What Is The Number One Goal of Our Calling?

I'm going to keep everything right together, too. I'm going to primarily just in one chapter today, just chapter 4 of Ephesians. So, if you can find chapter 4 of Ephesians, that's about as far as you'll need to go, other than maybe two other scriptures that I'll bring out a little bit later. But there's a lot in chapter 4 of the book of Ephesians, so that's where we're going to concentrate our message today. So let's begin by turning there to the fourth chapter of Ephesians and to what the Apostle Paul wrote as recorded in verse 11 of Ephesians chapter 4.

You're going to put a marker in your Bible there, because that's where we're going to be for most of the sermon, with like an exception of two other passages.

Ephesians 4.11, talking here about Jesus Christ and the offices He created in the church and different roles and responsibilities. It's really describing roles and responsibilities. Ephesians 4.11 says, He Himself referred to Jesus Christ. He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers. Now, apostles back in the first century AD were those who were sent forth to proclaim that Christ was the promised Messiah, to proclaim that. In fact, the final twelve disciples were all called apostles. You can read that in Luke 6 verse 13 and also in Luke 9 verse 10, where the twelve disciples were called apostles. They were sent forth to proclaim that Christ was indeed the promised Messiah. Many who were called apostles in the first century AD had actually seen Christ in person. Maybe not all, but many had. As Paul himself wrote in 1 Corinthians 9 verse 1, he said, Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? He saw Him a little bit later than everybody else, but Christ did appear to fall a little bit out of time, but He did appear to Him. But those who were apostles were ordained and sent forth to witness to the world. As I mentioned, an apostle was not a rank. It was a time when I thought that, but the apostle was not a rank in the ministry. It was something that was ordained to that rank. They were ordained to a particular rank and simply described the role that they were called to. They described their role and responsibility. Next, Paul says that Christ gave some to be prophets. Prophets were those who were inspired by God to tell others the will of God. They told me what God's will was, according to God's Word. They didn't necessarily foretell the future, but they were inspired by God to foretell the consequences. If the will of God was not followed. Here's God's will in your life, according to God's laws and God's Word. This is God's will for you. It was up to them whether they followed that or not. It's up to all of us whether we follow God's Word. God's will is given to us right here. If we don't follow that, there are going to be consequences of not following that. So that does affect our future. Evangelists proclaimed the teachings of Christ and proclaimed the Gospel of Christ on a broad scale. They traveled to various places throughout the known world. But again, these were not ranks within the ministry. They were different roles and responsibilities, describing how they were to function as the office bearers of the church. Then we come to the role of pastors and teachers. Of course, all pastors also have the responsibility of teaching. So they can put both of those in the same category. They were those who were primarily settled in one place. And who then pastored and taught God's Word in one or more local congregations, depending on the need and on the situation. Of course, back then it was hard to travel, so they couldn't be too far, spread apart. They had to pretty much stay in one area. But they were the shepherds or overseers of the local congregations. And they taught people, God's people, in their local areas. Now, what I want to look at today is what was the main aim, or the main goal, of the pastor and teacher. What was the number one thing that he was to teach to God's people? And how was that goal to be achieved? It's a very lofty goal.

But that's what I want to look at today. What is the main aim or goal of a pastor and teacher, and how can that goal be achieved? But I want to make it broader than that. I want to bring all of us into this because it pertains to every single one of us, even as members of God's Church. We're all in the same boat. We all have to aim for the same goal. So the title then for the sermon here this afternoon is, what is the number one goal of our calling? We've all been called. Everyone has got a calling from God. What are we aiming for? What is the goal that we're to come to as being a part of the body of Christ? What is the number one goal of our calling? Because we've all been called to aim towards and to strive to achieve a tremendous goal. Again, I brought out in the sermon a goal that we don't deserve. We didn't do anything to deserve this calling. For some reason, God decided to pick us. Maybe he saw something there that he could work with down the road, hopefully. But none of us deserved it. This is something God opened up to us. And it should be very humbling when we all realize that. But it is the role of a pastor and teacher, then, to help others toward achieving that particular goal. Of course, the pastor and teacher himself must also be striving for that goal. All pastors and teachers have to try to achieve that goal ourselves as well.

