Now, Ephesians chapter 4, let's
read the first verse. I therefore, I therefore, now
this looks all the way back to what is said in chapter 1, 2,
and 3. I therefore, I therefore the
prisoner of the Lord, and notice the center reference there, it
says the prisoner, I'm the prisoner, God's servant in the Lord, in
the Lord. Oh, to be in the Lord Jesus Christ. to be a captive of the Lord Jesus
Christ, to be found in Him. No wonder the Apostle said, I
count all things but loss that I may win Christ and be found
in Him. I therefore the captive of the
Lord, in the Lord. He says, I beseech you, I beg
you, as believers who profess to love Christ and to honor the
Lord Jesus Christ, I beseech you, believers there in Ephesus. And this word is relative to
us today. Relative to us today. I beseech
you as believers loving Christ and bowing to the Lord Jesus
Christ, that you walk worthy. Walk worthy of this vocation,
this calling, wherewith you are called. You are called. Now let
me give you this introduction. In the first three chapters of
this letter, Paul deals with the great, great doctrine of
the gospel of the grace of God in Christ Jesus. The blessed
truth of salvation by the grace of God alone. We've been over
that ground many times, and we love to talk about salvation
by the sovereign mercy of God alone in Christ Jesus. Grace
alone in Christ. It is a blessing of God. And it's a blessing in the Word
of God to trace all spiritual blessings given unto us back
to the first cause. The first cause of God blessing
us. The first cause of God saving
us. The first cause of God choosing us. And that eternal covenant
of grace, the first cause is found in Him. It's all of God. It's God who has made us to differ. It is God who is determined to
bless us with all spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. You see, it's because of His
fullness that we all have received grace for grace. In Christ Jesus
dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and in Christ
Jesus we are, as believers, we stand complete. in Him. Nothing lacking before God's
sovereign throne, believers stand completely justified, completely
redeemed, completely sanctified in Christ Jesus. Believers stand
complete. We trace all spiritual blessing
back to the fountainhead of all spiritual blessings, and that's
God's eternal purpose, whereby He purposed to save the people
in Christ Jesus. That's what we've studied in
chapter 1, 2, and 3. Now, in these last three chapters,
Paul deals mainly with the duties of believers, the privilege of
believers, and the responsibility of believers unto their Lord. Those who have been blessed with
all spiritual blessings have a special obligation and responsibility
unto their sovereign Lord, who has blessed us. with all blessings
in Christ Jesus. Duty of the believer resting
upon privilege. Service motivated by the whip
of the law? Oh, no. Oh, no. By the fear of
punishment? Oh, no. Service motivated and
obedience motivated based upon love and gratitude unto the Lord
Jesus Christ. We are His workmanship created
in Christ Jesus unto what? Unto good works. I'm not ashamed
to talk about good works if you put them in the proper place
after salvation and as the fruit of salvation, never the cause.
Never the cause of salvation. Believers do desire to conduct
themselves in all aspects of their lives. to honor our great
God at work, at home, at school, in all aspects of our life, believers
desire to honor our great God. I would not, as a believer, I
would not bring reproach and shame upon my Lord by my sorry
conduct and attitude. Now, oftentimes, I just about
got out of sorts with the dear officer down the street when
he wouldn't let me drive down the street. My wife thought I
was a little bit rude, but I wanted to get his attention. But I want
to honor God in all aspects of our life. You see, our great
God has chosen us, redeemed us, and called us, and quickened
us by His grace, and made us new creatures in Christ Jesus.
Faith in Christ, now listen to me, faith in Christ and conduct
in Christ are inseparable. Faith in Christ and conduct in
Christ, faith and conduct, cannot be separated. Just like repentance
and faith, they cannot be separated. Faith and conduct go together. Love and faith go together. Now
look at verse 1 again. Paul describes himself as the
prisoner of the Lord, as he does in chapter 3, verse 1. For this
cause I call the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles. As a servant and as the apostle
of the Lord, writing under divine inspiration of the Lord, he gives
to us these words of wisdom that we need to hear as believers
in every aspect of our life. You know, everything we need.
I've said this often, I believe it's so. Everything we need to
know in this life is found in this book we call the Bible.
