Beside Yourself? by clbcommunications

He’s beside himself!” Of course, he isn’t literally “beside” himself, but the phrase captures the idea of someone so conflicted or acting out of character that it seems as if he is two different persons at the same time. Did you know that as believers in Christ we are, in a very real sense, “beside ourselves”? And that we live in two different realms at the same time? Let’s look at Scripture to help us understand. Romans 8:28-30 (ESV) says this: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”

God has called us in a package deal: according to his purpose; conformed to the image of his Son; justified; and glorified. A Christian is one who has been called by God. We often talk about pastors receiving the call of God to minister and shepherd the church, but all believers are called by God.

We have first been called to faith by the grace of God. By its very nature, a calling originates with the one who calls. Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV) makes it very clear that even the faith to hear and believe the Word (or calling of God) is a gift of God, not something we do: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Luther talks about our calling from God by using a word that comes from the Latin word for calling: “vocation.” The passages above indicate that our calling affects how we live right now: God’s purposes are to justify us, conform us to the image of Christ, glorify us, and lead us to walk in the good works he prepared for us. The word vocation, as we are using it, means much more than just our occupation or profession. Vocation is used to describe every aspect of our lives: as a member of a family; as a person who works in a job, profession or as a volunteer; as a citizen of a community and country; and as a participant in a church congregation.

We see God at work through the power of the Gospel accomplishing not only our justification, but also our sanctification. But this is where we can feel “beside ourselves.” In the realm of what God has done for us and is doing for us through faith alone, by grace alone, and in Christ alone, where do good works come in? Any goods works I do to earn God’s favor are “but rubbish”—I can do nothing to make God love me more than he already does. So what “good” are good works? Why should I do good things for my family and neighbors? Why go to work every day, give it my best and then give some of what I earn away to the church or other charities?  Why vote in elections or serve on a school board? Why should I take raising my children very seriously? Why teach Sunday school or sing in the church choir or praise band? Do I have to? NO!…YES!

Martin Luther answered this dilemma with the scriptural “two kingdoms” concept. We live in a spiritual kingdom or realm, where God bestows his grace through the Word and Sacraments. We also live in an earthly realm, where God works through natural order and through human callings or vocations. Since our relationship with God is based entirely upon God’s grace to us, none of our good works are done in order to, in some way, bring God’s favor upon us. No, the good works which we do through our vocations are done because we live in a relationship with our neighbors, and they need our good works—just like we need theirs. Luther said that good works done to make ourselves more acceptable to God are not good works at all but are the “rubbish” that Paul spoke about in Philippians 3:8.

So, NO, we do not do good works to win God’s favor. In fact, we cannot. But, YES, God desires that we do good works for the benefit of our neighbors because he has chosen to work through us in this earthly realm to accomplish his eternal purposes. Works that are truly good are those done for our neighbors’ benefit, out of love (because Christ loves us) and duty (because we live in an earthly kingdom which is subject to law). Galatians 5:13-14 (ESV) says: “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Living in a fallen world and struggling with our old natures, we sin in our vocations. We do not do what God wants us to do and we find ourselves doing things he doesn’t want us to do. We abuse and misuse the gifts he has given us. We act outside of our vocations and fail to carry out our responsibilities. Our struggle against the world, the devil, and our own flesh is the cross we bear in our vocations. Understanding vocation gives me a comprehensive view of Christian living: already perfect before God, yet struggling to love my neighbor, and all the while being transformed by Christ through the Gospel—“being beside myself.”

In vocation, we become the face, hands and feet of Christ to our neighbors. Christ lives his life of sacrificial love through our lives. We truly serve God not in some mystical, metaphysical way, but by going about our everyday vocations, serving our neighbors in our families, at our jobs, in our communities and in our churches. By faith we see God present and at work in even the mundane circumstances of this world. As Paul said in Philippians 2:21a (ESV), “For to me to live is Christ…”

This article is based in part upon the book by Gene Edward Veith, Jr., God At Work, Wheaton: Crossway Books. I highly recommend both this book and The Spirituality of the Cross by Veith as great expositions of Christian Vocation and Theology.

Roy Heggland is a member of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren Council of Directors, and lives in Estero, FL.