John the Baptist was calling Israelites to repent of their sins because their Messiah-King was moving in and out among them, for the kingdom of God was very near.
Willing Service
At the age of 12, Jesus had understood that He must be about His Father’s business – and His willingness to labour at the wooden bench of His earthly father demonstrates a determination to complete the eternal business of His heavenly Father’s calling.
As babes in Christ we are left for a season in the old surroundings, because the time is not yet ripe for us to know our high calling, and the discipline needed for the heirs of God.
Let us remember that circumstances are planned by Him to fit us for the calling He has in view for each of us, in the economy of His purpose.
If we have the Lord Jesus Christ risen and in heaven as our Object, we shall prove the power of His resurrection, not only in lifting us up when we are conscious of our exceeding short-comings, but in strengthening us to press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus' (Phil. 3:14).
Worthy of our Calling
We are to exercise the gifts God has given to each of us in the place He has put us. We are to minister to one another, edifying each other and speaking the truth in love. We are to walk in a manner that is worthy of the calling with which we are called, with all humility, gentleness, patience, and tolerance for one another – in love. And this will keep us from being tossed about by every wind of doctrine.
The church has a heavenly calling and we are Christ’s companions in this heavenly role.
Heirs of God
Like Israel, we have a holy calling to be the little flock of our heavenly bridegroom. We have become the temple of the Holy Spirit, heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. We were bought with the precious blood of Christ, Who became our Passover Lamb. We are to be holy, for God is Holy and we are to be separated to our holy cause – for it is written, be ye holy; for I am holy 1 Peter 1:16.
Israel Restored
Israel was called and chosen and sadly they failed – but in His love and grace, Israel will be restored to her earthly calling as God’s people.
Jeremiah 31:31 – for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance – they are irrevocable.
Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her… that He might present the church to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing” Ephesians 5:25,27 Knowing that Christ loves the church so dearly – let us hold fast to our calling.
Example of Nature
As as we gaze upon His loveliness and inhale the perfume of His person; the eyes of our our understanding are enlightened; the hope of our calling becomes secured; the riches of His splendour and His exceeding greatness becomes our reality – and the wonders of the glory of His inheritance in us is recognised and accepted as truth.
I have seen the Lord, and I am seeing more and more of what the Lord is, and this is creating in me this great imperative. 'This one thing I do, leaving the things which are behind, I press on toward the mark of the prize of the on-high calling.' So we do not say, Change your system.
Give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if you do these things, ye shall never fall.2 Peter 1:10
Spiritual Maturity
We are exhorted on many occasions to be maturely established in the faith. We are encouraged to press on to the high calling of Christ. We are entreated to gain spiritual perception and godly discernment. We are enjoined to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus.
High Calling
My work and ministry is worth nothing unless sanctified in Him. For all my work and ministering is as filthy rags in my own, immature state.
Sadly, there are many kind-hearted saints that pathetically lack maturity, Let us not criticise their ‘lack’ nor commend our ‘spirituality’! But let us earnestly and steadfastly press towards the high calling of God, which is Christ in you the hope of glory Colossians 1:27
It is a part of the calling of saints to show men how to suffer: how, even in the midst of the hard and bitter experiences of life, the Lord Jesus is sufficient to give joy and comfort. -H.F.
Accept the staggering truth contained within the following astonishing verses. The eyes of your understanding are being enlightened; that ye may know what is the Hope of His calling, and what are the Riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints (and that includes you – beloved child of God), according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places. Ephesians 1:18-20
Companions of this heavenly calling and of Christ will go into the hard school and have to learn many hard lessons, but in learning them they will come to understand how great is their inheritance in the Lord Jesus.
All that was ever intended by God concerning Israel and was lost by them, is carried on in the Lord Jesus, and then transferred by Him to His companions and the companions of the heavenly calling the new Israel, which is spiritual.
One day may we all hear those precious words: Enter into the joy of your Lord, Matthew 25:21– demonstrating that we have been obedient to our calling and honouring to our Lord.
I shall discover that as I travel along the path of His calling, all distractions must yield to Him, and that like Him, I must steadfastly set my face as a flint, toward the goal of my calling.
Eternal Calling
Everyone that is born from above is called according to the purpose of God. Every believer has a calling; an eternal calling – a great purpose in time and eternity, and God’s purpose is entwined and interlinked with Christ – Who is to be all in all.
National Repentance
Peter is seen calling men of Israel around the world to repent of their sins, and a policy of excluding Gentiles persisted in these first few chapters of Acts. Israel were God’s people who had strayed far from their God – so they were to repent. Down through the centuries prophet after prophet called Israel to turn from their sins.
Final Prophet of Israel
John the Baptist was the final prophet calling for national repentance..
High Calling
The new man in Christ will be the one trusted to enter the spiritual battle.
Oh, what lessons there are for all to learn, who also travel the believer’s path in this world, as we accept the deep and unanswerable questions in our lives, and press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Christian Challenge
And Paul reminds us how we are to live each day of this life: brethren, he writes, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Phil.3:13, and THEN comes the challenge: therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind. Philippians 3:13ff
To know the Lord Jesus is to love Him; and to love Him is to insist on being with Him; to press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:14).
A name so inspiringly magnificent: for He shall save His people from their sins. A name so spectacularly awesome that it communicates His blessed calling; a name so stunningly majestic that at His name every knee will humbly bow – a name so astonishingly breathtaking and yet He chose me to be His bride.
as John the Baptist was calling the nation to repentance? Where was Jesus when the Baptiser stormed onto Israel’s tranquil wilderness scene? What was Christ doing when John began proclaiming his challenging message? Where was Jesus when John crashed onto the scene dressed in coarse camel hair – and with a leather belt tied round his waist – eating locusts and wild honey?
Call To Repent
John the Baptist’s call for repentance was a particular call to a particular group of people at a particular time and for a particular purpose – he was calling for national Israel to turn away from their proud, hypocritical, fleshly, religious ways, back to the God of Israel – because the time of God’s promised Messiah had arrived. John had been chosen as the appointed herald of the Jewish Messiah..
Your Calling
What is your calling? What is the work to which you have been called?
God is calling out of the gentiles a people for His name..
God is calling out of the gentiles a people for His name..
Faithful Servants
God is calling out of the gentiles a people for His name..
God is calling out of the gentiles a people for His name..
An Example
Paul who throughout his life spread the gospel in every part of the known world, reached toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. He wrote…. I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind I reach forward to those things which are ahead.
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Our Intercessor
The writer to the Hebrews reminds us, therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and HIGH PRIEST of our confession, Christ Jesus… Who ever liveth to make intercession for us.
Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began (2 Tim. 1:9).
But when the situation is created by a great deal being expected of us, by demands being made upon our generosity, our kindness, calling for an almost inexhaustible fund of patience, and the letting go of personal feeling; when really the main issue in the crisis is this I am being imposed upon: too much is being expected of me: I am treated as a servant that is where we are found out.
The really heavenly man must be in a scene like this the most dependent man; and whenever anyone learns his heavenly calling truly, and walks according to it conscientiously, he ever finds that new circumstances or trials occur, to keep him dependent; so that the truly heavenly man is the best wilderness man.
Equally Precious
And like these saints of old, we too have a calling and commission from Him. It did not come in form or a burning bush nor a vision of the throne-room of God..
Once the Holy Spirit instills within our hearts the hunger for God's very best, all must and will become secondary to this supreme goal: . . .the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:14).
Favoured Position
This is indeed a highly favoured position; an honour bestowed; a high and holy calling.