How to be a good father, how to be a good wife, how to be
a good husband, how to be a good worker, all those instructions
we need to honor God in our life is found here. And certainly,
we see throughout the Word of God His plain declaration of
how God saves sinners in Christ Jesus. But He gives us these
inspired words These words are just as inspired as Ephesians
1, verse 3 through 6. Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith
you are called. Honor God in your life, in your
talk, in your conduct. What you listen to, what you
watch, where you go. Put a watch on your lips. Put
a watch on your ears. And walk worthy of our calling. Our walk. Now, what is our walk?
Where he says, I beseech you that you walk worthy. What is
our walk? Well, here's what it is. Our
walk is the tenor of our life. It's the tenor of our life. It
is the bent of the wheel. It is the general direction of
our life. The general direction in which
we are going. Walk worthy of the Lord wherewith
He hath called you. Now, he mentions this several
times. Let me show you. In chapter 4, he mentions this
again, this walk. In chapter 4, verse 17, notice
this. Ephesians 4, 17. He said, This
I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you henceforth
walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life
of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the
blindness of their heart. Don't walk in ignorance and in
idolatry. Don't walk that way. Walk in
a way that's honoring to God. And then he mentions this again
in chapter 5, verses 1 and 2. Turn over there. Be therefore
followers of God as dear children and walk in love. That's how we walk as believers. We walk in love. as Christ also
had loved us, and had given himself for us as an offering and sacrifice
to God for a sweet-smelling savor. Walk worthy of our calling."
Now, he mentions this again in chapter 5. Look at verse 8. "'For
you were sometimes darkness, but now are you children in the
Lord. Walk as children of light.'"
Children of Christ. Now, notice verse 15. in chapter
5. See then that you walk circumspectly.
Walk wisely, not as fools, but as wise men, redeeming the time
because the days are evil. Walk in a way honoring to God. Now let me show you another reading
on this. If you'll find Colossians chapter
1. Now we're going to turn and read quite a bit of Scripture
this evening, so have your Bible ready. Colossians chapter 1,
verse 9. Colossians 1, verse 9. He said,
"...for this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease
to pray for you and desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge
of His will and all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that
ye walk worthy of the Lord, unto all pleasing, being fruitful
in every good work, increasing in the knowledge of God." That's
how we're to walk. One other reading if you'll find
1 Thessalonians chapter 4. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verse
1. Furthermore then, we beseech
you brethren and exhort you by the Lord Jesus that as you have
received of us how you ought to walk and to please God so
you would abound more and more walking away pleasing to God.
Now how is that? By believing Him. By believing
Him without faith it is impossible to please God. Walk worthy honoring
to the calling wherewith you are called. Now this calling
that he talks about here is that irresistible, effectual, invincible
power of God the Holy Spirit with the gospel. He's called
you. He's called you. Believers have
been called, it says this several ways. This calling here that
he's talking about. In Philippians 3, verse 14, it
talks about this high calling of God. A high calling of God. In Hebrews 3, verse 1, he talks
about believers being partakers of a heavenly calling in Christ
Jesus. And then in II Timothy 1, 9,
it says it's God who saved us and called us with a holy calling,
not according to our works, but according to God's own purpose
and grace. And then in I Peter 2, 9, it says that God has called
us out of darkness into His marvelous light. that we should show forth
the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into that
marvelous light. In Colossians 1.13, it talks
about being translated out of the kingdom of darkness into
the kingdom of God's dear Son. He has called us out of darkness. God has called us with a holy
calling, a heavenly calling, a high calling out of darkness
and death, sin and depravity to righteousness and life and
salvation in Christ Jesus. It's His calling, it's His duty,
it's His Word. Now, get a hold of this. Romans
11, 29, the gifts and calling of God are without change. God
does not change. He said, I'm the Lord, I change
not, therefore you sons of Jacob, you are not consumed. Now, in
verses back in our text, Ephesians chapter 4, in verses 2 and verse
3, He gives us five attributes or characteristics, if you will,
five characteristics of the believer's walk in Christ Jesus, walking
worthy of the gospel in Christ Jesus. And we'll see, as we study
these five things, we'll see how closely they mirror the fruit
of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is what?
Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, meekness, temperance,
and these things. As we look at these things, you'll
see how they mirror that fruit of the Spirit in the believer's
life. In the believer's life. You see,
it's God who worketh in us both to will and to do of His good
pleasure. Salvation is a glorious, mighty
work for us. No doubt about that. Christ has
done a glorious, justifying work for us. He has redeemed us by
His blood. But my friend, salvation, in
our experience, and salvation as God implies, applies that
by His sovereign grace, is a work of salvation in you, Christ in
you, the hope of glory. You see that? God tell you, when
God Almighty, by His grace, grips your heart, your life, your attitude,
He makes you, as Paul says, a new creature in Christ Jesus. He
changes your love. He changes what you love, things
that you one time loved and thought so much of and thought that you
couldn't do without. When He gives you that new love
for Christ Jesus, those things become nothing to you. He becomes
everything to you. That's the work of grace that
He does in your heart. He changes your mind, your will,
your affections, your attitude. He changes your whole being.
Christ in you, the hope of glory. It's just not doctrine in the
head. You can educate a man in the doctrine of grace, but my
friend, salvation is much deeper than that. Salvation is God invading
your soul, God invading your life, and taking control, and
enthroning Himself in your heart. That's what it's all about. And
He causes us to walk worthy of that calling. Now, he mentions
five things here, five characteristics of this walk. The number one,
number one he mentions, walk with all lowliness. Lowliness. Now, that is the exercise of
humility. It's opposite of pride. The opposite
of pride. That is in the exercise of humility,
having the best thoughts of others and the lowest thoughts of self.
Thinking low thoughts of self and high thoughts of God. This
is exactly what he's being taught in Philippians chapter 2. Turn
over there. Philippians chapter 2. Look at
verse 3. Let nothing be done through strife
or vainglory. Philippians 2, 3. But in lowliness
of mind, lowliness of mind, let each esteem the other better
than themselves. I am to think highly of you and
lowly of myself. Lowliness of mind, let each esteem
the other better than himself. Look not on every man, look not
every man on his own things, but every man also on the things
of others." Be concerned about believers in that family of God. Be concerned for their well-being.
Be concerned about them. Don't just always think about
self. Think about others. Think about
how you can be a help to others in their time of need. "...Let
this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being
in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with
God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon himself the form
of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and being
found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, became obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross." in lowliness of mind,
not walk this way in lowliness of mind, not in envy, not in
jealousy of others, not in a self-righteous judgment of others, but seeking
the best for others, hoping the best for others. This also means
bowing in submission to the will of God as His providence unfolds
in our lives, knowing that all things do work together for good
to them who love God. to them who are the called according
to God's purpose." Now, I thought about this illustration and this
actual experience in the life of a priest in Israel named Eli. You remember in 1 Samuel 3, verse
18, when Samuel was a young boy growing up in the temple, you
remember Hannah, who was Samuel's mother, Hannah brought Samuel
to the temple and he grew up in the temple of the Lord, but
there was a priest there His name was Eli. But Eli had two
rebel sons. Do you remember their names?
You can look that up sometime. But he had Eli, the priest, had
two rebel sons. And God told Samuel that he was
going to kill both those two boys of Eli. Well, Samuel was
afraid to tell the old man, the old priest, Eli, that God was
going to kill his son. And Eli finally told him, you
tell me what God told you or God will do that to you. And
he finally told him. And Samuel said, Eli, God's going
to kill both of your boys. They're rebels. They're rebels.
They dishonored God. You remember what Eli said? Well,
that's not fair. That's not right. That's not
what he said. Here's what he said. 1 Samuel 3.18, he said,
It's the Lord. Let him do what seemeth good
in his sight. That's bowing to God in submission. What would
I have two boys? I have two boys, 24 and 22. What
would I say if someone told me God's gonna kill those two sons
of yours? What would I say? What would you say if God killed
two of your boys? Two of your children? It's the
Lord. Let him do what seemeth good
in his sight. That's walking in lowliness. That's walking worthy of the
calling wherewith you're called. That doesn't mean that we won't
grieve. That doesn't mean that we won't
Cry and sorrow and our heart will be broken, but we bow to
the Lord's sovereign will and submission without rebelling
against God. We walk in lowly submission unto
the Lord. That's the first thing. With
all lowliness, humility of mind, are we walking that way? We say,
well, I don't need to work on that. Yes, we do. All of us need
to. All of us need to work on these things. And then secondly,
he mentions this, let us walk in meekness. In meekness. This word can also be rendered
gentleness. Walk in gentleness, understanding
the frailties of our own sinful flesh and understanding the frailties
of others. Now let me show you an example
in Scripture. Find Galatians chapter 6. Back
a few pages. Walk in meekness. Walk in gentleness. Walk in gentleness. understanding
the weakness of the flesh. Now, Galatians 6 verse 1, brethren,
brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, another believer,
overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a
one in the spirit of meekness, considering yourself, lest you
also be tempted. Bearing one another's burden,
then so fulfill or honor the gospel of Christ, the law of
Christ. That is the gospel of Christ. You see, walk in humility,
walk in lowliness, walk in meekness, in meekness. Now, let me show
you something here. Let me show you something. Find
1 Thessalonians chapter 2. Somehow, somewhere along the
line, we got the idea that preachers are supposed to be mean and harsh.
