Do We Value Our Calling? #1

We know that mankind was created in the image of God after His likeness (Gen. 1:26). Unlike God the Father and the One Who became Jesus Christ, there was a beginning for man from the creation of Adam and Eve. However, the job was only half done, because man was only created as a physical being.

To be made fully in the image and likeness of God, mankind would need to develop perfect spiritual character! This means that there has to come a time when there is a calling from God to each individual, either in this life or in a future resurrection.

In this message, I want to focus on our calling by God the Father, the great opportunity He has given us for our eyes to be enlightened to:

• God's Truth
• His Plan and Purpose revealed through His Sabbath and Holy Days
• the sacrifice it took for Jesus Christ to redeem us by His shed blood

To enable us to have open communication with the Father in the Holy of Holies through Jesus Christ!

With this and so much more revealed in the Word of God: Do we really value a calling God has given us?

There are many aspects or components to our calling by God. I intend to list just five of them in this message and continue on with more of them in part two.

At this point, I would like to turn to the book of Ruth. This book is often associated with the Feast of Pentecost because of the association with the barley harvest. However, in this message, I intend to look at it in terms of our calling.

While the book of Ruth is only a short story of some four chapters, it carries a big message in the context of where it leads. I just want to pick out a few key verses in this book.

The background to it involves a man named Elimelech with his wife Naomi, and sons Mahlon and Chilion, who migrated from Bethlehem to Moab because of a famine.

Naomi's sons both married Moabite women, Ruth and Orpah. However, within 10 years Elimelech died as well as Mahlon and Chilion. This left Naomi and her daughters-in-law in a precarious condition for them to eke out a living. So, from this dire circumstance, Naomi made the decision to return to Bethlehem in Judah. While Naomi was fond of her daughters-in-law and vice versa, she knew it was the right thing to do to give them both the option to remain in Moab, return to its people, worship its gods, and have the freedom to marry Moabite men.

Ruth 1:14: "And they lifted up their voices and wept again…. [a very emotional experience] …And Orpah… [meaning one who turns away] …kissed her mother-in-law…. [and returned back t Moab] …But Ruth clung to her. And she said, 'Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. Return back with your sister-in-law.'" (vs 14-15).

The next couple of verses can be among the most profound in Scripture when we apply it to ourselves, and indeed any human being sooner or later. When applying this in spiritual terms, everyone will have to make this decision before conversion when being called by God. And to the majority it will be in the second resurrection.

Verse 16: "And Ruth said, 'Do not beg me to leave you, to return from following after you. For where you go, I will go. Where you stay, I will stay. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me'" (vs 16-17).

From this point on, the young widow's life would never be the same. By leaving her homeland and going with Naomi, Ruth renounced her citizenship in Moab with the words, "…For where you go, I will go. Where you stay, I will stay…"

Ruth separated herself from her country of origin. She abandoned one kingdom to be joined to another. She renounced her people and claimed Naomi's people—the nation of Israel—and its God as her own!

Previously living in paganism in Moab, she would have worshipped many gods. But by her confession, Naomi's God, the God of Israel, became Ruth's God. There are similarities with us when we respond to God's calling. We made a choice to separate from the kingdom of darkness under Satan the devil to be transferred into the Kingdom of Light under Jesus Christ! (Matt. 13:43; Col. 1:13).

Many of us, no doubt, can remember the specific time in our lives when we resolved in our mind that we were going to go in a direction from which we will never turn back.

• digest of the Tree of Life
• live by the Word of God

I can remember in my own life, the point when I decided to choose to attend services each Sabbath during the 70s, and not look back at my past such as being in a Protestant church on Sundays and playing cricket on Saturdays.

As I mentioned in Deut. 24:19, Ruth was doubly qualified to glean in the barley fields. because she was a widow and she was poor. Something had to be done to put food on the table. So, we carry on the story.

Ruth 2:2: "And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, 'Let me now go to the field and glean ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find grace.' And she said to her, 'Go, my daughter.'"

This could be likened to newcomers coming into the Church, being called into the Body of Christ and being welcomed in the Church.

Verse 3: "And she went. And she came and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And she happened to come upon a part of the field of Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech."

