We must now speak of living our faith in our outward and temporal lives. We live as members of this or that city or town or commonwealth, in this or that particular vocation and calling. We must live by faith in our natural and temporal lives.

A true believing Christian, a justified-by-faith person, lives in his vocation by faith. Not only in my spiritual life, but even my civil life in this world, all the life I live, is by the faith of the Son of God. The true believing Christian exempts no part of life from the agency of his faith. Faith draws the heart of a Christian to live in some noble calling. As soon as a man begins to look towards God and the ways of his grace, he will not rest, until he finds some calling and employment.

An example, you have the Prodigal Son, that after he had received and spent his portion of the inheritance in vanity, he came home to himself and home to his Father. The very next thing after his confession and repentance of his sin - the very next petition he makes is, "Make me one of thy hired servants." After his desire for the pardon of sin, his next desire was to work, even though it be as a hired servant, he would live out his faith and his calling.

Next, the Christian offers his work up to God as a free-will offering. It settles the heart in God’s peace and his life is settled in a good calling, even though it be but that of a day-laborer. "Yet make me one that does service unto Thee." This is a part of faith, to have employment to fill the head and hand with.

Next, living out faith in our temporal world entails finding a noble calling, where in we may aim not only at our own good, but also at the public good. This is a noble calling. As Scripture says in 1 Corinthians 10:24: "Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth." In Galatians 5:6, we learn about a "faith which worketh by love." Therefore a person will not find a comfortable calling unless it serves not only one’s own good, but also the good of others.

Thirdly, faith is expressed in our employment when God has given the gifts to a man to do it. - that one is acquainted with the mystery of it, and hath gifts of body and mind suitable to do the work. Proverbs 16:20 tells us that, "He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good." He that understands his business wisely - God leads him on to that calling. God shows you that he has led you to a place by giving you some gifts fit for that place, especially if the place be suitable and fitted for your best gifts. For God would have your best gifts improved to the best advantage.

Another work of faith within a man’s vocation is when he depends upon God for the quickening and sharpening of his gifts in that calling, and yet depends not upon his gifts for the going through his calling, but upon God that gave him those gifts. Yea, he depends upon God for the use of his gifts within his calling. Faith does not say, "Give me such a calling and turn me loose to it." Faith looks up to heaven for skill and ability, though strong and able, faith looks up to God to refresh and breath life into one’s gifts. "Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight," we learn in Psalm 144:1. It is the Lord who puts strength in our hands. Thus it was with David and Goliath. David had skill but he relied upon God for his strength. And so when he comes into Goliath’s presence and looks into his face, he tells him that he comes in the name of the Lord. He looks to God for the skill and the strength, and he says in 1 Samuel 17:37: "The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine."

Another work of faith, of living by faith in our vocations, is when in serving God we serve one another, and in serving one another we serve God. The Apostle Paul sweetly describes this calling in Ephesians 6:6-7: "Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers, but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men." This is the work of every Christian person in his calling - that when he serves others he serves the Lord. He does the work set before him, and he does it sincerely and faithfully, so as he may give account for it. And he does it heavenly and spiritually. He uses the world as if he used it not. In 1 Corinthians 7:31, we read: "And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away." We work not for wages, nor for praise, if so we have not been servants of Christ. A person who serves Christ in serving others, he does his work sincerely as in God’s presence, and as one that has heavenly business at hand, and therefore comfortably, as knowing God approves of his way and work.

There is more to be said, but I will summarize quickly . . .

Another act of faith in one’s vocation is to cast all the failings and burdens of one’s calling upon the Lord. That is the proper work of faith - it rolls and casts all upon him. Cares about the successes of work. Cares about the dangers that may befall us at work.

And one final act of faith concerning a person’s vocation - and that is to take all success with moderation, to equally bear prosperity or want. In Philippians 4:11, Paul writes, "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." If God prospers a man, he learns to not be puffed up. If he is exposed to want & need, he learns not to murmur. Faith keeps the heart in equal frame. Faith moderates the frame of a man’s spirit on both sides.

So live by faith in your vocation. Offer your work to God. Ask God to quicken and sharpen your gifts and strengthen your spirit. Serve God by serving others. Serves others by serving God. Amen.

(Excerpts are from a sermon by John Cotton, 1584-1652, and edited by Randall Caldwell)