Christian Living Lifestyle … Our Call
As stated in “Actions of INTENTIONAL DISCIPLESHIP”, our call is to know the reality of Galatians 2:20 “I AM crucified, nevertheless I live.”
As disciples of Christ, we ARE called …
*"out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9).
*Our calling is identified as "the heavenly calling" (Hebrews 3:1),
*&, in Philippians 3:14, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
*& we are told that “the called” to belong to Jesus (Romans 1:6)
*&, that we “are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
There’s much in Scripture about our calling. The calling is God's work & prerogative. There IS however, clearly another call on our life:
"I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called." (Eph 4:1)
WE are expected to cooperate WITH the work of the Spirit and …
add to our faith "virtue, & knowledge, & temperance, & patience, & godliness, & brotherly kindness, & charity" (2 Peter 1:5-7).
WE also are directed, by Peter … virtually commanded … to "give diligence to make your calling & election sure" (2 Peter 1:10).
We have been called by God to become one of His chosen, the purpose for which is to be different, holy … peculiar!!! Our lifestyle should be centered around the fact that "we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works!!!" (Ephesians 2:10).
Titus: 2:
KJV 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. 15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority.
NIV 14 … eager to do what is good.
2 Peter 3: 14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.
Now, it is critical that we clarify the functioning & working out of this unique paradigm … this paradox in which we are called to live.
IF we simply try to crank out the good works by our self-effort we will prove to be as fruitless as we ever were, when we lived & struggled in the experience of our own fleshy efforts, revealed in Romans 7.
Instead, we desire to walk in this LIFE, making every effort, like this:
2 Cor 3: 18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
& HOW do we move into that experience? Matthew 6:6
IF we will incorporate THAT life into our lifestyle, using the eyes of our heart of our spirit, we can then cultivate our beholding of the Lord with songs, with the Word, and with prayer.
In order to experience this “glory to glory” … as a LIFESTYLE … we MUST walk as Jesus walked, rearranging our hearts & our schedules to insure that we are spending before the throne of the GOD. ONLY from that quiet place will we find the peaceful fruitfulness of the Spirit life revealed to us in our times of praying & singing & reading His Word.
Lastly, in our desire to cooperate w/ the work of the Spirit in our lives, let us remember the work of the blood of Jesus!!!
Around the throne, in the book of Revelation, we see the work of the “blood of the eternal covenant” (Heb 13:20) sung about in praise … for there is POWER IN THE BLOOD: Rev 5:8-14, 7:9-14
As stated in “Actions of INTENTIONAL DISCIPLESHIP”, our call is to know the reality of Galatians 2:20 “I AM crucified, nevertheless I live.”
As disciples of Christ, we ARE called …
*"out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9).
*Our calling is identified as "the heavenly calling" (Hebrews 3:1),
*&, in Philippians 3:14, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
*& we are told that “the called” to belong to Jesus (Romans 1:6)
*&, that we “are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
There’s much in Scripture about our calling. The calling is God's work & prerogative. There IS however, clearly another call on our life:
"I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called." (Eph 4:1)
WE are expected to cooperate WITH the work of the Spirit and …
add to our faith "virtue, & knowledge, & temperance, & patience, & godliness, & brotherly kindness, & charity" (2 Peter 1:5-7).
WE also are directed, by Peter … virtually commanded … to "give diligence to make your calling & election sure" (2 Peter 1:10).
We have been called by God to become one of His chosen, the purpose for which is to be different, holy … peculiar!!! Our lifestyle should be centered around the fact that "we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works!!!" (Ephesians 2:10).
Titus: 2:
KJV 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. 15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority.
NIV 14 … eager to do what is good.
2 Peter 3: 14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.
Now, it is critical that we clarify the functioning & working out of this unique paradigm … this paradox in which we are called to live.
IF we simply try to crank out the good works by our self-effort we will prove to be as fruitless as we ever were, when we lived & struggled in the experience of our own fleshy efforts, revealed in Romans 7.
Instead, we desire to walk in this LIFE, making every effort, like this:
2 Cor 3: 18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
& HOW do we move into that experience? Matthew 6:6
IF we will incorporate THAT life into our lifestyle, using the eyes of our heart of our spirit, we can then cultivate our beholding of the Lord with songs, with the Word, and with prayer.
In order to experience this “glory to glory” … as a LIFESTYLE … we MUST walk as Jesus walked, rearranging our hearts & our schedules to insure that we are spending before the throne of the GOD. ONLY from that quiet place will we find the peaceful fruitfulness of the Spirit life revealed to us in our times of praying & singing & reading His Word.
Lastly, in our desire to cooperate w/ the work of the Spirit in our lives, let us remember the work of the blood of Jesus!!!
Around the throne, in the book of Revelation, we see the work of the “blood of the eternal covenant” (Heb 13:20) sung about in praise … for there is POWER IN THE BLOOD: Rev 5:8-14, 7:9-14
RSS Feed
