This morning we continue our series entitled, “Refined Focus”, with an emphasis on “Focusing on God’s Finished Work”. In this series I have given you some background on the Apostle Paul. You have learned of his early years, when he was known as Saul of Tarsus. I told you about the investment that was made in Saul, to the point where he became the leader of the movement that was persecuting first century Christians. But later, after God knocked Saul of his high horse (literally) on the road to Damascus, and after he sent Saul to Straight Street to get him straight (God has a sense of humor), God revealed to Saul that he was called to lead the revolution he was fighting against. Not only was he called, but Saul-turned-Paul later discovered that he was actually called before he was born.
After dying to his identity as Saul of Tarsus and accepting his divine identity as the Apostle Paul, Paul said, “But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles.” (Gal 1:15,16).
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. You did not earn your divine assignment.
a) You can make the argument that the Apostle Paul should not have received the divine assignment he did. He was not there when Jesus fed the 5,000. He was not there when Jesus walked on water. He was not there when Jesus called Lazarus out of a tomb and he popped up like a mummy, wrapped in grave clothes. Paul was not part of Jesus’ team. Paul did not follow Jesus around for three years. There were 11 men on the planet who had spent the most time with Jesus and none of them received the call Paul did. None of them (arguably) made the impact Paul made in the first century church. None of them went on four missionary journeys. None of them wrote half the New Testament. This was all part of God’s plan for Paul, a man who was on the wrong-side of the Christian movement. Why? Because God calls us by His unearned and amazing grace.
b) You could never earn, work for, or deserve God’s call on your life. All you can do is receive it.
c) God’s call is given by His unearned grace. You must accept it, believe it, receive it and pursue it by faith.
d) It’s sometimes hard to accept the fact that God wants to use you the way that He does. If you are anything like me, you often think, “But God, why would You want to do that through me? What have I done to deserve your goodness?” The answer is, “Nothing”. God does not call us because we are so good. He calls us because He is so good.
2. God actually had to look past your faults, flaws and failures in order to call you to His purpose.
a) Not only did you NOT do anything to deserve God’s divine call on your life, you actually did many things that should have disqualified you.
b) If it were based on works, the Apostle Paul would have never been qualified to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He spent years fighting against the Gospel message he was called to.
c) Not only did NOT you qualify for God’s assignment, but if you would be honest with yourself, you know you actually disqualified yourself many times over. However, God called you anyway. Because God’s call is by grace, not by merit.
*** God’s call on your life is finished. Nothing you do can cause you to be disqualified, because nothing you did ever qualified you in the first place. Jesus qualified you before the world began!
Closing Confession: Father, this is a season of refined focus for me. I bring my life into focus in 2016. You called me before I was born. You finished Your plans for my life before I ever took one breath. You knew everything I would ever do, so You did not call me BECAUSE of my works. You called me DESPITE my works. You had to look past my faults, flaws and failures in order to call me. I could never qualify, but Jesus qualified for me. I have never measured up, but Jesus lives IN me and He measures up daily, FOR ME! Your call on my life is fixed and finished. As I enter this day I accept it, I believe it, I receive it and I pursue it by faith, because I know I am called by grace. I REST in Your Finished Work! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