Not so much a distinctive character of the calling, the mystery, which is His body – but a special feature and fact of the overwhelming nature and purpose of grace - That we should be holy..
Calling of Church
What is the calling of the Church..
Well – the calling of the 'saints' was for a purpose: that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. Eph.1:4
Great Salvation
We are to know more fully the vast extent of the hope of His calling.. a hope that Paul spilled out like a casket of jewels in the verses that went before.. a great hope that is not yet fully realised in our experience until the day of Christ..
Spiritual Freedom
Paul prayed that the church would be given spiritual wisdom and godly insight. He wanted all believers to be able to remain confident in the hope of their calling. He did not want them to be tossed hither and thither by every wind of doctrine – but to know the truth of their union with Christ – for that truth will set us free.
We are spiritually both in the wilderness and in Canaan; we are partakers on earth of the heavenly calling, and we are seated in Christ in the heavenly places.
Constant Onslaught
It is a cruel attempt to scupper Christians from fulfilling their calling, and this war of the ages is far more subtle and wily than any physical fight.
And it is always on the ground of where we already are, and what we already are, and what we already have, that the Holy Spirit shows us our blessed privileges and responsibilities of the calling wherewith we are called.' -W.R.N.
It is just as much your privilege to behold Christ as any man's in this universe, and, that being so, it is just as much your calling to minister what you see in Christ to others.
Christian Call
Being a believer in the Lord Jesus is not a popular calling. The true Christian soon discovers his lot is no easy option, for Christ was crucified by the world, and the world loves the Lord of Life no more today than it did 2000 years ago. His pure standards are different and shunned by the masses. His Godly objectives are counter to the self-seeking nature, and despised – despised and rejected of men, and so He became acquainted with grief. While men of the world serve themselves and please their selfish selves.
Am I to embrace the shame and reproach that accompanies this separation, and to be labelled as dull and old-fashioned – unsociable and a fool? Am I to be so true to my calling, with unsullied witness and purity of heart, that I discover myself to be a marked man, a marked woman – a Christian?
Sufficiency of Christ
What a clear message to us who long to live a life that is worthy of our calling, What a realisation - that our practical necessities cause us to appropriate God’s word.
He wrote half of it about the heavenlies, then, without breaking it into chapters, he went straight on with his letter: ... beseech you to walk worthily of the calling wherewith ye were called,and then husbands, wives, children, parents, masters, mistresses, servants that is coming down to the kitchen, bringing the glory of heaven with you.
Yet conversely, Paul gave strict instructions to be rooted and grounded in Christ – not tossed hither and thither by every whim or fancy teaching, calling itself truth that we should no longer be children: tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lay in wait to deceive.
You will always find people coming in when there is blessing, not because they have God's end in view, but because a realm of blessing means personal good.... The Lord is calling us on to the fullness of Christ, and sometimes on the way He may let us see the working of His power, that He is with us.
God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus.... (2 Timothy 1:9 ESV)
Further, it is distinctly shown that believers are called according to His purpose, and that they are to make their calling and election sure.
Trust His Word
Worry can also mean: I do not believe that God can keep His promises to care for me. It’s casting doubt on the truth of God’s word – it’s unbelief in His promised provision. When worry is taken to its final conclusion – worry is effectively calling God “a liar!!” But He is our strength and stay.
work that is often couched in the terms of ‘Vocation’; ‘Calling’; ‘Evangelism’… service that is often dependent on senses; intellect; emotions – the external appeal – labour designed to satiates the tickled ear, the straying eye, the emotional high.
and yet – He has been calling to us through the doorbell and the telephone call – the email and the supermarket line, the traffic jam and the crying child.
I urge you to live in a way that is worthy of the calling to which you have been called,Ephesians 4:1
Our Position in Christ
I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
Ephesians 4:1 (NIV) I urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received.
Unity of the Spirit
But how is a believer to walk worthy without striving – without our own self-effort? How are we to live a life that is worthy of the calling wherewith we have been called? Well, Paul tells us in the next verse of Ephesians chapter 4.
It is by yielding to the Spirit that we walk worthy of the calling we have received, and we are to strive to yield to the Spirit and not live in submission to self.
A Worthy Calling
Our initial salvation when we were born again is a gift of grace – received by faith. Our Christian walk as we grow in grace is also a gift of grace – received by faith. And as we grow in grace and in a knowledge of Him, so we will reflect our Lord – and we will walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called.
Prophet to Israel
In the gospels we read that John was sent by God as a witness, to testify about Christ – the Light that was sent into the world, so that all might believe through Him. John was sent to Israel to herald their King Messiah, and he called for repentance. Israel believed in God, but had wandered far from Him and become very apostate. For centuries many prophets were sent to Israel calling the nation to repentance and being washed in water was the outward sign of a repentant or changed heart.
Fretting over closed doors is foolishness and can rob you of today’s calling.
And He will in His kindness and favour place the future into blessed perspective – as you press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God – in Christ Jesus.
Witness to Jews
The Baptist’s message in Matthew was one of judgement that called for penitence. He is calling for all Israel to repent of their sins – to turn to God and His Messiah. The lost sheep of Israel were to bring forth the fruit – which called for repentance.
But Paul also wanted to comfort, encourage and edify these believers - and so often we find that this is done by calling to remembrance all the wonderful things that God has done for us - and anticipating all the wonderful things that God has in store for the future.
Once we are justified and placed in the family of God, we are called by our Father to sanctification, which is a lifelong process in which we press on towards the goal of our heavenly calling so that we may gain the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
In some of his writings, Paul had to stress his divinely appointed calling and apostleship because there were those that challenged his authority, but the Ephesian Christians were spiritual men and women whom Paul identified as, faithful in Christ Jesus.
Peter was calling them, and us, to love others as Christ loved us - with a sacrificial love, that can only come from a heart that has been saved by grace through faith in Christ - a heart that is in fellowship with the Father, through a cleansed heart that is walking in spirit, and in obedience to the truth.
Moses was a faithful servant who was obedient to his earthly calling to Israel, while the Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son: He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.The work that was carried out by Moses, the servant of God, was simply a dim representation of Christ, the eternal Creator Who is seated in heavenly places and Who is functioning as Son over God's whole House.In every respect, the status and position of Christ is far superior to Moses, who simply testified of the Saviour Who was to come.
No surprise, therefore, that Satan seeks to destroy the nation of Israel, to prevent them from calling on the name of the Lord which would prevent Christ from fulfilling this prophecy of His return.
and may we never allow wrong motives or fleshly attitudes to influence the calling that God has laid on each one of our lives - rather let us rejoice that the good news of God is being proclaimed to lost souls who need to hear the glorious gospel of Salvation - by grace through faith in Christ.
David authored this majestic Psalm, calling on mighty men of the earth and great heavenly beings, to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness and ascribe to Him the honour and glory He is due.
Following his calling and commission by God, the first few chapters of Jeremiah's public ministry is a long, prophetic sermon that remonstrates against Judah's wilful apostasy.
Although the Lord warned Jeremiah that the people would not listen to his words, remember their covenant with God, or return to the old ways of righteousness, this weeping prophet was faithful to his calling: Thus says the LORD, he declared, Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you will find rest for your souls.
We are not called to walk the same ancient path to which Israel was called, but we are required to be faithful to our calling, to walk in spirit and truth as outlined in the Word of God, to grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to mature in the faith that we have been taught.
Titus accompanied Paul on some of his missionary journeys, partnered with him in spreading the work of the gospel in various cities, was entrusted with several sensitive ministry responsibilities, and even accompanied him to Jerusalem when Paul went-up to explain to the apostles there about his doctrine, his ministry, and his calling as Christ's apostle to the Gentiles.
