Family: The Call of Duty

 

Through Christ, God brings those who believe in Jesus into His family, places them in the position of sons and daughters, and bestows upon them the rights and privileges that come with belonging to His family.

However, our position in God’s family does more than give us privileges—it also determines how we ought to live.  

When we understand who we are, everything else begins to fall into place.

Paul does not stop at helping us understand the nature and purposes of God or the wonderful truth that we are His children. He goes further and shows us that, alongside the rights and privileges of sonship, there are also responsibilities.

He becomes very practical about how we should live now that we belong to God's family.

Paul writes in Ephesians 4:1 “...I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” (NIV)  

In the context of sonship, the calling we have received is the calling to become children in the house of God. Therefore, our lives should reflect the position we have received.

To live “worthy” means to live a life that is suitable to our calling—a life that reflects our position as children of God.

This immediately places a responsibility upon us.

We can no longer simply live whichever way we want. We have been called into God's family, and our lives should demonstrate that identity.

 

Understanding the Call of Duty

Duty is simply the expectations, the things that are required of a person. 

Consider the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in the United States.

The tomb honours unidentified soldiers who died while serving their country. What is particularly remarkable is the discipline surrounding the guarding of the tomb.

The guards follow a meticulous routine. They walk a prescribed number of steps, pause, turn, and continue their duty with extraordinary discipline.

They do this even when tourists are watching, at night when nobody is watching, when it rains, when it snows and when it’s shining. Whatever the circumstances, duty remains duty.

That gives us a powerful picture of the Christian life.

Duty refers to the expectations and responsibilities placed upon a person. Therefore, the call of duty for us as children of God is to live daily and consistently according to the expectations of our Father in heaven.

We cannot wake up one morning and say, “Today, I don't feel like being a child of God.”

Whether things are going well or badly, whether we are rich or poor, whether we have plenty or little, we remain God's children. Our responsibility goes with us.

A soldier remains a soldier whether on the frontline, in an office, overseas, at home, or even walking through a supermarket. His identity carries certain expectations wherever he goes.

The same principle applies to Christians. We are not Christians only on Sunday, at home, at work, in the marketplace, in traffic. Wherever we go, the call of duty goes with us.

There are two important responsibilities that emerge from Paul's teaching in Ephesians:

1. Live by the values of God's family.
2. Fulfil the purpose God has given you.

 

 

1. Live by the Values of God's Family

Every family has values.

As children in God's family, we are expected to live according to the values of our heavenly Father.

Paul writes in Ephesians 4:17 that believers should no longer live as those who do not know God live.

He goes on to explain that our former way of life must be put away.

In other words:  Now that you are a son or daughter, stop living like an orphan.

We must “throw off” the old nature. This is a personal responsibility.

The pastor can teach you what Scripture says. The church can guide and encourage you. But ultimately, you must make the decision to put away behaviours that are inconsistent with your new identity.

Do not simply manage the old nature, get rid of it.

You are a new creation. You are now a son or daughter in God's house.

But Scripture does not only tell us what to remove. It also tells us what to put on. We must put on the new nature.

Think of it like getting dressed every morning. You remove the old clothes and put on clothes appropriate to your new identity.

Spiritually, we must continually put on attitudes and behaviours that reflect who we have become in Christ.

This is our responsibility.

 

Your Values Must Follow You Everywhere

Our values should not change according to our environment.

Sometimes, when we get into traffic and somebody annoys us, we may be tempted to behave as though we have temporarily left Jesus somewhere by the roadside!

But even in traffic, you are still Christ's representative. Your faith goes wherever you go.

Daniel and his friends provide a powerful biblical example. When they were taken into Babylon, they found themselves far away from their homeland and surrounded by a completely different culture.

Yet Daniel and his friends understood something important: “No matter where I am, I am still a child of God.”

Daniel refused to defile himself with the king's food. Later, his friends refused to bow before the king's image.

Their circumstances changed, but their values did not. They continued living according to the values they had received.

That raises an important question for us: Are we living out and passing on the values of God's family?

 

Tell the Truth

One important family value is truthfulness.

Ephesians 4:25 teaches us to stop lying and speak truthfully to one another.

