An exploit is to take advantage of or to act meanly or unjustly for one’s own advantage. Did Christ teach His followers to scheme to get ahead? No! Galatians 6:7, 8 states, “Do not be deceived. . . whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the spirit shall from the spirit reap eternal life.”
Doing exploits, scheming and plotting to get our own way is sowing to the flesh—something the Christian is not supposed to do as demonstrated in the above scripture. God and Jesus want us to have our mind and heart set on things above, not on things of this earth (Colossians 3:2). Jesus did not come to this earth to accumulate wealth or to get his own way. Jesus never lied, not even to further his own cause. He came to learn first-hand of man’s experiences, to preach the gospel to mankind and find followers that would be likeminded, and to die on the cross to redeem all mankind. As an adult, Jesus did not amass wealth, buy a house, find a wife and start a family. He stayed with friends and family when he was in town. He had no material possessions to call his own (Matthew 8:20).
Jesus specifically tells us in Matthew 16:24, “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” This statement is the complete opposite of doing exploits, or scheming and plotting to get our own way. If the scheming behavior is what we want to do, then we are disobeying the Lord. Schemers should not call themselves Christians because they are not following Christ.
Additional Resource:
Christian Questions Podcast
Blog: What does “Cross-Bearing” Mean?