Paul's wise advice is not to react too quickly, but to remain married, live godly in Christ Jesus, and allow the Lord to work out His plan in the midst of such a relationship.Naturally, being wed to an unbeliever can also cause significant clashes of interest and become seriously destructive within a marriage, and this is an issue that Paul deals with, later on in the chapter.But Paul is calling each believer to walk in accordance with the gifts and graces that have been given them in Christ Jesus, to live one's Christian life in the way the Lord has called them to live, knowing that each person is accountable for his or her own choices and individual conduct.As believers, we are all accountable to the Lord and will one day stand before Him to give an account of the way we conducted ourselves, within our marriages and in our wider relationships.
Wise counsel and spiritual encouragement is the calling-card of the friend that loves at all times, and loyalty, sensitivity, and a genuine interest in the other are the qualities of the brother that travels through adversity with us.
We should rejoice in our calling and our birth, our salvation, and our sanctification, knowing that death has been conquered, and we are kept by the power of God unto good works and words.
May we set our faces as a flint towards the goal of our calling so that we may mirror the attitude of the Lord Jesus, as we die to self and live for Christ - so that by God's grace, we may become a fruitful branch of our heavenly Vine.
The lamp of God had not yet gone out in the Temple, and three times, the Lord called out to the boy, before Eli realised that it must be the Lord Who was calling him in the night.
Eli had become 'spiritually impaired' and did not realise it was God Who was calling the boy so persistently, but finally he instructed Samuel to return to his bed and answer, Speak Lord, Your servant is listening.
We read how Jesus overturned the tables of the money changers, scattering their coins in many directions and that He commanded them to get out of His Father's House, calling this hive of mercenaries a den of thieves.
We are all called to minister, but no minister of God, no matter how distinguished his position or humble his calling, can glory in his own cleverness, nor should those who learn from the ministry of others, elevate the importance of one believer above another, for we are all one in Christ and we all have the same common benefits of being in Christ – we are all declaring God's established gospel, all are proclaiming the faith common to all believers.
For this reason, the Jews sought all the more to kill Jesus, as John records. He not only broke their Sabbath, but it meant that He was calling God His own Father, which made Himself equal with God.
We who have a heavenly calling are exhorted to set our thoughts upon the Lord Jesus because it is His name, His Person, and His sacrificial work that we confess in our hearts and proclaim with our mouths for the salvation of the soul.
And just as Moses faithfully built up the house of Israel, as instructed by the Lord, so Christ is faithful to His heavenly calling for He is building up His Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.
Moses was entrusted with every aspect of God's calling on Israel.
But He was also entrusted with every aspect of the salvation and the calling of the Church of God.
But God in His grace drew a beautiful comparison between Moses, who was faithful to his calling, and the Lord Jesus Christ - for like Christ Moses was also faithful in all his house.
May we who are called by His name, be faithful to our calling - however great or menial our task may be... for we are all members of Christ's Body and each has been given a unique role in the place where God has planted us and in the work of the ministry to which we have each been called.
Not only do we find Paul challenging the manipulation of the good news of Christ by legalists, liberalists, and gnostics alike, but he also identifies others who were jealous of his apostolic calling.
They were teaching the true gospel out of jealousy and resentment of God's unique calling upon Paul's life.
Those that resented Paul's apostolic calling and yet taught the true gospel message of Christ, were teaching the truth through hypocritical pretence rather than teaching the truth in love.
And although the gifts and calling are without repentance and the lost sheep of the house of Israel will one day be settled in the earthly Jerusalem enjoying the fruit of the land, His heavenly flock will reside in the heavenly kingdom, eating the fruit of the tree of life.
May we examine our Christian purpose in life, but be careful that we do not become so embroiled in setting to right the political and social scene in this fallen age, that we miss the true purpose of our calling and election.
May we be faithful in our calling and tell forth the good news that Christ died for our sin according to the Scriptures, was buried, and rose again according to the Scriptures.
The first twenty verses of Mark's Gospel catapult us through the tumultuous ministry of John the Baptist, Christ's baptism, His temptation in the wilderness, and the beginning of His public ministry, with the calling of His first disciples on the shore of the Galilee.
The Angel of the Lord even dislocated his thighbone, but Jacob held on tightly to his combatant and did prevail, calling out, I will not let You go unless You bless me.
An apostle is one who is sent... and in almost all of his epistles, Paul is very clear about the legitimacy of his calling, identifying himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ.
There are a great variety of gifts and ministries that are conferred on believers by the Holy Spirit, which are apportioned without favour or prejudice for God's gifts, as well as His calling, is irrevocable.
It was on the third day that God drew together that great mass of water to form the seas and oceans and separated this great body of water from the dry land, calling the majestic mountains from their watery depth into their permanent, stately positions.
In Paul's letter to Titus we are informed: God, cannot lie, while in Romans we read: The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
There can be no shadow of change in His decrees, for God is merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness; and the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
The promise given to Jacob that night, was made by the God of Israel, the Creator of the Universe Who neither slumbers nor sleeps, Whose Word is sure, Whose promises are guaranteed, Whose statutes are binding, and Whose covenants will never fail - for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
Should this not reassure us, knowing that His gifts and calling to the Church will also stand fast forever and ever, to his praise and glory, AMEN.
It is a great tribute to Abraham that Paul records that with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God... and we should seek to achieve an equivalent faith that stands firm on the promises of God.Not one of us should stagger at the Lord's promises within His Word, for what God has said He will carry out to completion, for God cannot lie and will never change His mind, and the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
Fallen humanity is placed in opposition with the One Who is high and lifted up, Whose glory fills the whole earth, Whose train fills the heavens and Who is surrounded by a host of six-winged seraphim, worshipping the Lord and calling to one another, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts.
At the darkest point in His life, Jesus set us a perfect example by calling to remembrance the goodness of His ever-faithful God by reciting the Scripture that met His deepest point of need.
In order to be worthy of our calling, we are to walk in humility of heart and gentleness of spirit, showing tolerance to one another and godly patience - as we walk in love, bear one another's burdens, and strive to preserve in the unity of the Spirit, in the bond of peace.
Paul goes on to list seven key elements of Christian unity in the verses 4 to 6, where we read There is ONE body and ONE Spirit, just as also you were called in ONE hope of your calling; ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism, ONE God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
Just as we have been saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, we have also been called into one hope of that calling - which is founded on the ONE Lord - Jesus Christ.
Unlike the rest of Christ's apostles who walked with Jesus throughout His earthly ministry, Paul was called to be God's apostle to the Gentiles following the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Ascension into heaven.Because of Paul's unusual calling and unique ministry, there were many who criticised his teaching and challenged his authority, which is why he so vigorously defended his calling and frequently made reference to the direct revelation he received from the Lord.Here in first Corinthians, Paul found it necessary to severely admonish the believers in Corinth for their disgraceful conduct which discredited the Lord, tarnished their witness, and rendered them carnal Christians and spiritual infants.The unruly disunity, riotous behaviour, greedy indulgence, and disregard for the needs of their brothers and sisters in Christ, was even displayed during the celebration of the Lord's Supper – which Paul had already taught was a time to reflect on the reality of Christ's sacrificial death, until His coming again.And so in this passage, Paul is preparing to criticise and correct the shocking behaviour of these carnally minded believers, by reminding them of his own unique calling and the direct revelation he received from the Lord, which had already been taught to them on an earlier occasion.He reminded them that he had been called personally by God, and delivered a specific message regarding the importance and seriousness of the Lord's Supper, which they were currently disregarding:For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, Paul reminded them, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and gave thanks, and broke it and said, 'This is My body, which is given for you – do this in remembrance of Me.'May we never forget the enormous price that was paid for our redemption, at the Cross.
