Peter may have been a good fisherman, after all, he got his living from the sea. It was a good and honest work. But one day, God called him to be a fisher of men.
When Jesus said, “Follow Me,” it required something. For Peter, it meant leaving his nets, his work, his former identity and trading it for a new work, a new identity.
When Peter left his nets, he was “letting go,”laying down everything to follow God’s specific calling on his life.
He could not stay in the Sea of Galilee and simultaneously labor for God in the sea of humanity.
Did he grasp the weight of this moment? Was it just an impulsive decision by a man prone to action? Undoubtedly he felt the weight of it later when he says to Jesus, “Lord, we have left everything and followed You.”
Fishing was a good thing, but it was no longer the right thing after Peter received his calling. Sometimes, old things don’t belong in new callings.
Is God calling you to something else, something new that requires letting go of something old?
*1ἅγιος (hagios). adj. holy, set apart, consecrated, dedicated, saints.
Made Holy by Christ
The Lord is Holy. He is otherly. He is set apart from His creation in His perfection, His glory, His splendor and majesty. When we are “born again” through faith in Jesus Christ we are given a new identity – we become children of God and a royal priesthood. Because He is holy, His children who follow Him are to be holy also. If we are walking in alignment with our new identity in Christ, we will increasingly become representatives of His ways and character and to some degree of the power of His Spirit. Even the physical things we use can become consecrated and holy unto Him when they are no longer used for common purposes, but solely for His glory.
A Priestly Calling
As followers of Christ, redeemed by Him, we are, as Isaiah says, a “kingdom of priests to our God.” And as Peter states in 1 Peter 2:9,
*9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
If we who belong to Jesus Christ are called priests, and holy, ought we not to behave in a manner befitting of who we are? Not from a desire to look perfect, but as the result of the inner transforming work of Christ in our heart as we obey the Spirit and are changed by His word.
The Apostle Paul exhorts us in Ephesians 4:1 to
* 1 walk in a manner worthy of your calling.
A priest’s life is dedicated in service to His God and in representing His God to people and bringing them to Him. This is our calling as Christians. To be dedicated to our Lord and to represent Christ in all we do.
Transforming Holiness
But even though we have a new identity in Christ, walking in that identity requires transformation.
Romans 12:1-2 says the following:
*1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
“The renewing of your mind” is a process that occurs chiefly through surrender to the Holy Spirit who convicts us of sin, frees us from wrong mindsets and bondages, and empowers us to live in the new way the Lord is calling us to.
When we read the Word of God and simply humble ourselves by laying down our own will, submitting ourselves to the will of the Lord, He transforms us.
When we become saved, our nature changes. When we grow in the Lord, our perspectives and character change.
We were unclean in our sin, but having been washed clean and made new by Jesus Christ we are now being “transformed from glory to glory” and becoming holy to the Lord. This process is called sanctification; the process of being set apart.
It’s the idea that, although we haven’t “arrived”, there is evidence in our life and character of God’s shaping and changing us into the image of His Son. It’s a process that should never stop as long as we are alive in these physical bodies!
Common Things Become Consecrated
As God continues shaping me I’m learning that even physical things can hold spiritual significance. Meaning, if I submit all of the actions of my life to be glorifying to the Lord, I can increasingly set apart the physical activities and instruments of even my daily life as “Holy to the Lord.” They become no longer “common” to me, but are set apart for the Lord’s purposes as I present them to Him to use for His glory.
I have a favorite verse in Zechariah 14 that says in part,
Every cooking pot…will be holy to the LORD of hosts…
The word of God gives us insight into the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ and His restoration of all things as His people and even the creation itself are brought out into freedom from the curse brought about by the first man’s sin in Genesis. What makes this verse so beautiful to me is the idea that even common things will become holy because they are purified by, and dedicated to, the Lord.
This blog is an example of this in the here and now. If I dedicate my writing to the Lord, it is set apart for the purpose of glorifying Him. Here are some other previously unspiritual, common things have become Holy to the Lord in my life – my plans, the direction of my life, my possessions, my abilities. All these I dedicate to the Lord for Him to make use of as He sees fit. 1 Corinthians 10:31 perfectly sums up how I approach life now:
*31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
Do ALL to the glory of God. Whoa! Does this sound like the actions and life befitting a priest? Absolutely! Will we fall short? Yes. But the idea in this life is one of progression. Take heart friend.
Future Perfection
It is God who is making us perfect as we look to Him. One day our heart and actions will be in perfect alignment with who we are (our identity) in Christ. Philippians 3:20-21 says,
*20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.
Similarly, 1John 3 says,
*2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
How encouraging is that? Someday the race of faith will be finished. Someday our sanctification and transformation will be brought to completion by the Lord. We will be like Him in character and nature. We will be set free completely from any final chains of sin or struggle that occur in this life.
O let us fix our hope on Christ, the only One who gives eternal life and a new identity in Him, the One who makes us a royal priesthood and who brings us along the journey of sanctification as He makes us holy and changes the common things in our lives into holy things. The One who will one day transform us into perfection that we may have perfect fellowship and communion with our God and dwell with Him and serve Him. Come near to Him and surrender the hidden places of your heart that you may walk in holiness, worthy of your calling now, while awaiting the perfection of the future. ❤️
*1Kwok, Hon-Lee. 2014. “Holiness.” In Lexham Theological Wordbook, edited by Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Rachel Klippenstein, and Rebekah Hurst. Lexham Bible Reference Series. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
I’ve been reflecting on faith lately. What it is. What it leads to. I think one of the most used illustrations of faith from the Old Testament that is referenced in the New Testament is Abraham. God’s commands and promises to him and Abraham’s faith and obedience occurred over many years. His faith journey was layered throughout his lifetime. So is ours.
