Live worthy of your title calling.
Contents
♡♥♡ Live worthy of your calling. / Ephesians 4:1-6
*** Introduction
A businessman who runs a company stayed in a hotel while on a business trip abroad. At that time, the company was in a very difficult business situation, and it was a time of frustration. He was standing by the window, thinking this and that, looking out with blank eyes.
Then I saw a fly trying to get out, bumping into a window and buzzing in place. For Paris, windows were an invisible obstacle. The fly continued to fall down and try again, then fly back and charge again. The front door was open on the other side of the room, glimmering through the glass window. Businessman thinks while looking at Paris.
“The fly could change direction and fly out in a matter of seconds… , Maybe this is what I am now?! Aren't I stubbornly continuing to push for things that only need to change the direction of my life a little?"
People don't like to change what they once thought was right. Despite repeated failures, he does not admit that his attitude or thinking in life is wrong. This is called 'perseverance' or 'satisfaction'. If this deepens, it becomes 'pride'. There are many cases where things that can be easily solved by just changing the way of thinking and changing the direction of life a little are often caused by their own stubbornness.
However, this stubbornness is often seen in Christians who serve God. When you start insisting that your beliefs are right, no one will hear you. Rather, they are showing the courage to leave the church or even give up their faith if their claims do not work. This is religious obstinacy and pride that threatens the life of the spirit.
‘Living like Jesus’, this is called ‘Christian spirituality’, and it is the duty of disciples who follow Jesus. The text says, “Walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.” We would like to examine the most important life principle that we Christians must follow through the text of the text.
1. Christians must become one.
The most powerful hope that Jesus has for us Christians is ‘oneness’. Let's look at John 17, which contains Jesus' prayer. Verse 11. “I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to the Father. Verses 21-22. “Father in me and I in you, so may they all be one in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you have given me, that they may be one, just as we are one.”
As it is said in today's text, the basis for 'oneness' is 'God in the Trinity'. In the main text, verses 4 to 6 emphasize 'oneness'. This is because Christian unity is God's will. Then division is something God hates. Division is the division of one another's hearts.
God has called us to be “saints” as His people, not for division, but for unity. This unity was already established in the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth. God created man in the image of God, and in the Garden of Eden, he walked, talked, and lived with man. Therefore, when man is called to be a child of God, he restores this unity.
For many people to become one, it is possible with some clear consciousness. The ritual necessary for us Christians to become one is that we have been called to be God's people. In Chinese, this is called ‘calling (召命)’. The characteristic of the saints who have been called by God in this way is that they 'never reveal themselves.' A good example of this is in the Bible. 2 Timothy 2:3-4. He said, “You shall suffer with me as a good soldier in Christ Jesus, and no one who goes as a soldier gets entangled in his life, so that he may please those who have enlisted him as a soldier.” Neither me nor you nor any of us are called to the Church to boast, to show, or to assert ourselves. We are called to deny ourselves, take up the cross given to us, and follow only Jesus Christ, who is ahead of us.
All of us here today are already one. We are members who are called to one hope in the Holy Spirit. Therefore, instead of striving to become one, we should strive to keep the oneness. If you fail to keep unity, you will eventually be judged as unfit as the people of the kingdom of God. Then, what must we do to keep the unity?
2. There are things that must be done to become one.
In verses 2 and 3 of the text, there is an attitude of life that we must have in order to become one.
The first is 'humility'.
‘Humility’ is the act of not asserting oneself and considering others better than oneself. The world doesn't like humility very much. This is because, in their view, humility appears to be ruthless and weak. The world wants to brag about their abilities, status, and possessions. However, a Christian must imitate the humility of Jesus, who became like a man and became obedient to the point of death even though he was God.
There is a parable like this.
There was once a family of peacocks. There were a couple of peacocks and an only daughter in the house. However, when the only daughter grew up and married, she left her parents. However, less than a month after her only daughter, Peacock, had been separated from her, she returned home looking haggard. The only daughter, the peacock, cried, complaining, "Mom, I can't live because I've been bullied by other birds."