We are directed, as the Body of Christ, to shine the light of Christ into the world with our godly conduct, so that throughout our Christian life we may walk worthy of our calling as 'children of the light'.
We should let the light of our 'new life in Christ' shine steadily in the darkness of this world so that all who see us will catch a glimpse of Christ reflected in our lives, and recognise our heavenly calling, giving praise to God, our Father of lights.
The first three chapters of Ephesians remind us of our position in Christ and the many promises and privileges that are ours in Him, while the last three call us to live responsible lives worthy of our calling, to walk as children of the light, and to function in spirit and truth as beloved children of God and fully fledged member of the Body of Christ.
And while there is much information of the devastating events that will take place in during that terrible time of devastating disaster - it is a book that reveals the Lord Jesus Christ to those who find themselves facing God's wrath - and those in the Tribulation who also read, hear, and heed the words of this prophecy by calling on the name of the Lord will also be blessed - for they too will be saved.
For three glorious chapters, Paul has been outlining the riches of God's grace towards His people, explaining our privileged position in Christ and reminding us of the love of God which passes all human understanding, before he implores us to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which we have been called, to the praise and glory of God the Father and our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Jesus was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and John the Baptist called upon Israel to repent nationally, turn from sin, follow their Messiah, and fulfil their original calling to tell the world of God.
At Pentecost, we once again discover the apostles calling on God's chosen nation, the men of Israel, to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ Who is God's Messiah, God's appointed Man, God's Servant.
Once again, the nation of Israel was being called on to repent nationally, turn from sin, follow their Messiah, and fulfil their original calling to tell the world of God's love, and grace, and His plan of salvation.
The calling of God is trustworthy and true, and the nation that God called to be His chosen people, will one day fulfil their calling to tell the world of God's love, and grace, and His plan of salvation.
The devil is a terrible adversary who prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, discredit, discourage, and disengage from their Christian calling.
Our character and conduct should reflect the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, for by His grace and through faith in Him, we have been given access into the throne-room of God.
There is a reason that Paul is calling those that are born of the Spirit to keep their hearts and minds focussed on heavenly things and not on earthy pursuits and interests.
But this Sabbath day healing was seen by the religious leaders of the Jews as breaking the Mosaic Law, and Christ's claim to be equal with the Father was considered blasphemy in their eyes: He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.
He came to the lost sheep of the house of Israel in fulfilment of Scripture, calling the entire nation to repent of their sin, return to the Lord, and trust Him as Saviour.
God in His grace gives Israel and the nations, the opportunity to be saved from His righteous wrath by calling on the name of the Lord... for we read that Whoever calls on the name of the LORD will be delivered.
May we fulfil our calling and become ministers of reconciliation between God and man so that some will turn from their wicked ways and trust in the Lord for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
He reminds us that there is one Body of believers (the Body of Christ), one Holy Spirit Who indwells and seals each believer, one hope of our calling which is reserved for us in heaven, and one Lord - our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Had the believers at Corinth been walking worthy of their calling, there would have been no need for Paul to write this stinging, corrective teaching in the thirteenth chapter of first Corinthians, but all aspects of love were missing from their lives, and their ungodly behavior required Paul's stern admonition: Love as Christ loved us.
Let us, in the power of the Holy Spirit, walk worthy of our calling and love others as Christ loved us.
Despite the truth Christ taught and the warnings He gave, the Scribes and Pharisees finally went too far by committing the unforgivable sin - they blasphemed the Holy Spirit, by calling Christ the son of the Devil.
Paul was a man that, having met the Lord Jesus on his Damascus Road, set his face as a flint to press on for the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
He puts his body under subjection, harnesses his time, employs his talents, and fine-tunes his actions and attitude for the glory of God.Such a man keeps his eye on the goal of his calling as he runs the race of life through its many pitfalls and problems.
At first, he makes an appeal for Christian unity in every sphere of life and urges each of us to walk worthy of our calling.
He is calling for every member of His Body to put away deceit and lies by clothing themselves in truth.
When we are walking worthy of our calling and demonstrating genuine humility of heart that comes from the Spirit of God, we will apply the Word of God in our lives, we will put on the New Man, and use our spiritual gifts and graces wisely and in line with Scripture.
These believers understood that Paul's ministry work generated certain financial costs, and they were ready and willing to make some personal sacrifices to donate to this worthy calling.
As children of God and joint heirs with Christ, the conduct that is expected of all members of the Body of Christ, is clearly laid out in the later chapters of Ephesians, and Paul implores us to walk worthy of the calling with which we have been called.
And they witnessed a host of angels, glorifying God in their celestial chorus. He was called a Nazarene, because he resided in Nazareth and John the Baptist had been calling Israel to Repent!
All who are saved by grace through faith in Christ have a holy and noble calling, and as members of His Body we are living stones that are being built up into a spiritual house.
May we nail our spiritual colours to the mast of our little boats, walk in a manner that is worthy of the calling wherewith we were called, and may we not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God to all who believe.
Paul did not want this important epistle to be lightly received, and so he laid emphasis on his calling, his apostleship, and his service for the Lord.
He often referred to his own suffering and difficulties as a living example of a faithful soldier, a diligent farmer or a long-distance runner who is required to press on to the goal of their calling..
Although we are to occupy productively until He comes, James is calling us to set our minds on things above and patiently wait until God sets all things right.
But it is God's will that after salvation we put away such worldly pursuits and leave that old life behind us, together with those former desires, as we press towards the goal of our calling - just as the Lord Jesus set His own face as a flint towards Jerusalem, the Cross, and the redemption of mankind.
When Jotham escaped the massacre and stood on the mountain and shouted, Listen to me, O men of Shechem, that God may listen to you, he was calling them to account before the Lord for their actions.
Paul, therefore, felt it was necessary to remind the Corinthian Christians that he had a divine calling, and in this chapter he set out a wise strategy to reestablish his God-given authority as Christ's apostle in a most unusual way: by boasting in his weaknesses!
Instead of going into detail about his supernatural calling on the road to Damascus and boasting of the many revelations he had received from the Lord, Paul sarcastically labelled his critics as 'eminent apostles', but he knew that their future destiny would expose their fleshly works and ungodly practices.
He also reminds us that as members of Christ's body we all have our own spiritual gifting and own specific calling and no matter what is required of us and irrespective of where we are directed to go - everything we do allis to be done to the glory of God as we seek to carry out His special plan and purpose for our lives.
But friend or foe alike, every one needed to be washed in His redeeming blood or pay the consequences of sin's deadly hold.Devoted obedience to the Father, gracious redemption of humanity, a glorious Bride for Himself, and the victorious reclamation of the kingdom was the goal of His divine calling, yet the loving-kindness He showed towards His mother, demonstrates the humanity of our Lord and the empathetic nature of God for His children, for when Jesus saw his mother and the disciple He loved standing nearby, He said to his mother, Dear woman, here is your son, and to the disciple he loved, Here is your mother.
If we are to mature in the faith and press on to the goal of our calling, we ought to live our lives as unto the Lord and not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not grow weary.
But living our Christian life as unto the Lord requires patient endurance as we press on, day by day, in the footsteps of our Saviour to the goal of our calling, which is to be conformed into the image of Christ.
