2 Timothy 1:9 “Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began;”.
“Given us in Christ Jesus…..before the world began”.
You were considered in the first act of creation…..
…..for the first act of creation, was the Everlasting covenant, made by God the Father and God the Son, that set up our salvation (Hebrews 13:20-21)
Jeremiah 31:3 “The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee.”
What does everlasting mean? It means from eternity past….to eternity future…
God’s desire was toward the time when we would be with Him…..first “in Christ”…and then in heaven.
“In Christ”….sets forth our work and ministry….here.
We are not with Him in heaven (although, we are in Him, and He is in us by His Holy Spirit)………yet we are raised to newness of life….His life in us.
This is our time of growing in the grace and knowledge of God……our time of trial of faith.
1 Peter 1:7-9 “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing , ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”
Our Salvation is all of God…..in Christ.
Ephesians 2:8-9. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
But once we are saved…..we are given a Purpose…..an eternal Purpose which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Titus 2:14 “Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”
Here, then is the Purpose of our salvation: That we might be taken from the slavery of sin…..”all iniquity” (Hebrews 7:25)…
….and “purified”….which simply means that our direction of life is one way…we have decided that we are choosing God and His Way….we not doubleminded (James 1:8)…..or fence setting….but obedient to His Word to us.
Matthew 6:22 “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.”
Then, as we are purified, we can show and give to others…..what we have received from the Lord, ourselves…
…this is our outward invitation to others….to join us to follow our Lord: some are called to preach, teach,…..but we are all called to witness….with our lives, and with our words.
John 13:35 “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear:”
Our salvation was a free gift (Romans 6:23)…..but then we are called to join the great Purpose of the saints….to manifest Christ Jesus to a lost and dying world….with our individual callings….
….”a holy calling”…..and “holy” means set aside in everything to God.
Our holy calling is to be first in me….in all the areas of my life…
….then…out from me to…..my church, my home, my job, and ever onward…
….to all we meet.
He has saved us and called us with a holy calling….not according to our works….but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us….in Christ Jesus….before the world began.
His eyes have been toward us…..let us turn our eyes toward Him….and finish our course.
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 