The call of Christ

In these last days we hear more about the prosperity gospel and the hyper grace doctrines.  Others carry it so far as to "name and claim it". "Its wrong to ask God to forgive us", so says another school of thought. Such theories are alien to my spiritual upbringing but nevertheless I am open to change and willing to accept if based on  scripture. 

Let me assure the reader that I believe that the christian life is an abundant life. God has promised to bless His people. There are ample verses in the Bible to substantiate this. I have been blessed beyond measure. I have been favored by His grace and can truly testify that "His grace is sufficient for me". But that's only one end of the spectrum. The Bible also talks about the cross and suffering which the proponents of the prosperity gospel try to renegotiate.

With such conflicting views continuing to make their presence felt, I was compelled to re-examine the call of Christ. Most of the time, the answer is found in the middle of two extremes. What did Christ call us into? Are we missing the forest for the trees? The best place to start will be to examine the life and words of our Lord and how it was executed by the early church and the apostles. I came to the conclusion that the following five main took precedence over prosperity.

First the call of Christ is the call to salvation.   This is fundamental and non-negotiable.John 14:6 - Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life No one comes to the Father except through me. Rom 10:9 - If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord^" and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved. Its purely by the grace of God.

Second the call of Christ is a call to sanctification (holiness). After salvation is sanctification. That seems to be the emphasis in the Bible. However today, the words holiness, fear of God are hardly echoed in christian conversations. But the New Testament is very clear of this characteristic in the believer. Mathew 5:48 - Jesus said, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."  1 Peter 1:17 - Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.  Paul preaches in fear and trembling. 2 Cor 7:1 - Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. Holiness and the fear of God are not just Old Testament jargon but are also very much relevant in the New Testament.  Ananias and Sapphira are a case in point. In our eagerness to fill the church and to please the rich, we rearrange the sermon scores to tickles the ear of the listener. Gal 6-7 : Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. God help us that we will be gripped with a reverential holy fear of God. When that happens, sin will lose its grip on us. Grace not reciprocated with the fear of God is a disgrace.

Third. its a Call to suffering.  Jesus  himself said in Luke 9:22 - The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. John 15:19-20 : That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you:  'A servant is not greater than his master, if they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. Paul did not have a good life. He suffered for the gospel. So did the apostles. Almost all of them died as a martyr. Mathew 24:9 :

"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me."

Fourth,  its a call to service.   In the upper room in John 13:14, Jesus said, Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. "I came to serve", the Lord said. Isaiah refereed to Him as the suffering servant. Paul in Galatians admonishes the people to serve one another. As Christians we are called to be servants.Old testament patriarchs were referred to as servants of God. In the New Testament the authors called themselves as servants. If only every christian will realize that he is a servant, the church of God will have no lack in manpower and in resources. "Lord make me a servant"

 Fifth, the call of Christ is a call to bring other into salvation.  Mathew 28:19-20 - Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Where does prosperity fit into all this? Yes. Mathew 6:33 - But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. What are all these things? The preceding verses are the clue..