What is our calling as children of God?

Every one of us that has trusted Christ as our Savior, has been blessed with being born again as child of God. Like newborn babes striving to grow, as babes in Christ we also strive to grow in our faith. At some point, like all children we begin to ask ourselves. what is our calling as children of God?

What has God called us all to do?

We are called to build a foundation in Jesus Christ

As we physically grow and mature, we also learn how to live our lives intellectionally, and spiritually. In time, we find that physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of our life become foundational influences on who we are and become. It is the role of our parent to teach and guide us in these things. It is critical then that parents make sure our foundation is Jesus Christ. We see this as follows:

1 Corinthians 3:9-15. “For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. ¹⁰ According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. ¹¹ For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; ¹³ Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. ¹⁴ If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. ¹⁵ If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”

We see here that these foundations we build in our life are compared to gold, silver, and precious stones or wood, hay, and stubble. We also find that these foundations represent things in life that do or do not have eternal value in Jesus Christ, and both are tested by fire.

Foundations compared to gold, silver, and precious stones, are like non-living things created by God, but do not grow and cannot be burned up by simply lighting a match. Foundations compared to wood, hay, and stubble, are like living things created by God, but can grow as plants, can die, and can be burned up by simply lighting a match. There is much more we can discuss as related to eternal rewards for those things in Christ that have eternal value, but for now we will focus on the basic calling of each one of us.

How do we build a foundation in Jesus Christ?

As we saw above in 1 Corinthians 13:11 that “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” This means that must work together as parents, friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ to build our lives based on the Gospel, or good news, of Jesus Christ:

1 Corinthians 3:9-10. “For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. ¹⁰ According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

This involves many things, first of all, learning from our parents and other elders that are Spiritually mature in the foundational things of the Lord as follows:

2 Timothy 3:14-17. “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; ¹⁵ And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: ¹⁷ That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

These foundations are the Inspired Word of God; doctrine; reproof or rebuke; correction; and instruction or training. We learn these foundations by submitting ourselves to their leadership and the authority of God’s Word to helps us grow as follows:

1 Peter 5:5-11. “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. ⁶ Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: ⁷ Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
⁸ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: ⁹ Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. ¹⁰ But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. ¹¹ To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

As we begin to grow, we see a calling by the grace of God through HIs Son, Jesus Christ, whom we have trusted as our Savior to focus in four areas of calling:

We are called to be perfect

We see these referenced in 1 Peter 5:10. “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” We also see this in 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Numbers 23:9; and Romans 11:29.

2 Timothy 3:16-17. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: ¹⁷ That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

Numbers 23:19-20. “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? ²⁰ Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.

Romans 11:26-31. “…it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: ²⁷ For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. ²⁸ As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. ²⁹ For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. ³⁰ For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: ³¹ Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.”

We see from these passages that God, who is not a man, has called us to be perfect through faith in Jesus Christ. He was a descendant of Sion, also known as Zion, meaning the Jewish people. He is the Messiah who was born as a baby, grew up to be a man and never sinned, yet He allowed himself to be wrongfully crucified to pay our penalty of sin, which is death, so that as God, He could apply His perfection to us so that we might have everlasting life. For more on this read this gospel, or good news page, “Got Jesus?”

We are called to be “stablish” or established

We see these referenced in 1 Peter 5:10. “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” We see this in 2 Thessalonians 3:3 as follows:

2 Thessalonians 3:3-4. “But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. ⁴ And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you.”

We see from these passages that God has called us to become established in our faith and grow, to form habits that are Godly, and keep us away from evil. This is not to say we will never be tempted, but as we learn and grow through the power of the Holy Spirit, we learn how to live, and the Spirit reminds us of Bible verses each day that apply to what we are doing and experiencing.

We are called to be strengthened

We see these referenced in 1 Peter 5:10. “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” We see this in 2 COrinthains 12:10 and Philippians 4:13 as follows:

2 Corinthians 12:10. “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.“

Philippians 4:13. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.“

We see from these passages that God has called us to grow in our faith by growing stronger in our relationship with Christ. This requires study, worship, and fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ.

We are called to be settled

We see these referenced in 1 Peter 5:10. “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” We see this referenced in Colossians 1:21-23 and Psalms 119:89 as follows:

Colossians 1:21-23. “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled ²² In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: ²³ If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;”

Psalms 119:89-90. “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. ⁹⁰ Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.”

We see from these passages that God has called us to be settled or grounded in all things as our foundation is based on Jesus Christ, so all that we say and do are grounded in the Him and God’s Word.

Final thoughts

As we have seen, the first thing God calls each of us to do as children of God is four things:

1. We are called to be perfect
2. We are called to be “stablish” or established
3. We are called to be strengthened
4. We are called to be settled

These four things are a direct result of the following:

• • Trusting Christ as our Savior
  • Developing habits of growth, study, and worship
  • Taking on challenges to strengthen our faith
  • Settling on all things founded on our relationship with Jesus Christ and God’s Word.

May God bless us in His calling!