Walk Worthy of Your Calling

It all begins with the message of the cross. Paul said, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Cor. 1:18). Then he added: "It pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Cor. 1:21b-24).

Then Paul went on to state exactly who God calls: "For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—that, as it is written, 'He who glories, let him glory in the Lord'" (1 Cor. 1:26-31).

Give glory to the Lord because He chose you. You are not deserving of what God has given you in any way. Still God chose you and called you to Himself. He calls sinners to repentance and faith, and to justification and salvation. He calls saints to be sanctified and holy, to be fearless and faithful, to be an encourager, to serve and minister, and to persevere. One day He will even call His people home to heaven.

Jesus shed His precious blood and died on the cross for you, for your forgiveness, for your salvation. If you were the only person in the world, Jesus still would have come and died for you. He loves you that much. As a believer, He has called you to live a life of righteousness in Him.

While in prison in Rome, Paul wrote, "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called" (Eph. 4:1). God has called you to repentance and salvation. God has called you to a life of faith and sanctification, becoming conformed to the image of Christ. "Walk worthy of the calling with which you were called" (v. 1b). Live your life for Jesus. Follow His call wherever it leads. Walk in the power of the Spirit and fulfill God’s purpose for your life. Amen.

Grow in the Likeness of Christ

In 2 Peter 1:3-4, Peter reveals still more about God's call on the life of all true believers: "His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

By His power, God has given us everything we need to live our life in the likeness of Christ. Everything we need to conform to the image of Christ comes through knowing the Lord. Pursue the knowledge of God and you will not be lacking in any way.

The knowledge of God comes through His Word. Study the Scriptures, get to know the Word, and you will come to know God. The Bible is our guide to life. It teaches us the way we should go. "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths" (Prov. 3:5-6).

The Lord even provides leaders to teach us His Word: "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:11-13).

Our pastors and teachers train us in our "work of ministry" (v. 12a), our “work of service” (NASB), and in the use of our spiritual gifts. They help us to know Christ better, enabling us to be more like Him.

God has "called us by His own glory and excellence" (2 Peter 1:3b, NASB) into a life of godliness, and in Christ He has given us "exceedingly great and precious promises" (v. 4a). Through these promises we become "partakers of the divine nature" (v. 4b). "Divine nature" (v. 4b) refers to what comes from God, who He is and how He handles things. "Partakers" (v. 4b) means to have something in common. It refers to believers being partners with God, becoming like Jesus in our basic character and how we handle the things in life.

Considering this, Peter urges all diligence in our growing up into Christ: "Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins" (2 Peter 1:5-9; NASB).

Do these things and you will grow in the knowledge of Christ and in the likeness of Christ. In this way, you are to "be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:10-11). Amen.

Called Out of the World

It may help us understand God's call on our lives if we take a closer look at that time when God called Abraham out of the world and into a new land that God would show him. He was the first person in Scripture to be called out of the world by God. Abel lived by faith and died for his faith (Gen. 4:3-8). Enoch walked by faith and was taken into heaven without passing through death because of his faith: "Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him" (Gen. 5:24). But it was Abraham who was the first to be "called" by God in Scripture.

It was all a matter of timing. When the time was right, when the world had again strayed far away from God and the things of God, He acted. God called Abraham out of the world. It was time. It had to take place to preserve a people for Himself. If God had waited any longer the world may have been right back where it was before the flood of Noah, another man who lived a life that was righteous (Gen. 7:1). Abraham was set apart by the call of God to leave the old world, his old life behind, and go to a new land that God would show him, where he would live a new life with God (Gen. 12:1-3).

The principles God set in motion with the call of Abraham are still in operation today. We too are called to depart from the ways of the world and be separate from it, set apart for God. "Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord" (2 Cor. 6:17a). But when we separate ourselves from the world, we do not enter a void. God calls us out of the world and into a new land, a whole new life lived in the love, holiness, wisdom, and power of God. It is a new life that God gives us—a life lived by faith in Christ. It is to that life that all believers are called by God.

That means your life will never be the same. Abraham responded to God's call, went out from the world, and followed God. His life changed. Nothing was ever the same again. Slowly he became the man of God he was meant to be. We too need to recognize that, as believers, God calls us to a new life of godliness. Like Abraham, we need to go and follow Jesus into that new life, a life lived by faith in Christ. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 it says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." Amen.

