Taken from June 30, 2005

The Power of a Transcendent Life
by Francis Frangipane
Frangipane Ministries, Inc.

There are a great many books written today about developing our
spiritual gifts or discovering our purpose . . . most of them are
absolutely worthy of our attention. Recognizing our gifts and being
trained to serve God in our individual calling is part of doing His
will. Yet, there is a deeper, more essential goal -- an objective that
is ultimately far more valuable both to God and ourselves. I am talking
about the genuine quest to possess the likeness of Christ.

To seek spiritual fulfillment
from "our ministry" or "gifting" is to walk a path that actually leads
away from the fulfillment.

A "calling" or task may be to serve as a pastor or teacher or a
housewife or in the marketplace, but regardless of my outward
responsibilities, my core destiny -- the reality that continues
unfolding within me regardless of outward circumstances -- is to
embrace a life "conformed to the image of [God's] Son."

You see, our destiny is not what we do for God, but who we become to
Him. As we reach for Christlikeness, our love for God becomes richer,
our witness to sinners more powerful, and our secret life holy. As we
seek conformity to Jesus, we discover that all our spiritual desires
are rooted and nourished by conformity to Him.

The fact that the gifts and calling of God operate somewhat independent
of our character tell us that God will use imperfect people. But we
still must beware. A day may come when we look to our gifts or ministry
and plead, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your
name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?" But
Christ will not have it.

Instead, He will utter those most terrible words, "I never knew you;
depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness" (Matt 7:21-23).

You see, our gifts are necessary and understanding our calling is
vital. Yet, attaining the nature of Christ is our destiny.

Beloved, as we approach the end of the age, a new priority is coming to
God's people: the summing up of "all things in Christ" (see Eph
1:9-10). Both our gifts and our calling must serve our destiny, which
is to reveal the nature of Christ. The focus that brings meaning and
fulfillment is that which works to conform us inwardly to Christ. Our
lives are to become "a fragrance of Christ to God" (2 Cor 2:15). Yes,
the path to Christlikeness is the way to transcendent life of God.