You are called by God. You have received your calling by grace. You don’t have to try to prove it to anyone in the natural, including yourself. You are called. Pure and simple. Not according to your works, but according to God’s own purpose and grace.
…God, who has 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 to us in Christ Jesus before time began” 2 Timothy 1:8–9 (NKJV)
Don’t ever think that your calling is based on your works or your natural qualifications. You are called because God called you according to His own purpose and grace. Your calling is not given to you based on your own merits. It is only by His grace.
2 Timothy 2:1 goes on to say “You therefore… be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.“
We are not to put our confidence in our abilities, however refined they may be. We are not to put our confidence in our talents, no matter how skilled or unskilled we are. We are not to put our confidence in our own efforts, no matter how accomplished we may or may not be. The Bible says to have no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3). We are to be strong and confident only in the grace that is found in Christ Jesus.
Your calling is not based on works. You are called with a holy calling, not according to your works, but according to God’s own purpose and grace which was given to you in Christ Jesus. And God fully intends for you to fulfill your calling.
But we must not overlook that there is, in fact, something very important we must do to properly walk out our calling.
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called. Ephesians 4:1 (NKJV)
Though our calling is received only by grace, and our ability to fulfill our calling is only by grace and not by works, we must walk worthy of the calling. But walking worthy is NOT based on our talents, skills, natural ability, natural qualifications, degrees, experience, and the like. Walking worthy deals with character, not necessarily competence. Notice the rest of the passage:
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:1–3 (NKJV)
God is not as interested in our competence as He is in our character. In fact, there are some who are highly gifted, skilled, and experienced in the natural, but their character is weak and immature, maybe even outright sinful, and God is not pleased. God is looking at our character. Godly character. And when the Lord finds the right character and the right heart, the competence will come…. by His grace.
Notice what Paul wrote to young Timothy about his own personal calling:
And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry. 1 Timothy 1:12 (NKJV)
Notice that Paul is very clearly stating that Jesus Christ is the one who enabled him. In other words, the competency and ability came from the Lord, not from himself or his education or previous experience. And the reason Jesus enabled him is because He found Paul faithful. That’s the character. In other words, Jesus found a man who was faithful. Who walked in good character. And Jesus enabled him with the ability to fulfill his calling.
You are called by grace. You will also be enabled by grace.
You have received your calling by grace. You don’t have to try to prove to anyone in the natural, including yourself, that you have a calling from God. You are called. Pure and simple. Not according to your works, but according to God’s own purpose and grace. Don’t put any confidence in natural abilities. Simply walk in the right character and obedience before the Lord, and His continued grace will enable you to fulfill your calling.
King David wrote the following about the Lord, “He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.” Psalm 18:34 (NIV84). Notice that it was God who trained David. God is the best personal trainer in existence, and David recognized that it was the Lord who trained him and enabled him to be an effective leader and warrior. And verse 20 tells us why. Because David walked in upright character before the Lord.
So what about you? You are called by grace. And you will be enabled by grace. Simply walk worthy of your calling in the eyes of the Lord, with godly character and obedience, and God will enable you. God will bless you. And you will walk out your calling and fulfill it.
Amen.
Scripture reading:
…God, who has 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 to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” 2 Timothy 1:8–9 (NKJV)
“You therefore… be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.“ 2 Timothy 2:1 (NKJV)
…walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:1–3 (NKJV)
Tristan Fenholt 