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My Vocation in Christ • Lesson Four •

God Calls Different Christians to Different Vocations 1. All Christians in all vocations are equally righteous before God 2. God calls us to different vocations so that we can serve one another

Worship Winning through Intimidation was a popular self-help book many years ago. It said that in most situations, the key to success is to not let yourself be intimidated. Instead, you should conduct yourself in a way that communicates loudly and clearly this message: “Don’t mess with me!” Following this philosophy may make you a winner in the eyes of the world. David, however, was a winner in the eyes of God. Let’s pray together his prayer in Psalm 131, and notice how its spirit is completely different. Leader: LORD, my heart is not haughty, and my eyes are not proud. Group: So I do not intrude into great matters or into things too wonderful for me. Leader: Instead I have soothed and quieted my soul. As a nursed child rests with its mother, Group: Like a nursed child my soul rests with me. Leader: Wait confidently, O Israel, for the LORD Group: Both now and forevermore.

Introduction In Luther’s day, most people would have strongly disagreed with the statement, “All Christians in all vocations are equally righteous before God.” The Roman Catholic Church taught that salvation depended on a person’s own attempts to live a holy life. Nobody could ever be sure that he was holy enough to be saved; but the holier one’s vocation was, the better was his chance at salvation. And everyone agreed that being a monk or a nun was the holiest calling of all. That’s why, at age 22, Martin Luther became a monk and entered the Black Cloister at Erfurt—the strictest, holiest monastery he could find. Once he rediscovered the Bible’s teaching of justification by grace through faith, Luther changed his mind completely about monasticism. He quit being a monk and urged other monks and nuns to do the same. For the rest of his life, Luther always objected strongly to the idea that some vocations are holier than others. In this lesson we’ll learn why—and what this means for us today.

Studying God’s Word All Christians in all vocations are equally righteous before God “Equality before the law” is a basic principle of our legal system. The famous statue of Lady Justice has a blindfold tied around her eyes. This symbolizes the fact that, when they administer justice, our courts are supposed to pay no attention to how much money or clout a person has. The law treats everyone the same—at least, in theory. God’s law—and his gospel—really do treat everybody the same. Let’s see how. • Read Romans 3:21-30. 21

But now, completely apart from the law, a righteousness from God has been made known. The Law and the Prophets testify to it. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all and over all who believe. In fact, there is no difference, 23because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God publicly displayed as the atonement seat through faith in his blood. God did this to demonstrate his justice, since, in his divine restraint, he had left the sins that were committed earlier unpunished. 26He did this to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so that he would be both just and the one who justifies the person who has faith in Jesus. 27

What happens to boasting then? It has been eliminated. By what principle—by the principle of works? No, but by the principle of faith. 28For we conclude that a person is justified by faith without the works of the law. 29Or is he only the God of the Jews? Is he not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, also of the Gentiles, 30since there is one God who will justify the circumcised person by faith and the uncircumcised person through the very same faith. 1. What is the status of every person in the world before God’s law? (verse 23)

2. What is the status of every person in the world before God’s gospel? (verse 24)

3. How does a person come to possess and enjoy this new status before God? (verse 28)

4. What effect do the differences between people and their vocations have on their new status before God? (verses 27-30)

• Read Galatians 3:26-29. 26

In fact, you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27Indeed, as many of you as were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ. 28There is not Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, for you are all one and the same in Christ Jesus. 29And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants and heirs according to the promise. 5. What makes us all “sons of God”?

6. Some schools require all the children to wear school uniforms. This keeps the children from competing with one another to see who can dress the most stylishly and expensively. Paul says that our baptisms function just like a uniform. How?

7. Evaluate this statement: Paul is saying that, in their relationships with one another, Jews, Gentiles, men, women, slaves, and free people are completely alike and that their vocations are interchangeable. (See Ephesians 5:22–6:9.)

Ephesians 5:22–6:9 (EHV) 22

Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he himself is the Savior. 24Moreover, as the church submits to Christ, so also wives are to submit to their husbands in everything. 25

Husbands, love your wives, in the same way as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, by cleansing her with the washing of water in connection with the Word. 27He did this so that he could present her to himself as a glorious church, having no stain or wrinkle or any such thing, but so that she would be holy and blameless. 28In the same way, husbands have an obligation to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29To be sure, no one has ever hated his own body, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30because we are members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones. 31“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will be one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33In any case, each one of you also is to love his wife as himself, and each wife is to respect her husband. 6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2“Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with a promise: 3“that it may go well with you and that you may live a long life on the earth.” 4Fathers, do not

provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. 5

Slaves, obey your human masters with respect and reverence, and with a sincere heart, just as you obey Christ. 6Do this not just when they are watching, as if merely to please people, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. 7Serve with eagerness, as for the Lord and not for people, 8because you know that each person, whether slave or free, will receive back from the Lord whatever good he has done. 9And masters, do the same for your slaves. Do not threaten them, because you know that the one who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and with him there is no favoritism.

