Welcome back to a new week on the podcast. We have a question today about the weight of personal accountability that we carry for what we know of God's word. It's a short and brief question sent to us from a listener named Kerry in New Mexico. Pastor John, hello. Can you tell me if Jesus is directing his rather harsh words in Luke chapter 12, verses 47 and 48 to Christians or to non-Christians?

I cannot make sense of the context myself. Well the way Kerry puts the question is just a little bit tricky because the parable that Jesus just told, he told to Christian disciples. But the outcome of the parable refers to people who I think are proved not to be Christian disciples.

So here's, let me just read it and comment as I go so that'll make sense. Peter said, "Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?" He just told it to them. The Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager whom his master will set over his household to give them their portion of food at the proper time?" Pause.

In other words, this parable will help you, Peter, know whether you are faithful and wise or unfaithful. In other words, he's saying, "Does this apply to us or everybody?" And he's saying, "Do you fit? Do you fit? I mean, if the shoe fits, wear it, Peter." So he keeps going.

"Blessed, blessed." Now that's what we want to be. We don't want to be cursed. "Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly I say to you, he will set himself, he will set him over possessions. But if that servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed in coming and begins to beat the male and female servants and to eat and drink and get drunk,' the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and in an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him..." Here's the closest thing to a direct answer to Cary's question.

"And will put him with the unfaithful." So that's the closest thing to a direct answer to her question. The servant who uses his role in the Christian church under the guise of steward or deacon or overseer or pastor or you, whatever you call it, who uses his position and acts selfishly and cruelly, abusively, contrary to the master's wishes, will be put with the unfaithful.

Doesn't matter how many professions of faith he's made. Doesn't matter how many people he led to Christ. Doesn't matter how orthodox he is. He's going to hell. That's what Jesus is saying. You will be put with the unfaithful and cut to pieces. And now here comes the verse that she's asking about.

Verse 47, "And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will will receive a severe beating. But the one who does not know, did not know, and did what deserved a beating," notice those words, very important, they still did what deserved, deserved a beating, "they will receive a light punishment." They will receive a light beating.

"Everyone to whom much is given, of him much will be required. And from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more." So my answer to Carrie's question is that the parable is spoken to followers of Jesus, but the reason it is spoken to them is to warn them that if they turn their back on their master and start using their reputed role as his servants to act selfishly and abuse those in their charge, he will put their lot with unbelievers.

And among that group, not all will get the same punishment. That's what she's asking about. Those are unbelievers, I think, that he's talking about who will not get the same punishment. The principle will hold, "To whom much is given, much will be required," and which, in this context, means the more knowledge you have of God's will, the more you are accountable for doing it.

Now, just a few closing thoughts of application. I think this text carries a huge implication for understanding the justice of God in dealing with people around the world, some of whom know God only through natural revelation rather than any gospel witness. They've never heard the gospel. And Romans 1, 18 to 23, says that every human being has enough knowledge of God to be held accountable before him at the judgment day.

But oh, how much more knowledge and more accountability there is for those who have sat under the gospel, maybe even in the pastoral ministry, for years and years and yet have not believed or have not acted in faithfulness on the gospel. Whenever people ask me, "What about those who've never heard the gospel?" My answer, based partly on Luke 12, these very verses, is that no one will be judged for not obeying revelation they did not have.

We will all be judged according to the knowledge of the truth we have access to, and all of us, every human being on the planet, have access, Paul says in Romans 1, to the knowledge of God that he is to be thanked and that he is to be glorified with all the implications that carries.

One more word that seems related. Even though believers in Christ, because our sins are covered by the death of Christ, are not punished by God at the judgment, nevertheless, there is a kind of what Paul calls suffering loss if our lives have been devoted in some measure to false teachings and false ways.

Here's the verse, 1 Corinthians 3:14, "If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire." So I suspect that even though Christ has borne the punishment of all the sins of all believers, nevertheless, this principle of greater or lesser blessing according to how we have handled the revelation available to us applies to believers also.

Sobering. There's a huge weight of accountability that we all bear for what we know. Thank you, Pastor John, for that explanation from the text, and thank you for listening and making the podcast part of your week. You can subscribe to our audio feeds and search our past episodes in our archive.

You can read this by email with a question of your own, even questions that relate to things that you read in the Bible that don't quite make sense to you. You can do all that through our online home at desiringgod.org/askpastorjohn. Well the New Testament is amazingly clear that we are living in the end times.

The last chapter of redemptive history, the new creation has been inaugurated. And one of the theologians who most helped many of us come to grips with this reality is a former professor of John Piper's. And when we return on Wednesday, we're going to talk about George Eldon Ladd and his legacy.

It's going to be a really interesting look back at a historical influence on John Piper's life and legacy that you won't want to miss. I'm your host Tony Renke. Thanks for listening to the Ask Pastor John podcast, and we will see you on Wednesday.