In fact, a pastor or teacher must be striving to set an example toward achieving that number one goal we all have to achieve. He must be setting the example towards it. That's why James said what he did in James 3, verse 1, where James said, Let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we teachers shall receive a stricter judgment. Because we are supposed to be setting the example for others to strive for that same goal ourselves and setting the example maybe working towards that goal so others could follow that example. As a pastor, the pastor said, Follow me as I follow Christ towards that goal. But what is the number one teaching that a teacher, the Word of God, will be strictly judged on? Because we're going to be strictly judged as teachers. What are we going to be judged on? What am I going to be judged on as a teacher? And what are all of us going to be judged on? What is the number one goal of our calling? First and before, I want to look at two things today. I want to look at what the number one goal of our calling is and go through scripture to point that out to you and show you what God's Word reveals. And then we'll look at how in the world can we achieve that goal. What will it take? So first, let's look at the first question. Just that first, what is the number one goal of our calling? Now Paul answers all these things for us right here in Ephesians 4. This is a tremendous chapter. There's a lot of depth, a lot of substance right here in Ephesians chapter 4. Let's read verse 11 again. And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. Now, for what purpose?

Well, the next verse answers that. Verse 12. The purpose of why he gave some to be apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers is for the equipping of the saints, for the work of ministry, and for the edifying of the body of Christ. Now the old King James says, for the perfecting of the saints.

But this one verse alone here, Paul gives three goals for the teacher of the Word of God to strive toward. We could say that this one verse gives the overall job description for every pastor and teacher of God's Word. Number one, it says for the equipping of the saints, or like for the perfecting of the saints, it says, in the old King James. So number one is for the equipping of the saints. The Greek word translated equipping or perfecting there is katartismos, K-A, I don't know how to pronounce it, but K-A-T-A-R-T-I-S-M-O-S. But it's interesting that there are four ways. It's more than just looking at a meaning of a word. What's really useful is to look at how that word is used. I was used maybe back then at the time of Christ or how it's used in scriptures and other scriptures. But here's our four ways that word was used back at the time of Christ. Not necessarily all in scripture, but back at the time of Christ. Number one, it was used in surgery for setting a broken bone.

That equipped or perfected that problem that the body might have. A broken bone means set and talking to you and being equipped for getting back to its proper use.

B, in politics it was used for bringing together opposing factions so government could function properly. That's what we need today, don't we? I don't know what's going to happen. I don't think so. Number C, I should say. C, it was used in the New Testament for mending fishermen's nets. In the example of that, it's given to us in Mark chapter 1 verse 19, which I'll just mention. In Mark 1.19, that word is used and translated as mending, used as mending fishermen's nets, net nets. And it's translated, that same word translated, equipped or perfecting in verse 12, is translated mending in Mark 1.19. In other words, to perfect or equipped their nets so they could catch fish in them. And D, it's additionally used in the New Testament for restoring someone back into the faith. As in Galatians 6.1, word is translated restore in the New King James Version. So the basic usage of this word portrayed the meaning of putting something or someone into the condition it ought to be in, to restore to the proper condition. William Barkley, in his New Testament study Bible, which I find very, very useful and very intriguing. There's a lot of insight that they give there. But William Barkley in the New Testament study Bible makes this insightful comment about this particular word, equipped or perfect. It is the function of the office bearers of the church to see that the members are so educated, so guided, so cared for, that they become what they ought to be. That's what equipped and perfect means, becoming what we ought to be.

Okay, then that brings up this question. What do we all need to become? What is the number one goal of our calling? But here in Ephesians 4.12, the first goal and the first job description of a pastor and teacher is for the equipping of the saints. What is the second goal that Paul mentions here in Ephesians 4.12?

