Our Calling

1 Cor. 1:4, 9

“GOD is faithful by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." It is only necessary to put this verse which declares the fellowship into which God has called us with His Son, into connection with "the grace of God which is given us by Jesus Christ" in verse 4, to see how they act and react upon each other for our present blessing and the glory of Christ. Each rests on "the faithfulness of God" to Him and to us!
But I will quote a few texts for our consideration, which will bring into prominence the subject of a Christian's calling, that we may see how large a place "calling" has in the mind and ways of God; and possibly discover how very much it is left in the background as regards our communion with Him. Our salvation occupies us so exclusively, that we forget its connection with "calling," and therefore fail to see how great a Christian is by calling. The order in which it is put in Rom. 8 is important, "whom He did predestinate, them He also called; and whom He called, them He also justified; and whom He justified, them He also glorified." Passing by this instructive and Divine order, we shall find other parts of Scripture, which connect salvation and calling; for example, in 2 Tim. 1:9, "who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus, before the world began." We shall do well on all accounts to ponder such a full and precious text as this, and the verse that follows, that we may see the nature and character of the Christian's calling, established thus by purpose and by grace; and given us in Christ Jesus If we turn to the Hebrews, we shall learn further how we are personally recognized: "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him who appointed him," &c.
The Scriptures first cited established our calling upon the fact that "God is faithful;" but Heb. 3 presents Christ to the holy brethren, in His faithfulness towards God and us (now that He is passed through the heavens) as the Apostle and High Priest of a heavenly calling; "for such an High Priest became us who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens." The Christian's dignity thus flows from the double fact of the faithfulness of God, who is the Caller, and also from the Person and Office of our great High Priest, "who was faithful to Him that appointed him" over the "partakers of a heavenly calling." Peter may supply a further scripture to us on this great subject: "The God of all grace, who hath called us to His, eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish; strengthen, settle you." This text gives the additional fact, that it is the God of ALL grace who hath called us, and binds the suffering with the glory (as this apostle always does) as the way of our perfection, establish went, and settlement. The two things which Peter was unable to put together, where his Lord was on the earth (the sufferings and the glory), he is careful never to separate in his epistles, as the highway to present blessing, and eternal glory, " even hereunto were ye called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow His steps. God is faithful, who hath called us unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is likewise the subject of the Philippian epistle, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Here the practical power of our calling is seen in the entire separation of a Christian unto God, and unto Christ; in the enjoyment of a hope, which associates him with itself, in the heavens; and makes him forgetful of those things which are behind. "This one thing I do" is the secret by which the soul is kept true to its center, like a needle to the pole.
Another text in the Thessalonians may suffice to present our calling in some of the varied aspects by which we are instructed in the epistles by the Holy Ghost. The connection and effect of our calling upon our walk is most important for the believer, especially in a day of great weakness, when these two things are separated—"that ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto His kingdom and glory." The fellowship into which God has called us, with His Son, thus embraces what the Son is, and what He is set over; and therefore in this text " the kingdom of God and His glory " are brought to bear upon the soul, for Christ is over the kingdom. Where the heart responds to the power and blessedness of the calling, it is consciously attracted and attached by Him who calls, to the circle of His own delights into which He calls us by Jesus Christ. That which satisfies Him is what He associates us with, by calling, for the display of His own love towards us, and for the satisfaction of His dear Son, Jesus Christ our Lord; for it is He, who is to "see of the travail of His own soul, and be satisfied." What must it be, that God has called us out into—and what must be the character of this fellowship with the Son of His love—when we are taught that the travail of Christ's soul is the measure which the Father adopts as the rule by which He will express His own delight in the work, by which He has been so glorified?
The Lord grant to us, that we may live more in the understanding and enjoyment of our calling, and that the eyes of our understanding being opened, we "may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.”
In conclusion, we may discover the practical power of the calling upon Abraham, when "the God of glory appeared to him, and said, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I will shew thee." He viewed himself in the light of this calling, and there was not one like him in the whole of Mesopotamia, which he left behind. He looked at himself in connection with the God of glory, who appeared to him; and in following God, he came to the place where God, and the glory, and Abraham, and his seed will be together. The calling was wondrous, and became a power in Abraham's soul, and he went out not knowing whither he went, nor much caring; for it was God who led him to what suited Himself. "If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you.”