This takes effort and courage which only comes from the Spirit of God, but in so doing we are obeying the Lord as we press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
David is the psalmist who is calling on the Lord his God to save me according to Your lovingkindness.
There are some that consider Christians should use 'imprecatory' prayers against their enemies and invoke the Lord for justice and vindication, while others consider that calling down judgement on their enemies is not appropriate because we have been called to love our enemies and pray for those that despitefully use us.
And Hosea was calling the errant nation of Israel to repent of their sins, return to their first love, and seek the Lord with all their heart, if they were to avert the rapidly approaching judgement that had been prophesied by so many holy men of God.
He is the Hope of our calling for He has clothed us in His own righteousness and secured for us a heavenly inheritance!
What amazing love has been bestowed on us that we should be called the children of God, and what an amazing hope we have in Christ: Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has the human heart imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.He is, indeed, the hope of our calling and He is our blessed hope, for there is laid up for all His children a heavenly heritage.
As God's blood-bought children we are called into union with Christ, identified with His righteousness, seated with Him in heavenly places, and exhorted to live and walk in a manner that is worthy of the divine calling with which we have all been called.
He argues that in the light of the amazing grace of God that has been showered upon us all, and the manifold mercies He has poured upon all His children (including our past justification, our ongoing sanctification, and our future glorification), we should live a life that is worthy of our calling.
The pleading cries of God's people are recorded in chapters 63 and 64, calling for a day of vengeance when the Lord will judge their adversaries for His holy name's sake.
He responds to our cry while we are calling and His answer will always be delivered in His way, in His time, and for His eternal praise and for our eternal benefit.
Oh, the 'loss' mentioned here most certainly does not refer to a loss of salvation, for the gifts and calling of God will never be revoked and our eternal life is a gift that can never, ever be taken away.
Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus. This is the challenge that every one of us is given.
It is Christian men and women, who are set apart by a heavenly calling, and challenged to consider JESUS.
It is God's blood-bought children that are instructed to think about, meditate on and consider the glorious qualities, the gracious vocation, and the eternal office of Jesus Christ - the holy Apostle of our calling, Who was sent from on high to be our Kinsman-Redeemer.
Jesus Christ is the Message God sent to us, so that we could be partakers of a heavenly calling.
May we, who are partakers of the heavenly calling, reverently and rejoicingly consider our Lord Jesus Christ and all that He has done for us.
Let us therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider JESUS, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession - Who is interceding for us day and night, for to do so will cause us to step onto holy ground, as we consider Him Who surpasses our human understanding.
THEY will not be expecting it and will be calling for 'Peace and Safety' or enjoying a bogus type of security - but destruction will suddenly come upon them and they will not escape, for it has been prophesied that God's wrath will finally be poured out on this Christ-rejecting, sin-infected world.
Before Christ's ministry started, we discover John calling the nation of Israel to, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is nigh, - indeed the King of Israel was in their very midst.
He further details our complete and unconditional acceptance by God because we are positioned in Christ by faith - and he rejoices in the hope of our calling, the riches of His inheritance in the saints, the exceeding greatness of His power towards us..
He detailed how the Lord had separated him from his mother's womb and listed the events of his calling, conversion, and early ministry: Oh foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you?
Jesus first compared Himself to bread by calling Himself the Living Bread, but continued by making the astonishing statement that He came down to earth from heaven.
Finally, John the Baptist strode onto the biblical scene as a prophetic voice calling for God's people to repent of their sin and preparing the way of the Lord.
This man, who came in the spirit and power of Elijah, was calling God's nation to turn from its wicked ways, repent of their sin, return to the Lord, and produce fruit that comes from a repentant heart.
It is not so much that these Old Covenant saints are spectators of our progress through life, but their lives bore witness of their faith in God and trust in His Word - a faith that we are to emulate as we press on in our Christian walk.Life is a race which has a finishing line, and we are exhorted to set the eyes of our hearts and the determination of our spirits on to the goal of our calling – and that goal is a Person, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Israel was to be the voice that told the nations that the coming Messiah was the One chosen by God as the Saviour of the whole world and Kinsman-Redeemer of all humanity.But Israel rejected their heavenly calling and crucified their Messiah.
During the time that Israel is set aside, it is the Church that has been called to preach the gospel of grace and proclaim the Saviour of the world to Jew and Gentile alike so that whosoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, by grace through faith in Christ.We must never forget that Israel is the nation to whom Isaiah is speaking, and we must always remember that the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
After the Church has been removed at the Rapture, it is the people of Israel who will show forth His praises to the nations.Israel will, one day, fulfil their calling for they are precious in His sight.
Too often we do not fully access the hope of His calling, which are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints - in US! Too often we do not access the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.
Despite the truth Christ taught and the warnings He gave, the Scribes and Pharisees finally went too far, by committing the unforgivable sin - they blasphemed the Holy Spirit, by calling Christ the son of the Devil.
When apostate Israel rejected their Messiah, God needed a different body of believers to continue His work on earth - until the nation of Israel would resume their calling, in the coming 'Time of Jacob's Trouble'.
Moses was a man of God who spent much of his ministry to Israel calling for them to trust in the Lord, and to turn from their sin of unbelief and rebellion.
Paul's divinely appointed apostleship was also being challenged, and for two whole chapters, Paul carefully defends both his apostolic calling and the gospel of grace which he received directly and by divine revelation from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
But now, as then, there are those that question his word, denounce the legitimacy of Paul's epistles, reject his teachings as an apostle of Christ - and even question his calling.
For three years, Jesus had been calling His people to turn from their sinful ways and bring forth the fruit of righteousness which was consistent with a repentant heart that mourned over sin.
Much of Jeremiah's ministry was calling the nation to repent of their sin, warning of Judah's inevitable defeat at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, and reporting on the devastating destruction of the holy city and sanctuary, while providing assurance that God would not forsake His errant people.
Paul was calling all of us to live godly lives in Christ.
In the same way, Paul was not calling Christians to be isolationists when rebuking the Corinthians for their worldly ways, and asked, What agreement has the temple of God with idols?
James is calling Christians to godly living, a mature faith, patience when tested, a joyful attitude in trials, a gracious compassion for others, and someone who is to be a 'doer' of the Word and not simply a hearer only.
He is using the world 'justified' in this verse to 'justify' calling believers to good works in their Christian life.
Our election and calling are fused together as one unit.
Our election and calling cannot take pace without the other.
Our election and calling are inseparably woven together and founded on the truth of God's Word: Whosoever believes on the only begotten Son of God will be saved, and salvation includes our election before the foundation of the world, and our calling at the moment of our personal salvation.
Peter is eager for us to make our calling and election sure, and yet our salvation, which includes both our calling and our election, cannot be more secure than it was when we first believed.
So what does Peter mean when we are told to make our calling and election sure?
Peter is urging us to be absolutely sure that our salvation, which includes our calling and election, has become a firmly fixed fact in our heart.
Peter wants us to base our understanding of our salvation on the never-changing truth of God's Word, for when we have absolute assurance in our heart and mind that our calling and election is secure in Christ and anchored to the precious promises in the Word of God, then we are much more secure in every aspect of our lives.
Our election and calling is an integral part of our salvation and we confirm it in our lives by living a holy life, growing more like Christ, trusting in His sufficient grace, and depending on Him in all things.
Having been saved by faith, let us confirm our election and our calling by walking in spirit and truth, and trusting in the unchanging Word of God so that we will live our lives as He intended and produce fruit to His praise and glory.
Let us make every effort to confirm our calling and election by living a holy life, which is rooted grounded in the word of truth.
The more we trust His Word, the more we become secure in our election, our calling, and our eternal heritage in Christ.