The second goal Paul mentions is for the work of ministry. The Greek word translated ministry is diaconia, which means service. It really means for the work of service, for the work of serving.

We've all been called to serve one another and to help one another. We know there's a genuine need, especially at this time where we are right now. The problems we face in the world, in the church, all the divisions, we all need to be serving one another and helping one another in any way we can, wherever we see a need.

That's the work of serving. We've all been called for that. Then the third thing Paul mentions here in Ephesians 4.12 is for the edifying of the body of Christ. I think Mr. McGuire touched on that last week in his sermon. It means then to edify and to build up and encourage the members of God's church. We all need that at times, don't we? We all need to be edified. We all need to be built up. We all need to be encouraged.

Sometimes it's tough to get through a week. You face a lot of obstacles on your jobs and your family sometimes, other situations in the world. You can think, well, why? I can't wait to get to services and be with God's people. But we all need to be edified, edifying one another, and building up and encouraging one another because sometimes we can go by and be very discouraging, things that we have to face in the world today.

But it means to build and construct and to never destruct or never to divide or never to tear down. So the aim or goal of any and all teachers of the Word of God should always be to strengthen others in the faith. That's our job, to try to strengthen one another. We all have that job. We all need to be trying to strengthen one another in the faith because, again, sometimes you go through trials and difficulties.

It's going to be very discouraging. We all need to strengthen one another to hang in there and to never always strengthen the church. It should all be the job of it to strengthen the church and never to ever loosen the fabric of the church.

In other words, it should be to help people stay together, especially today. You look at people who are divided, they divide, divide, divide. We should all be striving to help people stay together, to never teach anything that might cause people to divide or separate from one another. So what is the greatest aim or goal that we should all be striving toward? What is the highest aim or goal of a teacher of the Word of God?

And what is the number one goal of our calling? And what is the number one thing every teacher of the Word of God is going to be judged on? I know I'm going to be judged. I'm going to stand before the jealousy to Christ.

But I'm not just going to have to stand before the jealousy to Christ. I'm going to have to stand before the jealousy as a teacher. I didn't want to teach. I didn't seek that, but that's where I am. That's what God, that was a responsibility God gave me. So when I stand before the judgment to Christ, what's He going to judge me on? Let's go on. Ephesians 4, 11. He himself, again, repeating that again, he himself gave Son to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers.

Why? For the equipping of the saints, for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. And I'll now ask this question, for what aim? What aim? For what purpose? What's the goal for this? What are we equipped for? What's the work of service for? What's the goal? Verse 13 answers that question for us. Till we all come to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

In other words, our number one aim, our number one goal, is to become like Christ, and to grow to his level of spiritual maturity. Now, you talk about a high goal. To become like Jesus Christ, and to have that level of spiritual maturity, to handle things as he handled things, to respond as he did, to love as he loved, to be patient as he is patient, to be merciful as he is merciful, to have that level of spiritual maturity and that control.

Now, that's a high goal. In fact, it's the highest goal any of us could ever aim for, to become like Jesus Christ.

If we're not taught how to strive toward making progress toward that goal and how to achieve it, then we're not being taught what's most important to God the Father and Jesus Christ, because that is the goal that they have set for every single one of us, as they've called.

What does it say? This is 126. Just 126. Let us make man in our image, in our likeness. Let's make them like us. Let's work with them to get them to become just like us, to have our character, our nature, our spiritual maturity, our mind, to think like we think, to do as we do, to respond as we respond, so they can be a part of our very family forever.

