My calling to the Lord's service occurred at the same time I gave my life to Him in December of 1975 while I was in high school. Like a lot of new believers, I was ready to share my newfound faith with anybody who would stop to pay attention. I wish I could tell you that my journey with the Lord Jesus continued to grow and become more serious as it pertained to the Word of God and continually living a life that was dedicated to Him. It almost came to a screeching halt for good just as it was starting. I quickly found out that some of my friends and family were not exactly all that supportive or understanding of what had taken place in my life. The church I attended did not give me any direction, advice, or counsel on what to do or where to start in this new venture. My calling was not taken seriously by the pastor or the deacons when I wanted to talk with them after the service to let them know what had happened to me. They probably thought that either I was not that serious, or that I was doing this to please my grandparents, or some other reason. So, I ended up in a five-year long spiritual "limbo" and level of immaturity that crippled any desire to continue with the venture.
It was not until 1980 when I left to go work in the oil fields of the Arabian gulf coast that I was able to get back on my spiritual feet. I joined an Anglican church and came under the preaching and care of the local vicar. He taught me the basic doctrines of the faith and provided opportunities for me to lead Bible studies and present messages to the congregation every so often. I learned how to study the Scriptures and grew rapidly in not just my faith, but maturity in my behavior as well as responsibility in how I performed my job. As time passed and I completed my education, I made it my goal to never stagnate in my faith, to study, strengthen my prayer life, and to do my best in the service of the LORD. It has not always been smooth or easy, but He has been faithful, patient, and merciful as my journey has progressed.
The duty of a man of God, called to serve as a pastor, elder, or teacher is to study and affirm the truth of God's Word and protect their flock from any and all doctrines and beliefs that contradict or change the words of the Lord. He is to remain true to the calling upon him and never compromise, add to, or be embarrassed about the message of salvation in Jesus Christ. Paul gave this advice to his "son in the faith" Timothy in a series of pastoral "charges" that still resound today. Timothy was to grow in the grace of Christ and learn about Him (2 Tim. 2:1). He was to instruct the next generation of believers and pass on the wisdom of Christ bestowed upon him (v.2). He was to take a lesson from soldiering and obey the orders of the LORD (vv.3,4) He was to look at the farmer and see from his example that when the seeds of the Gospel are planted, the harvest will come (v.5). He was to look at the dedication and training of an athlete who runs the race in order to obtain the prize. Timothy was not to let anything hinder him from effective ministry, and never bow to compromise or failure.
The message of the resurrection of Jesus Christ cannot be hindered or stopped due to dire or unexpected consequences. Timothy had travelled with Paul over the years and knew that he never let anything get between him and the commission Jesus bestowed on him on the road to Damascus years before. Paul expected Timothy and the generations after him to follow the apostle's example. The Gospel is to be proclaimed regardless of any opposition that would see it stopped or eliminated. It has outlived every empire, kingdom, dictatorship, and nation that has attempted to destroy it. The world still has not learned this lesson. Why then, would we want to bow to their demands and decrees to water down the message of repentance and salvation through Christ? Who gave these reprobates the authority to even think about thwarting the will of God anyway? They will bow to Him one day, and not some tin-pot nose-wipe tyrant (Philippians 2:9=11). That goes for you as well if you deny or reject Jesus.
The true man of God, and every authentic follower of Jesus Christ needs to crucify their flesh and surrender everything to Him, including full control of our lives (v.11). We should expect persecution and troubles for the sake of the Gospel. The Christ-centered life is constantly met with antagonism from those who want to be rid of anything doing with the Word of God (Romans 8:17; 2 Cor. 1:7). We are pilgrims and strangers in this world and will endure hardship for a season. When the Lord Jesus returns, He will destroy His enemies and we will reign with Him (v.12a). If we give in to the demands of the world and deny the Lord, thinking that somehow everything will work out, He will deny us as a result (v.12b, Matt. 7:21-23, 10:33; Mark 8:38).
Even when our faith seems to be on a low ebb or seems to be missing, we can rest assured that the Lord Jesus has promised to never leave nor forsake us and will always remain faithful to us (Hebrews 13:5). He never goes back on any promise He made (v.13). If that were even a remote possibility, He would not be God Incarnate, but be dead like everyone else, and we would die without hope (1 Corinthians 15:12-19). We are to remain firm in our faith and not give in to anyone or any movement in violation of the Word of God. The man of God is to preach the truth of the Scriptures without reservation and with the assurance that Jesus Christ still saves, seals, and delivers us. He is the victor over death, hell, and the grave. We are on the winning side, brethren. Let us start acting like it. He expects no less.
donaldwhitchard@outlook.com
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