God obviously had a hand in which field Ruth was going to be gleaning in. It just doesn't happen by chance. Once Boaz discovered who Ruth was and of her devotion, he dealt kindly with her.

Verse 11: "And Boaz answered and said to her [Ruth], 'It has been fully shown to me all that you have done to your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before now. May the LORD repay your work, and may a full reward be given you from the LORD God of Israel, under Whose wings you have come to seek refuge.'" (vs 11-12).

Verse 12 was a prophecy from Boaz. That was largely fulfilled by Boaz himself, who married Ruth and redeemed the house of Elimelech, having carried out Naomi's instruction of lying down at the threshing floor on the feet of Boaz, who acknowledged her character in:

Ruth 3:12: "And now it is true that I am your kinsman redeemer. But there is also a kinsman nearer than I."

The kinsman nearer than Boaz did not take up the offer. The indication is that Boaz was considerably older than Ruth. We won't go through the obligation mentioned in Deut. 25:5-10. But because Boaz and Ruth loved each other and Boaz performed this obligation and redeemed the family of Elimelech, Boaz was a type of Christ in this redemption.

We also know that the genealogies of Boaz and Ruth extend through King David and down to Jesus Christ. Without calling and repentance to conversion, baptism, the laying on of hands, and our receiving of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is our Redeemer by His great sacrifice for us!

Like Ruth, when we were called by God the Father, we made the choice to leave the world—leave its false values and agendas—to choose to follow God's way of life!

• Why has God called us?
• What is His purpose?

When we were first called, we tended to ask a lot of questions such as this. But we came to understand that salvation is a process over time, which involves much loaning and overcoming.

Let's have a look at what Paul has to say about those whom God has called. Paul has quite a bit to say about those who are being called, those who are new.

1-Corinthians 1:17: "For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the Gospel—not with the wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ be made void."

So, the Gospel is to be made simple and easy to understand, not requiring words and language difficult to understand.

Verse 18: "For to those who are perishing, the preaching of the cross is foolishness; but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God."

So those who are foolish, those who don't believe in the Word of God. It is a process; we are in the process of salvation!

Verse 19: "For it is written, 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will nullify the understanding of those who understand.'"

Paul was quoting from Isa. 29:14, where the educated and the elite will not understand God's Plan of Salvation.

Verse 20: "Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer… [debater] …f this age? Did not God make foolish the wisdom of this world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its own wisdom did not know God, it pleased God to save those who believe through the foolishness of preaching" (vs 20-21).

God allowed the world to follow in its own wisdom. It has the choice to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Verse 22: "For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom."

• the Jews wanted a messiah to come and free them from the Roman rule
• the Greeks sought after wisdom from philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, and Pythagoras.

Verse 23: "But we proclaim Christ crucified. To the Jews it is a cause of offense, and to the Greeks it is foolishness; but to those who are called—both Jews and Greeks—Christ is God's power and God's wisdom" (vs 23-24).

Our calling goes far beyond the agendas of the Jews and Greeks, far beyond anything physical.

Verse 25: "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling, brethren, that there are not many who are wise according to the flesh, not many who are powerful, not many who are highborn among you" (vs 25-26).

So, God works the opposite to the way people think, certainly the way people think in this world.

Verse 27: "Rather, God has chosen the foolish things of the world, so that He might put to shame those who are wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world so that He might put to shame the strong things." We are nothing in this world and society!

Verse 28: "And the lowborn of the world, and the despised has God chosen—even the things that are counted as nothing—in order that He might bring to nothing the things that are." So, all the people that are today in high esteem:

• the rich
• the powerful
• the elites

in the world today will be brought to nothing! Why is that?

Verse 29: "So that no flesh might glory in His presence…. [here's a reason why God called the weak of the world] …But you are of Him in Christ Jesus, Who was made to us wisdom from God, even righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption" (vs 29-30).

So the redemption of Jesus Christ is ultimately for all mankind, far more than the redemption of Boaz for the family of Elimelech.

Verse 31: "So that, as it is written, 'The one who glories, let him glory in the Lord.'" All glory goes to God!