Now, if each of us can grow in spiritual maturity to become more like Christ, what will that result in? Paul tells us here in the next couple of verses. Ephesians 4, verse 14, that we should no longer then be children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men, and the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting. But we should all then be speaking the truth and love, and growing up in all things into him who is ahead, Christ, growing up, becoming spiritually mature to become like Jesus Christ, from whom the whole body joined and knit together, not divided, but joined into together by what every joint supplies, by what every one of us that God has called supplies, and helping, encouraging one another, and edifying one another, according to the fact of working by which every part does its share, and which results in causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself and love. And there's only one way that we can all be permanently joined and knit together. We don't see a lot of that day we see people being divided, because Satan's in there trying to divide us and separate us. There's only one way he can all be permanently joined and knit together, and there's only one way by which permanent unity within God's church and within God's overall spiritual body could ever be achieved. And that is, as it says in Colossians 1, 27, Christ in you, the hope of glory. Christ has to be living his life in each and every one of us. To achieve unity and to reach our number one goal, we must be growing toward the fullness of the stature of Christ to where Christ is living his life in us, and to where we are now developing the very mind of Jesus Christ. Let this mind be in you, which is in Christ Jesus. What is the number one goal of our calling? It is to strive to attain Christ's level of spiritual maturity so we all can become like Jesus Christ.

And that must also be the number one goal of every teacher, the Word of God, to help others toward achieving that goal, and be setting an example toward striving to achieve that goal themselves. So that brings us into the second part of the sermon. That's a pretty lofty goal. In fact, you look at it and you think about ourselves and think about the Tom Bryant and the sermonette, our nature and what we are like. How can we achieve that goal? What will it take? What must we all incorporate into our lives in order to achieve the goal of becoming more like Jesus Christ? Again, Paul answers that question for us, so he gives us an example we can use as tools to find that answer right here in Ephesians 4. Let's go back to Ephesians 4, verse 1, where he starts out this chapter and says, "'I therefore the prisoner of the Lord,'" of course, Paul was imprisoned wrongfully on two or three occasions, "'I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,'" and that's an extremely high calling that God has given to us to become like God, like God the Father and Jesus Christ, and become a part of their family.

Paul then gives us here, in verses 2 and 3, he gives us five ways by which we can walk worthy of the calling by which we are called. He gives us five things we must incorporate into our lives in order to achieve the number one goal of our calling. Five things that can lead to unity and to growing in spiritual maturity toward becoming like Christ. Let's read the whole thing, then we'll go back and analyze it and break it down. Ephesians 4, verse 1, "'I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with long suffering, bearing with one another in love, and then endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.'" So here, then, are five great Christian principles that one can we can use to help us achieve our number one goal. And there's basically five words or principles in verses 2 and 3 here that I want to focus on and bring out, and they are lowliness. This is from the New King James. Lowliness, gentleness, long suffering, love, and peace. And I want to briefly now examine each of these five principles and break them down a little bit deeper into them to see how they can apply in our lives toward achieving our number one goal of becoming like Christ. First, lowliness or humility. It says lowliness here, but it's another word for humility, which is brought out in the sermonette, so that ties right in with what we're covering right now, humility. First and foremost, then we must have humility. I would say humility is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, of all Christian attributes that we need to have.

But it's very interesting you do a little bit of research. It's interesting that at the time of Christ, and at the time Christ died, there was no Greek word for humility. It wasn't a part of the Greek language.

It wasn't even a part of the Greek way of thinking. What they wanted was to be becoming great, becoming a great athlete or whatever. You didn't want to be lowly and humble. You wanted to be great.

The Greek language did have an adjective for humble, but it was something to be despised and avoided. It was from that word, that word Greek word for humble, that the word for humility was coined by Christian followers.

From what three things, making it down a little bit more here, just looking at this one word, loneliness or humility, from what three things is a two Christ-like humility derived? It's derived from three overall things. Maybe you could add others, but there's three overall things. Christian humility must stem from a true understanding of the self. We have to come to understand ourself. Again, Mr. Stutzman's sermonette ties right in with all this, so I really appreciate your sermonette today. Humility comes from becoming conscious of our own unworthiness. We don't really deserve what God has done for us. From seeing ourselves as God sees us in our unconverted state. From seeing our selfishness, our weaknesses, our failures and shortcomings apart from God. We've all had a lot of failures apart from God. We try to work things out our own way or whatever. We fall in our own thinking and our own instincts and our own nature. Humility stems from seeing and understanding our own human nature and why we so often fail in our own personal relationships. Without God, without God's Spirit, without humility, relationships will tend to break down and fail before pride goes a fall.

