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The invitation — and challenge — of living out a Christian calling
What does it mean for a Christian to live appropriately to their Christian calling?The Apostle Paul instructs Christians in his letter to the Ephesians that one key aspect of living consistent to their Christian identity means doing everything possible to maintain peace and unity with one another (Ephesians 4:2-3) because there is "one body and one spirit" (Ephesians 4:4-5), and more importantly, one God (Ephesians 4:6). And that one God, Paul wrote, gave us a gift: Christ (Ephesians 4:7).To walk the path of life means living into the fullness of your Christian identity.Christ, Paul went on to say, equips Christians to help build up one another into Christian maturity (Ephesians 4:12-14) so that Christians can become like Christ (Ephesians 4:15-16).But what does it mean — practically speaking — to live out this Christian calling, an "in-Christ" identity? Paul goes on to write in Ephesians 4:17-24:Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thoughts. They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts. They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more.But that is not how you came to know Christ, assuming you heard about him and were taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.The imperative is clear: Christians, through acceptance into the family of God, can no longer live as if they are outside the family of God — or, in Paul's words, like the "gentiles."Paul described such people as having hardened and calloused hearts, those type of people who walk the path that leads to death.To walk the path of death means living like you did before you came to know Christ, before your eyes and ears were opened, before you came to knowledge of the "truth that is in Jesus," before you were made new through the spirit of God. That's your old self, which has died.But Christians do not walk down that path. No, they walk the path of life.To walk the path of life means living into the fullness of your Christian identity. It means, Paul wrote, that you live according to the way of Christ. Your new self has been created "according to God's likeness in righteousness and purity of truth," Paul declared.That's good news! But how do we do that? Paul said that an ingredient critical to putting off the "old self" and living into the "new self" is the renewal of the spirit of your mind and thoughts. What does this mean?Consider some other Pauline verses:Romans 8:5-6: "Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace."Romans 12:2: "Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God."Colossians 3:10: "Put to death what belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, God’s wrath is coming upon the disobedient, and you once walked in these things when you were living in them. But now, put away all the following: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator."2 Corinthians 4:14-16: "For we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you. Indeed, everything is for your benefit so that, as grace extends through more and more people, it may cause thanksgiving to increase to the glory of God. Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day."Titus 3:5-7: "He saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. He poured out his Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior so that, having been justified by his grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life."Examine yourself today: What do you need to do to renew your mind in order to align yourself with your "new self" and your Christian calling?Happy Lord's Day!
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