Live Worthy of Your Calling
“Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12)
As I said yesterday, the calling of God is that sinful mankind is to be given the “free gift of eternal life”.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life…” (Romans 6:23)
Not just a few folks who make a wise choice, but all who die as a result of sin. The unmerited favor (grace) of God in doing so was such wonderful good news that Paul prayed that those who he told about it, and had believed it, would live in such a way that they would be "worthy" of such a free gift. They get it anyway, because it is "free" and based on the "grace" of God (unmerited favor). But Paul wanted people to show their appreciation to God by living a good life.
The problem now, after 2000 years, is that the calling of God has been changed by the institutional churches into a calling only for the few who bow down to the requirements of the institution. It is no longer the “free gift” to all sinners, but a mere offer that must be accepted together with the various creeds and covenants of those institutions. It is not the gospel of the grace of God, but a mixture of grace and works of men, which is NO GOSPEL AT ALL and is “accursed” (devoted to destruction).
“I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!” “... you distort the words of the living God, the LORD Almighty, our God..” (Galations 1:6-8; Jeremiah 23:36)
As I said yesterday, the calling of God is that sinful mankind is to be given the “free gift of eternal life”.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life…” (Romans 6:23)
Not just a few folks who make a wise choice, but all who die as a result of sin. The unmerited favor (grace) of God in doing so was such wonderful good news that Paul prayed that those who he told about it, and had believed it, would live in such a way that they would be "worthy" of such a free gift. They get it anyway, because it is "free" and based on the "grace" of God (unmerited favor). But Paul wanted people to show their appreciation to God by living a good life.
The problem now, after 2000 years, is that the calling of God has been changed by the institutional churches into a calling only for the few who bow down to the requirements of the institution. It is no longer the “free gift” to all sinners, but a mere offer that must be accepted together with the various creeds and covenants of those institutions. It is not the gospel of the grace of God, but a mixture of grace and works of men, which is NO GOSPEL AT ALL and is “accursed” (devoted to destruction).
“I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!” “... you distort the words of the living God, the LORD Almighty, our God..” (Galations 1:6-8; Jeremiah 23:36)