Now, the Apostle Paul's humility stem from Paul coming to understand his human nature. As Paul himself relates to us in Romans chapter 7. Just look at two scriptures there. One is Romans 7.14. I'm just going to quote them. I'm not going to turn there. Romans 7.14 Paul says, I am carnal, sold under sin. He knew how unworthy he was. He began trying to persecute the church and he was a part of stoning Stephen and he was trying to he was complicit in almost killing Christians and stoning them. He knew what he deserved. He deserved death. He didn't deserve to be called by God. He realized, wow, what a merciful God I have. I don't deserve this because I'm carnal. I'm sold under sin. And then in Romans 7.18 Paul said, for I know that in me, that is in my flesh, there's nothing good dwells.

As he said in another place right there in Romans 7, he said, the things that I want to do I don't find myself doing. And the things that I know I don't want to do, sometimes that's what I do. And it seems like I just, I just, because there's a something in nature in me that just wants to go contrary to God. Another meaning of this word.

Well, I'm going to go on, let's go on to the next step. That's the first step in toward achieving the number one goal of our calling is really is right, real humility. When we truly see ourselves, when we compare ourselves to Christ, that's part of it is comparing ourselves. Where did I end up here? Number one, humility is derived from. B, from comparing ourselves to Christ. Second thing I mixed up, I got going here and I lost my notes. Second thing is, humility is derived from is from comparing ourselves to Christ, not from comparing ourselves to others or from comparing ourselves among ourselves, where we all tend to come out on top. When we compare ourselves to others, we tend to feel we come out on top and they're from out below us, which will often lead to pride. When we compare ourselves to Christ, we will always come out on the bottom, because we're never going to match Christ. So two pieces of humility, then, comes from comparing ourselves to Christ and to Christ alone, in addition to coming to understand ourselves and our own human nature. And then third, from realizing we are totally dependent on God for all things. Again, I think I was brought out in the sermon yet. When we truly see ourselves and we compare ourselves to Christ, and then when we acknowledge our complete and utter dependence on God for all things, we are then on the road toward achieving true Christian humility, which is the first step toward achieving the number one goal of our calling. So we have to have all those things for humility. We have to truly see ourselves, we have to compare ourselves to Christ, not to others, and we have to acknowledge our complete and utter dependence on God for all things. Now, in addition to humility here, the second overall principle we can apply in our lives toward becoming like Christ is, it says gentleness here in the New King James. Old King James says meekness. The Greek word is praeltus, p-r-a-o-t-e-s, however that's pronounced. William Barkley says it is beyond the translation of any one English word.

There were two ways this word was used in the first century A.D. One, this word translated gentleness or meekness, was used to describe the man who was always angry at the right time, but never angry at the wrong time. So it describes the man who would become angry because of wrongs done to others and because the suffering of others due to those wrongs, that's being angry at the right time for the right reason, or would become angry of wrongs done against God. That can make a person angry, that's a proper type of anger. But also describes a person who would never be moved to anger by wrongs or insults he or she had to wrongfully bear from others. So in other words, the Greek word translated gentleness or meekness here in Ephesians 4 verse 3, verse 2, I should say, describes the individual who had control of his or her emotions at all times. So he'd never become angry for the wrong reason, but only become angry for the right reason, who would never get angry at the wrong time because of personal wrong suffering. You can just take that and when that happens, put it in God's hands, let God take care of it. Now, a second way this Greek word was used in the first century AD it was used for an animal which had been trained and was completely under the control of its owner or master. So the person then who was gentle or meek I'm describing, I don't know if I went that or not, but gentleness is a person who is gentle or meek is a person who has every instinct and every passion under perfect control.

