All who come to God by Christ are accepted, not on the basis of their own accomplishments, but on the basis of all that Christ accomplished on their behalf on the cross. It is upon this that God receives them, and calls them His children. On the strength of this, no accusation against any of them by the devil, who is the accuser of the brethren, has any merit in the courts of heaven. However, this privileged position comes with its responsibilities also.
For example, the apostle Paul, in Ephesians, tells them that as those called into relationship with God, through Christ, it was their responsibility to conduct themselves in ways that were worthy of their high calling in God. This call to walk worthy of their calling should not be mistaken to imply that it is by such a walk that they were qualified to be called by God. Paul was simply telling them that the consequence of their calling, naturally, was walking differently from the world.
On their own, those saved by the blood of Jesus are incapable of living in the ways that their high calling required, therefore, they are given the Holy Spirit who empowers them to live such a life. But the Holy Spirit can only do this to the extent that they are singularly focused on Christ and the cross. Apart from the cross, the Holy Spirit is not able to work in us what Christ did for on the cross.
This is what many people have failed to recognize who are trying to walk the work in their own strength. So, it is true that we who are in Christ have a responsibility to walk worthy of our calling, yet, that walk is dependent on what the Holy Spirit does in us, but what He does in us is dependent on us making the cross the singular focus of our faith.
Toni
