perform his own accident investigation because he says, “I was not so much upset about the accident because accidents happen. I was upset that she pushed her way through and it was a hit and run.” Knowing the vehicle had driven out of the entrance to an apartment complex, the next day Jacob began a search for the silver Volkswagen. The first silver Volkswagen found by Jacob was the one involved in the accident. In the grill of the vehicle was stuck part of the pedal that had been broken off of Jacob’s bike in the accident. Jacob contacted the police and 20-year-old Pablynne Silva was arrested for a misdemeanor hit and run offense. She could face up to one year in jail and a $1000 fine. (USA Today, Maxnews, WXIA-TV Atlanta and other news venues 07.16.14)  

There are some things in the Christian life that you have to do yourself as in you cannot have another person do it for you. For example, another person cannot confess your sins and expect that you will receive forgiveness for their confession. If you want your sins forgiven you must confess those sins in a state of repentance yourself. Another thing that another cannot do for you is to be baptized. Now someone else can be baptized for you, but it will have no meaning. You, yourself will have to be baptized if you want to be obedient to God. Partaking of the Lord’s Supper is another thing that someone else cannot do for you. You will have to partake of the Lord’s Supper yourself for it to have meaning in your life. 

There are other things in the Christian life that others can do for you, but you are the one primarily responsible for doing them. Prayer is an example. Jesus tells His disciples, “Watch and pray, lest YOU enter into temptation.” We know that Jesus Himself was praying for His disciples, but the disciples themselves still are told to pray for themselves. Philippians 4:6 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let YOUR requests be made known to God.” “Let YOUR requests be made known” makes it clear that you should be praying personally about everything in your life that makes you “anxious.” Even though, your pastor or other prayer warriors are praying about situations in your life that does not mean that you are not to pray yourself.  

Studying God’s Word is something you must also do yourself (2 Timothy 3:16), however you can benefit from others who have studied the Scriptures, through their sermons, and writings. Others can witness to your relatives and friends, but this does not remove the primary responsibility for sharing the Gospel with them from you (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8). Jesus tells us that the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few (Matthew 9:37-38). Maybe the workers are few because we expect others to do what we should be doing ourselves? Sometimes you have to do it yourself.