God’s Word in My Life The company Dave works for distributes pornographic magazines to gas stations and convenience stores. He’s delighted to hear that all people in all vocations are equally acceptable to God. Now at last he can quiet his conscience whenever it bothers him about what he does for a living. What do you think? Therefore monkery and all other ways in which men sought to serve God produced a contemptible and accursed life. It never produced the glorious comfort of Christians, who say: “I know that everything I do in the name of Christ must please God, even though it vexes the devil. Therefore I will go my way and perform all the tasks I can and must in my calling, no matter how lowly this calling may be. I know that God places His stamp of approval on them and that they please Him just as much as do the most beautiful, most arduous, and most precious works performed in the highest vocation. Formerly I would never have been able to accomplish this with all the works that might be performed on earth, for we did not know what a Christian life really was. But now that I have learned to know Christ and believe in Him, I can rejoice and boast that everything I do in such faith is pleasing to Him.” —Martin Luther (Luther’s Works 24:240)

God calls us to different vocations so that we can serve one another Imagine a baseball team composed entirely of catchers. Imagine an orchestra composed entirely of harpists. Trying to visualize such things helps us understand why God gives us different talents and assigns us to different vocations. Paul’s famous analogy in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 makes the reason clear.

• Read 1 Corinthians 12:14-26. 14

Furthermore, the body is not one member, but many. 15If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not part of the body,” it does not on that account cease to be part of the body. 16If the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not part of the body,” it does not on that account cease to be part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18But now God has arranged the members in the body, each and every one of them, as he desired. 19If they were all one member, where would the body be? 20But as it is, there are many members, yet one body. 21

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need for you,” or again the head to the feet, “I have no need for you.” 22On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are much more necessary. 23As for the parts of the body we consider less honorable, these we provide with more honor. We treat our unpresentable parts with more modesty, 24whereas our presentable parts have no such need. But God put the body together in a way that gave more honor to the parts that lack it. 25He did it so that there might not be any division in the body, but that the members might all have the same concern for one another. 26So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it, or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 1. How does Paul’s comparison help us understand a. the reason God makes us different? (See especially verses 17-21.)

b. the important things we have in common, despite our differences?

2. A person’s eye isn’t likely to say, “Because I’m not a hand, I’m not part of the body.” In what way does this sometimes happen, however, when Christians look at the vocations of others?

• Read 1 Corinthians 12:31–13:13. 31

But eagerly seek the greater gifts. And now, I am going to show you a more excellent way. 13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and know all the mysteries and have all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3If I give away everything I own, and if I give up my body that I may be burned but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient. Love is kind. Love does not envy. It does not brag. It is not arrogant. 5It does not behave indecently. It is not selfish. It is not irritable. It does not keep a record of wrongs. 6It does not rejoice over unrighteousness but rejoices with the truth. 7It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8

Love never comes to an end. But if there are prophetic gifts, they will be done away with; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be done away with. 9 For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part, 10but when that which is complete has come, that which is partial will be done away with. 11When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put away childish things. 12Now we see indirectly using a mirror, but then we will see face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I was fully known. 13

So now these three remain: faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. 3. This passage tells us that rather than focusing on the differences between us and our talents and vocations, we should focus on a better way. Describe that “most excellent” way.

• Read 1 Thessalonians 4:11 for another healthy reminder about what our focus should be.

1 Thessalonians 4:11 (EHV) 11

and to make it your ambition to live a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, just as we instructed you.

God’s Word in My Life Charles is an elder in his congregation. He is occasionally asked to teach Bible class, which he thoroughly enjoys. Sometimes when the pastor has to be gone on Sunday, he helps Charles prepare a sermon, which Charles then reads from the pulpit. This too is something Charles likes to do. But Charles doesn’t think he should have to make visits on delinquent members. “I don’t like doing that,” he says. “It’s obviously not my gift.” Comment.

Therefore it is great wisdom when a human being does what God commands and earnestly devotes himself to his vocation without taking into consideration what others are doing. But surely there are few who do this. The majority do what the poet censures: “A lazy ox wants a saddle, a lazy nag wants to plow” [Horace, Epistles, I]. There are very few who live satisfied with their lot. The layman longs for the life of a cleric, the pupil wishes to be a teacher, the citizen wants to be a councilor, and each one of us loathes his own calling, although there is no other way of serving God than to walk in simple faith and then to stick diligently to one’s calling and to keep a good conscience. —Martin Luther (Luther’s Works 3:128)

Life with God Day 1: Read Romans chapters 3, 4, and 5. Day 2: Read 1 Corinthians chapters 12, 13, and 14. Note that Paul does say some gifts are “greater” than others because some have a greater impact on the spiritual well-being of God’s people. Which are these? (See 14:12.) Day 3: Read Luke 1:26-56. How is Mary a fine example of the emphasis of this lesson? Day 4: Read 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12. Evaluate this statement: More important than the particular vocation God calls us to is the way we live within that vocation. Day 5: Read 2 Thessalonians 3:6-18. Note the problem that persisted in Thessalonica. In your prayer time, examine your conscience for evidence of a similar problem in your life. If there is such evidence, confess your sin—and receive the Lord’s complete forgiveness. Day 6: Read 1 Timothy 5:1-21. Note how down-to-earth and practical Paul’s advice to Timothy is. Day 7: Read Matthew 5:1-12. What do Jesus’ words have to do with the doctrine of vocation?