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Are YOU “Called by God?” (YES!) How Will That Affect You?

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How Should the “Calling of God” Affect Me?

© 2024 C. O. Bishop

1st Corinthians 7:17-24

“ 17 But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches. 18 Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised. 19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.

20 Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.

21 Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. 22 For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant. 23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. 24 Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.”

Introduction:

Obviously, in the eight verses, above, the Lord used the words “called” or “calling” eight times. Therefore, we should find out what the “Call” of God entails. For example, “Who is called? Also, “How do you know if you are “called?” “Furthermore, to what are you called?”

Romans 8:28-30 tells us that every born-again believer is “called” to God’s service.

“28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”

It is quite a list:

  • Foreknown
  • Predestined to be conformed to Christ
  • Called (according to His purpose)
  • Justified
  • Glorified

But you can surely see that, if you are a child of God, you are “called”…whatever that means!

Here we can also see that there are no surprises for God.

  • All those who would believe, He knew from eternity past, and he chose them in Christ.
  • All who choose to trust Jesus as Savior WILL be conformed to His image.
  • Every believer is “Called” (whatever that entails.)
  • All believers are “justified” (meaning “declared righteous” by God.)
  • All believers are “glorified.” (Ephesians 2:6 says you are now seated with Him in Glory!)

Along with this idea, we want to review Jesus’s promise: John 6:37 says, “He that cometh unto Me I will in no wise cast out!” You are His forever!

Hebrews 3:1 tells us that every Christian, without exception, who has partaken of this holy calling (having placed his or her trust in the blood of Jesus for salvation,) has also been declared to be holy…You are God’s private possession. “Holy Brethren!”

We saw in 1st Corinthians 12:13 that those same people have been baptized into the Body of Christ by the direct action of the Holy Spirit (now indwelling each believer.)

And, 2nd Corinthians 5:20 says they have been declared to be ambassadors of Christ. YES! You are called! And that is the job to which you are called!

So, How Does That Calling Affect You?

Did it require that you drop everything you normally do and run off to seminary? No…in fact, the Apostle Paul had a superior education to most people of his time. But he declared it to have been a waste of time. It did not contribute to his role as an ambassador of Christ. Interestingly, some of the other apostles had a very poor education, even for their time. The Priests and Pharisees were astonished that they knew God’s Word at all.

God’s Power

But it did not limit their service: Peter and John were both commercial fishermen. Their formal education was quite limited. But God used Peter and John to heal the lame man in Acts 3:1-11. Their education (or lack thereof) had no bearing on the power of the Holy Spirit.

God’s Judgment

In Acts 5:1-11, Peter discerned that Ananias and Sapphira were “lying to God.” (How did he know? The context indicates that God showed him.) The wisdom of God and the severity of God’s judgment were delivered through an uneducated man! The Holy Spirit needs only a clean vessel through which to flow. The Gifts of the Spirit are His to give. He does not take them back.

Romans 11:29 says that the gifts AND the calling of God are “without repentance” (or, as some translations render it, “without revocation.”) God does not “take the gift away,” but He may “put the recipient on the shelf” as unusable. Balaam, in Numbers 22-24, was a genuine prophet of God, but he “sold out”, and God permanently set him aside… just as He did with Ananias and Sapphira. (Read Numbers 31:8 to see “the rest of the story.”)

Paul feared this potential consequence of sin in his own life. He said that he kept strict discipline in his own life, lest, “after having taught others” he possibly could become a “castaway,” (as it is rendered in the King James Version, or “shipwrecked,” as it appears in other translations.) A shipwrecked sailor is “out of service” for the time being. If he is soon rescued, he may go back to work. If he never gets off that reef or that island, his service has ended!

God does not discard His servants…but He may remove them from service, either temporarily or permanently. A dull tool may be sharpened. A broken tool may be repaired. A non-functional tool may simply be set aside for the time being, or, as in the cases of Ananias, Sapphira, and Balaam, it could be permanent.

What DOES the “Calling of God” Imply?

Walk Worthy!

In Ephesians 4:1-3 we see several things:

“1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

For one thing, we see that we ARE called. We also see that we are to behave accordingly. “Walk worthy of the calling with which you are called!”

How Do We Do That? With…

  • Lowliness,
  • Meekness,
  • Longsuffering,
  • Forbearance, and
  • Love,
  • Endeavoring to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace!

If you are a child of God by His Grace, through Faith in Jesus, then at a bare minimum you are called to “walk worthy of that calling!” Live like a child of the Holy God of the Bible because you are His child! You received Jesus as your Savior by faith. You walk with Him also by faith.

We are called to mutual accountability, and mutual submission, as we live to bless one another.

