~ Are
You Participating In The Various Aspects of Your Calling? ~
Introduction
~ Looking back at the history of
“Abundant Life Now” posts, we discovered that there have been 60 posts entitled
“7 [topic]” through June 2021.
Surprisingly, that equals two months’ worth of daily posts since the
beginning of ALN on October 21, 2009.
During each day of this seventh month of 2021, each ALN post is a “7 [topic].”
Participation In
the Promise of Christ (salvation) ~ “Indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of
God which was given to me for you, how that by revelation He made known to me
the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you
may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was
not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to
His holy apostles and prophets: that the
Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, of which
I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by
the effective working of His power” (Ephesians 3:2-7).
Participation In
the Divine Nature (regeneration) ~ “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).
Participation In
the Inheritance (competency) ~ “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not
cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of
His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of
the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing
in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious
power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the
inheritance of the saints in the light” (Colossians
1:9-12).
Participation In
the Heavenly Calling (position) ~ “Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High
Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him who appointed
Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house. For this One has been counted worthy of more
glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the
house” (Hebrews 3:1-3).
Participation In
Christ’s Sufferings (discipleship) ~ “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery
trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but
rejoice to the extent that you partake of
Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad
with exceeding joy. If you are
reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and
of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but
on your part He is glorified” (1 Peter 4:12-14).
Participation In
Fatherly Chastisement (discipline) ~ “For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners
against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed,
striving against sin. And you have
forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: ‘My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you
are rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges
every son whom He receives.’ If you endure chastening, God deals with
you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?” (Hebrews
12:3-7).
Participation In Glory
(prospective) ~ “The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow
elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the
flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but
willingly, not for dishonest gain
but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples
to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of
glory that does not fade away” (1 Peter 5:1-4).
~
Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT
LIFE NOW blog.
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