The book of Hebrews says that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faith is a deep-set belief and assurance of something. The object of the Christian’s faith is always in God and His promises. As the Word says, “Now 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 diligently seek Him.”
One of my pastors once said it this way, “Faith is taking God at His word.”
The Seeds of Faith – How The Placement of Your Faith Determines Your Destination
Faith correctly applied is the very thing that unites us in relationship with Jesus Christ. This is the same from the Old Testament to the New. The Old Testament saints understood, however dimly, that there was a Savior coming, and they believed God for His promises. The scripture says, “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
The Savior did come in the person of Jesus Christ. He was God. He was man. He laid down His life to die the perfect sacrifice for our sins and rose again, proving His deity. He offered Himself as “the way, the truth, and the life” and said that “no one comes to the Father except through Me.”
The way to salvation and right standing with God is plain. If we take God at His word, then we place our faith in Jesus and in His promises. Who are you trusting? Are you trusting the Lord for your salvation, or are you trusting yourself? The scripture says “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” When we try to do enough good to “make up” for the bad we’ve done, we’re placing our faith in ourselves for salvation. This path sadly, ends in destruction. It is only faith in the Lord that saves us from the wages of sin and grants us eternal life with Jesus Christ.
The Yield of Faith – Inner Faith, Outer Results
James said, “Faith without works is dead.” Why is that? Could it be because our beliefs about the world around us drive our actions? If this is the case, it follows that faith in God would result in a change of behavior that reflects our belief in Him and His promises and commands. (We must be careful here. It is faith that gives us right standing before God, not works, but in the field where faith grows, there is always a harvest of works.) In addition to this, when we place our faith in Jesus, He makes us new inside! He gives us an identity in Christ, the Holy Spirit to dwell in us to help us, and His word to guide us. Faith in Christ has its outworking in changes in our character, our interactions with others, our lifestyle and even sometimes, as in the case of Abraham, a change in our location.
Here’s how the book of Hebrews puts it, “Abraham, when he was called [by God], obeyed, by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance.”) Abraham lived in Ur of the Chaldeas, a bustling city of idolatry. Yet when God called him he responded in faith which resulted in obedience. His faith compelled him to move in the direction that the Lord had told him to go. He left everything except what they took with them. The Bible says, “and he went out, not knowing where he was going.” Whoa. Now that’s faith in action!
Seasons of Faith- When Faith Requires Waiting
Many of God’s promises require waiting. Abraham was promised a son through whom all the nations of the earth would be blessed. This promise was indicating that the Messiah, the Savior, would come from Abraham’s descendant through the son that God promised him. But the son didn’t come that year or the year after that. It was roughly a decade of waiting before the promised child was born. During that time Abraham’s faith was tested. Our faith will be tested also. In addition to the things we are waiting on God for the fulfillment of in this life, we are also waiting for the promised return of our Lord, for the fulfillment and full rights of our redemption in Heaven. Take heart friend. What God has promised He will fulfill. For now, we keep our eyes on Jesus, and we wait.
“Everyone needs a Timothy and everyone needs a Paul in their life.”
I’ll never forget the quote above. My pastor used to say it. He meant that we should be keeping a sharp eye out for those younger less experienced Christians in the body of Christ to lead, mentor, and disciple; as well as looking ahead to catch up to those whose walk is deeper and more mature than our own. Our Christian walk is one hand reaching back to give assistance, one hand reaching forward to receive, and both eyes fixed on Jesus.
Someone has said that the best leaders are also great followers. They are ever learning. Ever growing. Ever changing. They are students of others. The best disciples are the same way. Primarily, we are students of Christ. After all, the word disciple means to be a follower or learner of (someone/something).
Find a Mentor
But, sometimes life decisions and relationships can get confusing, even if you are reading the Bible and earnestly seeking the Lord. Oh, what a significant difference it can make to have a living, breathing example of Christlikeness! How great a guidance it is to witness first hand a gracious but truthful handling of difficult situations and people by a follower of Christ, a man or woman whose life reflects the maturity of one transformed by submission to the Holy Spirit and the Word of God!
*Note* If you don’t have the opportunity to be mentored by someone in your life like this, take heart! God gives this opportunity to many but not all. Just keep seeking the Lord! He will faithfully lead you and you will someday have the opportunity to be for others the mentor you did not have.
Be a Mentor
As you walk in the footsteps of faithful Christ-following men and women, soaking in lessons, gleaning the precious gems of wisdom for life and following Christ that they share with you through counsel or example, do not forget to ask God to show you someone who you can lead also. What is given to us is meant for us to freely give away. Don’t store it up for yourself only. Pass it on. Find a “Timothy.” Come alongside a younger brother or sister and help them along the journey. Encourage them, point them to a deeper relationship with Christ. Model for them how to navigate the situations of life with wisdom, and humility, with submission to the Holy Spirit and the commandments of God.
Final Thoughts
Through each of our obedience to the Lord and our love and care for one another, may the body of Christ be built up and brought to maturity! The Lord bless each of you in every way. May He give you a Paul. May He give you a Timothy. And may you fix your eyes on Christ as you ultimately follow Him!
1 Corinthians 11:1
Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
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