Throughout the coming ages we will be the visible display of the infinite, limitless riches of his grace and kindness, which was showered upon us in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:7 (TPT)
Infinite, Limitless Riches – Part 4
Go to PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3
Holiness is laced with love and grace. There's a lot of talk about being and living “righteous,” we forget that WE ARE the righteousness of God – he makes us righteous. It’s him that makes us holy… And his motivation for doing so is pure LOVE and connection. It’s not a show of power or a manipulative move. He has made us righteous because He loves us and wants to share in the fullness of our lives mixed with his.
So when we march up and down on our street corners, blog posts (eek), social media platforms, workplaces, schools, etc. and demand people live up to a certain standard (usually one that we have decided is the best way for EVERYONE to live) in order to obtain or stay in God’s favour, we undermine, misunderstand and misrepresent the power and grace of the calling and holiness of God. You’re not called because you are holy. We are called (read: we are God’s children) therefore, we are holy.
Ephesians 2:4-9 (TPT) says, “ But God still loved us with such great love. He is so rich in compassion and mercy. Even when we were dead and doomed in our many sins, he united us into the very life of Christ and saved us by his wonderful grace! He raised us up with Christ the exalted One, and we ascended with him into the glorious perfection and authority of the heavenly realm, for we are now joined as one with Christ! Throughout the coming ages we will be the visible display of the infinite, limitless riches of his grace and kindness, which was showered upon us in Jesus Christ. For it was only through this wonderful grace that we believed in him. Nothing we did could ever earn this salvation, not even our faith, for it was the gracious gift from God that brought us to Christ! So no one will ever be able to boast, for salvation is never a reward for good works or human striving.”
Great!! Wonderful!!
Now, what? What do we do with the gift we've been given?
How we respond to God's gift(s) is not an obligation put on us, but a responsibility we hold. We make the choice. We decide. The two (really three) greatest commandments point us in the right direction. Love God, love others, love you. Here’s another clue from Eph 2:7 “Throughout the coming ages we will be the visible display of the infinite, limitless riches of his grace and kindness, which was showered upon us in Jesus Christ.”
Our response to this gift of grace and holiness and calling should result in love all-around. It’s the path, the way, the direction the gift takes us in.
Our response isn’t perfection… it’s not to suddenly become the most well-behaved humans on the planet… Our response to this call and grace is to love. And to love with whatever has been entrusted to us.
The holiest of vocations is to live with love. No matter what you do, or where you end up, your “holy calling” remains: Be your true self, loved by God, loving others.
When pondering your destiny, don’t start by wondering “what should I do? Should I be a preacher, a doctor, a designer, a builder, etc…” Begin by asking yourself, “WHO should I become? Who have I been made to be?”
Someone who loves, forgives, encourages, endures, protects, comforts, is kind, heartfelt, determined, faithful, overcoming… builds meaning and hope, and so much more – reflecting the “infinite, limitless riches of his grace and kindness…”
From this holy and sacred place of love, we take faith-filled steps of grace down the path God leads us.
Go to Part 5 – Jeremiah and the fire in his bones »
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