God's Calling
by Nick Bibile
"And those he predestined he also called" (Romans 8:30)
We need to
understand that predestination took place in eternity past. God
already wrote your name in the book of life, not because God
foresaw of your faith in Christ, but because of Gods sovereign
choice. "All the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be." (Psalms 139:16) Then
Gods calling takes place in our time. Remember what Jesus said, “You
did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you
might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that
whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you” (John
15:16) All begins from God and ends with God.
General calling
There is a General calling or the external calling is where God invites people, there are many scriptures in the Bible to show the general call of God. This is the duty of all the Christians to call souls to Christ, without any distinction. We need to preach the gospel to everyone sincerely.
Isaiah 45:22,
"Turn to me and be saved all you ends of the earth; for I
am God and there is no other."
Isaiah 65:12, "For
I called but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not
listen. You did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me."
Mark 16:15-16, "Go into all the world and preach the
good news to all creation."
Luke 14:23, (the invitation for
the banquet)
John 7:37-38, "If a man is thirsty, let
him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me as the scripture has
said, streams of living water will flow from within him."
This call is sincere on Gods part, but man is opposed to God and man turns his back on God, the call is not effectual. Man rejects this universal call. Remember the parable of the great banquet where Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ (Luke 14:16-17) We see many were invited but many refused the invitation.
18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’
19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’
20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ (Luke 14:18-20)
“For many are invited, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:14)
The sinners hear the bell of the gospel ringing in their ears daily but they cover their ears and go on to their own business. The Church becomes a place of religion instead of having a relationship with God.
Effectual Calling
Then there is God's effectual call. God chose certain individuals eternity past, but due to sin they were lost and they became dead in their sins. They cannot save themselves on their own as they are spiritually dead. Jesus came on a mission to seek which was lost. Then by Gods grace he calls the chosen ones to repentance and faith in Christ Jesus. "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." (Luke 19:10)
"He shall save His people from their sins." --Matthew 1:21
Matthew 22:14, " For many are invited (called) but few are chosen." The many refers to the general call of the gospel message. The few refers to the chosen ones, as the gospel message will be effectual to them, as they will be brought to repentance and faith.
Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
1 Corinthians 1:9 "God who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful."
1 John 3:1 "How great is the love of the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!."
The word effectual call has the meaning of "summons" It is a command by the authorities to appear in a court of justice. In the biblical sense God in his sovereign authority has commanded us into the fellowship of Christ. We will see from the following examples, that once the effectual call is given by God to the sinner there is a great result.
Examples and illustrations of the effectual call.
Lazarus (John 11)
Lazarus was dead for four days, and Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Then Martha said, "But Lord, by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there for four days." (John 11:39)
Martha is correct, by this time his body is rotten, and the worms are having a buffet on his body. Jesus cried out in a loud voice saying, Lazarus come out! (verse 43) But out of the tomb comes Lazarus, the dead body was raised to life!
It is the same
with the sinner, we have become totally filthy in the sight of God.
The sinner is dead in sin has no power to raise himself unless God in
his grace commands the sinner to arise from his spiritual dead state,
then the sinner will rise from the dead and become alive to God.
.
Paul (Acts 9)
Saul of Tarsus was an enemy of God. He did not have any power to obey God. He was hunting like a wild lion to devour the Christians. His heart was against Christ and he used his energy to destroy the Church. On his way to Damascus he heard a voice say, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" Then Saul replied, "Who are you, Lord?" Then the voice said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting."
What was the result of this effectual calling? Paul;s heart was like a solid stone man, but the effectual calling broke the hard heart, took away his spiritual blindness and became obedient to Gods call. The same energy that he used to persecute the Church he used now to win souls for Christ. We were all in darkness and God said, let there be light, and the darkness in vanish now we can see as we are in the light. The hardest sinner melts before the effectual call of God.
Zaccheus (Luke 19)
Jesus entered Jericho. There was this chief tax collector by the name of Zaccheus. He was wealthy, sinner by all means, stingy a thief and a crook. There was a great crowds to see Jesus, Zaccheus being very short climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus. He was pretty safe and secure up there, he thought no one could see him up on the tree. . Jesus comes to the very spot, under the tree, looks up straight at Zaccheus, and calls by his name saying, "Zaccheus come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." The effectual call was so powerful Zaccheus like a bird in the tree fell into the arms of the Savior. There were many better people than Zaccheus, but why him? Zaccheus does not deserve anything. God is sovereign and he will choose whom he will.
Abraham (Genesis 12)
Abraham was born and raised in Ur of the Chaldees, which is in modern Iraq, Abraham was content in his fathers household. He had his family and his friends. Joshua 24:2 says that Abraham and his father worshiped idols. See below
Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods.
But suddenly the Lord said to him, "Leave your country, your people and your fathers household and go to the land I will show you." When effectual calling comes, it will single out that man. That man is compelled to obey God, more than his family and friends. He will come out from his very close friends where he was partying together. He was going to leave all that was so dear to him. The effectual call will make you a pilgrim in this world like Abraham.
