Author: petebeck3

Pete Beck III ministered as a pastor and Bible teacher in Burlington for over 35 years. He is married to Martha, with whom he has four children, ten beautiful grandchildren, and five amazing great grandchildren. He ministers in his local church as a Bible teacher and counselor. He has written several books, including two that are available on Amazon - Seeing God's Smile and Promise of the Father - as well as a wide variety of Bible-related articles.

Jesus is the only way to God.

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Jesus is the only way to God. Peter concluded his brief gospel proclamation in Acts Chapter Four with this claim about Jesus.

"And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."Acts 4:12 (NASB)

Many find Peter’s declaration offensive, but it agrees with Jesus’ own words.

Jesus *said to him [Thomas], "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. John 14:6 (NASB)

Jesus taught that he is the only way to God. If not, then Jesus was terribly misguided, and why did he need to die as God’s Lamb on the cross? Was that a huge mistake, too? If he did not have to pay the penalty for our sins, the gospel is a fairy tale of the worst sort because it gives false information about God and eternity.

If sin is not a real offense against God and a barrier to our having a relationship with him, then any path that leads to God will do. But Jesus’ resurrection proved that it is true. He is the only way to God, which Peter resolutely declared and Paul later confirmed.

For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 2:5 (NLT)

Have you faced up to this reality? Have you made your peace with God yet? Have you accepted what Jesus did for you by dying for your sins and rising again as the glorious Lord of Lords? If not, don’t let the day go by without doing so.

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Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecy.

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Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecy. Peter quoted Psalm 118:22 to explain how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecy in order to convince his hearers that he is indeed the promised Messiah risen from the dead.

He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNERstone.Acts 4:11 (NASB)

Jesus had earlier quoted this passage in reference to himself.

Jesus *said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures, 'THE 
STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS 
BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone; THIS 
CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD, AND 
IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES'? 43  "Therefore I say to you, the 
kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the 
fruit of it. 44  "And he who falls on this stone 
will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like 
dust." Matthew 21:42-44 (NASB)

By referencing the Old Testament, Peter and Jesus gave their hearers an opportunity to “connect the dots” and understand who Jesus is.

We owe it to our hearers to show how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament scriptures so they too can make the connection and see that Jesus is indeed the Promised Messiah of Israel, the Savior and Lord of all who believe in him, both Jew and Gentile.

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Be ready to share the gospel when opportunity knocks.

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God wants us to be ready to share the gospel when opportunity knocks. In Acts Chapter Four, the Jewish religious leaders demanded that Jesus’ disciples explain bold witness to Jesus’ resurrection and the recent spectacular healing before the council.

They brought in the two disciples and demanded, “By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?” Acts 4:7 (NLT)

This gave Peter a perfect opportunity to restate succinctly the gospel message.

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of our people, 9  are we being questioned today because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed? 10  Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead. Acts 4:8-10 (NLT)

Someone once asked, if we were being prosecuted for being a Christian witness, would there be any evidence to convict us? Peter and John were on trial because they boldly testified to Jesus’ lordship. Silence is not usually a virtue when it comes to the gospel. People need to know where we stand. When we make known our devotion to Christ and his words, it will likely make an impact on those who see it and might stir their curiosity to know more.

In his first letter, the apostle Peter encourages all disciples to be ready to share the gospel any time the opportunity arises.

...And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.  1 Peter 3:15b (NLT)

People take note when disciples display the courage of their convictions and boldly share the gospel when opportunity knocks.

We never know when a chance to share the gospel may present itself. When it does, the Lord wants us to be ready and willing to identify ourselves with him and share the good news that he made a way for people to be reconciled to the Father and share his life forever!

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The Gospel causes division.

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As strange as it may seem, the gospel causes division. Peter’s second gospel presentation, which was precipitated by a miraculous healing, caused a great stirring among those who heard it. Their message also “greatly disturbed” the religious leaders, the ones whose hearts were closed and had crucified Jesus.

