Merely professing faith does not automatically make one an effective believer. There exists a clear distinction between a regular believer and a Disciple of Jesus Christ. The pivotal question for all of us, as Christians, is whether we are indeed effective, indispensable contributors to the Kingdom of God. Everyone aspires to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” but the real question is, are we genuinely fulfilling the calling and assignment designated for each of us? In this writing, we will delve into several fundamental principles that every believer should pursue to achieve this noble goal.
#1. We Must Understand that We are Called to the Gospel Message.
Romans 1:1-2, the word states, “Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God.”
Paul’s identity was two-fold.
First, Paul was called to be a genuine servant for life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul’s life was separated for life and belonged totally to God and His will.
Second, he was called as an example and a preacher of the entire message of the saving, healing, delivering, and all-encompassing gospel. This message was about victory over hell, death, and the grave. The entirety of our lives is to be clothed entirely with the gospel. The ministry of the Holy Spirit to testify of all that Jesus won for us at cavalry is to be the very shoes we wear.
#2. Every Believer is Entrusted with the Mission to Beckon Nations to the Potent Message of the Gospel.
Romans 1:5 proclaims, “Through Him, we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name.”
Each of us is called to play a pivotal role in leading souls to salvation and obedience to the faith we uphold. Each Believer has the divine mandate and calling to lead people to the love of Jesus Christ. The very essence of your life should be potent enough to convict those around you that you carry a message with eternal power and that life is emanating from you. This transformation can only occur when we are walking in this elevated state.
#3. Your Strength is in Not Being Ashamed.
Romans 1:16-17 states, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes… for in it (the message) the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
Boldness and confidence that the message of the cross is the only answer for a sin-cursed world to be saved must be the atmosphere of our thinking. We are up against the spirit of the world. Our message must be able to not only save them from eternal darkness but also have the power to hold them by faith in the strength of that message all the way through. It must be a faith message from the beginning to the end. Walking in the confidence of the strength and power of the message allows us to stand firm in our faith and shine the light of the powerful message of eternal life.
#4. Know That Your Calling has a Prophetic Purpose.
1 Timothy 1:18 states, “This charge I give to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage a good warfare.”
Paul reminds Timothy that his calling is not fate but prophetic. His calling is from the throne room of God for a specific purpose. As this word is for Timothy, it is also for each of us. We have a calling from God to walk in specific roles concerning His kingdom to help the whole of the body to perform the task set out from the foundations of the world. In this, we walk to the next point.
#5. We Each Have God Given Purpose.
Ephesians 2:10 states, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good work which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
As each one of us step into the roles that God has prepared for us, there are works that we are to accomplish. In the military, each soldier has a task, a role, a rank, and specific works that they are to perform and accomplish to keep the military strong and useful and accomplish its purpose to the fullest. The same principle applies to us in the Kingdom of God. When one member is not doing their part, the whole army suffers, and on the battlefield, this could cost someone their life. When we in the Kingdom of God do not take our rightful place or are not walking as we ought, this can negatively impact those around us in the body or even cause the loss of a soul in the world that God may have wanted us to minister to.
#6. You Have Been Equipped with Everything You Need to Fulfill All God Has Called You to.
Ephesians 1:3-4 states, “Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He has chosen us in Him before the foundations of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him in Love.”
Believers, we can be at peace with the knowledge that all God has called for us to do in this life to advance His kingdom, has already prepared and supplied. Everything we’ll need in this life has been provided for us so that, in the end, we can stand before Him complete. Once we finish our course in this life, we will have great confidence as we stand before His love.
#7. We Have the Holy Spirit to Lead and Guide Us.
Finally, John 14:26: Jesus said, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I have said to you.”
This scripture is a mighty Hallelujah for you and me. We realize that as Jesus said in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” and in Matthew 28:20… “And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
The Holy Spirit is our constant companion, our guide, and our source of strength in our faith journey. The most significant part is that we will always have the Holy Spirit with us at all times. We will always have full access to the presence of God and the mind of Christ, who will lead us in every path. This allows the perfect will of God to continue in the church while causing each member to be brought to a place of explosive effectiveness. In this way, the vision of the ministry can go forward, effectively winning souls to the kingdom and strengthening each one in their walk.
Being a servant and doing what is needed is the first step in advancing in the kingdom. Every believer is a servant. Paul called himself a bondservant; if he is one, we are also called to be the same. We all serve the Lord Jesus and His kingdom, His heart, His purpose, and His directions for fulfilling the mandate that he declared in Matthew 16:18-19, Jesus states, “I will build my church, and the gate of hell will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom to bind and loose what you need to.” This is His equipping us to action to advance His kingdom.
Believers, we must earnestly pursue the Lord and His goals for our lives. His church, though many bodies, is still one body in Him. Each of us has a calling to fulfill and advance in all He has called us to do. Until the day of Christ Jesus, we are to work with all diligence to this end so that on that day that He calls us home, we can truly stand before Him and hear the words “Well done, Good and Faithful Servant. Welcome into the Joy of Your Lord!”
Blessings,
