2/8/26
Rev. Clint Smith
Sermon Direct Link
God’s calling is not passive or abstract; it summons believers to faithful endurance, obedient action, and ongoing spiritual growth. Scripture shows that God’s call includes responsibility, responding to His instruction, accepting His discipline, and walking in righteousness. There are commands to obey, perseverance to embrace, and holiness to pursue. To fulfill a calling from God requires faith, endurance through trials, humility under discipline, and a renewed commitment to strengthen both ourselves and others.
Our calling emphasizes renewed vigor after discipline, not discouragement. God’s discipline is meant to produce healing and restoration, especially for those who are weak, not further harm.
Christians, therefore, are called to persevere in faith, endure hardship, and actively participate in spiritual renewal. The goal is growth, not passivity, and a life that helps others move toward healing rather than stumbling. Romans 5:1-4
Last time we spoke about God’s discipline as an expression of His love, intended to encourage endurance in the Christian race. Our aim must be to press on through hardship, exhaustion, and doubt, while maturing spiritually and strengthening those walking alongside us. Isaiah 35:3-8
The substitutionary atonement refers to Jesus Christ dying as a substitute for sinners. Christ’s sacrifice made His people holy. Those sanctified and pursuing the Prince of Peace belong to God and when we share His chastening, we will experience His holiness. John 17; 1 Thessalonians 5:23,24; Hebrews 10:8-18
Warning: When we wander outside the call of God, the flesh is given room to grow, and it bears vices instead of the virtues God desires for us. When sin, defilement, and unchecked desires are tolerated, they do not remain without consequence. Some wounds linger, even after the heart awakens to its own folly. When left unrepented, these things weigh down the soul, leading to loss, sorrow, and brokenness, like Esau, who exchanged what was eternal for a moment’s satisfaction and later found the door to repentance closed. Genesis 27:30-46