The Christian Worker and His Calling Bishop Reynaldo C Domingo, IEMELIF Reform Movement

The Christian Worker and His Calling to be holy.

The Christian Worker and His Calling “For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.” (1 Thessalonians 4:7 NIV)

The Christian Worker and His Calling “But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written, ‘Be holy because I am holy.’” (1 Peter 1:15-16 NIV)

The Christian Worker and His Calling “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.’” (Matthew 5:48 NASB)

The Christian Worker and His Calling God never required us: - to be all knowing like God, - to be all powerful like Him, - to be present everywhere at the same time.

The Christian Worker and His Calling God required us to attain his moral attribute of

The Christian Worker and His Calling Severe spiritual crisis brought about by: - sincere desire to follow the command to be holy - the reality of human experiences which are in opposition to the required holiness

The Christian Worker and His Calling Spiritual crisis in Paul “For that which I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate… For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish.” (Romans 7:15,19 NASB)

The Christian Worker and His Calling Paul’s attainment of the required holiness “…Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1 RSV)

The Christian Worker and His Calling Paul’s attainment of the required holiness “You also became imitators of us and of the Lord…” (1 Thessalonians 1:6 NIV)

The Christian Worker and His Calling Paul’s attainment of the required holiness “You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.” (1 Thessalonians 2:10 NIV)

The Christian Worker and His Calling The Lord Jesus warned preachers on His judgment day scenario.

The Christian Worker and His Calling “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name…’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:22-23 NASB)

The Christian Worker and His Calling We are called to be holy.

The Christian Worker and His Calling to fight the good fight of faith.

The Christian Worker and His Calling “This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son… that by them you may fight the good fight.” (1 Timothy 1:18 NASB)

Firstly, we must not look on the secondary causes of whatever happens in our lives. Instead, we must look on the primary cause – our loving God. The Christian Worker and His Calling

One event in the life and ministry of Paul happened in Philippi. The Christian Worker and His Calling

“During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” (Acts 16:9-10 NIV) The Christian Worker and His Calling

Problem with the masters of the slave girl. The Christian Worker and His Calling

“But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the authorities, and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said ‘These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, and are proclaiming customs which is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans.’ The Christian Worker and His Calling

And the crowds rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them, and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison, and fastened their feet in the stocks.” (Acts 16:19-24 NASB) The Christian Worker and His Calling

The normal reactions should be one of complaint. Paul and Silas might have said:

The Christian Worker and His Calling

Lord we did not fully obey You when You called us here through a vision? Lord, did we not fulfill the task You have entrusted to us to witness for You and usher into the kingdom those You prepared for eternal life? Lord, did we not act in accordance with the leading of the Holy Spirit when we cast out the evil spirit from the slave girl? The Christian Worker and His Calling

Then why is it that You, our all-powerful and loving God, allowed these things to happen to us? Why is it that You allowed us to be put in disrepute? Do we deserve these beatings, these stripes, and this humiliation? The Christian Worker and His Calling

The reaction of Paul and Silas: “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God.” (Acts 16:25 NASB) The Christian Worker and His Calling

Paul and Silas did not focus their attention on the secondary causes which were: The Christian Worker and His Calling

- the evil reactions of the owners of the slave girl, - the unjustified decision of the magistrates who ordered them to be stripped, beaten and jailed, - the jailer who put them in the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stock The Christian Worker and His Calling

This was one of the many experiences of Paul that gave him the moral and spiritual authority to formulate teachings on the Christian way of life and ministry. The Christian Worker and His Calling

“In everything, give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV) The Christian Worker and His Calling

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NASB) The Christian Worker and His Calling

“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…” (Hebrews 12:2 KJV) The Christian Worker and His Calling

The story of Joseph: the repeated commentary of the Scriptures on Joseph was: “And God was with Joseph.” The Christian Worker and His Calling

A ND AS FOR YOU, YOU MEANT EVIL AGAINST ME, BUT G OD MEANT IT FOR GOOD IN ORDER TO BRING ABOUT THIS PERSONAL RESULT, TO PRESERVE MANY PEOPLE ALIVE.’” (Genesis 50:16-20 NASB) The Christian Worker and His Calling

Secondly, to fight the good fight of faith, we must walk by faith and not by sight. The Christian Worker and His Calling “For we walk by faith and not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NASB)

The Scriptural admonition is: Do not walk by sight. The Christian Worker and His Calling

- To walk by sight is to live a life following one’s own understanding, one’s own opinion. - To walk by sight is to live a life dictated by our own sense perception. - To walk by sight is to live a life contrary to what the Scriptures says. The Christian Worker and His Calling

Let us affirm before each other and before our GOD our calling:

The Christian Worker and His Calling

Bishop Reynaldo C Domingo, IEMELIF Reform Movement God bless you.