Eph 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

The message is clear; we are to walk worthy of our calling. Our Christian walk is how we live our lives here on earth. If we are being urged to walk worthy of our calling. It implies that it is possible not to walk worthy of our calling. With the coming events in mind, we need to remind ourselves of what is going to happen to those who are not walking worthy of their calling.

Heb 12:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble [you], and thereby many be defiled;

We are to walk worthy of our calling. Our walk is how we lead our lives. Here we are warned it is possible to fall short of our calling.

Heb 2:1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let [them] slip.

We drift away when we allow the exceedingly great and precious promises to slip away from our memory. Lest we should let them slip away from us and forget we were purged from our old sins. If we drift away, we become in danger of being left behind.

Heb 2:2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward;

As we read the bible, we can find many examples of transgressions and disobedience and how the Lord rewarded them.

Heb 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard [him];

This is a real warning to us. If we neglect the great salvation which is offered to us, the question is how shall we escape? Where can we hide? Where else can we go?

Heb 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if [any man] draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

We neglect so great salvation by drawing back. The result of drawing back, or falling away will be perdition. Those who believe and do not draw back save their souls. A popular concept today is "those who believe to the saving of their souls will be saved."

Heb 10:39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

What some overlook is that once we accept Christ as our savior, we have a walk of faith to continue in. It is something that we must be diligent about how we do our walk of faith. It involves a changed life. Lack of diligence can result in backsliding. Drifting away is deceptive as it occurs gradually without our being aware it is even happening.

Heb 4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left [us] of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

Here we are told that we really have something to fear. Clearly, disobedience could cause us to fall short.

1 Pet 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech [you] as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

Clearly, failure to abstain from fleshly lusts could cause us to fall short of our calling in Christ Jesus.

Heb 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Here we read that we have a need to be diligent to enter that rest of God which we also know as the millennial kingdom. If we are not diligent, we have been warned that it is possible to fall or be left behind due to our disobedience.

1 Tim 6:9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and [into] many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

Here we are being warned about desire to be rich can cause us to fall into temptation and be caught like in a snare. Not that being rich in it is a bad thing. It is things which we could be tempted into doing to become rich that could tempt us to be drawn away from walking the walk of our high calling and this could ultimately result in our destruction.

Heb 3:19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Israel lost a generation in the wilderness under Moses who because of their unbelief were not allowed to enter the Promised Land. Neglecting bible study and failure to attend church and bible classes, or seeking ones that teach a smooth doctrine could allow us to fall into a condition of unbelief which could cause us to fall short in the last day. We need to be diligent in our studies and everything we do in the service of the Lord.

2 Tim 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

This could be one reason why some loose interest in prophecy. They desire smooth words. They want to do their own thing and yet be told that it is alright with our Lord.

2 Tim 4:4 And they shall turn away [their] ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Some will have such a desire for smooth words that they will avoid sound doctrine and seek out teachers or churches that will provide for those desires. Doing this could cause us to fall short. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?

2 Tim 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

This is something for us to keep in mind. Not only do we have to be concerned about what we do in our Lord's service, but also we need to be sure that we are among others that are also diligent in their efforts to learn and apply God's Word in their lives. There are many in the world around us who seem to be godly, profess to be Christians, attend church services but their lack of diligence in their efforts deny its true power to change their lives. We are to turn away from such people so that they do not lead us astray. We could allow ourselves to only have a form of outward appearance of godliness but really be denying the power of it to change our lives. If this be the case we are also in danger of falling short in the day when it really matters.

Titus 1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny [him], being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

The warning here is clear. We could say that we know God yet in our works, the way we lead our lives could be denying Him. Our disobedience will make us abominable to Him and disqualified for good works or entering into His rest. We need to be His faithful servants to advance the gospel and knowledge of Him in the world around us.

2 Cor 4:2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

We could fall short by improper handling of the Word of God which will also affect our walk in His service.

2 Pet 3:16 As also in all [his] epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as [they do] also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

We could fall short by twisting or changing the meaning of the message found in the bible. The warning here is not to be doing anything with God's message found in the bible which could end up in our rejection and destruction in that final day.

Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Here we are reminded that even after the Holy Spirit has put the seal of God on us so that we are sealed for the day of redemption, it is still possible, if we are not careful to grieve the Holy Spirit of God. By deeds or words or thoughts we could still grieve the Holy Spirit and by so doing fall short of the mark of the High Calling of God.

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