When the mother peacock heard her daughter's words, she nodded her head as if she understood.
“It is because you are not humble. Did you brag about your tail anywhere?” The only daughter, the peacock, asked the mother peacock as if he could not understand it.
“This tail is something that only our peacocks have, so is it wrong to brag about it?” The mother peacock said after hearing this from her daughter peacock.
“I once overheard a human teacher in the world. He told someone like this. 'Let's take that car out of your conversation, but there's a thing called gentleman golfer common sense among English golfers. That means they never talk about golf when there is at least one non-player.'”
Upon hearing this, the daughter peacock went back. And after that, he never came back.
Sometimes we feel tempted to brag about what we have. If this kind of mind is not controlled and radiates as it is, no one in the world wants to remain with us. Do you like to compare your shortcomings with others? As Christians, we must not forget the humility of Jesus, who is God, becoming a man for us and bearing the cross without sin.
The second is ‘onew’.
‘One gentleness’ is a well-controlled softness. This word is used to indicate ‘a state when a great force is well controlled in a certain direction’. For example, wild horses are captured and tamed through long training before being used as race horses or war horses. When this unpolished power is refined and used for valuable work, it is said to be ‘gentle’. Conversely, 'not meek' means 'acting as you please because you are not polished'.
God gives the saints a way of refinement through suffering and adversity for the meekness that has been refined like this. This meekness is an important life virtue of saints, which is also contained in the Beatitudes and the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
The third is ‘long-suffering’.
The word 'makroqumiva' (makroqumiva) is derived from 'macross' (μακρ , long, distant) and 'dumos' (θυμ , passion, anger). The meaning of this word is 'the other' It means to be patient even under circumstances that can punish one's bad feelings or wrongdoing.' That is, waiting for the other person's wrong actions without showing an immediate response. This is God's heart toward humans. If God's immediate judgment on sin and transgression is given, no one will be left alive on this earth, 2 Peter 3:9: “The Lord's promise is not slow, as some think slowness, but he will save you. He is patient with us, not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.”
In the church community, patience is needed to be patient with each other. The Lord was patient with us who did not believe in Him. Even now, we cannot live according to the Lord's will every day, but He is patient and waiting for our faith to grow. Therefore, we too need to be patient, wait, encourage, and help our neighbors in regards to their inadequacies and weaknesses.
The fourth is ‘tolerating one another in love’.
Tolerating one another means accepting the other as they are, without the intention of adapting them to you. It's the same between husband and wife or between saints. “I wish my husband and wife would do this… ”, “I wish he could do this… ”, “Why not do this!” etc. If you keep trying to change the other person to suit you, the conflict will only deepen.
Even within the church, it is unreasonable to look at the shortcomings and flaws of other members and expect them to be corrected. Let's look at Romans 15:7. “Therefore, as Christ received us to the glory of God, so also receive one another.” In other words, it means to accept the other person as they are with joy. If this is the case, there will be no loud noises and riots in the church. That is why we become one with the bond of peace. In other words, when we look back and encourage each other with this kind of heart, the church will enjoy peace.
The God who called us has also accepted each of us as we are. How much more can we, who have been called like that, be called children of God if we insist on our own ways, divide our hearts, and share our hearts with each other?
We have different personalities, different talents, different levels of faith, different origins, different looks, and different lives. Nevertheless, all of them were called by God's grace and became one family, and they became members of one body with Jesus Christ as their head. Therefore, we must become one. Just as our body does not cut off our legs because they are uncomfortable, but rather wraps them around and makes them more comfortable, we must do the same in Christ.
The 8th anniversary of the founding of the church is approaching. Let us live worthy of the calling of the Lord to move forward into a more mature church. Let us strive to preserve the unity that the Lord has achieved by being humble, meek, patient, and forbearing one another in love until the Lord comes.