As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, 2  being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.Acts 4:1-2 (NASB)

The Sadducees were a sect that did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, and the Pharisees did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. The common people, however, did not have the same biases against truth and were more able to believe the good news that Jesus rose from the dead.

Jesus told his followers that he would cause division.

The truth always causes division because there are those who steadfastly resist and persecute it.

“Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword. 35  ‘I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36  Your enemies will be right in your own household!’ Matthew 10:34-36 (NLT)

Jesus is a king…the King. His kingdom is real and is opposed by the forces of evil in the world.

People will come down on one side or the other when his lordship is announced. Those who appear not to care, the ones Jesus called “lukewarm,” are opposed to the kingdom as much as those who persecute the truth. Both groups refuse to acknowledge and serve the king. We should not be surprised when we encounter hostility when we preach the gospel. In fact, we should expect it. If we properly present the gospel, we will stir things up, not because we are trying to cause trouble, but because our message is authoritative and calls people to surrender to the King. Some will respond as God wishes. Others will be hostile. At least the hostile ones are not lukewarm.

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Repentance – a gateway to joy or death to fun?

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Is repentance a gateway to joy or death to fun? Peter concluded his second preaching of the gospel message in Acts by calling for his listeners to turn away from sin.

When God raised up his servant, Jesus, he sent him first to you people of Israel, to bless you by turning each of you back from your sinful ways. Acts 3:26 (NLT)

The Greek word normally translated as “repentance” is metanoeo, which simply means to change the mind.

The gospel brings us to the realization that life depends on our declaring allegiance to Jesus the Lord. Trying to be our own “lord” and run things on our own leads to heartbreak and death. We were created to be dependent beings who rely on God for everything. Adam and Eve decided to go it on their own, which is the essence of sin, and brought all of us into bondage to sin and Satan. The gospel announces that God is willing to forgive our rebellion and welcome us back into his eternal family, if we will simply acknowledge Jesus’ right to rule and surrender ourselves to him. When we do this, every Jesus accomplished on our behalf by dying for our sins and rising again becomes a source of great joy to us.

When we have such a change of mind, we are said to “repent.”

Repentance is a gift. (Acts 5:31, 2 Tim. 2:25) The Holy Spirit opens our hearts and minds and motivates us to take this critical step. True repentance will eventually change how we live. As Peter said, we will turn back from sinful ways.

Sin carries with it the sentence of death. It always breeds sorrow and destruction. When we turn away from sin, it opens the door to God’s blessings in our lives. Jesus is the fountain of life, fulfillment, and joy. The gospel restores us to our heavenly Father, from whom all blessings flow. (James 1:17)

The devil tells us that following Jesus will ruin our lives and steal all our fun. Adam believed the devil. Who are we going to believe? Our eternity can be filled with regret and pain or the joy of the Lord.

You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11 (NKJV)
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The gospel is best understood in the context of God’s history with Israel.

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The gospel is best understood in the context of God’s history with Israel. While preaching his second recorded sermon after Pentecost in Acts Chapter 3, Peter referenced Moses’ messianic prophecy found in Deuteronomy 18.

Moses said, ‘The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your own people. Listen carefully to everything he tells you.’ 23  Then Moses said, ‘Anyone who will not listen to that Prophet will be completely cut off from God’s people.’ Acts 3:22-23 (NLT)

Some think that if we cannot write theology on a napkin, it is too complicated. I have presented the “four spiritual laws” in this fashion, which is an effective way to explain what some call the “plan of salvation.” But, such “napkin theology” is not the gospel.

The gospel is the story of Jesus the Messiah set in the context of God’s history with Israel.

Jesus’ incarnation, life, death, resurrection, ascension, and coming return were all promised in the Old Testament scriptures. A proper presentation of the gospel will reference at least some of these promises in an effort to provide context and corroboration of the truth of the gospel.

