Daily Devotions
Ephesians
"I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called."
Text: Ephesians 4:1
CULTIVATING CONSCIOUSNESS OF GOD’S CALLING
Paul provides for us an excellent example of what it means to have received a calling from God. Whether it is a call to salvation, or a call to service, there must be that same wonderful sense of consciousness before we can attempt to walk worthy of our calling. Paul demonstrated his consciousness of his calling most clearly in the following text.
And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me,
because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry,
although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor,
and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it
ignorantly in unbelief.
And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant,
with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.
1 TIMOTHY 1:12-14
How did Paul cultivate his consciousness of his calling to salvation and service? Let us seek to learn deeply from him.
1. Never forget the past
Paul never forgot his wicked and sinful past. He knew how wicked he had been, doing what he did.
2. Always remember the present ministry
Though Paul never forgot his past sinful ways, he did not dwell in the past. He had been given a second chance in life. He focused on his present ministry for the Lord.
3. Transformed by God’s salvation
Paul knew that he had been given glorious salvation in Christ Jesus! Salvation was not just declaring faith in Jesus to Paul. Salvation was experiencing:-
a) The grace of God given
b) The love of God outpoured
c) The faith of God declared
4. A heart full of thanksgiving
Paul never served God with anything but a tremendous spirit of joy! In fact one may say that the characteristic feature of Paul’s manner of life and service may be expressed in the following text:
Rejoice in the Lord, always
again, I will say, rejoice!
PHILIPPIANS 4:4