Honoring that Sacred Calling
Carlos J. Craig
As we steer into yet another gracious and blessed opportunity that the Lord has given to us, 2020, a natural response of gratitude would be to look back for just a moment to where He has led us from, to linger for just a few seconds in the moment to savor the gifts of life, health, family and service, and yet look forward with anxious commitment to what He is calling us to in this New Year.
I direct your attention to the words of the Apostle Paul found in 1 Corinthians 1: 9 and 10: “God is Faithful, by Whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Now I plead (beg) with you brethren, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in all the same judgment…”
Paul points out quite emphatically, that there are two major goals for the Church, the body of Christ. First, that we strive earnestly to speak the same thing. That’s an intriguing thought. What exactly is that “same thing”? In the Benson Bible Commentary, we read that we are called to avoid majoring in the minors. Where there is not unity of sentiment, still let there be unity of affection. Agreement upon the great principles of the Word of God should extinguish divisions about the lesser things. We should always remember, there WILL BE unity in heaven, and the closer we approach Christ here on earth, the more tightly knit we become to one another and the more breathe in the atmosphere of heaven! Satan has always endeavored to stir up strife among the followers of Christ. It is one of his principal devices against the gospel.
The other phrase from this passage that grabs our attention are the words: “…be perfectly joined together…” It is apparent that there are vicious floods of division and intolerance all so evident in the world around us today! Why should we as a church contribute to the “Babylon” that surrounds us? Yet, even as we enter the second decade of the 21rst Century, so far removed from the Dark Middle Ages, the Inquisition, the Trail of Tears and the strains of the Civil Rights battles of this Nation, it burdens me to know that as a church we still are challenged with Racial Divisions, Gender Dismissiveness, Young Adult Exclusion and Academic Clicks that not only stir the pots of division but weaken us as a royal priesthood of believers.
Could this be the year when we finally, at least as a church, stand perfectly joined together for the holy principles for which the God of heaven has sacrificed so much for? We tend to think of Calvary as the one great flash in the pan divine sacrifice for humanity, but He is crucified afresh daily by the divisions that He witnesses!
I urge you to pray and ponder personally in reference to who you are, where you stand and with Whom you will be associated with in 2020. It is high time that we prepare to cross over the river of divide into the promised land of unity amongst ourselves so that we can dwell in His presence eternally!
Hebrews 12:14 – “Pursue peace with ALL people and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.”
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A condensed version of this devotional appeared in the March/April 2020 issue of the Southwestern Union Record | issuu.com/swurecord