Tag: calling

34.x. “The work of My hands, that I might be glorified.”

 

Genesis 1:27  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

 Matthew 19:4   He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female,

 Mark 10:6    But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’

 Ephesians 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

 Deuteronomy 32:6   Do you thus repay the LORD, you foolish and senseless people? Is not he your father, who created you, who made you and established you?

 Psalms 100:3   Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

 Isaiah 43:21   the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.

 Isaiah 60:21   Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified.

 Jeremiah 31:33   For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

 Jeremiah 32:39-40   I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them.  I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.

 Philippians 2:13     for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

 Hebrews 13:21    equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

 Ephesians 4:1    I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,

 Deuteronomy 5:33   You shall walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you,

 Psalms 81:13    Oh, that my people would listen to me

In our day, many say there is no real difference between men and women. This makes sense if we are the result of mindless evolution, but not if it is true that male and female He created them. To God, the differences between men and women are not accidents. Since He created them, the differences are good and meaningful. Men are not women, and women are not men. One of the saddest signs of our culture’s depravity is the amount and the degree of gender confusion today.  It is vain to wonder if men or women are superior to the other. A man is absolutely superior at being a man. A woman is absolutely superior at being a woman. But when a man tries to be a woman or a woman tries to be a man, you have something inferior. (Guzik)

This was a peculiar distinction, the value attached to which appears in the words being twice mentioned. And in what did this image of God consist? Not in the erect form or features of man, not in his intellect, for the devil and his angels are, in this respect, far superior; not in his immortality, for he has not, like God, a past as well as a future eternity of being; but in the moral dispositions of his soul. (Jamison-Fausset-Brown)

There is more difficulty in deciding in what the likeness to God consisted. Certainly not in the bodily form, the upright position, or commanding aspect of the man, since God has no bodily form, and the man’s body was formed from the dust of the ground; nor in the dominion of man over nature, for this is unquestionably ascribed to man simply as the consequence or effluence of his likeness to God. Man is the image of God by virtue of his spiritual nature and by the breath of God by which the being became a living soul. (Keil and Delitzsh)

We are not to look to Genesis for a scientific cosmogony, and are not to be disturbed by physicists’ criticisms on it as such. Its purpose is quite another, and far more important; namely, to imprint deep and ineffaceable the conviction that the one God created all things. Nor must it be forgotten that this vision of creation was given to people ignorant of natural science, and prone to fall back into surrounding idolatry. We are not to look to Genesis for a scientific cosmogony, and are not to be disturbed by physicists’ criticisms on it as such. Its purpose is quite another, and far more important; namely, to imprint deep and ineffaceable the conviction that the one God created all things. Nor must it be forgotten that this vision of creation was given to people ignorant of natural science, and prone to fall back into surrounding idolatry.  No theory has been able to bridge the chasm without admitting a divine act introducing the new element of life, and none has been able to bridge the gulf between the animal and human consciousness without admitting a divine act introducing ‘the image of God’ into man.  (MacLaren)

It is, however, in the soul of man, that we must look for the divine image. And here we easily discern it. Like God, man’s soul is a spirit, immaterial, invisible, active, intelligent, free, immortal, and, when first created, endowed with a high degree of divine knowledge, and with holiness and righteousness. (Benson)

We gather from the present chapter that God is a spirit Genesis 1:2, that he thinks, speaks, wills, and acts (Genesis 1:3-4, etc.). Here, then, are the great points of conformity to God in man, namely, reason, speech, will, and power. By reason we apprehend concrete things in perception and consciousness, and cognize abstract truth, both metaphysical and moral. By speech we make certain easy and sensible acts of our own the signs of the various objects of our contemplative faculties to ourselves and others. By will we choose, determine, and resolve upon what is to be done. By power we act, either in giving expression to our concepts in words, or effect to our determinations in deeds. In the reason is evolved the distinction of good and evil Genesis 1:4, Genesis 1:31, which is in itself the approval of the former and the disapproval of the latter. In the will is unfolded that freedom of action which chooses the good and refuses the evil. (Barnes)

