The believer's calling

Maybe we could read together in Romans chapter 1. Romans chapter 1. Now over the last year I've been enjoying looking at a range of scriptures that speak about our calling and I want to focus on particularly the emphasis that we have in the book of Romans. As I looked at a number of these scriptures I realized that it's a tremendously important thing for us to think about. If God has called us we should be listening.

If God has called us it should be of supreme importance. It has to be extremely valuable if it is God who is calling us. So we're going to read a few verses in chapter 1 primarily that just draw attention to this and then focus in chapter 8. Romans 1 in verse 1 says, Paul a servant of Jesus Christ called to be an apostle separated unto the gospel of God.

And then in verse 5 it says, By whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for his name among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ. To all that be in Rome beloved of God called to be saints. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now I'm just going to comment on a few things more generally about the idea of being called. Now it used to be that if you walked down the street and saw somebody talking to themselves you knew that there was something wrong and you pretty well figured out that person's a little bit peculiar. But now everybody does and nobody knows whether they're really just talking to themselves or whether they're actually talking to somebody else.

But one thing that hasn't changed is that the way you respond to somebody calling you basically says what you think about that person. Now I'm sure most of us have been sitting in a room when the phone rings and someone either pulls out their cell phone or if they still have those ancient landline phones and you watch the reaction. You listen to the tone of voice and you basically know whether they want to get rid of this person as soon as they can or whether this is an important person to them.

And so just try to remember that as we look at some of these scriptures because how you are responding to God's call to you does tell him what you think of him. And so Romans chapter 1 speaks about being the called of Jesus Christ. Christ has called us.

Now there's a few other verses. First Thessalonians 2 and 12 says that you would walk worthy of God who has called you unto his kingdom and his glory. God has called you into his kingdom and his glory.

Well that's amazing. That's a wonderful, wonderful thing. And so some of these relate to the present.

We are called to salvation. We are called to service. And so how we respond is very, very important.

Now when you look up the words called and calling and so on in the scriptures, it covers a range of meanings but it's pretty simple. It means you're called. And sometimes it's more an emphasis on invitation and sometimes there's more of an invitation on command, an emphasis on command.

And so I mean we all know that in, you know, if you've been again around a family and dad or mom calls one of the kids and they don't bother responding, well you know things haven't gotten too serious yet. And then they may call again and you're starting to wonder, well let's just see how this plays out. And then usually you'll hear the voice raised or footsteps coming and then there's a response because they know you can push them, you can push dad or mom so far and then you better start listening.

And so his call has an invitation in it but it also comes with a supreme authority. Now I'm going to draw attention to one passage which implies that even God can be refused. Even God's call can be refused.

In Matthew chapter 22 the Lord spoke a parable of a great king who made a marriage feast for his son. And if you remember that story how he sends out his servants to call those that were bidden and they didn't pay any attention to it. Some of them actually reacted very, very deliberately in hurting them, even killing them.

And so there was a call that was rejected, a call that was refused. And at the end of that parable the Lord said, for many are called but few are chosen. And so I'm just drawing attention to that before I get into the main thrust of my message because what we're going to look at in Romans 8 is, we sometimes call it the effectual call, when it's successful, when there is a response to him.

But I just want to remind you in case you are subjected to some of this wrong thinking that if you don't happen to be saved there's no use of you, you know, seeking to be saved or seeking to get right with God because if God's going to call you he's going to call you. And if he isn't going to call you he's going to call you. God is calling through the gospel and his invitation is to whosoever will.

And so there is an open invitation, it expresses his generosity, it expresses his love, it expresses his delight in his son. The king, the great king, wants his son to be honored and he wants to have as much joy as is possible for his son. And so God would have many to come but many will refuse.

But let's go to Romans chapter 8 and we'll see it as it is expressed here. Romans chapter 8, now some of this is so familiar to us and yet I'm not sure how much we really understand as we read some of these words. Romans chapter 8, let's just look down around verse 26 it says, likewise the spirit also helps our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the spirit itself or himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

And he that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the spirit because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 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. 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.

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. What shall we then say to these things if God before us who can be against us.

Now one of the things that you could see very easily here is that there is a sequence in these expressions. And that's important because we need to recognize the wonder of the fact that God's purpose began before creation existed. And as we look at a verse like verse 28, and we know.

Now there are some translations that will put a but there instead of and and it probably is really more accurately a but there because he has just said earlier we don't know what we should pray for as we ought. We don't know at times how to pray. We don't understand, we don't know.

We have our desires, our longings, and things aren't going the way we want them to go. And we don't know how to pray about it or what to pray for. And we have the intercession of the spirit mentioned in the midst of our infirmity, in the midst of our confusion, and our in our limitedness.

We have an eternal presence of the God of eternity who is indwelling us, who is aware of every concern we have, who is conscious of everything that we are going through. And I'm very grateful to see this and to know this that he's interceding for me according to God. And then it says and we know or you could say but here's something we do know.