There are many components or aspects to our calling. I just want to briefly mention a few of them here. In fact, in this message, five of them.

• Because of our calling, we are subject to God, because we are owned by Him and Jesus Christ

Being His property, therefore, we are not to be subject to this world under its god, Satan the devil. Why? Well, look at what Jesus said to His apostles at his last Passover on the earth!

John 15:18—Jesus speaking: "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have personally chosen you out of the world, the world hates you for this" (vs 18-19).

We can't take this casually, brethren, for what we will do for eternity depends on how we deal with our calling.

John 17:16: "They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world."

The principle here is that we are not to be accepted by this world, its values, nor its agendas. Paul also emphasized this in:

Romans 12:2: "Do not conform yourselves to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind in order that you may prove what is well-pleasing and good, and the perfect will of God."

And we had a sermon recently on thoughts, the way we think, and our thoughts towards God's thoughts: {messages: The Thoughts of God #s 1 & 2 by Eduardo Elizondo}

People with human nature want to be accepted by the world and have recognition to the wrong standards. But we are to test and prove all things. When we do this, we'll be able to test and approve what God's will is.

Galatians 5:16: "Now this I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh."

Verse 22: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control; against such things there is no law" (vs 22-23).

We do not belong to ourselves when we are not part of this world. Paul mentions this in 1-Cor. Corinth was an immoral society, even more so than the rest of Greece. Pre-marital and extramarital sex was part of that culture in Corinth.

1-Corinthians 6:18: "Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man may commit is outside the body, but the one who commits sexual immorality is sinning against his own body. WHAT! Don't you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, which you have within you from God, and you are not your own?" (vs 18-19).

This is referring to looking after ourselves in body and in mind.

Verse 20: "For you were bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

So, this sacrifice of Christ's blood, we were bought with that. Because we belong to the Father and to Christ, we don't credit anything to our own abilities.

2-Corinthians 3:5: "Not that we are competent of ourselves, or credit anything to our own abilities: rather, our competency is from God."

• Testify to the Light

Jesus had a purpose to bear witness to Himself as the Light comes into the world from heaven so that those who follow Him in faith may share in His life.

John 1:5: "And the Light shines in the darkness, but the darkness does not comprehend it"—or overcome it.

1-John 1:5: "And this is the message that we have heard from Him and are declaring to you: that God is Light, and there is no darkness at all in Him."

Matt. 5 is where what is called the Sermon on the Mount and Jesus is talking to His disciples.

Matthew 5:14: "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a mountain cannot be hid. Neither do they light a lamp and put it under a bushel basket, but on the lampstand; and it shines for all who are in the house" (vs 14-15).

So, what comes out from us bears the fruit of the Spirit. Our light is what comes out by the Spirit.

Verse 16: "In the same way also, you are to let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works, and may glorify your Father Who is in heaven." All glory goes back to God!

In the Gospel of John there is a lot mentioned about light. We pick up a passage where Jesus is talking to Nicodemus, a leader of the Pharisees. Unlike a lot of the other Pharisees, Nicodemus wanted to know a bit about what Jesus was about. At least he took the effort to go to Jesus and ask some questions.

John 3:19: "And this is the judgment: that the Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness rather than the Light because their works were evil. For everyone who practices evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light, so that his works may not be exposed" (vs 19-20).

People do not want to be exposed nor criticize for their evil works. It's human nature for people never wanting to admit that they are wrong.

Verse 21: "But the one who practices… [as a way of life] …the Truth comes to the Light, so that his works may be manifested, that they have been accomplished by the power of God."

Satan, who is the God of this world and is deceiving the whole world, has put this world in almost total darkness.

John 8:12: "Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, 'I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me shall never walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of Life.'"

This Light of Life is the enlightenment of our mind  with the truth of God! In God's Word, light has always been the symbol of:

• Holiness
• goodness
• knowledge
• wisdom
• grace
• hope
• God's revelation.

• To be humble servants of our Owner, King and Savior.

How to react when we're in company or when we're at a gathering.

Luke 14:8—Jesus says: "When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit in the chief place, lest someone more honorable than you has been invited by him."