We were created by God with faculties of reason, understanding, and freedom in choices and actions. It is within our soul that we freely choose to want to honor and glorify our creator, savior, and redeemer. We were created for the ultimate single purpose of this. It is also within our soul to freely choose to deny, reject, and only live to please ourselves and thereby giving no honor, glory, or want to know the Creator. There is no satisfaction or meaning in a person’s life that has denied or rejected their creator. Satan, the water of all lies, will cast both bold and subtle lies hoping they will persuade a soul to deviate from God’s purpose and blessings. Man lives and man dies, nations rise and nations fall, and throughout it, all the eternal destiny, (Heaven or Hell), of each man is determined based on the freedom of choices they make regarding their Creator.

30.v. “I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,”

 

Matthew 5:9  “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

 Psalms 120:6  Too long have I had my dwelling among those who hate peace.

 Romans 12:18    If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

 James 3:16-18   For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.  But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.  And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

 Romans 14:19    So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

 Hebrews 12:14   Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

 2 Timothy 2:22-24   So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.  Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels.  And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil,

 Galatians 5:22   But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

 James 1:19-20    Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;

 Ephesians 4:1    I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,

“The verse which precedes it speaks of the blessedness of ‘the pure in heart, for they shall see God.’ It is well that we should understand this. We are to be ‘first pure, then peaceable.’ Our peaceableness is never to be a compact with sin, or an alliance with that which is evil. We must set our faces like flints against everything which is contrary to God and his holiness. That being in our souls a settled matter, we can go on to peaceableness towards men.” (Spurgeon)

We commonly think of this peacemaking work as being the job of one person who stands between two fighting parties. This may be one way this is fulfilled; but one can also end a conflict and be a peacemaker when they are party to a conflict; when they are the offended or the offender.  (Guzik)

We will always have the opportunity to offer peace. It can be an encouragement to be peaceful to someone who has been offended, hurt, chided, etc….. and is not at peace about it. Our encouragement might be to help them see it from another view. It might be to just let them know we understand and encourage them to be peaceable in their situation for the honor and glory of Jesus Christ. Last year I watched unrestrained riots, looting, and destruction. Those in the leadership of these cities, in the guise of trying to bring peace, tried to defend allowing these actions to go unchecked or stopped. This by all means is not being a peacemaker.  It is weakness and cowardly. This same mindset would allow a person to be raped if the offender seemed to have a reason for their offense. Utter foolish thinking and leadership. Being a peacemaker may mean we will have to jump in and restrain during an offense. Protecting the weak or outnumbered or overpowered is also being a peacemaker.  

Discernment is critical. When you hear what is proclaimed through social media and other media news outlets on their take on what brings peace, rest assured they are basing it on false worldly ideas that run contrary to Scripture. Peace is never obtained by divisiveness. What they are proclaiming may make worldly sense and may even sound like it could be right. This is why it is critical to have God’s Word in your life, written on your heart, mind, and soul. How else will you be able to discern worldly from godly?  When there is no acknowledgment of God, Jesus Christ, and Scripture, people will do what seems right in their own eyes. Be a workman of God who is able to rightly divide the Word of Truth from worldly passions and ideas from what is right and wrong. Peacemakers must be rooted firmly in Jesus Christ, and continually learn more and more understanding and knowledge from God’s Word, with a desire to learn and apply it. Discernment will not come to those who are not seeking it.

27.m. “I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called”

 

Ephesians 4:1  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.

 Romans 12:1   I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

 Acts 9:31   So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.

