Does the Way You Live Balance What You Say You Believe?
Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.
(Ephesians 4:1, NLT)
Bow reverently
Salvation is a free gift, all of grace. Jesus paid the full price for man’s freedom from sin, death, and hell.
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. (Ephesians 2:8–9, NLT)
Anyone who tries to enter into a relationship with God must come with empty hands. We can bring Him nothing but repentance for our sin, and yet, God delights to call us His children. He is thrilled to welcome you into His family.
However, once we have surrendered to Christ, He expects us to live an acceptable life in His sight. Therefore, he has given us an entire Bible that contains principles and precepts that best demonstrate what He is looking for from each of us.
His burdens are not weighty; in fact, they are freeing.?Spiritual freedom is not the ability to do what I want to do; it is the grace to live life the way God expects me to live.?His directions always work out the best for me.
Then Jesus said, Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.?Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light. (Matthew 11:28–30, NLT)
He is not out to stifle me but to bless me.
Walk worthy
What does it mean to “lead a life worthy of your calling”?
It means “to balance the scales.” No, we cannot balance the scale in relation to what God has done for us. Never will that happen. But, in a sense, He wants us to try.
God has high standards for His children. He wants us to act like a child of God at all times. Every Christian is a spiritual priest which means we should take this calling seriously.
When you look at some of the elaborate regulations that God put upon the priests in the Old Testament, it was to mark them off as different, unique, and holy in His sight. Is that not what God is looking for in you and me?
I think God wants me to be so overwhelmed by His amazing grace that I continue to live my life as a sacrifice of praise to Him.
May we never get over the fact that God saved us, and He is preparing to bring us home to live with Him forever. By the way, He cannot wait to see you.
Until then, may we seek to walk worthy of our calling and try to balance the scales. Of course, it will never happen; but keep trying.