That's not so. That's not so. Look what this
says right here. We can preach the gospel boldly,
and we ought to, but we can do it with meekness, not meanness.
We can do it with meekness. Now watch this. 1 Thessalonians
chapter 2. Look what the apostle says here
in verse 7. We were gentle among you even
as a nurse that cherishes her children. Now, did Paul compromise
the truth? Did he compromise? No, he was
bold as a lion, but he did it with a gentle spirit. Not with
a self-righteous, self-condemning spirit, but with a gentle spirit.
So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have
imparted unto you not the gospel of God only, but our own souls,
because you were dear to us. Preach with gentleness. Preach
with a spirit and attitude of, I want you to believe the gospel.
Not with a spirit of indifference. Those to whom I preach and those
to whom I minister on a constant basis, I want them to believe
the gospel. I want God to do something for
them. And we can preach with boldness
and strength, but we can do it with meekness and gentleness. You see what I'm saying? Now,
the reason I know so much about that is because I've been guilty
of it, and still am, of being a little bit harsh. But I tell
you, that's not what we need. We need truthfulness, and we
need truth preached in love. Notice this Scripture. Ephesians
4, verse 15. Look at this. Ephesians 4, verse
15. Speaking the truth in love. In love. You see that? May grow
up into him in all things which is the head. Walk in meekness,
in meekness, in meekness." Now, let me show you another Scripture
on that. And this is good for preachers. We need correcting.
2 Timothy 2, turn over there. 2 Timothy 2, look at verse 23. But foolish and unlearned questions
avoid, knowing they do gender strife. And the servant of the
Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all, gentle unto
all, able to teach, and then patient in meekness, instructing
those that oppose themselves. Do it with meekness. Do it with
gentleness. If God, perventure, would give
them repentance, do the acknowledging of the truth. I want you to hear
me. I want you to believe me. I want you to believe God, rather.
That's a better way of saying that. But I want to preach the
truth, I want to preach the truth in love, and I want to preach
the truth in meekness and lowliness. You see what I'm saying? This
is what the believer desires to do, is to honor God. Now, wash your ears out with
this. Meekness is not weakness. Meekness
is not weakness. Now, I can make good on that.
I can make good on that. Meekness is not weakness. Moses
was a courageous leader. Anyone doubt that? Moses was
a courageous leader, called of God. He led the people out of
Egypt through the sea, through the wilderness, those 40 years.
Moses was a courageous, bold leader. But you know what it
says of Moses? He was a meek man. Matter of
fact, in Numbers 12, verse 3, check me out. Numbers 12, verse
3, it says this, Now Moses, the man Moses, was very meek above
all men which were upon the face of the earth. He was meek. He was meek. Furthermore, you
know what? It says that the Lord Jesus Christ
said this in Matthew 11, 29, Our blessed Lord said, I am meek
and lowly in heart. I want to walk that way, don't
you? Honoring God. And all I say and all I do."
Our Lord said this in Matthew 5, 5, "...Blessed are the meek,
they shall inherit the earth." In 1 Peter 3, 4, talking about
the women adoring themselves outwardly, He said, "...not adorning
themselves outwardly, but let it be the hidden man of the heart,
in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and
quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God a great price."
A meek and quiet spirit. So you got the first two, you
with me? Lowliness and meekness. And then walk this way. As believers,
this is what we desire. I desire this for you and myself.
