SCHOOL OF DIORTHORSIS
7TH FEBRUARY, 2023
Minister: Pastor Joshua Akinsusi
Text: Ephesians 4:1-6
The Calling (Vocation)
Paul opened the book of Ephesians reporting how everyone has been called even before the foundation of the world. He came to chapter four to beseech individuals to walk worthy of their calling. In essence, every believer has a calling. While it may not be in the fivefold ministries, an individual’s calling does not supersede that of another. We have been called to one purpose. From the Old Testament, God has always called people to one purpose – coming into His promise. Even in the New Testament, the purpose is still one – to come into eternal life.
Except we admit that we have a calling, we may not be able to press toward the goal which Paul mentioned in 2 Timothy 4:7.
The following are the features of our calling (Ephesians 4:1-6):
i. It is given to every believer before the world began (Romans 8:28-29; 2 Timothy 1:9).
ii. It is the same for all (v. 3).
iii. The hope is the same.
iv. The purpose is the same.
v. The spirit is the same.
vi. It is a holy calling and has a forerunner (Hebrews 3:1).
vii. It is eternal (Hebrews 6:20).
viii. It is without repentance (Romans 11:29; Hebrews 6:17).
ix. It has a mark (goal) (Philippians 3:4;14).
x. It is many-sided (Ephesians 3:10). An example of this manifold wisdom is the priesthood.
While the way we go about this goal may differ, we must understand that the calling is the same for every believer. We also must understand that it has been given to all even before we existed; we only came into it in time (Jeremiah 1:4-5).
What is the calling?
The calling is a universal thing. Being a pastor is to fulfill the calling and it could be manifested in different ways. The calling is the promise that God made to man before the world began. One of the promises is that man will partake of God’s very nature (2 Peter 1:4; 2 Timothy 1:1; Titus 1:2-3). It is by the promises that we will be partakers of the divine nature. The calling is to come and acquire His life and partake of His divine nature. The vocation is the life of God and that’s what we all have been called to, either believers in the past, present, or future.
Hebrews 12:1
It is the same race that has been set in the scripture above and it has not changed. He despised it all because of what was set before Him. Many times, we do not think that there are specific reasons why we are going through the things we may be going through especially once the seed is planted in us. Every believer has the calling already and in entering and walking/coming into the fullness, we must seriously consider Jesus. He is our perfect example in all things (Hebrews 3:1, Hebrews 12:1-2). We must look unto Him.
Some of the things to consider are;
His Person (Hebrews 1;1-2), His Heart/Passion, Desires, Faith, Sufferings.
We must also learn how to consider attentively and be diligent enough to add the characters in the scripture to ourselves (2 Peter 1:1-2; 5-10).
SCHOOL OF DIORTHORSIS
21TH FEBRUARY, 2023
Minister: Pastor Joshua Akinsusi
Topic: Calling to the Fullness of Christ
Text: Ephesians 4:1-6