So such a person then is controlled by the mind of Christ instead of being controlled by their own carnal minds. So then now let's go to the third overall principle that we can apply toward becoming like Christ as mentioned here in Ephesians 4 verse 2 which is long suffering or patience. We've had loneliness and gentleness or humility and gentleness which is emotional control and then we have long suffering or patience. Now here's how William Barclay describes the Greek word which is translated long suffering in Ephesians 4 or 2. I think it's very insightful.

Long suffering or patience. William Barclay describes it as the undefeatable patience. Undefeatable patience is what the King James Version calls long suffering. The Greek word has two main directions of meaning. It describes a spirit which will never give in and which because it endures to the end will reap the reward. Christian patience is a spirit which never admits defeat which will not be broken by any misfortune or any suffering, any wrong suffering, or by any disappointment or discouragement, but it describes that person who will persist and hold on to the very end. It has an even more characteristic meaning than that. It is the characteristic Greek word for patience with men, with other people.

It is the spirit which bears insult and injury without bitterness and without complaint. It is the spirit which can suffer unpleasant people with graciousness and fools without irritation. Now, you think what that means and how to apply that? That's not easy to apply that. It's very difficult.

In other words, it describes the patience of God and the patience of Jesus Christ that they have towards all of us, even though we may insult them, we may do things wrong. Why in the world would that person do that? Yet God has patience with us. I just want to notice now two scriptures, two other scriptures here, that illustrate God's long suffering and patience toward each of us. One is in 1 Timothy chapter 1. If you want to turn there, mark your place here. We'll come back to it in a moment. 1 Timothy chapter 1 verses 15 and 16. 1 Timothy 1 verse 15. Paul writes this to Timothy, 1 Timothy 1. This is the faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, whom I am chief. Paul realized he didn't deserve his calling. He said, I was a chief sinner. I persecuted the church. I was part of trying to stone Stephen. But then he goes on in verse 16. Why did God call me? That's a horrible example that Paul set there, but nevertheless it says this, for this reason I obtained mercy, even the holy, all the persons he had against the church. He said there was a reason for it. The reason I obtained mercy, that in me first, Jesus Christ might show all long suffering. He was very long suffering towards Paul and working with Paul. He said he was looked with me, he showed me all long suffering as a pattern to those who are going to believe on him for everlasting life. In other words, it's a pattern for us. If God can show that kind of mercy and that kind of patience and long suffering toward the apostle Paul, he's going to extend that to all of us as well. That's what Paul was saying. If God could be merciful to me, he'll be merciful to you, and he'd be long suffering towards you as well.

So Paul fully realized how patient and long suffering Christ had been toward him as a pattern for all who would believe in Christ later on and be called. We can see that God's patience illustrated in working with the apostle Paul. He had that same patience and long suffering toward us. Paul understood how that patience and long suffering was essential in order for Christ to save us. A second scripture relating to God's patience, that relates God's patience to our salvation, I should say, is in 2 Peter chapter 3. 2 Peter chapter 3, right at the very end of chapter 3 of 2 Peter. 2 Peter chapter 3 verses 14 and 15, where Peter writes, Therefore be loved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by him in peace without spot and blemish. And then verse 15, and consider the long suffering of our Lord. The long suffering of Jesus Christ is salvation, as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you. Paul understood that his salvation depends on God's long suffering towards him. What's interesting, Peter writes here, the long suffering of our Lord is salvation. Now, there are two aspects of that as we think about it. Number one, if Christ had not been willing to suffer long, he wouldn't have become our Savior. He had to go through tremendous amount of suffering if he had to endure to be our Savior. And number two, if Christ was not long suffering toward us, we couldn't be saved.

So then the third principle toward achieving the number one goal of our calling is to have patience and long suffering toward others as God and Jesus Christ have had toward all of us. So I'll go back to Ephesians chapter four again.

Looking at chapter four verses one and two and three.