Walk this way. Walk with long suffering. Long suffering. Long suffering. bearing patiently the fault and
infirmities of others, not being easily provoked to anger, nor
being offended by a slight misunderstanding. God is certainly long-suffering
with us. Look in chapter 4, verse 26. Long-suffering, long-suffering. Be ye angry, you see verse 26? Sin not. Let not the sun go down
upon your wrath, neither give place to the devil. Be longsuffering."
You know love? Love is longsuffering. Love is
longsuffering. Now I can tell you a story to
make a point on that. Pastor Mahan, many years ago,
when he had young grandchildren, one of his first born grandchildren,
his name was Robbie. One of his first-born grandchildren
was over at the house one day, and Pastor Mahan was off in another
room, and this young two- or three-year-old started running
around. You know how children get excited,
they're over at the grandparents' place, and he got all excited,
and he ran through the house, and he hit a special gift that
someone had given to Pastor Mahan and his wife Doris, and this
little grandson broke that valuable, it was a vase or something special
and expensive that someone had given to them for a gift. And
Pastor Mahan walked in and saw that vase and heard the commotion
and saw that vase just shattered all over the place and said to
his dear wife, well, who broke that vase? Who did that? And Doris spoke up and said,
Robby did that. He said, oh, that's okay. That's
okay. You see, love suffereth long.
Love suffereth long. Love is kind. Love is patient. Now, find II Peter 3. It says this in Exodus 34. And the Lord passed by before
him and proclaimed the Lord, the Lord God, merciful, gracious,
long-suffering. Abundant in goodness and truth,
love suffereth long, and is kind." Find II Peter 3.9. Now, this
verse is abused by many folks because they quote part of it,
II Peter 3.9. It says, "...the Lord is not
slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness,
but He is longsuffering to usward." He is what? Long-suffering to
usward, not willing that any should perish, that his elect,
talking about his elect, that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance. Look at verse 15, you cross the
page. Account that the long-suffering of the Lord, salvation, even
as our beloved brother Paul, also according to the wisdom
given unto him, hath written unto you. The Lord is long-suffering,
and my friend, The believer's desire is to be long-suffering,
lowliness, meekness with long-suffering. Walk worthy of the calling wherewith
you are called. You see what he's saying? Now,
I'm not, and please don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying we do these
things to earn salvation or merit salvation, nor do we do these
things to work out a righteousness. All that is freely given to us
in Christ. We're talking here about the
fruit of salvation. the fruit of salvation and the
evidence of salvation in our life. Now, the fourth thing he
mentions here is this, forbearing one another in love. Forbearing
one another in love. Making whatever allowances are
necessary because you love one another. Now, it's not talking
about compromising, but it's talking about forbearing in love. Notice in chapter 4 of Ephesians,
verse 32. Be you kind one toward another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's
sake, hath forgiven you. You see that? Forbearance, making
whatever allowances are necessary because you love one another.
Now our Lord said this in John 13, 35. By this shall all men
know that you are my disciples, that you love one another. Matter of fact, you know what?
It's not an option. It's not an option. It's not optional.
He said, this is my commandment that I give unto you that you
love one another. Now, I can make good on that. Let's find
I John chapter 4. I John chapter 4. I John chapter
4. I John chapter 4, look at verse
7. This is I John 4, 7, talking about walking worthy, of that
calling wherewith we are called, walking in forbearance, loving
one another." Now I John chapter 4 verse 7, Beloved, let us love
one another, for love is of God. And everyone that loveth is born
of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not
God, for God is love. And this was manifested, the
love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten
Son into the world that we might live through Him. Here in His
love, not that we love God, but that He loved us and sent His
Son to be the propitiation for our sin, the mercy seat, the
satisfaction for our sin, the atoning victim for our sin. Beloved, if God so loved us,
we ought also to love one another. Look at verse 19, we love him
because he first loved us. If a man say I love God and hates
his brother, he's a liar. For he that loveth not his brother
whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
And this commandment we have from him, you see it's not optional.
