Home »
The promise of the blessing of God in all its splendor is what He is revealing to us, and is continuing to do so, as we continue in the light of His word that says – The Lord bless you from Zion; May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. [Psalms 128:5] And it is by knowing the truth that the blessing becomes yours, even as Paul prays that, having the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which He called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints. [Ephesians 1:16] It is the knowledge of Him, knowing that He is a faithful God that is the key to receiving from Him.
The Christian life as defined in the scriptures is transformational, It is to become more and more like Him, which ultimately is the greatest blessing. For, those whom He foreknew, He also predestined that they may be conformed to the image of His Son. [Romans 8:29] You have been called by God, saved by Him, not merely to turn to Him in a time of need, to receive from Him in a divine transaction, but to draw close to Him that you may be transformed to become like Him. And it is where your focus comes into play, to consider Jesus, and His faithfulness. For God is faithful, to make all things happen in your life. And only He can!
May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul, and body be kept blameless, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who has called you is faithful, and He will surely do it. [1 Thessalonians 5:23,24] The world may associate and restrict the blessing of God with what is merely material, in terms of money, and all that money can buy. But it is not so with the God to whom, what is internal and eternal takes priority, over what is external and perishable.
Therefore, the calling of God is in itself a blessing you receive from Him. And with it, whatever is involved in the call is also a blessing. A simple picture of it would be that a wedding invite you receive, is not just to witness the ceremony, but also includes a seat at the table, to partake in the wedding feast! Therefore –
God saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but because of His own purpose and grace that He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began. [2 Timothy 1:9] And with a godly perspective, a right understanding of what it is, you will know that holiness, because it defines the nature of your calling, is also the blessing of God.
We live in a land in the midst of people who are very devout, but a negative fallout of it could be in interpreting true holiness in ways that are contrary to the truth of God’s word. For, at the mention of the word ‘holy man’, your mind would immediately visualize it in many different ways, colors, and styles. And when you think of a Christian ‘holy’ person it could be slightly different, depending on your upbringing, but it all serves to highlight one basic fact; that we tend to focus on what is external. And Lord Jesus Himself has been at the receiving end of it and more importantly has exposed the fallacy behind such an assumption. For John, the Baptist has come, eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon’. The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at Him! a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners’! [Luke 7:33,34] The Lord did not confine Himself to the imagery of holiness, as perceived by the people around Him, especially the Pharisees and others of the so-called spiritual elite, whose attitude towards God, and their attire was a mere formality of religion.
To be separated by God, and dedicated to God, exclusively for Him, is when you become truly holy. It is the opposite of commonness, for God has made you special, separated you exclusively for Himself, to be His child; a child of the Almighty God. The opposite of ‘holy’ is ‘common’. But using what is holy or unholy purposes is ‘sacrilege’, which will happen when you offer yourself, your body that is now the temple of the Holy Spirit, for unholy purposes that are not pleasing in the sight of God.
It was Solomon who God called to build His temple in Jerusalem. But the articles consecrated and dedicated to be holy, and used exclusively in worship of the Lord Almighty were carried away by the Babylonians, as the glorious temple was ravaged and pillaged by the enemy. And it was the pride of life that reigned in king Hezekiah, following his sickness and miraculous recovery that led him to a fruitless boast and disastrous consequences. [Isaiah 39:1-6] For it was an act of sacrilege that was committed by king Belshazzar, the enemy when the golden vessels that were meant exclusively for worship in the temple of God were brought out so that all the guests at his feast could partake from them. It was then that he had to face the judgment of God upon him for his unholy act of sacrilege. [Daniel chapter 5] It paints a powerful picture of your life and mine to teach an invaluable lesson. As a child of God, you are dedicated exclusively for special use by a special God. He has called you, and the call of God is a blessing in your life. And He has also sanctified you and made you holy because what He has called you to do, is also a blessing. The call of the prophet Jeremiah describes its wondrous nature of it.
He knew you before you knew yourself. It establishes the truth that your call was not based on your works, but all about His grace- ’Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; Before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations. [Jeremiah 1:5] The emphasis is on the ‘I’, in the words of the Lord. It is what can set you free. For it is He who has called you, sanctified you, and made you holy. He has said, ‘You are My child; you belong to Me’, even before you were born. And as you find your rest in His loving acceptance, any feeling of rejection in you, would certainly flee away. You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of the One who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. [1 Peter 2:9] He has called you; He has chosen you, to be exclusively dedicated to Him, not because you fit the bill, but by making you fit. The calling of God is holy. And fulfilling the call of God upon your life is holy living. And the One who has called you will make it happen, for He is a faithful God. ‘You are special; you are Mine’, He has spoken to you. And may, ‘I am yours, Lord’, be your Amen to it. Indeed, great is the faithfulness of your Lord and Saviour, whose hand has provided all you need in life. And giving thanks unto the Father, whose eyes have seen your unformed substance, may you rejoice in the truth of your holy calling, and that He is going to make it happen in your life, all for His glory. In the Name of Christ Jesus Amen.