Jesus did not just “show up” without warning to introduce some new religion. He came to fulfill God’s eternal plan to save God’s people and restore all creation to the Creator’s original intent, thus bringing our Father in heaven great glory. It is impossible to understand the gospel without understanding how it fulfills the Law and the Prophets.

Paul summarized this connection in his letter to the church in Rome.

Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, 4 who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, Romans 1:1–4 (NASB95)

Jesus explained the same to the disciples on the road to Emmaus after his resurrection.

Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. Luke 24:27 (NASB95)

If we want to become more accurate and effective gospel communicators, we will make the effort to study how the apostles preached the good news and follow their lead. We will familiarize ourselves with some of the messianic prophecies and include them in our presentation.

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The gospel announces salvation for the entire creation.

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The gospel announces salvation for the entire creation. Peter informed his listeners that Jesus will return as the Messianic King who now waits in heaven until his Father’s appointed time to restore the entire creation to its original intent.

Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah. 21  For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets. Acts 3:20-21 (NLT)

One of the tragedies of the consumerist packaging of the gospel is that its enormous scope has been hidden.

The consumerist gospel presents Jesus as merely as some kind of “personal savior,” whose impact is reduced to bringing peace and security to individuals who turn to him for forgiveness of sins. This is indeed one of the many benefits of declaring allegiance to the risen Lord, but it does not do justice to whom Jesus is and what he accomplished on the cross and through his resurrection. People who put their faith in Christ are made new creatures, children of God, who will live and rule with him for eternity over a new creation.

And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. Colossians 3:4 (NLT)

The restoration of the creation to God’s original intent under his benevolent rule will bring God enormous glory and satisfaction at the culmination of all things at Jesus’ return.

For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20  Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21  the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22  For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Romans 8:19-22 (NLT)

Have you surrendered your life to the Lord of Lords?

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One Reason Why It’s So Important to Keep Our Word

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One of God’s attributes is his faithfulness to keep his word.

But as God is faithful, our word to you is not yes and no. 19  For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy—was not yes and no, but is yes in Him. 20  For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. 21  Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, 22  who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1:18-22 (NASB)

How important is it for us to keep our promises? Many of us, who find it hard to keep commitments, go more by how we feel at the moment, instead of by what we may have promised. Sadly, this attitude impacts many a marriage. Too many of us blithely vow to be faithful unto death, but renege on our promises when “the thrill is gone.”

God is unchanging and he is absolutely truthful. He says what he means and means what he says. It is because of his faithfulness to his promises that we can have hope.

God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? Numbers 23:19 (ESV)

All of us have lapses in our faithfulness to some degree or another. Most of us can bring to mind times when we let someone down. For some of us, this may have become a way of life. If so, acknowledging our sin and asking the Lord to help us change is in order. If we have placed our allegiance and trust in Christ, over time the indwelling Holy Spirit develops Christ’s character in our lives. He works into our lives faithfulness to our word. Perhaps he is speaking to your heart about this right now.

The more we become like God, the more faithful we will be to our promises.

King David wrote that God will honor…

 Those who…keep their promises even when it hurts. Psalm 15:4 (NLT)

One of Jesus’ titles is the Truth. (John 14:6) Every lie we tell is a betrayal of our Lord and grieves the Holy Spirit. It might even be said that lying is a form of idolatry because it elevates falsehood in our lives over the Truth. Conversely, the more we keep our word, the more Jesus’ truthfulness is evident in and through us.

God intends that our behavior should reinforce the gospel message. We do not want to give our hearers another excuse to reject Jesus by failing to live up to our word.

Practically speaking, if we prioritize keeping our promises, it will make us more careful about what we say. We will do our best to only commit to those things we actually plan to follow through on, rather than promising to do something simply because we hate to say “no.” We want to be regarded as honest persons who keep our word. It will make us be more respected, happier, a better reflection of God’s character, and a better transmitter of the gospel. None of us is perfect, but the Holy Spirit should be making progress in this area of our lives.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I praise and worship you for your perfect truthfulness. Thank you, Holy Spirit, that you are the Spirit of Truth. Work your truthfulness in me. I repent from all forms of falsehood and ask you to develop Christ’s character in me. Help me to be an example that will not cause offense or a stumbling block to others. Amen.