This commandment that we have from him, that he who loveth
God loves his brother also. Now I tell you, when God blesses
us with life and salvation, He gives us You see, that love of
God is shed abroad in the hearts by the Holy Spirit. And it causes
us that kindred spirit, that kindred heart love. We have one
for another. That was so evident to me these
past weeks when all the different men came from different churches
to help this poor little boy who'd been flooded with that
mud. And I think it's special kinship and love and friendship
when friends come unasked. They just showed up. Someone
asked me when a day or two after we were flooded and all the men
were sitting around taking a break, eating lunch or something, one
of the ladies spoke up and said, well, Pastor, how did you get
all these people up here? And you know what I said? I said,
I didn't ask one of them. They showed up. They demonstrated
their love for Christ by loving his people, by loving one another. And that's what he's talking
about here. You see, it's not optional. God's people do walk
in love. They honor God in the gospel
with all lowliness and meekness and long-suffering, forbearing
one another in love. Now, here's the last thing. Endeavoring
to keep the unity of the Spirit in a bond of peace. Walk with
this aim, this goal, and this objective. diligently striving to keep the
oneness of the Spirit in the bond of peace, striving together
to protect the harmony and oneness of believers around the King
of Peace, the Lord Jesus Christ. He made peace for us with His
own blood. Being justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. He made peace
with His own blood. Now, the best way I know to do
this to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
The best way I know, and the way that God has ordained for
us to do this, is to continually, continually, continually teach
and preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. that rallies
us together around the banner of the gospel. The gospel is
a banner that we lift up and the army of believers rally around
this glorious Lord and Savior and prepare to do battle together
in harmony as brothers in love, fighting and contending for the
truth of God. We contend for the gospel. I
find just a couple of pages over Philippians chapter 1. It doesn't
mean we're contentious, but we do contend for the gospel of
God's grace in Christ Jesus, and will not stand and will not
allow any other preaching but that which is true to the Word,
honoring to God, and honoring to the Lord Jesus Christ, and
abasing the flesh. Philippians chapter 1, verse
27. Philippians 1, verse 27, "...only let your conversation,"
and that's your conduct, "...be as it becometh the gospel of
crying, that whether I come and see you or else be absent, I
may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast," don't move,
stand fast, "...and do it with one spirit," unity of heart,
"...do it with one mind, striving together for the faith of the
gospel, and in nothing terrified by your adversaries," or they're
out there, You take a stand. I've often said this, and I believe
it's so. You take a stand where that scripture talks about those
who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. He's
talking about they're taking a stand, uncompromising stand
for the gospel, and they'll come out of the woodwork at you, those
who hate grace and hate the gospel, but we're not to be terrified
by the adversary. which is to them an evident token
of their perdition and condemnation, but to you of salvation and that
of God. For unto you it is given on behalf
of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for
his sake." There is a blessed oneness and unity between Christ
and His people. Every member of that body is
united to Him and to each other. Their hearts are knit together
in love. They have the same interests, the same goals, the same desires,
and they have the same personal résumé. The same personal résumé. Now, I don't want to scare you
here, but I have seven things, seven things about the believer's
résumé. They have the same personal resume. We've all filled out those resumes.
Try to impress people, right? When we apply for a job or something.
The believer's resume is this. We talk about my education. It
says in John 6, 45, they shall all be taught of God. Talks about
the believer's resume, his position, sinner, saved by God's sovereign
grace. I am what I am by the grace of
God. My current standing. in Christ Jesus. But at Him are
you in Christ Jesus. My current occupation? To be
a good steward of the mysteries of the gospel of God. My current
occupation? To Whom coming, as into a living
stone. My objective in this life is
to be like Him. Oh, to win Christ and be found
in Him. My desire is to know more of
Him, to be like Him. As Paul said, I know whom I have
believed and I'm persuaded He's able to keep that which I've
committed unto Him. Now next time you fill out a resume, put
those things down. My desire is to know more of
Him. My hope, what is my hope? My hope is to glorify Him. My
hope is to sing with the redeemed in glory unto Him who loved us
and washed us from our sin in His own blood. May the Lord be
pleased to bless us in these days. and years to come, to walk
worthy of this calling, to live a life of faith, honoring to
the Lord, and by His grace, as it says in Hebrews chapter 11,
these all died in faith. I want to die in faith. And by
His grace, to live a life, walk worthy of the vocation wherewith
you are called. You see that? That's a lesson
we need as believers. With lowliness, meekness, long-suffering,
forbearing, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit and do
it in the bond of peace. For there's one body, one Spirit,
even as you're called, and one hope of your calling. We'll look
at those things, Lord willing, next week.