 Colossians 1:10  so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

 1 Thessalonians 2:12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

 2 Timothy 1:9    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 before the ages began,

What does it mean to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called?  Our salvation is in Jesus Christ alone.  Nothing we could do or did do would add or take away from His complete work on the cross.  There is not a single “Good” person who has done good enough to merit what Christ did on the cross.  There is not a single “Bad” person who has done such vile bad things that the work of Christ on the cross will not save them completely.  The good and bad people are both sinners, lost, apart from God, walking in flesh and doing fleshly things, and in need of redemption, forgiveness, and salvation.  Once they have come to the saving grace knowledge of Jesus Christ, repent of their sin, and trust in, cling to, and rely on Jesus Christ they are saved, born again, a new creation.  The Holy Spirit is given to each one of them, to lead, comfort, and die them unlimited power to live in this world in a manner worthy of the price Jesus Christ paid for their sin.  So I ask again what does it mean to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called?

This is an ever-changing goal in the life of a Christian.  As we grow, here a little there a little, precept by precept, line upon line.  As we grow in our knowledge and understanding of God and His grace, mercy, and love, our understanding of what walking in a manner worthy will also grow.  That is why it is an ever-changing upward goal.  We do well to grow in our knowledge and understanding, precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little and there a little.  Too often our attainment of growth is limited because of our lack of knowledge and understanding of God’s Word.  Too often we neglect it.  Too often we are complacent.  Too often we get caught up in the busyness of life and worry about walking worthy of what our neighbors and family will think rather than the one who freely gave His life to redeem you.

20.v. “I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called”

 

 

Romans 12:1   I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 

 1 Corinthians 1:10    I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.

 Hebrews 13:22   I appeal to you, brothers, bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly.

 2 Corinthians 5:20    Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

 1 Thessalonians 4:10    for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more,

 2 Corinthians 6:1    Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

 Ephesians 4:1    I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,

Paul’s plea was an urgent and earnest request, a cry from the heart.  He saw firsthand how people could be easily swayed by temptations of the flesh and this world.  Between his journey back to revisit the churches he planted, he would hear of issues within the church, problem people, neglect and complacency of following after God, and hearing of this or witnessing it first hand, he would urge them to get back on track with a life that humbly honors, glorifies, follows, rely on, clings to, trusts in, and obeys Jesus Christ. There were times when Paul would call people out for their selfish and devious acts but mostly he gave repeated urgent requests to turn away from foolishness, bitterness, division, fear, hatred, lusts of the flesh, and love for the worldly.  

I wonder what it must have been like living in a time where there was no electricity, iPhone, iPad, computer, TV, podcasts, radio, internet, movies, video games, televised sports, talk shows, social media, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, email, ebooks, news media outlets, ESPN, CNN, refrigeration, Amazon, FedEx, UPS, education system, hospitals, transportation, cars, trains, planes, industrialization, technology, etc….  Without any of this interference in their lives, they were still able to be swayed away from living for Christ.  There is some appeal from the fleshly and worldly that entices us to seek, desire, and chase after that which promises satisfaction to our soul but is never able to live up to the promises no matter how many times or how long we pursue them.  If they were enticed away without all of the mind-consuming technology we have now, how much more so can we be? What would Pauls’s appeal to us be?  I think it can be found in Philippians 4:8 Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart].  

19.v. “For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

Romans 18:18   For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

 2 Corinthians 4:17-18  For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,  as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

 Colossians 3:4  When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

 2 Thessalonians 1:7-12     and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels  in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.  They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,  when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.  To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power,  so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 2 Thessalonians 2:14   To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 1 Peter 5:1    So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be reveale

 1 Peter 4:13    But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.

Paul was not ignorant or blind to the sufferings of human existence. Yet he still considered that the future glory far outweighed the present sufferings.  Without a heavenly hope, Paul considered the Christian life foolish and tragic. Yet in light of eternity, it is the wisest and best choice anyone can make. (Guzik) 

God has put this glory into the believer right now. In heaven, the glory will simply be revealed. “The glory will be revealed, not created. The implication is that it is already existent, but not apparent.” (Morris)  “Creation is not undergoing death pangs… but birth pangs.” (Morris)

It is in the waiting we currently find ourselves.  We wait for the Glory of Jesus Christ to be revealed and in this revealing we also.  Creation has waited since the beginning of time for this revealing to come.  Our wait is but for a moment.  Our wait is to be in the hope and assurance of this revealing Glory of Jesus Christ and our eternal lives with Him forever and ever.  Let us not get weighted down by trials, troubles, and the chaos of this life.  Keep your eyes on Jesus, look full into His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His Glory and grace.