And so I want to ask you really do we really know this? And what does this knowledge derive from? And what does what's really involved in it? Now I find personally that it's easier to understand verse 28 after I go through verse 29 to verse 30 because that's the explanation of verse 28. We know that all things work together for good. Now of course that does not mean that everything that happens to us is somehow good.

And that we're supposed to pretend that everything that happens is something that is good. Or that everything that happens to us is the will of God. I hope that doesn't shock you if I disagree with that.

Because there's a lot going on in the world that is not the will of God. It's not in harmony with God. But God is at work in the midst of this.

And that's what we can cling to. That God is at work in and through the all things. And then it says to them that love God.

That's an interesting expression. Who are these people for whom everything that happens must bow and bend to their blessing? These must be pretty special people. Pretty important people.

That all things must work together for good to them. The people that love God. And then he gives a further explanation to them who are called according to his purpose.

And so I want to show you the emphasis here in his calling is first of all his purpose and his power. His preservation. You can also look at it as its success.

Because the ones that he has called are the same ones who love him. So it's obvious that here are people who have heard God call them. And have responded.

And now they are those who love God. You know this is one of the most beautiful expressions in our Bible. Them who love God.

Do you remember what Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 2? He says that I has not seen neither ear heard neither has it entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that love him. One thing this tells me is that our love to him must be very very significant to him. In fact if I could put it this way to you.

Your love to God is the most important thing about you. If God gave as his greatest commandment thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul with all thy mind and with all thy might. If that expresses his supreme commandment it must be his greatest desire that we would love him.

And so he has great pleasure great delight in those who respond to him and who love him in return. But you notice how it's put in parallel with those to them who are the called according to his purpose. And so that clearly lets us know that his call to us is preceded by his purpose.

His purpose directs his call. And so we have to look back. Back before our little history.

Back before the day we were saved or we ever heard the gospel. Back into eternity itself. To somehow think about the eternal God.

And I don't know how to express it. Because we're sort of lost when we're trying to talk about eternal things. But if we can say it this way that there arose.

There arose in the heart of God. And there rests in the heart of God a purpose. A plan.

A will. That includes us. Now notice the sequence that is given here.

Who were the called according to his purpose. And then it says for. This is an explanation.

For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate. Now what does foreknowledge mean? Well we have a word in the medical field that is this exact word pulled into English out of Greek. The word prognosis.

And you go to the doctor and he looks at your scans. He looks at whatever the report. He evaluates everything.

And then he says well you've got this problem. Well what's the prognosis? Well actually he doesn't know. But if he's well experienced he may have a pretty good idea.

But prognosis means to know beforehand. To know what's going to happen. And sometimes they speak quite definitely.

Yes you have four months. You have two weeks. The prognosis.

Now there are a couple of expressions. It is spoken of people in 2 Peter chapter 3 verse 17. Wherefore beloved seeing you know these things before.

That's the same expression. You know these things before. But the difference is this.

We know these things of the future because he told us. He knows without anybody telling him. This is one of the glories of the eternal God.

Is that he can see the future just as simply and clearly as we see the moment. Or we're able to remember the past. And so there's a few verses here.

Now I'm going to also suggest that when we have this word here it's not just what he foreknew. It's whom he did foreknow. So this is talking about him knowing people ahead of time.

Now does this just simply mean that he knows that we're going to exist. And he knows all about us. He knows all the facts about us.

No it's the word is used. The word to know is often used in a relational sense. I know you.

Or negatively I never knew you. Remember in Matthew when the Lord has those in front of him and they profess. They a relationship with him.

He says depart from me. I never knew you. What does he mean? Obviously it doesn't mean he didn't know anything about them.

I was never in a relationship with you. And so this is really a marvelous expression. Because it is actually saying that before we ever came into existence he foreknew us.

And I'm going to just add another little phrase to that. He knew us in a proving relationship. That's an amazing thing.

Whom he did foreknow. He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son. Now the word election is not here in this verse.

But it's brought in down about verse 33. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect. And if you remember how Peter expresses it.

Elect according to the foreknowledge of God. Now I'm going to touch on a few things here which I have no idea what you happen to think about it. There's been a lot of discussion debate about God's sovereignty.

About divine choosing. Divine election. And human free will.

Human responsibility. The scriptures speak very simply of both of these as being real. Now most of the explanations I've ever listened to either end up denying one or the other.

And I've never been able to satisfy myself with any explanation that denies either one or the other. And it is a real challenge. But for myself personally and I don't know if this will be any help to you.

What has helped me the most in being able to appreciate how it is possible for both of these to be genuinely true. Is to simply take into account God's eternal being. You see it's the time element that causes us the difficulty.

Because people will say well if God chose me. Or if God didn't choose me. In eternity before time ever began.

Do I have a choice? And the logic would say well no obviously you don't have a choice if God made the choice. And so people go on a certain progression of logic based on what they assume that implies. And what that determines.

And yet the scriptures speak of both very very simply very clearly. And especially when you get first Peter chapter one where he says elect according to the foreknowledge of God. That's one of the keys.

But if you could just understand it in this way and think of this way. I mean do we understand what it means that God is eternal? No we don't. Because we don't have that capability.