God's Calling Rests on All Believers

The Apostle Paul told the church in Rome that God's calling rests on all believers in Christ: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified" (Rom. 8:28-30).

All believers are referred to as "the called" (v. 28b) and are given a special promise—God will turn "all things" (v. 28a) into good "according to His purpose" (v. 28b). Though verse 28 is about God working out His purpose in our lives, one main thought is that all believers are "the called." (v. 28b). God "foreknew" (v. 29a) and "predestined" (v. 29a) all who are born again "to be conformed to the image of His Son" (v. 29a), or to become like Jesus. We are all then "called" (v. 30a) and "justified" (v. 30b) and "glorified" (v. 30c).

The Greek word "called" (vv. 28b, 30a) means to be invited or summoned. God calls those who are the elect out of their slavery to sin and summons them to a new life in Christ. God calls His elect out of the darkness of a sinful world and into the light of His blessing. He calls us out of the world to save us and make us holy. He calls us to bring us into a loving, serving relationship with Himself.

We can see from this, that all who trust in Christ for salvation have the call of God on their life. Every believer is called by God so that he might enjoy all the benefits of redemption. Every believer is called to be saved. Every believer is called to be "conformed to the image" of the Savior, Jesus Christ (v. 29a). Every believer is called to fellowship with Him in heaven forever. Amen.

God's Call on Your Life

Survey the Scriptures, beginning in Genesis and continuing all the way through Revelation, and you will soon realize that God's call is on every believer's life. It is common to hear preachers speak about God's special call on their life to make a fulltime profession of ministry. But the Bible tells us that all who confess Jesus as Lord, all true believers in Christ are "called… with a holy calling" (2 Tim. 1:9).

Take a close look at that verse, 2 Timothy 1:9, because it is one of several key verses concerning God's call on your life, first as a sinner called to salvation, and then as a sinner saved by grace called to holy living. The context is Paul's challenge to Timothy not to be ashamed of the gospel of Christ. In verse eight he says, "Do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God." Not only are we not to be ashamed of the gospel, but we are to understand and accept the fact that we will suffer for the sake of the gospel. We are to further understand that God will see us through that suffering by His own power.

In verse 9, Paul points out that, by His power, God has both "saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began." "Before time began," before anything or anyone was even created, God chose to save you from the judgment and from eternal separation from God. "Before time began," before anything or anyone was even created, God chose to call you to a life of holiness. Now our salvation and calling have "been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (v. 10).

This side of creation, in Christ, sin and death have been defeated at the cross and the empty tomb. In its place, we have been given both life and immortality. In Christ, we have been given the ability to live a life that is holy, a life of righteousness. In Christ, we have also been given life eternal, a life lived in heaven with Jesus forever. And it is all made possible through the gospel of Christ, which we believe with all our heart and for which we suffer with Christ.

Basically, Paul told Timothy that God calls every true believer to a new and different life. God is calling us to a life lived by faith in the Son of God, a life lived in the power of the Spirit. God "called you in the grace of Christ" (Gal. 1:6), and by His grace He has set you apart to live for Christ. The changed life, which is true Christianity, is part of the calling of God on the life of the believer. Follow God's call on your life and live for Him. Amen.

Righteous Living

Proverbs 13:6 says, "Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless, But wickedness overthrows the sinner." We begin by looking at a few key words as defined by the original Hebrew language: "Righteousness" ( v. 6a) refers to a desire to do right, or upright living. It has to do with living rightly before God. As such "righteousness" (v. 6a), as well as throughout Proverbs, is portrayed as a friend. "Wickedness" (v. 6b), on the other hand, is seen as an enemy. Wickedness seeks to hurt us, while righteousness helps.

"Guards" (v. 6a) has to do with protecting or preserving. "Blameless" (v. 6a) is the word for "integrity," and refers to moral wholeness, or the idea of being without moral blemish. "Overthrows" (v. 6b) means "to turn upside down" or "to overthrow." "Overthrow" is the best translation here.

"Wickedness" (v. 6b) is the opposite of "righteousness" (v. 6a), and refers to anything but living an upright life before God. Rather, it refers directly to a life in rebellion against God. "Sinners" (v. 6b) is obvious, referring to all who are godless.