Foreknown

Yes, God recognized you from Eternity past! He knew what you would choose, but YOU had to make that choice. Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, but most choose to reject His Grace. The offer of Eternal Life was genuine and free to all. But most reject His offer.

Predestined

Noticed that it does not say we were predestined to be saved: it says that, as saved individuals, we are predestined to be conformed to His Image. When God is finished working with you, He guarantees you will be “just like Jesus!” He already sees you only in Christ. But when He is done, that is how the whole universe will see you!

Called (According to His Purpose)

Yes, you are called! To what specific service? I can’t tell you! You will have to walk with Him to find out your assignment! It isn’t always what we expected! But it will be according to His purpose. Choose ahead of time to desire His purpose, rather than your own.

Justified

God has already declared you to be righteous, in Christ. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” And this is where Peace was established, once for all, between God and us. Romans 5:10 says we started out as sinners, and as enemies of God. But now we have Peace with God, and He no longer looks upon us as sinners.

Glorified

Colossians 1:12-14 says that God has made us fit (KJV says “meet”, meaning “fitted for”) to share in the inheritance of the Saints in light. He has already delivered us from the power of darkness, and He has already translated us into the kingdom of His Dear Son. Notice this is all past tense. This is not “goodies we will get if we are good:”  He has already glorified us, and we now stand before Him, clothed in the Full, matchless Righteousness of Christ. In Ephesians 2:6, He says he has already seated us in the Heavenly realms with Jesus!

Your Calling Does Not Necessarily Demand a Change in Occupation

Priscilla and Aquila were tentmakers. They continued to serve as tentmakers, but they hosted a church in their home, and they taught other believers to walk with God. (He wanted them right where they were!) One person they taught in their home turned out to be a powerful itinerant preacher, named Apollos. God had him moving from town to town, but he didn’t know the whole truth about Jesus. Aquila and Priscilla had learned from Paul, so they taught Apollos what they had been taught. They equipped him for the ministry God chose for him.

Unless what you are doing is already condemned by God, there is no mandate to “change jobs” due to your new position in Christ. But if He gives His blessing to move into a better ministry, and HE is the one engineering it, then take it. If you harangued and schemed your way into it, I would lack confidence that it was from Him.

When soldiers (the police of that area) asked John the Baptist what they should do, as believers, he simply told them to be satisfied with their wages and to not abuse their position or their authority. He did not tell them to resign their commission and all become street preachers.

Your Calling Does Not Require a Change in Social Status.

There were more slaves in Rome at that time than freemen, we are told…but they were not asked to “throw off their chains.” He told them if they had the opportunity to be free, to take it, but not to fret about their slavery in the meantime. He said that in receiving Jesus as their Savior, they truly had been set free. He went on to point out that those who always thought they were free had been confronted with the fact that before they met Jesus, they had been slaves to sin; And that now they belonged to Him. They were not their own masters!

The Gentiles were told to remain Gentiles. The Jews were told to go on living like Jews. All such differences, Paul reduced to meaningless details compared to our position and calling in Christ.

Your Calling is Secure! What Are You Doing About It?

Jesus said, “He that cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out!” He also said, in John 10:27, 28, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.”

You cannot lose His Grace: but you can fail to enjoy it.

If you will consistently walk with Him, you will enjoy His Grace daily. If you fail to walk with Him, you may find yourself “on the beach…on the shelf,” so to speak…shipwrecked and miserable, lonely for the fellowship of Christ and the camaraderie of other disciples.

The Choice is Yours.

Walk worthy of your calling, or don’t. But God has told you the potential results of that choice.

Lord Jesus, help us to continually make Godly choices before You, seeking Your face in Your Word, and seeking Your fingerprints in our lives.

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No Condemnation: (Part Four)

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“Eternal”

© C. O. Bishop 1/26/16 THCF 2/7/16

Romans 8:28-39

Introduction:

We have been studying through the epistle to the Romans, and have spent the last several weeks in chapter eight, where the overall theme is that “there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ.” That is a key “positional truth”, and it dovetails perfectly with the rest of the positional teaching in scripture: “things that are true of the believer, simply on the basis of his or her position, in Christ.” We have come to the last section of chapter eight, where Paul concludes his teaching on our position in Christ, and how we should live as a result of our position.

This passage includes several verses that we commonly use to encourage ourselves: We say that “All things work together for good.” We remind ourselves that “If God be for us, who can be against us?”, and, sometimes, we confirm that “Nothing can separate us from the Love of God.”

But all of these are part of a larger context, in which we are told of our perfect, eternal standing with God, and the results of that standing, both general and specific.

