Called Out

2 Timothy 1:9 (KJV) Says, "Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus, before the world began,"

When we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, we are filled with the Holy Spirit, and we are set apart, being in the world, but not of it. As born again believers in and followers of Jesus Christ we are commanded to fulfill the Great Commission. The Great Commission is defined in Matthew 28:18-20 (KJV) which says, "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:  And, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

As Christians which by definition is to be Christ-like, our behavior should look different from the behavior of those that are lost. As we go about our everyday lives people should see in us the fruits of the Spirit which are found in Galatians 5:22-23 which says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." When we demonstrate the fruits of the Spirit by living them out, then we are allowing the world to see Christ in us. As Christians we should respond to situations in a Godly manner in lieu of reacting to them in a manner that coincides with the way a lost person would react to them. The key here is to take time to respond recognizing that at times the best response is silence, in lieu of reacting in the flesh which can lead to us saying things that do not fit who we are in Christ.

When a person who proclaims to be a Christian behaves in the same manner that a lost person does, it is extremely damaging to their testimony. It is also damaging to Christianity because many lost souls are seeking to trip up Christians, and to build a case supporting the idea that Christians are just a bunch of hypocrites. It is vital that we live our lives in a manner that is Christ-like because doing so is our greatest testimony. Living our lives in a Godly manner, and responding to situations in a Godly way can serve to give others the desire in their heart to have what we have, and that is Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior.

As born again believers in Jesus Christ we have been called out by God for a purpose. We have been called out to serve him, and to raise the standard that is found in the secular world. We have been called out to be witnesses for Christ, and to show forgiveness to others; even those that lost people would more than likely not forgive. We are called out to live our lives in a manner which allows others to see the light of Christ in us.

I encourage you to live your life in obedience to God, and to allow others to clearly see the fruits of the Spirit in you. I urge you to remember that you have been called out for a purpose, as a servant, to raise the standard in this world, to be a witness, and to show forgiveness. If you fall short in these areas or have an area of particular weakness that you know you need work in, take it to God in prayer asking him to help you strengthen this area of your life. I encourage you to live your life in a manner that is pleasing to God, and that serves as a  testimony of his miraculous power and greatness. We are all a work in progress and will be until the Lord calls us home. We should, however, strive to be more and more Christ-like in our behavior each and every single day with the hope that when God calls us home he will be able to say well done my good and faithful servant.

If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you!