Note again Proverbs 13:6, "Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless, But wickedness overthrows the sinner." When you have an honest desire to do right and walk in the way of righteousness, your blameless life of integrity will guard you or keep you from fatal mistakes. God watches over the righteous and protects you along life's way.

The wicked, on the other hand, have no such protection from God. The sinner who lives a life of godlessness, from which the love for sin comes forth, will be overthrown or brought down to destruction. The sin with which they rebel against God becomes the snare that catches them and brings them down.

Only a righteous, blameless life will be guarded and blessed by God. Let Jesus help you live uprightly begore God and you will find blessing and strength for the day. Amen.

God's Unfailing Love

Psalm 13, a short psalm of just six verses, was probably written during those tough years of exile when Saul and his army pursued David, seeking his life. David fled before Saul, even confessing to his friend Jonathan, Saul's son, "there is but a step between me and death" (1 Sam. 20:3b). David seems to question why God wasn't judging Saul for doing evil, and yet David, while doing good, felt abandoned by the Lord.

The psalm begins with an oh so familiar line: "How long?" (Psalm 13:1a). "How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?" (vv. 1-2). How often we too question the Lord: "Why Lord? Why me? Why has this calamity come upon me?"

Such questions are perfectly good to ask when your heart is right with God. The martyred saints in heaven even ask a similar question: "And they cried with a loud voice, saying, 'How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?'" (Rev. 6:10). Like David, when trouble arises and we pray for help, but it seems that no help comes, we feel as though our God has deserted us. Simply put, we feel abandoned. We feel like God no longer looks upon us with favor.

David tried devising various schemes to help him overcome the enemy, but all were to no avail. None of them satisfied him. After some time of great struggle, David learned to trust God in all circumstances, and he declared: "My times are in Your hand; Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me" (Psalm 31:15).

We, too, need to quit scheming and trying to devise our own way forward. We, too, need to learn the same lesson David learned and trust the Lord and rely on Him in all circumstances in life. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths."

Not only did David seek peace within, that he would trust God in all things, but he also prayed for protection from his enemies. He made three requests: (1) "Consider" (Psalm 13:3a) or "Look on me" (NIV); (2) "hear me" (v. 3a) or "answer" (NIV); and (3) "Enlighten my eyes" (v. 3b) or "Give light to my eyes" (NIV). Feeling abandoned, as though God hid His face from him, David prayed that God would again turn His face toward him, fix His eyes on him, and examine him closely. He prayed that the Lord would answer by sending encouragement to him. He prayed for spiritual insight, as well as physical and mental strength and energy. In similar circumstances we should pray in like manner.

Remember, throughout this whole time David daily faced the possibility of death: "Lest I sleep the sleep of death" (v. 3c). David's main concern was the glory of God. David was chosen by God and anointed king, so if he failed God would be ridiculed, "and my enemy will say, 'I have overcome him,' and my foes will rejoice when I fall" (v. 4, NIV). "Fall" (v. 4c, NIV) or "moved" (NKJV) means “to waver, to be agitated, to totter and shake” (Wiersbe, W. W. [2004], Be Worshipful [1st ed., 57], Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries). If David were to waver, the people of Israel might think God was incapable of fulfilling His promises.

So David confirmed his faith: "But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation" (v. 5). "But" (v. 5a) introduces a transition. Instead of fear, David exuded faith. Instead of questioning, David was claiming God's promises. "Mercy" (v. 5a) could be translated "steadfast love" (ESV) or "unfailing love" (NIV). God's unfailing love was all that David needed. It led to rejoicing in his "heart" for "salvation" (v. 5b).

It also put a song of praise on his lips: "I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me" (v. 6). "Bountifully" (v. 6b) refers to God's goodness or His generosity in dealing with His people in grace. The NIV says literally, "for he has been good to me" (v. 6b). David's circumstances were the same but he wasn't. God had changed him. When he stopped focusing on his inward feelings and his outward foes, and began to trust the Lord and to look to Him by faith, the Lord took hold of him and changed him.

The message should be clear. Stop focusing on your inward feelings and your outward foes. Rather, look to the Lord by faith and put your trust in Him. The Lord will take hold of you and change you. He will bless you bountifully in His grace and He will make you more like Jesus. Amen.