VOCATIONAL HOLINESS
Vocational Holiness?
What an exciting, counter-cultural concept!
Ephesians 4:1
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you
that ye walk worthy of the vocation
wherewith ye are called,
KJV
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Can I be Holy and be a Cop
A businessman
A Lawyer
An Athlete
A Politician
A Designer
A Salesman
A Garbage collector
An Artist
A Cosmetologist?
What is holiness?
Holiness is simply, being dedicated to God.
“For the grace of God that brings salvation has
appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to
ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live
self-controlled, upright and godly lives
in this present age,…”
Titus 2:11-12 NIV
What is Vocation?
The Christian doctrine of vocation… starts with
being called to Someone before we are called to
do Something…
The Latin root of the word ‘vocation’, vocatio and
voco, mean simply to be called or to have a calling.
Paul Stevens, “The Other Six Days” p 72
Divine call to, or sense of fitness for, a career or
occupation; employment, trade, profession.
The Pocket Oxford Dictionary
“Vocational discernment is a
life-long process. Many
factors contribute to a life
direction – personal passion,
motivation, gifts, and talents,
circumstances,
compulsions and
dysfunctions, and
sometimes
a direct word from God.”
Paul Stevens, Doing God’s Business, p204
Motivation & Passion
Gifts, Talents &
Personality
Providence,
Circumstances,
Blocks & Hindrances
Direct Leading of
God
Vocational Discernment, Paul Stevens, “Doing God’s Business”, p 205
“We ask to know the will of
God without guessing that
His will is written into our
very beings.”
Elizabeth O’Connor.
Our passion, our gifts, our talents, our personality -
“The place God calls you to
is the place where
your deep gladness
and the world’s deep hunger
meet.”
- Frederick Buechner
Follow your passion, your gifts
your talents, your personality
and the voice of God…
…to the place where your deep gladness
and the world’s deep hunger meet
There you will find vocational holiness
Whatever the occupation –
God has a wonderful purpose into which
we are called
“For he chose us in him before the creation of the
world to be holy and blameless in his sight.”
Ephesians 1:4 - NIV
Eph 4:1-2
“As a prisoner for
the Lord, then, I
urge you to live a
life worthy of the
calling you have
received. Be
completely humble
and gentle; be
patient, bearing with
one another in
love.”
NIV
1 Peter 1:15-16
But just as he who
called you is holy,
so be holy
in all you do;
for it is written:
"Be holy, because
I am holy."
NIV
Does the command to be holy in all you do
include being a:
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Cop
A businessman
A Lawyer
An Athlete
A Politician
A Designer
A Salesman
A Garbage collector
An Artist
A Cosmetologist?
Yes!
Yes!
Yes!
…so be holy in all you do!