2 Timothy 1:9 who saved us and call us to a holy calling,
not because of our works, but because of his own purpose and which he gave us
in Christ Jesus before the ages began.
The entertainers
I listed above came to their “job” by various avenues. Some found their
vocation because their appearance resembles that of the performers they are
impersonating. Some require a lot of make up to arrive at the point of looking
something near the performer the want to impersonate. Costumes also make up a
good deal of their approximating the appearance. And in many cases, this night
job is really just a second job or hobby for them. It is also brings in a good
deal of cash for some. The interesting
part of this is they are not really the person depicted. They are, in most
cases, not even actors. To actually be the famous person is not their calling.
They are mere pretenders. And so you ask, what does this have to do with a
“holy calling” as described in 2 Timothy
1:9? My answer to that is to pretend to be called, is to be just like the
people I described above. It is a fake calling. If we are fake in our belief in
Jesus Christ, if we are shallow in our defense of the Lord, the we have missed
what we are called to do. 2 Timothy 1:9
lets us know that we who are saved and called not because of our works. We are called because of God’s purpose which he gave us in Christ Jesus
before the ages began. 1 Peter 3:15
reminds us that but in our hearts honor
Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who
asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness
and respect. If we are mere pretenders in our faith and belief, none of
this happens. None of this fulfills the calling and purpose laid out for us. We
must pray for the strength, and faith to grasp what is our calling and to hold
onto that faith with all of the strength given to us. Otherwise we are no more
effective in fulfilling our calling than the guy dressed up as Sheriff Buford
T. Justice. He was not Jackie Gleason, just someone who looked and acted
somewhat like the actor. To be less than genuine is to dishonor Jesus. So, let
us all put aside our being a Christian just on Sunday morning are stay that way
for the rest of the week. Let’s all be prepared
to make a defense to anyone who asks for a reason for the hope that is within
each of us.
PRAYER: Lord God, we ask for Your Holy Spirit to be poured out upon
each of us in full measure. We ask for the faith to stay strong and committed.
We ask for the strength to resist the fake callings we are tempted with in the
world. We ask for the humility to serve all who need to be served. We ask this
in the name of Jesus, Amen.
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