Walk Worthy Of Your Calling
You ve Been Called!
You ve Been Called! Καλέω: to urgently invite someone to accept responsibilities for a particular task, implying a new relationship to the one who does the calling (Louw-Nida)
You ve Been Called! We ve been called - called out by God Himself to live for Him. That means that everyone who has trusted in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior has a holy calling / vocation.
You ve Been Called! But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9 ESV)
You ve Been Called! Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:20 ESV)
You Have Been Called!
A Worthy Walk (Life)
A Worthy Walk (Life) Worthy (axios) is literally bringing up the other beam of the scales Paul is insisting that there shall be a balance between profession [of faith] and practice [life]. So he provides a criterion by which possible courses of action can be weighed. Christians will always seek to do what is most in keeping with their vocation. (Wood 55)
A Worthy Walk (Life) Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. (Hebrews 12:1 NLT)
Humility
Humility For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. (Romans 12:3 ESV)
Humility Not thinking less of oneself, but thinking of oneself less. Putting others first for the sake of Christ Making much of Christ and not so much of self
Gentleness / Meekness
Gentleness / Meekness Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4 ESV) Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. (Colossians 3:21 ESV)
Gentleness / Meekness We must extend God s kind of love love that is holy and just, yet merciful and gracious to our families and neighbors
Patience / Long-suffering
Patience / Long-suffering Christian patience is the spirit which never admits defeat, which will not be broken by any misfortune or suffering, by any disappointment or discouragement, but which persists to the end. (Barclay 138)
Patience / Long-suffering [Patience] is the spirit which bears insult and injury without bitterness and without complaint. It is the spirit which can suffer unpleasant people with graciousness and fools without irritation. (Barclay 139)
Bearing with One Another in Love
Bearing with One Another in Love Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. (James 5:9 ESV)
Bearing with One Another in Love To bear with another (literally, hold him up ) is to put up with his faults and idiosyncracies, knowing that we have our own. (Wood 55)
Bearing with One Another in Love It is putting into practice the love of Christ that unites us and not letting little or unimportant things divide us
Eager to Maintain Unity
In The Bond of Peace
In The Bond of Peace And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:18 ESV)
A Worthy Walk (Life) In The Bond of Peace When conflicts arise, we must work through them rather than letting them divide us
A Worthy Walk (Life) The formula is clear: A worthy walk as Christians = humility + gentleness (meekness) + patience (long-suffering) + bearing with one another in love + eagerness to maintain biblical unity And the proof is shown in true biblical peace
Your mission, as individuals and as a church, is this: To walk worthy of your calling by putting these character essentials into practice in all areas of life
Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:10-11 ESV)