The Scriptures teach this truth: “you are slaves of the one whom you obey” (Romans 6:16). There is no middle ground: you are either a slave of sin or of God and righteousness (Romans 6:16; Matthew 12:30). To obey sin, and thereby be its slave is to reap ever-increasing wickedness and death, and to present your members, bodily parts, as instruments of obedience unto God leads to sanctification (Romans 6:16-23).
2 Timothy 2:21 also reads thus, “If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work”. Here, the Scripture points out that the vessel of honour which God uses is the one that is sanctified. It is those that are sanctified who the Master deems fit for His use, and are prepared for every good work. Thus it is written, “it is God’s will that you should be sanctified” (1 Thessalonians 4:3)”. The key to our sanctification is obedience to God (Romans 6:22). Through obedience, you are made ready and equipped to walk in the very calling with which God has called you.
The call of God is an appointment to go and bear fruit, as we read in John 15:16, “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain”. Even so, “as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me [Jesus]” (John 15:4). This is how Jesus explained what it means to abide in Him, who is love: “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love” (John 15:10). We abide in Christ to the degree that we obey Him. It is only when we abide in Him that we are able to fulfill our call to go and bear fruits that remain.
Now, these three things remain: Faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13). This love lasts forever (1 Corinthians 13:8). Therefore, if we are going to bear fruits that remain, they should be fruits that are borne out of love. What is love? “This is the love of God: that we keep His commandments” (1 John 5:3). By obeying God we love Him. And through this obedience we fulfill our calling and destiny.
Kwadwo Omari
© May 30, 2017