Gene Veith, in his article “Vocation: The Theology of the Christian Life,” cites the passage and comments, “Thus, God assigns different kinds of life for each Christian and then calls each Christian to that assignment.”

What does it mean to be human? Looking at that question, you might suggest that perhaps I’m biting off more than I can chew in a short article. A question like that falls into the same category as, “What is the meaning of life?” or “How do I know who I am?”

When we study our Bible, when we read it quietly to ourselves, when we share the message of Christ with our friends and neighbors, when we either preach or hear preaching—in all these ways we handle, hear, and see the very words of God. They are the words of eternal life, they are the words of power, the promise of forgiveness, the promise of resurrection, the promise of creation.