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David's Deliberations . . .

God's Call

16 January 2011
Sometimes we are called to a family gathering or a party. We get an invitation and are asked to respond and hopefully attend. Sometimes we are summoned to do our civic duty, perhaps jury duty, and are expected to respond with careful attendance. Our heavenly Father calls us to himself: "For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself" (Acts 2:39). Just like any other invitation or summons, a response is expected. Paul the apostle responded to God's call. He had to sacrifice much (from a worldly standpoint) to answer God's call: "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ" (Philippians 3:7-8). Paul considered it a good trade-off. From 1 Corinthians chapter one we can learn a few things about God's call. God called Paul to be an apostle and He called the Corinthians (as he calls us today) to be saints (1 Corinthians 1:1, 2). "Saints" is translated from the Greek word hagioi, which means "holy ones" or "sanctified ones." "Sanctified" or "holy" means to be set apart. We are to be set apart (see 1 Corinthians 6:11) from the world for God's purposes (see Romans 6:19-22). God also calls us into fellowship of and with Christ: "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:9). In this fellowship we have participation with and through Christ in sonship (Romans 8:14-17), in suffering (1 Peter 4:13) and ultimately in victory (1 Corinthians 15:51-58)! God also calls us to understand and appreciate Christ: "but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Corinthians 1:24). In Christ God has given His power to save us from our sins (Matthew 1:21). He can save us not only from the guilt of our sins, but also from the control of sin (John 8:32-34). Since God will no longer hold us guilty of sin, and since it no longer controls us, we are free from the condemnation of sin (see Romans 8:1-3). Being freed from sin and uncondemned, we have hope of heaven (1 Corinthians 1:27). So how does God call us? Is it a small, still voice from within? No. Is it a loud voice from the heavens? No. Since God desires all to be saved and none to be lost (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:20), if God were to call us directly, few people would be lost. But this is not the case (see Matthew 7:13-14). God calls us by the gospel:
But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14
When God called Abraham, he responded by faith (Hebrews 11:8). When God called Paul, he responded by striving for the prize of that upward call (Philippians 3:14-16). How will you respond?

—David Carl Swanson