Vocation Opportunities

What does God expect us to do in our lives so that we can have salvation? Nothing! Because Jesus has done it all. He has perfectly kept God’s Law so that by His obedience Jesus provided the righteousness needed to meet the holy requirements of the Law (Romans 5:19). Then Jesus carried our sins to the cross. As our Substitute, Jesus paid the ransom price of our sins, not with gold or silver, but with His precious blood, as our Passover Lamb, who was without blemish or sin (2 Peter 1:19). Then God sent the Holy Spirit to create faith in our hearts through His Word and Baptism. This divinely-given faith trusts in Jesus as the Savior from sin and death. God declares that those who believe on the Son are justified and forgiven of all their sins. With regards to our justification, God does everything and gives it to us.
In respect to our life as God’s children, what does God expect of us? Everything! For St. Paul says that since we have been united with Christ by Baptism, we are joined with His death. “Likewise, you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:11). This means that sin shall not have dominion or rule over us (Romans 6:9). This is the teaching of sanctification, which God works in us “both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).
The problem is that God’s justified and sanctified children live in a wicked world, hounded by the devil and troubled by their sinful nature. The Holy Spirit created in believers a new spiritual life that desires to please God and do His holy will. But St. Paul describes the battle that waged inside him: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find” (Romans 7:18). God’s children are delivered from this problem by faith in Christ as our death and life.
As Christians, we are to carry out the different vocations that God has given to us. Our first vocation is to be children of God. This means that we follow the voice of our Good Shepherd (John 10:27), proclaim the praises of our Savior (1 Peter 2:9), love one another as Jesus has loved us (John 15:12), continue in prayer for all people (1 Timothy 2:1-2), “put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another…even as Christ forgave” us (Colossians 12–13), and “giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20).
The above is a rather short list of instructions God has given to His children in how they can serve their neighbors. Through His Word, the Holy Spirit motivates them to show fruits of faith—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness (Galatians 5:22). When God’s children carry out their God-given vocations as spouse, parent, worker, neighbor, Sunday School teacher, choir member, etc., the people are to see God’s glory in their lives. They are a light shining on a hill so that those around us will also glorify and worship God.
Now, our neighbors may be so busy that they don’t see our light. Or we may try to hide it so no one thinks that we are too religious. St. Paul urges us, “do not grow weary in doing good” (2 Thessalonians 3:13) even when others do not notice. For God Himself knows all that we do to serve Him in love.
Our worship, our work in vocations, our love for our families, our engaging others with Jesus, and our care for people around us—these activities express our love for God and the salvation He has given to us in Jesus. They are opportunities to work within our vocation as God’s children.
Theodore Gullixson is pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Madison, Wisconsin.