“Called by God”
Thank you for joining me today. May the Lord bless you as you diligently seek Him with all of your heart!
Take a breath, be still and take a moment to meditate on today’s title. Let me ask you a question, have you been called by God? I want to ask this question because just the other day I was having a conversation with someone and they said, “when I found God.” My friends we do not find God, He finds us. God intiates and finishes our faith. The scriptures assure us that God loved us first, we were never looking for Him. Why is this so important? To think that God Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth loved and called me to Himself is CRAZY! But thank God it is true! God called me, saved me, forgave me and gave me the right to be His child. I am a son of God!
In today’s scripture the Apostle Paul addresses all who have been called by God. He gives us some very important characteristics of those who have been called. As Children of God this is who we should be. I also included a couple extra verses to help us understand why.
Ephesians 4:1-6
Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all,
who is over all, in all, and living through all.
Notice the wording in verse 1, the Apostle Paul is begging the readers to lead a life worthy of their calling. Paul knew the importance of being an example for Christ. He also reminds them, “you have been called by God.” There is no higher calling available in this world or life. Therefore… he list some characteristics of someone who has been called by God. The first we see is humility, unless we get out of our own way and let God work through us the rest of the characteristics will not be present.
We see all of the characteristics described are for the purpose of unity among God’s chosen people. Jesus prayed for unity among God’s people in John 17. Unity is not just a good idea, it is the heart of Jesus. We are told to be gentle, patient, loving, forgiving and live at peace with one another. Why? We are called to one Lord, one body, one Spirit, one God and one baptism. How can we follow and glorify God if we are not unified with one another?
This coming Sunday we will explore this subject much deeper. I want to encourage you to come. We will also have our potluck following the service. This is a great opportunity to connect and practice unity with one another! I love all of you and I am humbled and thankful to be your brother, pastor and friend! Have a super, blessed day!
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