Moses had led the people for nearly forty years and had proved God was faithful to them, while witnessing the petulance of the people, and so he opened his song by calling on heaven and earth to be witness to his words, which were honest and true, like droplets on the fresh grass and showers on a herb-garden.
But he quickly contrasted this with Israel's shortcomings and corrupt ways, calling them, a perverse and crooked generation, and reminding these foolish and unwise people that God was their Father, Who brought them out of Egypt and established them... promising an inheritance for all the children of Jacob.
We hear the final invitation of the Spirit and the Bride (which is the Church) calling whosoever will to come and drink, and THEN we read that final, sombre warning: If anyone adds to Words of this Book, God will add to him the terrible plagues which are written in God’s Word, and that God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.
Not only did these men recognise their need and asked for what they needed, but they took advantage of the situation in which they found themselves; they did not allow Jesus to pass by without calling out to Him for mercy and grace.
The book of Galatians was written because certain Judaisers and religious-minded legalists went from church to church challenging the person of Paul and his work, his ministry and message, his teachings, his calling, and the gospel of the grace of God that is accessed through faith. They believed they were saved by their Jewish ancestry and taught that Gentiles could not be saved unless they first converted to Judaism and participated in circumcision and other Jewish practices.
Because of the opposition to his teaching and ministry, it was necessary for Paul to not only defend the truth of the gospel that he taught and justify his own apostolic calling, but to clarify the true gospel of salvation that he taught; that every man, Jew and Gentile alike, is a guilty sinner who is under God's eternal condemnation, who can only be declared righteous by God through FAITH in Christ Jesus. And so Paul penned his epistle to the Galatians to vehemently condemn their false teaching and meticulously set out the one and only way to be saved - as a free gift of God's grace which is accessed by Jews and Gentiles alike - BY FAITH.
Those who rejected God's offer of salvation will be calling for 'Peace and safety!' But destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labour pains on a woman about to give birth, and they will not escape.
How clearly the writer to the Hebrews reminds us to consistently and continuously keep our focus on Jesus, Who is the both the Apostle and the High Priest of our Christian faith and our heavenly calling.
Paul was calling for the Philippian Christians to follow His own example of Christian living and become imitators of his life of self-sacrifice, suffering, and praise.
Having rejected: 1) The prophetic warning of John the Baptist to turn from their sins and produce righteous fruit. 2) The heavenly witness of the Father and the Spirit at His baptism. 3) The undeniable testimony of His messianic signs as proof of His heavenly calling, the leadership of Israel were further berated by Christ.
Certainly, when reproof and chastening of a believer is necessary in a church fellowship, it is very important that the clear guidelines, given by Paul, are followed, to avoid the pitfall of misguided reproof or unwarranted correction.Paul's final instruction to Titus was: Let no one disregard you. It seems apparent that certain people had challenged the authority of Titus, just as Paul's calling and apostleship was also disputed by certain people.
But as soon as we hit chapter 4, the apostle starts to lay out the practical behaviour that God expects from all His blood-bought children, by calling for Christian unity and detailing ways that all members of Christ's Body should behave in this fallen world system which is under the power of the evil one.
Let us keep our eyes on the goal of our calling, and may the life we live in the flesh be lived by faith in the Son of God so that in all things we will be well pleasing in His sight.
Our actions, attitudes, words, and motives should all be done to His glory - not out of duty but from a heart-desire to walk worthy of our calling in Christ.
However, he was often required to defend His apostolic calling in those early days of the Church, because... in the opinion of many, his credentials did not fit in with their perceived expectations of what an apostle should be.
Although there are many today who continue to discredit Paul's ministry and his apostolic calling, we would do well to pay attention to his teaching, for he opens our understanding to many Church age mysteries - including that as the Church, we are members of Christ's Body and have the permanently indwelling Spirit Who provides us with godly power to guide us in our earthly walk.
Today, we live in an increasingly disturbing environment; a topsy-turvy world where right is called wrong, evil is considered good, and the people of God are calling out to the Lord with increasing concern and in deepening distress.
Although Nehemiah was caught in this dangerous situation, he was so saturated in prayer and accustomed to calling on the name of the Lord, that he was spiritually equipped to shoot his silent supplication to God.
Because Christ is our Commander-in-Chief, we are encouraged to be obedient to our calling and are expected to face hardships with the same discipline as that of a military man - for we do not fight again flesh and blood, but against spiritual principalities and powers in heavenly places.
The second aspect of his calling was to help us understand, the administration of the mystery. Paul was anointed of God to open up the gospel to the Gentiles... and to explain the mystery of God which had been hidden from past generations, but which had now been revealed to the world through Paul and the other apostles.
And although Paul was commissioned to preach to Jew and Gentile alike, his specific calling was to be God's apostle to the Gentiles - so that the world may know that Jesus Christ is both God and Saviour.
As members of the Body of Christ and ministers of the better Covenant which was cut at Calvary, may we be obedient to our calling and live and work to His praise and glory.
John is calling all born-again believers to live their lives by faith in Christ, and not through works of the flesh, for in so doing we will remain in fellowship with God Who will provide the sufficient grace and power to love others as Christ loved us.
Jeremiah's public ministry of calling the nation of Israel to repent of their sin and turn from their hypocritical religiosity, was treated with indifference and contempt by his fellow-countrymen, causing this man of God deep distress.
150 years earlier, Nineveh had repented of her sins and been spared God's bitter wrath when the prophet Jonah brought a message of hope from the Lord, calling them to turn from their wicked ways and trust in Him.
However, he did seek to encourage his fellow-labourer to be faithful to his calling, to build up the Body of Christ, and to strengthen the resolve of this younger man, as he pressed on to the goal of his calling.
He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, he wrote to Timothy, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.
Each one was a mouthpiece of God, who was calling out a message of repentance and hope in a desert place - in order to clear the way for the Lord and to straighten the highway for the God of Israel.
As believers in the dispensation of the grace of God, every Christian both Jew and Gentile alike, are reminded that we are holy brethren who by faith in Christ, have a heavenly calling to honour the Lord Jesus.
Christ is often called the Bridegroom and the Christian Church is similarly identified as His Bride, for though we are many in number, we are one Church who, by faith in Him, have one hope of our calling.
In Christ, we have become partakers of a heavenly calling and are to be diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, for He has given us the Holy Spirit of life and truth, and we worship One God and Father of all Who is over all and through all and in us all.
No doubt, Peter recalled His Master's personal command to, feed my sheep, and provide food for My little lambs, as he sought to remind his readers to persevere in life's trials and grow in brotherly love, to be fruitful in their knowledge and understanding of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to make their calling steadfast and sure.
These dear saints of God had to come to an understanding that suffering is often a clear indication of God's righteous 'judgement' on them - not a judgement of condemnation, but one that proves them to be worthy of their heavenly calling, in the kingdom of God.
He no doubt recalled Paul's description of the 'Day of the Lord', when sudden destruction would come on earth as unsaved people were calling 'peace and safety', and he would no doubt reflect on the many Old Testament passages that call this great and terrible Day as the 'Time of Jacob’s Trouble' and the 'Millennial rule of Christ', when the wolf will lie down with a lamb.
May our gratitude and praise become an acceptable service to Him - knowing that our eternal salvation and heavenly calling, depends on what He has done - for us.
And so, because of his unique calling by God, should we not pay particular heed to all he teaches us in all his epistles on how to live godly in Christ Jesus?
They are in danger of becoming lukewarm, disinterested, or legalistic in their faith, or succumbing to carnality and falling short of their high calling in Christ Jesus.