Proverbs 29:23: "A man's pride shall bring him low…"—or a fall!.

Luke 14:9: "Or the one who invited you and him shall come to you and say, 'Give place to this one,' and then shall you begin with shame to take the last place. But when you are invited, go and sit down in the last place, so that when the one who invited you comes, he may say to you, 'Friend, come up higher.' Then shall you have honor in the presence of those who are sitting at the table with you. For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and the one who humbles himself shall be exalted" (vs 9-11).

Luke 22:25—this was said at Jesus' last Passover before his crucifixion, and it was also said immediately after an argument among the disciples as to who would be the greatest among them.

Luke 22:25: "And He said to them, 'The kings of the nations lord over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called benefactors"—or maybe more appropriately call themselvesbenefactors!

There is not one single government in this world—as viewed in the eyes of God—who hates a hierarchical system.

Verse 26: "But it shall not be this way among you; rather, let the one who is greatest among you be as the younger, and the one who is leading as the one who is serving. For who is greater, the one who is sitting at the table, or the one who is serving? Is not the one who sits at the table? But I am among you as One Who is serving" (vs 26-27).

And Jesus certainly provided many examples of serving during His ministry of teaching, healing, and encouragement. He came from being Co-Creator of the universe to be made in the likeness of men and took the form of a servant (Philip. 2:6-7).

Humility and righteousness does have its rewards. I have some quick Scriptures to back this up:

Matthew 5:3: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven."

James 4:10: "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you."

1-Peter 5:5: "…God sets Himself against the proud, but He gives grace to the humble."

Proverbs 22:4: "By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches and honor and life."

Proverbs 15:33: "The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility."

So humility is not just an inherent virtue but a way of life as part of our calling, and is the way the converted should relate to one another. Look at the way God views it in:

Isaiah 66:1: "Thus says the LORD, 'The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. Where then is the house that you build for Me? And where is the place of My rest? For all these things My hand has made, and these things came to be,' says the LORD. 'But to this one I will look, to him who is of a poor and contrite spirit and who trembles at My Word" (vs 1-2). This is the sort of person that God is looking to!

• We are to be the sheep of the Good Shepherd: Jesus Christ

There are many verses in Scripture referring to sheep in God's Plan. The most, perhaps the most familiar is Psa. 23 which is familiar, very familiar to all of us.

Psalm 23:1: "The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want." We shall not lack or want of anything spiritually!

Verse 2: "He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters"—being fully nourished with the Word of God!

Verse 3: He restores my soul… [by the resurrection] …He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake." We are to walk on the narrow path!

Verse 4: "Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death… [referring to the crucifixion] …I will fear no evil for You are with me; Your rod and staff, they comfort me." That is living, eating and digesting the Word of God!

Verse 5: "You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil, my cup runs over."

The table is laid out for us, providing us with strength to deal with our enemies or trials that we encounter. In this life we do encounter many trials.

Verse 6: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever."

This goes on into the ages of eternity. This is what our Good Shepherd is prepared to do for each one of us.

Psalm 100:3: "…we are His people and the sheep of His pasture."

In John 10 Jesus has a fair amount to say about the shepherd and his flock of sheep.

John 10:1: "Truly, truly I say to you, the one who does not enter the sheepfold through the door, but climbs up some other way, that one is a thief and a robber." This is referring to counterfeit and false religion!

Verse 2: "But the one who enters through the door is the shepherd of the sheep."

Revelation 3:20—Jesus says: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock…."

As the flock that belongs to the true Shepherd, we will open the door for Him to come in. His sheep know Him.

John 10:3: "To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out." Our Shepherd knows us all by name. He leads them by the Holy Spirit!

Verse 4: "When he brings the sheep out, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him because they know his voice."

IF we follow the Scriptures 'line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little, rightly dividing the Word of God, and proving all things,' THEN we will know God's voice all through His Word.

Verse 5: "But they will never follow a stranger for they will flee from him because they do not know the voice of strangers."

Strangers bring false doctrine. I can remember when Worldwide Church of God went off the track. But they were still keeping the Feast days, and at many Feast sites, they invited guest speakers from Protestant, Pentecostal, or even Catholic Churches. How much of God's Plan would these guest speakers know?