Lying should not characterize God's children. We should not fabricate stories to obtain money.

We should not falsify our CVs to get jobs. We should not deceive people in business.

We should not manipulate others through dishonesty. Tell the truth.

God is a God of truth, and His children should reflect His character.

When we lie to one another, we damage relationships and ultimately hurt ourselves because we belong to one body.

 

Let Your Words Bless Others

Our language should also reflect God's family values.

Ephesians 4:29 teaches us not to allow corrupt or harmful communication to come from our mouths. Instead, our words should be good, helpful, and beneficial to those who hear them.

This applies even to our private conversations. What do your WhatsApp conversations look like?

What do you say about people when they are absent? Do your conversations build people up or tear them down?

Use your words to bless people—both in their presence and in their absence.

Our language should be characterized by:

• Truth
• Encouragement
• Gratitude
• Kindness
• Blessing

 

Be Careful With “Jokes”

Ephesians also warns against obscenity, foolish talk, and coarse joking.

Sometimes we say: “I was only joking.” But humour can still hurt people.

Coarse joking often involves making someone else the object of ridicule. Perhaps you laugh at someone's clothes, shoes, appearance, background, or weaknesses.

Everyone else may laugh, but the person being mocked may be deeply hurt.

Instead of using our voices to embarrass people, we should use them to encourage others and give thanks to God.

Our words should reflect the family to which we belong.

 

Deal Properly With Anger

Our actions must also reflect God's values.

Scripture warns us not to allow anger to control us.

Sometimes someone hurts us, and instead of dealing with the issue, we keep replaying it in our minds.

We nurture the grudge, keep it alive and continue boiling inside.

Scripture gives us another way: Forgive.

Do not allow anger and bitterness to dominate your life.

Forgiveness is part of living according to the values of God's family.

 

Work Hard and Be Generous

Ephesians 4:28 gives another practical instruction:

If you have been stealing, stop stealing.

Instead, work. Use your hands productively.

And when God blesses the work of your hands, become generous.

This gives us two important family values: Work hard and give generously.

God's children should not simply sit around waiting for someone else to provide everything.

Use your abilities, find productive work, develop your skills and create value. Then use what God gives you to bless others.

Pursue Sexual Purity

Ephesians 5 also calls believers away from sexual immorality and impurity.

There are things we can no longer comfortably continue doing because we belong to God.

Grace does not save us so that we can continue living in sin. Grace empowers us to overcome sin.

The call of duty requires us to live according to God's family values every day.

Ephesians 5:1 summarizes this beautifully: “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children.”

Children often imitate their parents. In the same way, God's children should increasingly reflect the character of their heavenly Father.

 

Change the Way You Think

Living according to God's values begins with changing the way we think.

Our attitudes matter. Our thought patterns matter.

Someone may say: “But everyone else is doing it.”

The answer is simple: You are not everyone else.

You are a son or daughter in the house of God. Other people may choose differently, but you have been called to another standard.

Imagine that a king adopted you and declared you to be a prince or princess. Would your behaviour remain exactly the same? Probably not.

You would begin to understand that your new position carries expectations.

How much more should our lives change when the King of kings, Lord of lords, and Creator of the universe calls us His children?

Our responsibility is therefore clear: The church family must uphold the values of our Father in heaven wherever we are.

At work, don't lie, cheat, steal or engage in fraudulent practices.

Be hardworking. Be diligent. Be trustworthy.

When people see these qualities in us, our lives become attractive testimonies. People may begin asking about the God we serve.

But when someone loudly declares, “I am a Christian,” while engaging in fraud and dishonesty, that behaviour brings shame upon God's family.

Let the world see something different in us.

 

2. Fulfil Your God-Given Purpose

The second major responsibility we have as members of God's family is this: Fulfil your purpose.

God has given every person abilities.

Ephesians teaches us that Christ has given gifts and abilities to His people.

That means you cannot simply say: “I have nothing to offer.”

There is something unique God has placed within you.

Even when two people appear to have the same ability, they may express that ability differently.

God has gifted each of us in particular ways, and those gifts are intended to help us fulfil His purposes.

Ephesians 2:10 says: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

You have been made new in Christ for a purpose. You are a son. You are a daughter.