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When the gospel becomes bad news…

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The gospel is only good news for those of us who hear it, believe, and recognize that Jesus the Messiah is Savior and Lord. It is bad news for those who reject God’s gracious offer to be reconciled to him.

This is because after rejecting a chance to be forgiven, we will have absolutely no excuse when we one day stand before the Judge. We will rightly deserve to burn forever in the lake of fire, just as Jesus warned.

Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. Matthew 25:41 (NLT)

Peter warned his listeners that God wanted them to change their minds and believe the gospel so that they might experience the refreshing that accompanies being restored to fellowship with our Creator.

And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also. 18 "But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. 19 "Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; Acts 3:17-19 (NASB)

One of our most dangerous sinful tendencies is to avoid, deny, and suppress the truth when it comes to our true condition and need for salvation.

John addressed this sometimes fatal flaw.

This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20  "For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. John 3:19-20 (NASB)

The gospel strips away our excuses and shines a light on the sin of refusing to honor and glorify God by acknowledging his rightful ownership of our lives as Creator and Redeemer. Mankind’s rebellion against God’s rule was on full display at the cross. In a very real sense, we were all responsible for what happened at Calvary. Jesus carried all our sin, not just that of the Jewish leaders and Roman soldiers.

The gospel offers us the opportunity to lay down our inborn hostility toward God and surrender to the One who died for us and rose again as the victorious Lord.

Those who repent from their sin and rebellion will find forgiveness and refreshing. Those who spurn this magnanimous offer will have no excuse at the Last Judgment.

Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? 5 But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 He will judge everyone according to what they have done. Romans 2:4–6 (NLT)

Which will it be for us? Will we repent and surrender to God or continue in to reject his mercy? The answer will determine our eternal destiny. Don’t let the gospel become bad news for you!

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Chapter 97: Kingdom Teamwork

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Just as our brains coordinate the efforts of each individual part of our bodies, the Body of Christ is composed of people who have a wide variety of gifts whom the Holy Spirit coordinates to accomplish the work of God’s kingdom under Christ’s lordship.

He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work (Greek: energema - energy), it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.  Ephesians 4:16 (NLT)

Following Christ is not a spectator sport. Each of us has a role to play and a job to do.

Therefore, one of our responsibilities is to discover who God created us to be and what he has equipped us to do so that we can cooperate with the Holy Spirit to fulfill that purpose.

For we are His workmanship (Greek: poiema - masterpiece, poem), created in Christ Jesus for good works (Greek: ergon), which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.  Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV)

Each of us has some understanding of our identity and our God-given capabilities. A portion of what we think about ourselves is based on truth, but not all of it. The devil lies to us constantly, and imperfect people often tell us things that damage us instead of encouraging us to fulfill our potential in Christ.

We learn the truth about our identity and God-given abilities from three sources.

  • The Bible,
  • The Holy Spirit, and
  • Godly people who speak truth to us.

Being human and having emptied himself of much of the privileges and power associated with divinity, Jesus seemed to have gained the knowledge of his identity and calling through these three sources, just as we must. We are not given a lot of information about how this happened, but below are some clearly identified parts of the process.

The Bible

After reading Isaiah 61:1 to the synagogue, Jesus announced that he was and is the fulfillment of that prophecy.

And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.  Luke 4:21 (NASB95)

At some point, while reading the scriptures, he understood that they spoke of him. We too can gain accurate information about our identity and calling from the Word of God, which offsets and corrects the lies spoken over us by our own hearts, ungodly people, the world, and devil.

Every good thing that is true of us is a result of our being “in” Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,  Ephesians 1:3 (NASB95)

It takes faith for us to believe the words of the Bible. This is where the Holy Spirit comes into the picture. He is the one who reveals to us the meaning of the Word of God and imparts faith to us.