Verse 7: "Therefore, Jesus again said to them, 'Truly, truly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them'" (vs 7-8).

They will not listen to or recognize those whom they do not know.

Verse 9: "I am the Door. If anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and shall find pasture."

The pasture is the Word of God and the Truth that God's ministers preach to them from God's Word.

Verse 10: "The thief does not come except to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life, and may have it more abundantly. I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep" (vs 10-11).

And this is what Jesus Christ did for each one of us, and ultimately for all mankind

Verse 12: "But the one who is a hireling, and who is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep, and flees. And the wolf seizes the sheep and scatters them. Now, the hireling flees because he is a hireling and has no concern for the sheep" (vs 12-13).

And perhaps we can define that as corporate minister paid by an organization, providing that he adheres to the doctrine of that organization and self-preservation is his agenda.

Verse 14: "I am the good Shepherd, and I know those who are Mine, and am known of those who are Mine."

1-John 4:2: "By this test… [testing the spirits] …you can know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.

John 10:15: "Just as the Father knows Me, I also know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep."

Without the Holy Spirit, we, as sheep, are very vulnerable to the evil of this world. Sheep do not have good eyesight and they need to be led. We need our Good Shepherd to lead us in our calling.

Matt.—the 12 apostles were given a warning with a task that Jesus gave them to do.

Matthew 10:16: "Behold, I am sending you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."

It means to have discernment and sound judgment. While we do have to deal with the dark spiritual wilderness of this world, we are given encouragement throughout God's Word.

Isaiah gives us a lot of stark warnings in prophecy, but there is a bit of encouragement as well in this book.

Isaiah 40:11: "He shall feed His flock like a shepherd; He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those with young."

So with the limitations and frailties that we have, it takes time for us to overcome our faults. For many of us, it takes a lifetime.

• We are called to overcome.

What are we to overcome? Some things instantly come to mind:

• sin
• our human nature
• our doubts
• negative attitudes
• obstacles and opposition under Satan's influence

We all know that we can't do any of this on our own or by our own effort, but with God's Spirit, we can overcome.

1-John 5:4: "Now then, everyone who is begotten by God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world—our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world? Even the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God" (vs 4-5)

So, it takes faith and belief to achieve all that we need to overcome in this life.

Heb. 11 is where we have many fine examples of faith who had to overcome and endure difficult trials and obstacles.

Hebrews 12:1: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great throng of witnesses… [referring to those who endured] …let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that so easily entraps us; and let us run the race set before us with endurance."

What is the sin that Paul's referring to here? It's the sin of drawing back or slipping away! That would include longing for the past before we were called. We can't be like Lot's wife, who looked back, longingly, I suspect, and was changed into a pillar of salt. Don't let anything get in the way of us and God. We can't overcome unless we have God's Spirit!

1-John 4:4: "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them because greater is He Who is in you than the One Who is in the world."

Revelation 2:26—this is part of the letters to the seven Churches: "And to the one who overcomes and keeps My works unto the end, I will give authority over the nations."

There are rewards for overcoming that encourages us to continue in God's way.

Verse 27: "And He shall shepherd them with an iron rod, as vessels of pottery are broken in pieces; as I have also received from My Father."

Now, it doesn't mean cruelty, but of unbroken rulership. So, we don't have to worry about elections or anything.

Verse 28: "And I will give him the Morning Star." The morning star is eternal life!

We will shine as the stars. what we need to do is lay it out for us in God's Word.

Romans 12:21: "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Romans 8:37: "But in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us."

He's made possible for us to overcome through the blood of the Lamb! (Rev. 12:11).

The same promise that God gave to Jeremiah applies to us today. God gives him some encouragement. Jeremiah is in many ways a hard book because of what Jeremiah had to endure, knowing that the house of Judah was going to fall to Babylon.

Jeremiah 1:19: "'And they shall fight against you; but they shall not overcome you. For I am with you,' says the LORD, 'to deliver you.'"

This applies to any enemy of God. We have a promise of deliverance. Here is another promise that God makes for one who overcomes according to God's will.

