The sin of neglect is one of the greatest of the spiritual problems that affect Christians in our time.

Christ has called us to the intense, consistent, lifelong seeking of the Kingdom of God. What is our response?

And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. (Luke 14:18-20)

"Please excuse me, Lord. I must take care of my ground, my oxen, and my wife."

The master of the house did not accept these excuses. Like Moses he became very angry. And well he should have!

God always will help us provide properly for our ground, our oxen, and our wife. But He expects us to place the seeking of His Person and will as the number one priority and interest of our life.

When the King invites us to participate in some aspect of the work of His Kingdom we are not to make excuses. No excuse will be accepted. Either we love Him above all or else we love our "cattle." Where is our heart?

The sin of fornication is a great contemporary evil. Lying, stealing, and drunkenness are on the rise in many nations.

But not entering spiritual warfare and not pressing toward the mark of total union with the Bridegroom also are great sins in the sight of the Lord.

And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. (Luke 17:26,27)

It was "business as usual" until the last minute.

But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. (Luke 17:29)

The Christian who keeps himself morally clean but who does not take up his cross each day and follow Christ into the Kingdom is guilty of sin in the sight of God. He or she has "sinned against the Lord" by neglecting to serve the Lord fervently. We can be sure the sin of neglect will be judged in the Day of the Lord, if not before. That individual will not prosper in spiritual riches.

If we are willing to go forth and help all the members of the Body of Christ as they struggle to enter their own inheritances, they then will be able to enter the rest of the Lord's perfect will that we ourselves have found. But if we are not willing to be ground in the mill of Divine service we will lose our own position with the Lord.

As soon as each saint has gained his inheritance, then we can all return together to our own inheritance and enjoy it for eternity.

And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the Lord to war, And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the Lord, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him, And the land be subdued before the Lord: then afterward ye shall return, and be guiltless before the Lord, and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the Lord. But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out. (Numbers 32:20-23) (from God or Cattle?; from Kingdom Instruction From the Book of Joshua)