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit speaks to us in a variety of ways. One of the most important is when he makes the written scriptures “come alive” to us.

But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.  1 John 2:20 (NKJV)

This happened to the disciples on the road to Emmaus as Jesus spoke to them about the necessity for the Messiah to suffer before entering his glory.

They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?”  Luke 24:32 (NLT)

Another way he communicates with us is by speaking in our hearts. Seldom do we hear an audible voice, but we can “hear” or perceive what the Spirit says. Every child of God has this ability.

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.  John 10:27 (NKJV)

It is also possible for the Spirit of God to communicate in an audible voice, as he did at the Mount of Transfiguration. Jesus heard his Father says aloud:

… “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”  Matthew 17:5b (NASB95)

We all need to learn these things from our heavenly Father, whether audibly, through the scriptures, or in our hearts.

  • Identity – We are children of God.
  • Acceptance – We are well-pleasing to God in Christ.
  • Significance – We have something important to say and do.
Godly People Speaking Truth

Our Lord uses other people to speak the truth to us, too. John the Baptist, who was a prophet, was used by God in precisely this way. He publicly identified Jesus as the Messiah and informed us of his four main ministries.

  • Lamb of God
  • Lord
  • Baptizer in the Holy Spirit
  • Coming Judge

Paul exhorted Timothy to fulfill the calling on his life that came to him through prophecy.

Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.  1 Timothy 4:14 (NASB95)

This is one reason why it is so important to be in fellowship with other believers who can speak over our lives and help us fulfill our calling and destiny in God.

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.  Hebrews 10:25 (NLT)
Teamwork

God places people in his Body in a strategic way so that our gifts and callings complement and strengthen each other, thus enabling us to corporately fulfill God’s purposes.

Now there are varieties of gifts (charisma), but the same Spirit. 5 And there are varieties of ministries (diakonia), and the same Lord. 6 There are varieties of effects (energema), but the same God who works all things in all persons. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good… 11 But one and the same Spirit works (energeo) all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. 1 Corinthians 12:4–7, 11 (NASB95)

The gifts of God in our lives equip us to do the work of the ministry.

God’s preloads each of us with gifts at birth that some call “motivational” gifts or charismata in Greek. Other gifts are manifested by the Spirit as the need arises in people who are open to them. Finally, we have gifts of service (Greek: diakonia) who are people Christ gives to the church. Some call this the “five-fold” or “ascension gift” ministry. Only a relatively few have this calling.

  • “Motivational” gifts (charisma) – Romans 12:6-8 – prophecy, serving, teaching, exhortation, giving, leadership, and mercy
  • “Manifestation” gifts (charisma) – I Cor. 12:8-10 – word of wisdom, word of knowledge, discerning of spirit, faith, miracles, healing, prophecy, tongues, interpretation of tongues
  • “Five-fold” ministry (diakonia) – Ephesians 4:11 – apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher

In addition to these gifts, we have individual “callings,” which can be individually perceived and corroborated by others through gifts of the Spirit called prophecy and “words of knowledge,” whereby others perceive what God has put in us or called us to do.

Another important factor is ascertaining what energizes or motivates us. Some call this our “passion.”What we are passionate about can be a good indicator of our calling.

A final factor is to consider what natural or learned abilities or capabilities we have. For example, if we are fluent in a foreign language, this can open doors for us. If we are good with computers, this can be an indication that we could serve in this way.

We have a responsibility to discover what God has put inside us that he wants us to use for the kingdom and his glory. Once we figure that out, we have a responsibility to submit ourselves to the transformation process whereby the Holy Spirit works on our character to make us suitable representatives of Christ. When we are ready, then it is a matter of surrendering to what God wants us to do.

Usually, we will be working in teamwork with other members of the Body. This means we will need to humbly recognize our place on the team.

We are to consider others better than ourselves, and, if we have a leadership role, to use that position to encourage the whole team.

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.  Philippians 2:3–4 (NLT)

 

Click here to see all the articles in this series.
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