Rev. 3—which is still part of the letters to the Churches. In this case it's to Philadelphia:

Revelation 3:12: "The one who overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall not go out anymore; and I will write upon him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which will come down out of heaven from My God; and I will write upon him My new name."

When we think of a pillar, we picture a support structure as part of a building. In this case, it is one who is part of a very fabric of Truth, teaching and righteous authority.

To be able to endure, we need to be able to overcome trials that we will encounter sooner or later.

James 1:2: "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you are beset by various trials."

This is one of the 'fruits of the Spirit' to have joy. And part of overcoming is to have a positive attitude towards trials.

Verse 3: "Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance." This is why we have trials. It strengthens our character.

Verse 4: "But let endurance have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and complete, not lacking in anything."

This is talking spiritually where we gain substance in faith, that God will follow through with his plan for us and ultimately for mankind.

Romans 5:4: "And endurance brings forth character, and character brings forth hope."

With the emphasis on our calling and thinking of how much value we need to place this one special privilege God has given us, I have one more Scripture to mention on this aspect of both coming.

There are so many other components to our calling that I will need to do part 2 on this another time. We have here the reason for being partaking of the Divine Nature:

2-Peter 1:5: "And for this very reason also, having applied all diligence besides, add to your faith, virtue." So right values, doing what God says,

"…and to virtue, knowledge…" (v 5). Not the kind of knowledge of this world, but the knowledge of God's Word.

Verse 6: "And to knowledge, self-control…" That is moderation in all areas of life, controlled:

• thought
• appetite
• in everything we do

"…and to self-control, endurance…" (v 6)—and this includes being

• courageous
• steadfast
• patient toward other people

"…and to endurance, Godliness" (v 6).

One definition of Godliness is the quality or practice of conforming to the Laws and will of God, devoutness and moral uprightness.

Verse 7: "And to Godliness, brotherly love…"

John 15:12: "This is My commandment: that you love one another, as I have loved you."

2-Peter 1:7: "…and to brotherly love, the love of God."

In v 8 we have the condition IF, and IF is applied in any sentence, THEN will be the actual result of it if it's applied.

Verse 8: For IF these things exist and abound in you… [THEN] …they will cause you to be neither lacking effort nor lacking fruit in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is the result of doing these things. These aspects are just a few of the many reasons why, the many reasons why our calling should be valued above anything else in our physical lives on the earth.

I plan to provide part two next time with more of these reasons why, on what a great opportunity God has given us with our calling.

Scriptural References:

• Ruth 1:14-17
• Ruth 2:2-3, 11-12
• Ruth 3:12
• 1 Corinthians 1:17-31
• John 15:18-19
• John 17:16
• Romans 12:2
• Galatians 5:16, 22-23
• 1 Corinthians 6:18-20
• 2 Corinthians 3:5

• John1:5
• Matthew 5:14-16
• John 3:19-21
• John 8:12

• Luke 14:8
• Proverbs 29:23
• Luke 14:9
• Luke 22:25-27
• Matthew 5:3
• James 4:10
• 1 Peter5:5
• Proverbs 22:4
• Proverbs 15:33
• Isaiah 66:1-2

• Psalm 23:1-6
• Psalm 100:3
• John 10:1-2
• Revelation 3:20
• John 10:3-5, 7-14
• 1 John 4:2
• John 10:15
• Matthew 10:16
• Isaiah 40:11

• 1 John 5:4-5
• Hebrews 12:1
• 1 John 4:4
• Revelation 2:26-28
• Romans 12:21
• Romans 8:37
• Jeremiah 1:19
• Revelation 3:12
• James 1:2-4
• Romans 5:4
• 2 Peter 1:5-8
• John 15:12
• 2 Peter 1:7-8

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Genesis 1:26
• Matthew 13:43
• Colossians 1:13
• Deuteronomy 24:19
• Deuteronomy 25:5-10
• Isaiah 29:14
• Philippians 2:6-7
• Hebrews 11
• Revelation 12:11

Also referenced: Message:
The Thoughts of God #s 1 & 2 by Eduardo Elizondo

LS:bo/po
Transcribed: 11/29/24

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