Worthy of the Calling

Ephesians 4:1-3 ESV

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

When we believe in Jesus Christ with God-given faith in him, it is not just so that we can have our sins forgiven so that when we die we get to go to heaven, although this is how many people today are presenting the gospel. For so many are teaching the gospel as though we are to “believe” (not usually biblically defined) in Jesus Christ once in our lives, then all our sins are forgiven (past, present, and future), and now heaven is guaranteed us when we die, but regardless of how we live our lives on this earth. Not true!

For when our faith in Christ is genuine God-given faith, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we are raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. Our old lives of living in sin and for self were put to death with Jesus, and we were raised with him to now live new lives in Christ, according to God’s will and purpose for our lives. So we are to let sin no longer reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires.

And, as those who are of genuine faith in Jesus Christ, we are called to a holy calling to be God’s holy people, and to live our lives separate (unlike, different) from this ungodly world of ours, because, as his followers, he is making us into the likeness of the character of Jesus Christ. So, we are called of God to die to sin, not just once, but daily, and to walk (in practice, in conduct) in holiness and in righteousness, in obedience to our Lord and to his will and purpose for our lives (see Luke 9:23-26; Romans 6:1-23).

And what is his will and purpose for our lives? It is that we forsake our lives of sin and now follow him in obedience to his ways. It is that our lives are now surrendered to him to do his will, and our lives are no longer our own to be lived however we want to live them, in the flesh. It is that we live morally pure, upright, godly, honest, faithful lives in obedience to him and to his New Covenant commands, that we love him and serve him with our lives, and that we love our fellow humans, even our enemies.

So, our salvation from sin is not just about getting forgiven our sins so that when we die we get to go to heaven. Our salvation from sin is so we can be delivered from our lives of living in sin so that we can now live for God and for his purposes. And when we die with him to sin, we give up control over our own lives, and we now surrender our lives to his control. We are now his possession and he owns us, and we are now to serve him with our lives. And our lives are truly now to live for Christ to do his will, not our own will.

So, if we are going to walk (in conduct, in practice) in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called of God, then our lives are going to be surrendered to the Lord to follow him wherever he leads us and to do what he has called us to do. And so sin will no longer be our master, and we will no longer be in charge over our own lives, but now our lives will be dedicated to his holiness and righteousness and to obedient walks of faith in him and to sharing the gospel with the people of this world.

Jesus won’t be just someone we pray to occasionally, or that we call on only when we need something, nor will he be someone we give lip service to but not our hearts, minds, and souls. He won’t be someone whose name we use when it is convenient for us while we shy away from using his name when in the company of people we want to love and accept us. He will now be our life, and our lives will be dedicated to him. So he will be the air that we breathe and the songs that we sing and what we rejoice in, not this sinful world.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

Songs in the Night  

An Original Work / December 18, 2013

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84

Lord, I praise You forevermore.

You, my Savior, I now adore.

Hope in heaven awaiting me,

Because You died at Calvary.

I have been forgiven,

And I’m bound for heaven.

Jesus set me free from

All my sin, I say.

I will praise Him always!

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:

Overcame death, my vict’ry won!

Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!

I rejoice in His love for me.

I will walk in vict’ry!

My sin is but hist’ry!

I am free to please Him

With my life today.

I will love Him always!

Lord, I thank You for giving me

A new life bought at Calvary.

Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.

Tender mercies now flow within.

Lord, I am so thankful;

Through my Lord, I’m able

To sit at His table;

Fellowship with Him.

I will thank Him always!

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