Samuel (Chapter 3:2-10)
The effectual call came to Samuel when he was lying down, but he was not aware as God called Samuel, but he thought it was Eli, and ran to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." Eli said, "I did no call you, go back and lie down." The second time the Lord called him, "Samuel!" And Samuel got up went to Eli and said, "Here I am, you called me." Then Eli said, "My son I did not call you, go back and lie down." Then the Lord called a third time and went again to Eli, and Eli realized that the Lord was calling Samuel.
It was not Samuel who realized that the Lord was calling, he thought it was Eli, because Eli knows him, Eli knows all about me. But later he realized that it was the Lord. Pastors and ministers cannot call you to be saved, although all are invited to be saved. It has to be the effectual call of the Lord. Only when God summons with the effectual call you are brought out of death and brought into life, brought out from slavery and brought into freedom.
Is God unjust?
We cannot point the finger at God saying it is unfair as all are not called in the same way, God doesn't call everyone with an effectual call.
Romans 9:14-15 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15 For he says to Moses,
“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
We need to remember God is Sovereign
Meaning God is the supreme ruler of the universe, he is the only King of the universe, he has absolute power and the sovereign right to do whatever he pleases, yet without sinning as God cannot sin.
Daniel 4:35
All the peoples of the earth
are regarded as nothing.
He does as he pleases
with the powers of heaven
and the peoples of the earth.
No one can hold back his hand
or say to him: “What have you done?”
Characteristics
Calling is an act of God by his sovereign grace
God chooses whom he wishes to choose.
"I assure
you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijahs time, when the
sky was shut for three and a half years, and there was a severe
famine through out the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of
them, but to a widow in Zarephath, in the region of Sidon. And there
were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet,
yet none of them was cleansed, only Naaman the Syrian." (Luke
4:24-27)
Holy Calling
"..who has
saved us and called us to a holy life, not because of anything we
have done but because of his own purpose and grace." (2 Timothy
1:9)
holy calling--the actual call to a life of holiness.
"heavenly calling"
The call comes wholly from God and
claims us wholly for God.
Remember our
Lord said many are called but few are chosen. This calling is a holy
call.
Heb 3:1. "Holy" implies the separation unto God.
This call is living unto God. If you are still continuing to
live in sin like before and pretending to be like Christians in
the Church, then you are not called. The man who is called in his
drunkenness, will forsake his drunkenness. If you are continue in
your sins and walking according to the pattern of this world as
children of disobedience then you are still dead in your sins and you
are not called. But if you cry to the Lord and say, "Lord, I am
trying my best to walk blamelessly in your sight, I know my obedience
cannot save me and I hate sin, my desire is to quit sin and be close
with you, help me Lord to be holy." If you have that repentant
attitude, then you are called.
Heavenly Calling
"But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus," (Philippians 3:13-14)
Your calling is a high calling. It is a heavenly calling. You dont savor in your past but you hopes are not below but in heaven. Spending time with God, in his word, prayer, praise and thanksgiving. This is your thirst and satisfaction and not the T.V, the soap operas, the worldly music, gossip and the pleasure of this world. It is a heavenly calling that you fix your eyes on Jesus. (Hebrews 3;1) you will realize that you are a stranger and heaven your home.
Do not look back in your calling.
"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:9) Remember Lots wife, God called Lot and his family out of Sodom and Gommorrah, out from the darkness and the angel said do not look back. But Lots wife looked back and she was turned into a pillar of salt. She is leaving Sodom but her heart is still in Sodom as she has to look back, oh! I am leaving Las Vegas, no more gambling. I am leaving my TV set, my favorite programs etc. You are called to a wonderful light and the world cannot understand for them it is boring and for you it is the greatest inner joy in the Lord!
Called to be free!
"You my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge in the sinful nature, rather serve one another in love." (Galatians 5:13)
There are many who say that, I am now a Christian and I am free to do anything I want to, this is a Christian nation and we have our liberty and privacy. Remember God called the Israelites out from the slavery of the Egyptians. But when they went hardships and sufferings in the wilderness they wanted to go back to Egypt. If you are called you are not a slave to sin anymore, and are you willing to have fellowship in Christ? Are you willing to suffer for him? Are you willing to deny yourself and carry the cross?
If you are called then you are predestined. Your name is written in the book of life.
Make sure of your calling and election.
"Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things you will never fail, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:10)
Do not say, I shall be lost and cast away to the lake of fire, kneel down in at the cross of our Savior and cry to him of your sins and every one who came to him, he received, then you are called. There is no condemnation for you. As it is written, "And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified." (Romans 8:30)
God is going to give a crown to your troubled head. He is going to wipe away every tear, no more sorrows or pain, he is preparing a heavenly mansion for you not built in human hands with wood and cement but prepared by him with heavenly materials, he loved you before the creation of the world.