On Prayer

No. 2

THE confidence we should have as children of God is that our Heavenly Father knows better than we do, and that He seeks our profit. To ask, therefore, "according to His will," and not according to our will, is the unselfish path in which the Spirit leads. We sometimes "ask amiss," because self, in some shape or other, is our object, and not the Lord's glory; and no marvel if such prayers are not answered. "Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." (James 4:3.) Who would wish such prayers to be answered? and yet it is well to watch our hearts as to this. On the other hand, our relationship with God our Father forbids that anything should interfere with the freest actings of filial love. The Spirit, therefore, enjoins us to "be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving to make our requests known unto God." (Phil. 4:6.) He does not here promise that all our requests shall be answered, but this Scripture does enjoin that outpouring of heart becoming a child to his heavenly Father.
After all, perhaps nothing so hinders answers to prayer as the condition of soul we may be in. Felt nearness to God must be connected with self-abasement. No flesh can glory in His presence. When Job was so unusually near to God that he said, "I have heard of thee with the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee," how did he feel? He added, "wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." When Isaiah was consciously in the presence of the glory of the Lord, we find him saying, "Woe is me for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips, for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." Again, when the prophet Habakkuk, under divine teaching, contemplated more thoroughly the ways of God, he says, "When I heard, my belly trembled, my lips quivered at the voice, rottenness entered into my bones," &c. And so Daniel, the man greatly beloved, when he had a vision of the glory of the Lord, and heard His words, what was the effect? He says, "There remained no strength in me; for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength. Yet heard I the voice of His words; and when I heard the voice of His words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground." But some of my Christian readers will say, "These were Old Testament saints who had not learned God as we have in the death and resurrection of His beloved Son, and had not the Spirit of adoption, and conscious knowledge of God as their Father." I know it. But I refer to these scriptures to show what man while in the body is, when brought into felt nearness to the infinitely holy God. Surely, He is not less Holy now than He ever was, though, in the brightness of that perfect holiness we know, for our joy and confidence, that Jesus has entered with His own blood; and that He is our life, righteousness, peace, and acceptance. We find the aged apostle John, when his eye for one moment rested upon the glorified Son of Man in the midst of the seven candlesticks, saying, "When I saw Him I fell at His feet as dead." We know that the Lord soon lifted him up and comforted him; but I refer to it to show that in the presence of divine glory flesh must be abased, and God alone exalted.
To pursue a little further this part of the subject we are considering, let us look at Jacob. He was greatly troubled, full of fear, and rightly enough made the God of Abraham and of Isaac his refuge. His prayer, as recorded in Gen. 32, was humble, earnest, and supplicatory. But with this there was some reckoning upon his own policy. Faith in God he doubtless had, but he had confidence also that a present would appease Esau's wrath, and thus help to deliver him. It was therefore necessary that God should sharply exercise His servant before answering his prayer, so that he might give the glory to Him to whom alone it was due. Hence we read at the end of the chapter, that "Jacob was left alone, and there wrestled with him a man till the breaking of the day." Jacob needed his fancied strength and self-confidence to be broken down, so that he might feel his own weakness. Hence we see his thigh was put out of joint, and in this perfect helplessness he clung to the one who wrestled with him for blessing. He said, "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me." Thus he was consciously helpless, and clinging to another for blessing. He was then asked his name, for God wanted him to feel his vileness as well as wickedness. He therefore confesses that his name is Jacob—supplanter. Thus he is vile in his own eyes as well as weak. He confesses that he is a supplanter, as well as helpless. And now God can abundantly honor him. "Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel; for as a Prince hast thou power with God, and with men, and hast prevailed.”
Now, what do we learn from all these instances, but that the most devoted saints, when in felt nearness to God, will be consciously weak, and unworthy, and that a sense of our helplessness and vileness—real self-abasement before God—is necessary in order that He should 'bless and honor us in answering our prayers. "He that humbleth himself shall be exalted." How pride must hinder answers to prayer. There is another reason why prayer is not more frequently answered. God has marked out the ground of approach worthy of Himself, and of the relationship His grace has found, viz., the name of His beloved Son. Five or six times in our Lord's last address to His disciples, He especially taught them to ask the Father in His name. There is no limit to blessing to those who come in His name. "If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it." (John 14:14.) The fact is that Jesus has so infinitely glorified God in His work on the cross, that He is righteously worthy of all blessing. There is nothing too much for God to do, or to give, because of the infinite worthiness of His beloved Son. How simple this is, and how encouraging! Vile and helpless in self, yet so pleading the all-worthy name of Jesus, as to have joyful answers to prayer.
He said to His disciples, "Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name; ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." (John 16:24.) Saints of old were wont to approach God by a sacrifice; we bring the name of Him who offered Himself without spot to God—a sacrifice and offering of such infinite and eternal efficacy, that it never needed to be repeated.
When Samuel prayed for God's people Israel, we are told that he took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a burnt offering; and no sooner had the savor of the offering gone up, then God thundered upon their enemies and delivered His people. Daniel was successful in prayer at the time of the evening oblation. Zechariah prayed to God, and was heard, while incense was being offered up. Elijah offered a bullock on the altar, when he presented prayer to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, which God immediately answered by fire from heaven. We cannot be too simple and earnest in pleading the name of the Lord Jesus in prayer.

“O plead His name, His precious name,
With boldness at the throne;
For all He is, and all He has,
Will surely be our own.”

Not that the Father does not love us. Far from that. The Lord does not intercede to cause the Father to love us. Hence Jesus said, "I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God." (John 16:26, 27.)