Let’s look at some of those verses, as we finish up the eighth chapter of Romans:

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

God’s Eternal Purpose

What is the purpose and plan of God? Why did he even create this world? We have all sorts of “pat” answers that various religious leaders give us. But what does God’s Word actually say? We are not left to “guess” at the answer to this question, though we may not understand all of it.

If God’s eternal plan were only to “produce worshippers”, he has them in the angelic host. The angels worship him in spirit and in truth, just as Jesus said He wanted. It may shock us to hear it, but His purpose actually may not center on us! God may have even bigger things in mind. For instance, in Ephesians 3:9-11 Paul states that from the beginning of the world, the “hidden mystery” was that His purpose and plan is to demonstrate to the Angelic hosts through the Church the manifold wisdom of God. Now: do I understand that? Absolutely not! I have some theories about it, but, ultimately, while I can read those verses and tell you what it says, I do not have authority to speak outside the confines of God’s revelation, so I can’t tell you much more than the fact that it was from the beginning of the World, not the fall of Man.

How does that purpose work out through us, and in what way can we be “the called, according to His purpose?” Well, here are some other ideas: God responded to the fall of Man in one specific way—He moved to offer saving Grace to the fallen race of Man, and He has continued to do so throughout Human history. From that point on, in scripture, we see His purpose working out to provide a substitutionary sacrifice, who, being believed in, is the means of salvation from God to Man. (Remember Romans 1:16?)

Adam believed the promise of God, regarding the coming savior, the Seed of Woman. Abel understood (at least in a minimal sense) the blood sacrifice that God used to cover the sins of Adam and Eve, and he, too, believed. He brought that sacrifice…a blood sacrifice… by faith.

The Children of Israel believed the message of warning that Moses brought, and they huddled under the blood of the Passover Lamb, which is demonstrably the blood of the Cross, in picture-form. Jesus stated that He came to give his life a ransom for many. He also stated that God sent Him to be the Savior of the whole World: “for God so loved the World…” Do you suppose those are “statements of purpose?” A “mission-statement”, if you want to call it that?

How does all this work to teach the angelic host about the wisdom of God? I don’t know for sure, though I have some ideas. He does specify that it is to the angelic beings in heavenly places that he intends to demonstrate His wisdom…not just the fallen ones, perhaps. I can’t say for sure. But in this age, at least, it seems that, in keeping with His actions from the fall of Man, the purpose of God is to extend His saving Grace to sinners, through the preaching of the Gospel. Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of Him that sent me and to finish His work.” And then he preached to the people of Samaria. He has consistently demonstrated in the scripture what His purpose is, in this age. I’m not sure we can really understand anything beyond this age, though I know that His purpose is eternal.

But the question remains: Are you “the called, according to His purpose?” Maybe we need to re-examine our motives and priorities, before we claim that all things work together for our good. It says they “work together for good to those who love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” This is where positional truth becomes vitally important:

Our Eternal Position

But, if you are in Christ, because you have trusted Him as your Savior, then, according to this passage, you are called!

29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

In fact, he says you were foreknown, and that, since you believed, you are now predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ. (Notice it doesn’t say, it will happen if you behave yourself and obey God. No: you will be conformed to his image at the rapture or the resurrection, just because, as a believer, you are “in Christ”. That is positional truth!)

Further, it says that all who share that destiny are called, and justified (that means “declared righteous”), and that we are (already) glorified in Christ. We are already seated with Him in the heavenlies, according to Ephesians 2:6, though we are not consciously experiencing it at the moment. What is the result? 

Our Eternal Confidence in Christ

The result in our lives, because of our position in Christ, should be a fearless loyalty to Him, and an unshakeable confidence in Him. Read on!
31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

It really doesn’t matter who our enemies are: It matters who our friend and defender is.
32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

There may be a temptation to misuse this verse and to attempt to teach a “health and wealth” Gospel by it. Before you think that, remember what Paul said to the Philippian Church (Philippians 4:18). He said, on the basis of their gift to him, “I have everything, and abound!” What was the gift? I can’t tell you but, whatever it was, it couldn’t have been very much: they were very poor people, and under persecution as well.

The real key here is to remember where Paul was when he made that statement. He was in a prison cell, with virtually nothing in the way of belongings, and with very little in the way of human comforts. If that is what Paul called “having everything” and “abounding”, then I seriously doubt that the passage here in Romans can be taken to mean “we should be healthy and wealthy as a result of our position in Christ.” In fact, I suspect that the next verse, Philippians 4:19, may tell us how to use the promise here in Romans.