What comes after lowliness, gentleness, and long suffering? Which is mentioned there in verse two of chapter four. Again, verse one, I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you recall, with all lowliness and gentleness, and with long suffering, bearing with one another in love. So after the lowliness and gentleness and long suffering comes love. Or more specifically, it says here, bearing with one another in love. Not being against one another, but bearing with one another, bearing for one another, always trying to be for one another, and trying to help one another. Here's what William Barkley, the New Testament study Bible, says, again, it's very insightful what he says, about Christian love, the word love here. The fourth grade Christian quality is love. Christian love was something so new that the Christian writers had to employ a very unusual Greek word agape. It most of us have heard that word, A-G-A-P-E, agape. The real meaning of agape is unconquerable benevolence. If we regard a person with agape, it means that nothing that he can do will make us seek anything but his highest good. Though he injures us and insults us, we will never feel anything but kindness towards him. That quite clearly means that Christian love is not an emotional thing. It's not driven by our emotions. It's not a feeling. It doesn't depend on how we feel.

It is the ability to retain unconquerable good will to the unlovely and the unlovable, towards those who do not love us, and even towards those whom we do not like. What did Christ say? He says, love your enemies. Do good to those who despitefully use you and persecute you, because that's the love that God has. That's God's love. That's agape love. It's the love that God extended towards all of us, even when we are against him.

Agape is that quality of mind and heart which compels a Christian never to feel any bitterness, never to feel any desire for revenge, but always to seek the highest good of every man, no matter what he may be. So the fourth Christian quality we must incorporate into our lives in order to achieve the number one goal of our calling of becoming like Christ is to bear with one another in love, even as Christ and God the Father have had to continually bear with all of us in love, despite our many failures and many shortcomings and many faults.

Then comes the fifth and final great hallmark of the true Christian, the word peace, or as Ephesians 4, 3 puts it, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Now the first four qualities will lead to reducing the fifth quality. Humility, gentleness or emotional control, long suffering and bearing with one another in love will lead to keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. It will lead to unity and to peace. You know, there's one, the two things we don't see too much of in the world and we don't see it too much in God's church always. We don't see a lot of unity and a lot of peace because it takes these, going through these steps and incorporating these things in our life to achieve that and that's not easy. In fact, it's impossible for us, often by ourselves. It takes Jesus Christ living his life in us. It takes the mind of Christ in us.

William Berkeley says this, These four great virtues of the Christian life, humility, gentleness, patience and love, issue in a fifth great virtue, which is peace.

Peace may be defined as right relationships between man and man. This oneness, this peace, these right relationships can be preserved only in one way. Every one of the four great Christian virtues depends on the obliteration of self. So long as self is at the center of things, this oneness and this unity can never fully exist. In a society where self predominates, men cannot be other than a disintegrated collection of individuals and warring units. That's what we see. The self has to be obliterated, being replaced by the mind of Christ.

When the self dies and Christ brings to life within our hearts, then comes the peace and the oneness, which is a great hallmark of the true Church, the two followers of Jesus Christ. So in conclusion, then, what is the number one goal of our calling? It's nothing less than becoming like Jesus Christ. That's what we're striving for. We're all striving to become like Christ, to be made into His spiritual and immediate likeness, to have the mind of Christ in us. So respond as He would respond. Love as He loved. Extend mercy as He extends mercy. Extend forgiveness as He extends forgiveness. Be patient as He is patient.

That's a tremendously high calling and goal to set, but that is the number one goal of our calling. There's nothing less than becoming like Christ and striving to come to the fullness of His spiritual maturity. It is coming to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect or to a spiritually mature individual, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. And how can that goal be achieved? By having a walk worthy of the calling to which you are called. To walk and to live in our relationships with others, with lowliness and humility, with gentleness and emotional control, with patience and long suffering, and by bearing with one another in love, until we come to the place where we can then keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Now, that's not easy to obtain. It's nothing we're going to probably ever obtain fully in our lives. It's something we have to continually strive for. It's a goal that's always before us we're reaching out for and striving for. But if we continue to strive to incorporate these qualities and attributes of Christ, then we will achieve the number one goal of our calling, which is to eventually strive to become like Jesus Christ.