The invitation — and challenge — of living out a Christian calling



What does it mean for a Christian to live appropriately to their Christian calling?

The Apostle Paul instructs Christians in his letter to the Ephesians that one key aspect of living consistent to their Christian identity means doing everything possible to maintain peace and unity with one another (Ephesians 4:2-3) because there is "one body and one spirit" (Ephesians 4:4-5), and more importantly, one God (Ephesians 4:6).

And that one God, Paul wrote, gave us a gift: Christ (Ephesians 4:7).

To walk the path of life means living into the fullness of your Christian identity.

Christ, Paul went on to say, equips Christians to help build up one another into Christian maturity (Ephesians 4:12-14) so that Christians can become like Christ (Ephesians 4:15-16).

But what does it mean — practically speaking — to live out this Christian calling, an "in-Christ" identity?

Paul goes on to write in Ephesians 4:17-24:

Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thoughts. They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts.They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more.

But that is not how you came to know Christ,assuming you heard about him and were taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires,to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.

The imperative is clear: Christians, through acceptance into the family of God, can no longer live as if they are outside the family of God — or, in Paul's words, like the "gentiles."

Paul described such people as having hardened and calloused hearts, those type of people who walk the path that leads to death.

To walk the path of death means living like you did before you came to know Christ, before your eyes and ears were opened, before you came to knowledge of the "truth that is in Jesus," before you were made new through the spirit of God. That's your old self, which has died.

But Christians do not walk down thatpath. No, they walk the path of life.

To walk the path of life means living into the fullness of your Christian identity. It means, Paul wrote, that you live according to the way of Christ. Your new self has been created "according to God's likeness in righteousness and purity of truth," Paul declared.

That's good news! But how do we do that?

Paul said that an ingredient critical to putting off the "old self" and living into the "new self" is the renewal of the spirit of your mind and thoughts. What does this mean?

Consider some other Pauline verses:

  • Romans 8:5-6: "Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace."
  • Romans 12:2: "Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God."
  • Colossians 3:10: "Put to death what belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, God’s wrath is coming upon the disobedient, and you once walked in these things when you were living in them. But now, put away all the following: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator."
  • 2 Corinthians 4:14-16: "For we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you. Indeed, everything is for your benefit so that, as grace extends through more and more people, it may cause thanksgiving to increase to the glory of God.Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day."
  • Titus 3:5-7: "He saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. He poured out his Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior so that, having been justified by his grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life."

Examine yourself today: What do you need to do to renew your mind in order to align yourself with your "new self" and your Christian calling?

Happy Lord's Day!

HYPOCRITE: Why Jenner Needs to REPENT

HYPOCRITE: Why Jenner Needs to REPENT

Stacey Abrams cites famous Bible verse invoking persecution of early church in concession speech: 'Persecuted, but not forsaken'



Democrat Stacey Abrams invoked a well-known Bible verse in her concession speech Tuesday in an apparent comparison of her situation to the early persecution of Christians.

What did Abrams say?

While speaking to supporters after Gov. Brian Kemp (R) was declared the victor of Georgia's gubernatorial election, Abrams said the moment reminded her of when the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church members about persecution.

"I am ... reminded of what Scripture tells us," Abrams said before reciting 2 Corinthians 4:8, "We are troubled on every side yet not distressed. We are perplexed, but not in despair. Persecuted, but not forsaken. Cast dead on but not destroyed."

"I know the results aren't what we hoped for tonight, and I understand that you are hurting and you are disappointed— I am too," she continued. "We may not have made it to the finish line. But we ran that race. And we know this path and we know that running is what matters. That standing is what matters. That defending is what matters."

Stacey Abrams delivers concession speech in 2022 Georgia governor race youtu.be

In contrast to her 2018 post-election speech, in which she did not concede her loss, Abrams conceded that she is no longer a candidate for governor.

"Now, tonight I am doing what is clearly the responsible thing. I am suspending my campaign for governor," she said.

"I may no longer be seeking the office of governor, but I will never stop doing everything in my power to ensure that the people of Georgia have a voice," she vowed.

At the beginning of the speech, Abrams congratulated Kemp on his second consecutive victory.

Anything else?

Kemp defeated Abrams by approximately 7.5%, which translates to about 300,000 votes. By comparison, Kemp only defeated Abrams by 1.4% in 2018, or about 50,000 votes.

Still, Abrams has alleged that an election security law enacted last year disenfranchised voters. Those allegations came despite record-high voter turnout for a midterm election.

In fact, on Saturday, Abrams claimed that voters turned out despite "barriers" erected by Republicans.

"We know that people turned out early because they understand that [Republicans] put barriers in place," she said on MSNBC.

"Let's be clear, the false narrative that voter turnout has felled the idea of voter suppression misunderstands the effectiveness of suppression," she claimed. "It has never been about stopping all voters. It is about clogging the arteries of the process and stopping certain voters. There is a precision to voter suppression."

Abrams has never provided evidence backing her claims of voter disenfranchisement.