It is those that are walking worthy of their calling in Christ who are lowly of heart, gentle in spirit, long suffering in body, and of great kindness.
Just as we have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, we have also been called into one hope of that calling and exhorted to live at peace with one another.
It was in his letter to the Galatians, that Paul laid great emphasis on his apostolic calling, because these Galatian believers were perverting the gospel of Christ by reverting to Judaism and placing themselves back under the Law of Moses.
They also challenged Paul's calling, his apostleship, and the revelations he had received from Christ, because his gospel conflicted with their biased thinking.
This required Paul to emphasise his calling and God-given authority.
Like Abraham, we were saved by faith, called out of the world, credited with God’s righteousness, promised an inheritance, and are travelling along the path of life towards the goal of our calling. We are now to live our life by faith – listening to His voice, trusting His Word, obeying His instructions, believing His promises to be unquestionably true.
And although Paul does not discourage us from making improvements in our external circumstances, his earnest plea is that we concentrate on our spiritual advancement, not growth in our financial bank-account or a long list of Facebook 'friends': For we were bought with a price, and our calling is to give honour to the One Who purchased us.
It has its fruit in a person that remain true to their heavenly calling, and it is manifested in a life of faithful obedience; a life that is lived to the glory of God; a life that faithfully fulfils its heavenly calling.
We are in the world but not of the world, and our earthly circumstances should not affect our heavenly calling.
No matter what life-circumstances throw at us, we have a heavenly calling which is carried out in our earthly walk.
Irrespective of marriage or singleness, age or abilities, freedom or slavery, or any other situation in which we find ourselves, we have a high and heavenly mission, and nothing should deflect us from that singular goal, our heavenly calling.
Abiding in Christ and resting in His inner peace is the heavenly calling for every believer, no matter what situation we may be in.
For that reason, they sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.
Paul was shown at the start of his ministry, all the things he would be required to suffer for Christ's sake, and he wanted Timothy to remain faithful to his calling, in spite of the hardships he would also face.
Timothy had not abandoned Paul, like so many other Christian colleagues, so the apostle used this opportunity to encourage the younger man to remain faithful to his calling, to fan into flame his spiritual gift, and never to be ashamed of the gospel he preached, for it is the power of God unto salvation to all who believe.
But however glorious our salvation and privileged our service, our calling first and foremost is to worship at His feet, to delight to do His will, to treasure His Word in our hearts, and to remain in the centre of His will for the rest of our life.
He pleaded his inexperience and inferiority to execute such a calling and demonstrated his lack of faith in the angel's promise by destroying the false god in his father's household in the dead of night!
For centuries, prophets of God had been calling Israel to repent, but no sign of repentance was evident.
They should have harkened to John the Baptist who came as a voice in the wilderness, preparing the way of the Lord and calling to the nation: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near, and Behold the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world.
John was the final pre-Cross prophet of God who, like his predecessors, was calling the people of Israel to repent and to turn back to the God of their forefathers.
But Paul is calling his beloved brethren in the Philippian assembly (and us too), to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. This appears to contradict the clear, biblical teaching that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
But Paul is not calling us to work FOR our salvation.
I encourage us to explore the experiences of Israel - to avoid their mistakes, to learn from their successes, to gain strength to endure, and to press on for the high toward the goal of our calling - to press on unto perfection.
It is given freely by faith in the finished work of Christ Who bore our sin alone, carries our burden freely, and keeps calling us: Come unto Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
calling out in desperation to the Lord as we become increasingly submerged by the struggles and sorrows of our day - as we cry out to a iron-clad heaven and we find ourselves wrestling inwardly with the same rhetorical questions that burdened David's heart and flowed from his pen, three thousand years ago.
His first epistle concentrated on God's grace and our great salvation, our priestly calling, living a life of holiness, and carrying out our Christian responsibility.
This passage is about purifying the hearts, which caused Paul to challenge those that accused Christians of becoming “unclean' by eating foods which did not comply with Israel's dietary laws - by calling them Jewish myths!.
John the Baptist was calling for individual repentance as well as a collective, national mourning - for the nation's past sin, their spiritual adultery, and gross apostasy.
Andrew and John made it clear that they had already started to transfer their loyalty from John the Baptist to the Lord Jesus, by calling Him Rabbi - or Teacher.
Paul not only wanted to explain about his calling and credentials as an apostle of Christ, but also wanted to clearly outline the gospel of God to these believers.
Having spent three wonderful chapters on our position in Christ and our Christian calling as children of God, Paul exhorts us to walk worthy of that great calling.
Having detailed the wealth of our spiritual blessings, which God has freely bestowed upon all who are in Christ, we are beseeched by Paul to walk worthy of that calling which is honouring to the Lord.
Paul urged the Gentile Christians in Ephesus to, remember that formerly they were called 'The Uncircumcision' by the 'so-called' Circumcision - which is performed in the flesh by human hands. It appears that the Jewish 'pot' was calling the Gentile 'kettle' black!
He also had opposition from true believers, who were teaching the truth of the gospel of grace, while resenting Paul personally, because they were jealous of his apostolic calling.
As we reflect upon the glorious gospel of Christ and the amazing grace by which we have been accepted in the Beloved, should we not seek to walk worthy of our calling every moment of the day, with lowliness of heart and gentleness of spirit?
Let us never doubt God's Word, but rejoice to follow Paul's exhortation, to fulfil our calling enthusiastically, and to remain occupied at all times in the Lord's work, knowing that our toil is not fruitless in the Lord.
It is a summons to persevere under trial and press on from the elementary stages of faith to a deeper spiritual knowledge, and richer understanding of the high calling of God that is our present possession in Christ Jesus.
Mark is the shortest gospel... detailing the work of Christ's ministry, the calling of His disciples, the healing of the sick, and the teaching of the kingdom, at breakneck speed.
And because the gifts and calling of God are without repentance (because God is immutable and cannot change His mind), this is an unchangeable fact in each of our lives.
We are immediately raptured into an explosive outburst of ecstatic rejoicing that is calling on the highest heavens above to praise their great Creator.
The prime purpose of calling the heavenly host and angelic beings to unite their voices in praise to God and join together in this harmonious declaration of His eternal glory, is because He is Creator.
Indeed, Paul grieved for those that had reverted from the freedom of living by grace, back to the slavery of living under the law, and in his distress he wept about them, calling them, enemies of the cross of Christ.
It was after his arrival in Canaan that Abram learned the importance of calling on the name of the Lord, through prayers and intercessions - but Abram continued to wait for God's promise of a son to be established and fulfilled.
It warns us to beware of falling short of the calling God has on our lives and cites Israel as an object lesson on pitfalls to avoid, as well as identifying a great cloud of faithful witnesses who trusted God in all the twists and turns of their lives.
Having been saved by grace through faith, it is only as we live by grace through faith and earnestly press on to the goal of our high calling in Christ, with diligence, dedication, and discipline, that we are empowered to grow in grace and in moral excellence.
And as we pursue the goal of our calling, it is only as we appropriate what is ours in Christ and zealously apply it to our everyday lives that we grow in our knowledge of Christ, becoming self-controlled, patient, godly, gentle, good, and kind, and Christ-like.
Despite the spiritual decline of those around, they had remained faithful to their calling, were walking in spirit and truth, and were undefiled by the world.
For centuries, many prophets had been calling the erring nation of Israel to turn away from their sin, their apostasy, and their rebellion, and to turn back to the God of their fathers.
Love is the essence of God which permeates His character and John is explaining here, that he was not calling us to adopt a new and different commandment.
