~
Christian Calling, Competence, Confidence, and Character ~
Those God calls He equips!
Notice the progressive sequence in the four Christian C-words listed
below.
Calling ~
First, God calls. “For you see your
calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many
mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the
world to put to shame the wise, and God
has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which
are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised
God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things
that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who
became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and
redemption—that, as it is written, ‘He who glories, let him glory in the Lord’”
(1 Corinthians
1:26-31).
Competence ~
Second, God instills competence for the job He has called you to do. “He who
calls you is faithful, who also will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24). “Grace and peace be multiplied to you
in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and
godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by
which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that
through these you may be partakers of the
divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust”
(2 Peter 1:2-4).
Confidence ~ Then
God gives you the confidence (not pride) that through His strength you can
accomplish the mission He has given you.
“I can do all things through
Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
Character ~
Finally, the result of all this is a Godly character. “Now may the
God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit,
soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1
Thessalonians 5:23-24). “Meanwhile, God’s
firm foundation is as firm as ever, these sentences engraved on the stones: ‘God
Knows Who Belongs To Him. Spurn Evil,
All You Who Name God As God’” (2 Timothy 2:19, The Message).
Comment ~
Where are you in this progression?
Are you doing what God has called
you to do? Are you doing it competently through His strength? Are you confident
of His ability to work effectively through you?
Are you growing in character—becoming
more Christ-like?
~
Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT
LIFE NOW
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