7 Divine Calls to the Christian from God
1. The call to salvation Rom. 8:28-30
2. The call to sanctification 1 Thess. 4:3; 5:23, 24
3. The call to service (work) Jn. 15:16; 1 Cor. 1:26; Eph. 2:10
4. The call to separation 2 Cor. 6:14-18
5. The call to sonship 1 Jn. 3:1
6. The call to subjection Rom. 13:4-5
7. The call to suffering Jn. 16:33; Acts 14:22; Phil. 1:29,
3:10; 1 Thess. 3:3; 1 Pet. 2:21
Paul characterizes work in terms of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23):
Love: God desires to show His perfect, selfless love to a world that is routinely confused about what true love is (1 Corinthians. 13). God’s children are the conduits of His love, as they are empowered by the Holy Spirit;
Joy: When we yield to the Spirit, He opens our eyes to God’s grace around us and fills us with joy (Romans 15:13) which becomes an action as we express it;
Peace: The Spirit-filled Christian has a peace that is abundant, available in every situation, and unlike anything that the world has to offer (John 14:27). The alternative to being filled with the Spirit and His peace is to be filled with alarm, filled with doubt, filled with foreboding, or filled with dread;
Patience: God is patient, and His Spirit produces the fruit of patience in us (2 Thess. 3:5). When we are patient, we leave room for God to work in our hearts and in our relationships. We lay down our schedule and trust in God’s. We thank the Lord for what and whom He’s brought into our lives. We let God be God;
Kindness: When we exhibit the kindness of God, we are tender, benevolent, and useful to others. Every action, every word will have the flavor of grace in it. To maintain this attitude toward those we love is hard enough. To express kindness toward those who are against us requires the work of God (2 Cor. 6:4-6) which is why kindness is a fruit of the Spirit;
Goodness: The Greek word translated “goodness,” agathosune, is defined as “uprightness of heart and life.” Agathosune is goodness for the benefit of others, not goodness simply for the sake of being virtuous. Goodness is not a quality we can manufacture on our own. James 1:17 says, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” This certainly includes a life characterized by goodness. In letting the Holy Spirit control us, we are blessed with the fruit of goodness. As others see our good works, they will praise our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16);
Faithfulness: Faithfulness is steadfastness, constancy, or allegiance; it is carefulness in keeping what we are entrusted with; it is the conviction that the Scriptures accurately reflect reality. In Hebrews 11 is the example of Enoch, who “obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (vs. 5b-6). Faithfulness is believing that God is Who He says He is and continuing in that belief despite the challenges of life;
Gentleness: This involves humility and thankfulness toward God, and polite, restrained behavior toward others. The opposites of gentleness are anger, a desire for revenge, and self-aggrandizement. Every person is powerful; we can speak words that influence; act in ways that help or hurt. Gentleness constrains and channels that power. To be gentle is to recognize that God’s ways and thoughts are high above our own (Is. 55:9);
Self-control: Self-control involves moderation, constraint, and the ability to say “no” to our baser desires and fleshly lusts, ability to control our own thoughts, words, and actions. Self-control naturally leads to perseverance (2 Peter 1:6) as we value the long-term good instead of the instant gratification of the world.
Work is God’s gift to us (Genesis 2:15). It is His provision in a number of ways:
1. Through work we serve God. All Christians everywhere should be serving God in their local churches and looking for opportunities to serve outside the walls of a church building (2 Cor. 9:12–13): our actions demonstrate our love for God (1 Jn. 5:1-5);
2. Through work we meet our own needs. Work allows us to exercise the gifts and abilities God gives each person which results in true fulfillment (Matthew 16: 24-25);
3. Through work we meet our family’s needs. God expects the heads of households to provide for their families (1Timothy 5:8);
4. Through work we earn money to give to others. God tells us to be generous in meeting the needs of the poor and those who minister to us spiritually (Lev. 19:10);
5. Through work we love God. One of God’s love languages is obedience. We love God by obeying Him from the heart. We love our neighbor as we serve other people through our work (Matthew 22:37-39).
We bring glory to God by working faithfully, demonstrating what He is like, and serving others by cooperating with God to meet their needs. In serving others, we serve God. And that’s why our work matters to God. This will prove a test at the Judgement Seat (Heb. 6:10: treat others; James 3:1: authority over others; 1 Peter 4:10: employ God-given abilities). Work for Him now and forever more!