But if we can think about it just a little bit. God as the eternal. You could put it this way.

He's outside of time. And so he can be in every moment of time. At the same time.

If you want to say it that way. And so for God to act according to what he knows will be in a certain moment. Ten million years from now.

Is perfectly consistent. And it's not a contradiction. It's not illogical.

And I have come to enjoy this reality that God in his eternal being has taken into account every element of the gospel. What do I mean by that? My repentance. My response to the conviction of sin.

My response to God. My faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. These are elements that enable God to manifest his grace to a sinner.

And God if he has chosen us according to his foreknowledge. It includes all of those elements. It's in harmony with it.

And just appreciating his eternal being to me helps to resolve what looks like a contradiction. Yes he chose. Yes you are responsible to choose.

To respond to the gospel when you hear it. And so as we speak of it here it says for whom he did foreknow. He also did predestinate.

Now predestination is never unto salvation or damnation. Predestination is always to blessing. As far as I can see in the scriptures.

Whenever the idea of predetermining is in view. When that term is used it's always to the blessing that God has purposed for us. Now just pay attention to what it says here.

What did he predestinate us for? It says that we should be conformed to the image of his son. Now in Ephesians chapter 1 which has some very parallel ideas. We are told there that he has predestinated us to sonship.

God as he has foreknown us. Has chosen us. He has this purpose that we would experience being his sons.

That we would be brought into this relationship and enjoy this wonderful relationship with himself as belonging to him as his sons. Now this is linked with it. What kind of sonship? The sonship of his son.

Now I don't know if you have ever imitated somebody. There are certain preachers and this is just a little bit of inside humor among preachers and among the Lord's people. There are certain preachers that get imitated all over the country.

Sometimes in a humorous way and sometimes in a very sincere way. And I've heard it said that there is no sincere flattery of a person than to try to imitate them. If you want to be like that person you are expressing your admiration for them.

Now I'm not going to use the word flattery here in this passage. But I just want you to see this. God could not think of any higher blessing to give to you than to make you like his son.

In other words, he loves his son, he admires his son. He has the highest possible esteem in the Lord Jesus Christ. And he wants to make us to be just like his son.

For his joy, for his glory and honor. That he might be the first born among many brethren. So you see the generous heart of God.

You know there are some families where there's an only son. And I don't know if there's any only sons here today. But in some families where that happens, that son becomes kind of a spoiled brat.

And gets put up with mostly. And you just wonder, what kind of a marriage is he going to have? What kind of a, you know, who's going to have to put up with him for the rest of her life? And there's sometimes parents are so focused on that one and only son. That they can't seem to have any love or care for anybody else.

Everything is just wrapped around that boy or girl. But think of the generosity of God. He has a beloved son.

A unique son. One who has given him supreme satisfaction and delight in coming into humanity. Now I didn't draw attention to this again in Romans chapter 1. But in Romans chapter 1, we have the very significant expression of the idea of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Who is according to the flesh, he is the Son of God. He is the Son of God. He is the Son of God.

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He is the Son of God. He is the Son of God. He is the Son of God.

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He is the Son of God. He is the Son of God. He is the Son of God.

The Son of David. He is made of the seed of David. As to his human origin of the seed of David.

But he is declared to be the Son of God with power. According to his spirit of holiness by the resurrection of the dead. And so he is human.

God has brought his beloved son into humanity. He is a man. And he will be a man in the glory of Heaven.

He will be a man in his glory as administrator over God's eternal kingdom, but he's going to have many, many brothers. And so we see the generosity of God in bringing us into this realm of the royal family and giving us the inheritance to share with his beloved son. What a wonderful God we have.

He has called us. He has called us to this. So here's the sequence.

From eternity, now into time. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called. And you can look back in your little history, the history of your family, to when the gospel came to your knowledge and understanding.

And you became aware of God speaking to you. And now you're saved. Do you appreciate what you've been called to? You realize what God, the eternal God, has called you into? We should be living our lives with sincerity, with dignity, with holiness, with joyfulness, with confidence, with assurance.

He says, whom he called, them he also justified. And I hope you can remember that day very clearly. The day when your sins were forgiven.

You knew you were cleared before God. And judgment is gone. Judgment's removed.

Heaven is open. And then it says, and whom he justified, them he also glorified. And then you say, wait a minute.

I'm not glorified yet. I'm still here in my wounded body. I'm here in my suffering, infirmed mind and life.

So many things that bring stress and distress, challenge. He is glorified. That's future.

But it's said with the certainty of the past tense. Because he's the eternal. And so with this in mind, then just come back to verse 28.

That's why we know. This is how we can know that all things work together for good. That God is at work in and through all the things that touch our lives.

Because he has determined this eternal blessing for us. This eternal good. And so again it says, we know that all things work together for good to them that love God.

To them who are the called according to his purpose. So may God grant to us to ponder, to think about that phone call. Think of what it means how you respond when somebody calls you.

And just apply it to how you are responding in your life to the call of God towards you. May God bless us.