7.v. Threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God

Revelation 14:14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.

Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.” So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse’s bridle, for 1,600 stadia.

“Warnings and judgments have not turned the hearts of those who reject Jesus Christ, the sins of the nations are filled up, and they become ripe for judgments, represented by a harvest (ripe for heaven or ripe for eternal damnation), an emblem which is used to signify the gathering of the righteous, when ripe for heaven, by the mercy of God. The harvest time is when the corn is ripe; when the believers are ripe for heaven, then the wheat of the earth shall be gathered into Christ’s garner.  The enemies of Christ and his church are not destroyed, till by their sin they are ripe for ruin, and then he will spare them no longer. The wine-press is the wrath of God, some terrible calamity, shedding the blood of the wicked. The patience of God towards sinners is the greatest miracle in the world; but, though it appears to be lasting, it will not be everlasting; and ripeness in sin is a sure proof of judgment at hand.”

Do you ever wonder if any part of your heart is “Ripe” with sin?  Is there someplace within your being that you have rejected listening to the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart, mind, and soul to repent and turn away from a sin that is ripening to the point of a harvest of the calamity and trouble in your life?  Have you rejected spending time in God’s Word and by doing so, shut your ears to hearing the whispers of the Holy Spirit?  Complacency and neglect will yield fruit, and given time, will ripen. This fruit will come with consequences just like the apple that Adam and Eve ate.  Now is the time to search your heart, mind, and soul for that which is not pleasing, honoring, following, trusting, relying, and obeying God.  Stay in His Word, desire to hear Him lead you, and seek to honor Jesus Christ in all you think, say, and do.

The Light of God’s word

Psalms 119:105   Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.  I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules.  I am severely afflicted; give me life, O LORD, according to your word!  Accept my freewill offerings of praise, O LORD, and teach me your rules.  I hold my life in my hand continually, but I do not forget your law.  The wicked have laid a snare for me, but I do not stray from your precepts.  Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart.  I incline my heart to perform your statutes forever, to the end.

Proverbs 6:23    For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,

Ephesians 5:13    But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible,

2 Peter 1:19     And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts,

Psalms 19:8     the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;

Psalms 43:3     Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me;

Psalms 18:28     For it is you who light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness.

Job 29:3    when his lamp shone upon my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,

We can know, as we walk the road of life, the word of God will make our steps clear.We would not know where to step without the guidance of God’s word. It is possible to walk the path of life not knowing where our steps fall.  We don’t know if our foot will step on good ground or dangerous ground; we are not self-aware. God’s word will be a lamp to our feet. Simply said, the Bible should help us walk the way God wants us to walk. Think of all the different words we use to describe how a person walks: stroll, saunter, amble, trudge, plod, dawdle, hike, tramp, tromp, slog, stomp, march, stride, sashay, glide, troop, patrol, wander, ramble, tread, prowl, promenade, roam, traipse, mosey, and perambulate. Just as different words show that there are many different ways to walk, God’s word has many different ways to light our paths.

How are we to walk? “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” – “they rest in their beds who walk in their uprightness” – “and to walk humbly with your God” – “walk in the light as He is in the light”.  None of these are possible without the light of God’s word lighting our way.

“Thus is our passage in a dark and perilous way irradiated by the lamp and light of the word. But except the lamp be lighted – except the teaching of the Spirit accompany the word, all is darkness – thick darkness. Let us not be content to read the word without obtaining some light from it in our understanding.” (Bridges)

“One of the most practical benefits of God’s word is guidance in the acts of daily life; it is not sent to astound us with its brilliance, but to guide us by its instruction.” (Spurgeon)

The word of God is light and brings light; it doesn’t make things darker or harder to understand. It is a book of LIGHT.