|
"Therefore 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, who has 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" 2 Timothy 1:8,9
One of the spiritual blessings of God is the calling He has on our lives. This calling is HOLY because the Caller is holy. We should never take this calling for granted because we are called with a holy calling. The Word of God states we are not called according to our own works, but according to God's own purpose and grace. (2 Timothy 1:9) That means God's calling on our lives is a part of His will for our lives.
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
Jesus said, "without Me you can do nothing". In order to fulfill His will, we must be lead and governed by Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Ghost. We must also conduct ourselves according to the written Word of God. Our ability to perform our calling is one of the manifestations of the grace of God in our lives. We are saved by grace, but we are also given gifts or abilities by that same grace.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the grace of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10
Regardless of what our individual calling is, the ultimate purpose is service to others. Therefore, we are called to serve the needs of others.
“But Jesus called them to Himself and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you, but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave. Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:25-28
What are you doing with the calling God gave you? Are you exercising it to the best of your ability? Are you exercising your calling to the glory of God? Or are you burying your calling as did the slothful servant? When Jesus comes again, He will want to know what we did with our callings.
“Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed, and I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. Therefore, take the talent from him and give it to him who has ten talents. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he had will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 25:24-30
“Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body; according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror off the Lord; we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your conscience.” 2 Corinthians 5:9-11
God is a holy God. He called us with a holy calling. When we do what He called us to do, that makes us a holy people.
“And the Lord said, ‘Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their potion of food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. But if that servant says in his heart, My master is delaying his coming, and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant who knew his master’s will and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.” Luke 12:42-48
|
