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This morning we continue our series, “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing with our mini-series entitled, “Growing in Grace.” After taking his time to drive home the fact that believers should grow in grace by growing in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Apostle Peter said the following:
“Because the stakes are so high, even though you’re up-to-date on all this truth and practice it inside and out, I’m not going to let up for a minute in calling you to attention before it. This is the post to which I’ve been assigned-keeping you alert with frequent reminders-and I’m sticking to it as long as I live. I know that I’m to die soon; the Master has made that quite clear to me. And so I am especially eager that you have all this down in black and white so that after I die, you’ll have it for ready reference” (2 Peter 1:12-15 Message Bible). We started to walk through this passage yesterday. Today we will focus in on the statement: “This is the post to which I’ve been assigned-keeping you alert with frequent reminders-and I’m sticking to it as long as I live.”
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. God has given you grace for whatever He has called you to do. Operating in the grace of God is all about submitting to God’s will. God has called us all to do something, but He will not compete with us for the lead position in our lives. If we want to take the lead, we can go ahead, God will let us, and He will stand by as we do all the work in our own strength. However, that is not God’s will. God wants us to rest in the grace we have for our divine assignment. If we choose to submit to God’s plan and rest in His calling, then we can rest while He works through us. So what is your choice? Do you want to work while God rests? Or do you want to enter into God’s rest and let God perform His work through you?
2. Peter knew what he was called to do. Peter said, “This is the post to which I’ve been assigned-keeping you alert with frequent reminders.” Peter knew he was called to reach people, to write God’s Word, to leave a legacy of righteousness, and to make his mark on the world by the grace of God. Peter knew his calling and it was his singular focus ‘till the day he died. Do you know your calling? Do you know why you were born? If not, ask God, He brought you here and He will tell you why.
3. Peter operated in the grace for his assignment. God has a sense of humor. God called Paul, the most educated Apostle in the Law of Moses, to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles who knew nothing about the Law. And God called Peter, an uneducated man who was a fisherman by trade, to preach the Gospel to the most learned men of his time. This caused both Peter and Paul to rely on the grace of God. I don’t know what you are called to do, but it is more than likely something you never thought you would be doing, and probably something you don’t feel qualified for. That’s how God does it. When God calls you to do something you don’t feel prepare to do, it causes you to rely on Him and His unearned grace.
4. Peter was committed to completing his assignment before he died. Peter said this of his divine assignment, “I’m sticking to it as long as I live.” Let me let you in on a secret… you can never retire from your calling. There is no true retirement plan for the believer. Whatever you are called to do, God expects you to do it until it’s done and He does not want you to leave the planet before then. You don’t have to die because you are sick. You don’t have to die because you are old. God wants you to fulfill His assignment for your life and when you do, you can die because you are DONE and not because of any other reason. This way you will die complete, satisfied and without any regrets. To me success is not about what you drive, where you live or how much money you make. Success is about finding, following and finishing your divine assignment before you die. That’s it. Period.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for making plans for me before the world began. You saved me and called me by Your unearned and amazing grace. The assignment You have given me is far greater than anything I could ever accomplish on my own. The nature and scope of my assignment cause me to totally rely on You and Your grace. There was a time in my life when I did all the work, and when You were resting, waiting for me to get tired. Those days are over. I now rest, as You work through me. I labor to enter into Your rest and I no longer live my life on my own strength. I have received my divine assignment, I am committed to pursuing it all the days of my life, and I believe You will grace me to get it done before I die. I don’t want to die because I am sick. I don’t want to die because I am old. I don’t want to die because I am tired. I only want to die after I am DONE! Therefore, I commit to pursuing my purpose all the days of my life and when I get to the end, by Your grace, I will know it, and I will be able to transition from earth to glory, from time to eternity, from mortal to immortality, with a sense of sense of accomplishment and overwhelming peace. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