He says, “But my God shall supply all your need, according to His riches in Christ Jesus.” We have a problem discerning the difference between “need” and “desire”, I think. The people in Hebrews 11 who were most highly praised by God, of whom He says that “the World was not worthy” of them, were the ones who lived in abject poverty, having lost everything they owned because of their position in Christ, and who died in faith, seeking His eternal reward, rather than Earthly satisfaction and gratification. Now, that is a tough act to follow, but I would really rather follow that one than the one of the church at Laodicea, where the believers were physically healthy and wealthy, but spiritually sick and impoverished.

And what about accusations? We are maligned by the public and the press: they love to find someone who claims to be a believer, but who is caught in some sort of foolishness or sin, and plaster his or her shame all over the news. But what does God say?
33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth  (declares us righteous.)
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Ultimately, though we are warned to not feed that fire, so as to not give them ammunition against us, we are still to rest in Christ. The believers in Hebrews 11 also endured trials of cruel mocking, and were even imprisoned for their faith, had all their property confiscated by the state, and many were executed. Our position in Christ is what matters, and our faith is to be demonstrated in our proper behavior…not public sin and shameful acts. Don’t give them legitimate cause to attack you; but if you suffer for your right acts, because of your right beliefs, then bear up joyfully. Jesus says there is a great reward coming! That gives us Security!

Our Eternal Security in Christ

We are frequently called upon to defend our position in Christ: the accusation is that our condition as fallen sinners, still subject to the “sin that so easily besets us,” (Hebrews 12:1) somehow renders us “unfit for God’s Grace.” Please remember that the very definition of Grace is such that it can only be received by those who do not deserve it. Grace specifically means “un-earned” favor… unmerited favor. If you feel you deserve it, then it isn’t Grace at all! You must be thinking that God owes you something, because you are so good. You cannot earn God’s Grace—so quit trying to do so. Serve Him because He is worthy! Not to make yourself worthy!

But; in case you are worried about your security in Christ, look what He says about it:
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (Notice that the first word is “who”, not “what.” This becomes important in verse 39.)
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Give that line some thought: He does not say, we “will be” more than conquerors. He says we “are” more than conquerors…it’s a “done deal!” How? Through Him that loved us!

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We can read through all these things and be properly impressed, and all, but still wonder, “But what if I just give up and quit? Won’t that separate me from Him? If I just completely rebel against His Grace and Love, and throw a spiritual “hissy-fit,” and blaspheme Him in my self-centered tantrums and anger… won’t that disqualify me?” (Do you remember Peter doing some stuff like that while he was in the process of denying he ever knew Jesus? Hmmm….)

Look at that last verse again: It says, “neither height nor depth, nor any other creature” (literally it says “any other created thing”)….

You just have to answer one question: “Am I a created thing?” (This is not a silly question: it is absolutely serious.) If you can admit to yourself that you are indeed a created thing…one of the “creatures” within God’s Creation, (beside the fact that you have been re-born; re-created in the image of God), then you must admit that you are also completely incapable of separating yourself from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus your Lord…your Master…your Savior.

You know what happens if you say “I quit!”?  He doesn’t! How do I know? Philippians 1:6 says, “He who has begun a good work in you will continue to perform it, (perfect it…carry it on to completion…) until the day of Jesus Christ.” He has begun a work in you, and He is not about to let you ruin it. Can you make it less profitable than it might have been? Sure…but do you really want to? He will not abandon you under any circumstances; but wouldn’t you like it to be a profitable relationship, with eternal results? That’s God’s desire for you, too!

Conclusion:

Now…what are you going to do about it? Are you willing to be conformed to His image? Are you willing to allow your life to be changed, to fulfill His purpose? Do you recognize that you truly have been called to serve Him: to lay aside your own selfish life and dreams for the sake of carrying out His desire?

Then open up your Bible and read it! Learn what He has for you to do. Learn how He wants you to respond to Him. Allow His Holy Spirit to teach you and Guide you. Fellowship with other believers around the person of Christ and around His written Word. Learn to share your faith with others, and begin to joyfully look for and anticipate opportunities to do so. Pray for God’s guidance, and expect Him to provide it.

Allow the realities of Romans chapters six through eight to transform your life, and make it a joyful experience. I pray that all of us can step into the realities of this passage. It isn’t easy: but it’s worth it!

Lord Jesus,

We do not claim to “have a handle on the Christian life.” Too frequently we allow the fears and griefs and desires of this world to saturate us and bring us down, so that we do not feel the Joy of your Salvation, though it has not left us. We want to experience that Joy, by Faith, and live in such a way as to be an encouragement to others. We want to serve you with our lives, and not drag our feet, resisting You. Please fill us with your Peace and Joy, and teach us to walk in the light of your Word. Let us be the ambassadors you have called us to be.

Amen!

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