And God has prepared good works for you to do.

 

Your Gift Is Not Limited to Church Titles

Sometimes when Christians talk about gifts, we immediately think about apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.

But God's gifts are much broader. Perhaps you have a creative mind. That is an ability you can use for God's glory.

Perhaps you understand accounting and finance exceptionally well. Use it for God's glory.

Perhaps you are an engineer. Use your engineering skills for God's glory.

Perhaps you work in medicine, education, media, business, technology, administration, construction, or another profession.

Your professional abilities can become instruments through which God's purposes are fulfilled.

You do not have to stand behind a pulpit to serve God.

 

Use What You Already Have

The point here is this: You already have something you can contribute.

You have an ability that can be used for God's glory.

 

Sharpen Your Skills

In Exodus 31, we see the story of the building of the tent of meeting and of the Ark of the Covenant. The Bible says that the Spirit of the Lord came upon Bezalel and O'Halia and other craftsmen and he gave them skill and ability to be the best craftsman for the building of the tent of meeting and for the Ark of the Covenant. 

Their craftsmanship was part of God's work.

Every one of us that is born again has the Holy Spirit upon you.

And that means every one of us has a skill from God. You have an ability inside of you. What you really need to do is to sharpen those skills and abilities.

This teaches us something important.

Spiritual service is not limited to preaching, singing, or praying publicly.

Craftsmanship can glorify God. Engineering can glorify God. Technology can glorify God. Medicine can glorify God. Business can glorify God. Administration can glorify God.

Whatever ability God has placed within you can become part of His purposes.

Therefore: Sharpen your skills and develop your abilities. Become better at what God has enabled you to do.

 

Recognize the Purpose of Each Season

Purpose may also look different during different seasons of life.

In one season, you may serve God through technology. In another, through leadership.

In another, through business, family, ministry, education, healthcare, or community service.

The assignment may change, but the abilities and experiences God has developed within you continue to contribute to His larger purpose.

Your responsibility is to ask: What does God want me to do in this season? Then faithfully do it.

The call of duty upon your life is to live fully according to the purpose God has given you.

 

Everybody Has a Role

The story of Nehemiah rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem gives us another powerful picture.

Nehemiah organized people and assigned different groups to different parts of the wall.

Some worked in one section, others worked in another. Some worked on the gates and different families had different assignments.

Yet all of them were contributing to one great purpose: rebuilding Jerusalem's walls.

The same principle applies to the church family.

We may have different professions, skills, opportunities, and assignments, but together we can contribute toward God's larger vision.

We can bring healing into accounting, business, media, healthcare, education, our communities.

Wherever God has placed and skilled us, we can become instruments through which His presence and goodness are expressed.

 

The Church Is Christ's Body

Ephesians 1:22–23 presents the church as the body of Christ.

The church is not merely something peripheral or irrelevant to the world.

Christ works through His people. When each of us fulfils our purpose, we contribute to what God is doing through His church.

Your gift matters. Your profession matters. Your skills matter. Your service matters. Your character matters. Your everyday decisions matter.

As each person faithfully performs his or her role, the body of Christ becomes an expression of God's presence in the world.

The Call of Duty Is Upon Us

Being part of God's family brings tremendous privileges.

We have been adopted, we are loved and we belong.

We have access to our heavenly Father and we have an inheritance.

But privilege comes with responsibility. The call of duty is upon your life.

It is upon my life and It’s upon all of us.

And that duty can be summarized in two responsibilities: 

Live by the values of God's family. Let your words, attitudes, relationships, work, integrity, purity, forgiveness, generosity, and everyday conduct demonstrate that you belong to God.

Fulfil your God-given purpose. Discover your abilities, sharpen them, use them faithfully, and contribute to God's purposes wherever He has placed you.

Whether anyone is watching or not, remain faithful. Whether circumstances are favourable or difficult, remain faithful.

Whether you are at church, at work, at home, in traffic, in business, or in the marketplace, remember who you are.

You are a son. You are a daughter. You belong to the family of God.

Therefore, live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

The call of duty is upon our lives: to live by our family values and to fulfil our purpose for the glory of God.