Pressing towards the goal of our calling is the responsibility of all Christians and our objective in life should be to finish the race that is set before us and seek to attain to conformity to His death - which is death to the self-life - so that the life that we now live is a unsoiled reflection of the beauty of Christ in us.
Sometimes familiarly with the glorious superlatives of our heavenly calling, and the eternal hope of glory that is set before us, causes our eyes to become dimmed and our hearts to become complacent.
Jeremiah had fulfilled all that was desired of him as God's warning megaphone to His people Israel, calling them to turn from their sins and return to the Lord, but they would not heed to his warning and so Jeremiah pleaded to the Lord: Don't become a terror to me.
The wisdom of Paul, the great apostle to the Gentiles, similarly reminds us that rejoicing in the Lord is our worthy calling, for His steadfast mercy truly does endure from generation to generation.
they will suffer the loss of reward and be denied the praise that Christ could have given them by acknowledging them before His heavenly Father and the holy angels - if they had only been obedient to their calling.
May we be like the faithful few in the Church at Sardis that remained faithful to their calling and did not defile their garments.
For three whole chapters, Paul rehearses all the amazing benefits that God has, in His grace, showered on those that love Him – as the apostle opens to our understanding our position and privileges in Christ, and the inheritance that God has secured for all His blood-bought children.Having taken us to the heady heights of grace upon grace upon much more grace, Paul begins to tell us how we should live as children of God and how we should behave as inheritors of the many benefits and privileges that God has prepared for each of us who have simply trusted the Lord Jesus.Because of our position in Christ we are urged to live our lives in a manner that is befitting our heavenly calling.
Let us, therefore, as prisoners of our Lord Jesus Christ, walk in a manner worthy of the heavenly calling to which we have been called.
Paul knew that after his departure, Timothy would be one that would need to pick up the gospel-baton of truth and to preach the Word, in season and out of season, and so he exhorted Timothy to press on to his high calling in Christ Jesus and to consider carefully all that Paul had taught him: Consider what I say, Paul cautioned his young protégé, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything, he promised.
We are exhorted to walk worthy of our calling, to contend earnestly for the faith, to abstain from earthy lusts which war against the soul, and to encourage one another while it is still called 'today' lest any of us are hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Let us take note of the many scriptural warnings and exhortation to walk worthy of our calling, to contend earnestly for the faith, to abstain from earthy lusts which war against the soul, and to encourage one another while it is still called 'today' - lest any of us are hardened through the deceitfulness of sin, or simply drift away from the Lover of our soul.
May we, who have been freed from the slave-market of sin and Satan, be careful to honour the Lord who bought us with His own blood... and may we follow the calling to which we have been called and carry out the work that God has assigned to us.
He outlines a most beautiful description of unity within the Church, There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, Who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Paul was so comfortable with the Thessalonian believers, that he did not need to underline his calling as a chosen apostle of Christ, as he did to other churches who challenged his apostleship, nor did he find it necessary to remind them of his status in starting the Thessalonian Church.
We are to discover our joy in the Lord and gladden our hearts by developing an attitude of rejoicing in Him and in the power of His might so that we may press on to the upward goal of our calling in Christ Jesus.
Christ was the perfect example of what a perfect Man should be, but He had to learn obedience through all that He was called upon to suffer throughout His life, as He kept the goal of His calling forever in His sight.
This little group of believers were calling out to God in concert harmony, and perfect union, with their heart-focused on Christ and His throne of grace.
And despite calling the nation of Israel to repent of their sins and return to the Lord, he wept over Jerusalem when he witnessed the fulfilment of his own prophecies from God; the ruination of Jerusalem, the destruction of the Temple, and slavery for God's people in the land of Babylon.
So often, we see that in times of trials and difficulties, the Psalmists lifted up their voices in hymns of thanksgiving and praise, calling on the righteous to be joyful in the Lord, to rejoice in the God of their salvation and to sing to the Lord with thankful hearts, for praise, worship, and thanksgiving from the man or woman who loves the Lord, is beautiful and beneficial.
Despite doubting his own ability to speak and showing concern about his age, Jeremiah had a calling on his life which was given to him by divine revelation.
Paul was a bondservant of the Lord Jesus Christ, and his calling as God's appointed apostle to the Gentiles was to furnish the elect of God with a knowledge of the truth of the glorious gospel of Christ.
Not only is God faithful to keep his Word (and Paul had been faithful in discipling Timothy with words of instruction and encouragement), but Timothy in turn must remain faithful to his calling.
Paul was thankful for Timothy's spiritual heritage, and although he warned that the Christian life was not always easy, he reminded him of his holy calling and that the suffering and shame God's people have to endure in this life must be understood from God's vantage point (an eternal perspective).
May we be faithful to our calling and render our service willingly and faithfully to Him, for we have an ever-faithful God Who is faithful to keep us and to fulfil all His promises, and He is worthy of all our worship and praise.
No wonder Paul urges each one of us to make every effort to be fruitful in this way, and to diligently seek to strengthen our calling through godly living, for he knew that to do so would keep us from falling.
No wonder Peter encourages us to grow in grace and stand fast in the truth of the gospel of God, for in so doing we strengthen our Christian calling to the point where he is pleased to say that in Christ we secure our entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for in Him we receive His richest supplies, both in this world and forever, to His praise and glory.
In Christ, we are to become mature, complete, lacking in nothing - we are to reach the goal of our calling - we are to finish the work that God has prepared for us to do - we are to be perfect - in Christ.
He was made sin for us and paid the full price of sin... so that by His life, death, and resurrection, He was able to reveal the Father to us and to proclaim His name to all who believe... even calling us His brothers and leading the congregation of the elect in singing hymns of praise and thanksgiving to our great Creator God and heavenly Father.
What an amazing scene it must have been when Christ's followers began to proclaim the wonderful works of God in a multitude of languages, and Peter was empowered to deliver his great sermon, calling the people of Israel to faith in their promised Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Like us, these believers had heard and understood the truth of the glorious gospel of Christ, and Paul longed for them to be filled to overflowing with a knowledge of God's will in all wisdom and understanding so that they might walk worthy of their calling and bear much fruit to the glory of God.
This section of Paul's letter begins by explaining the responsibility we have as Christians, to walk in a manner that is worthy of our calling, and to live together in unity of spirit, with all humility, gentleness, patience, and loving tolerance towards one another.
As we watch the frenetic desire of the globalist minority seeking to deceive the nations by calling that which is good- 'evil' and that which is evil- 'good', we see other prophetic scriptures being fulfilled - for we read in Hosea: My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because they hast rejected truth..
As believers, we are certainly called to prepare ourselves for the imminent return of Jesus, when He comes in the clouds to Rapture His church into His presence at the end of this dispensation of grace, but Peter is also calling us to prepare ourselves for coming persecution in the days ahead.
How important not to miss that still small voice of God calling us to come aside from the busyness of life and to spend time in the company of our Heavenly Father.
They are linked with rewards which we may be entitled to receive at the Bema judgement seat of Christ, where rewards and crowns are given if we are faithful to our calling.
However, there will be a loss of reward if we are not faithful to our calling, by denying our Lord in word or action..
Christ died so that we might live and throughout his writings to the Church, Paul emphases the importance of being worthy of our calling, so that by His goodness and grace we are enabled to fulfil every desire for good..
And so his earnest prayer to the Father was that each one of us would be counted worthy of our calling as ministers of reconciliation.
Paul also encouraged believers to: Walk worthy of their calling.
Then expanding his teaching he adds: Just as also you were called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, Who is over all, and through all and in all.