Called by God? Part 1: Salvation

Introduction: I often hear people say that they felt, “Called by God" to describe a decision they have made. Sometimes I hear that and shudder, thinking, “That’s so cliché, do they really even know what they mean?" Or maybe on an honest note, “Do I really know what it means to be called?” So the question is this: “What is it to be called?” As I have studied the Bible I found that it mentions the word “Calling” 700-plus times. We will learn that its meaning is in relation to three things: Salvation, Sanctification and Service.

In this Blog Series, I will post a blog on each of the subjects of God’s calling in the area of Salvation, Sanctification and lastly in Service. In each of these areas there appears to be combination of His divine plan and an element of our human responsibility to respond. Let us first explore what "Called By God" means in relation to our salvation.

We are called in our Salvation: When we look at the Bible, God acts first! He makes the first move in the creation of man and the redemption of man (Gen 1-3). He created, He sent and He saves! The Bible states that we were chosen before the creation of the world (Eph 1:4). We are a people like Israel, chosen and elected for Salvation. This idea “calling for our Salvation” is considered to be a Calvinistic view. Calvinism teaches that God from eternity past has chosen some to experience the gift of Salvation. This is often referred to as the doctrine of predestination. Regardless of ones specific view on Calvinism; the idea of “Receiving a calling for ones Salvation” is fairy clear from what read in scripture of God’s people through out history. God calls His people unto Salvation.

Scripture References:
• He chose us before he created the world (Eph 1:4)
• He predestined…He justified. (Rom 8:30)
• He calls us out of darkness and into His light (I Peter 2:9)
• He chose us, we did not choose Him (John 15:16).
• For it is by grace we are saved not by works, and this is not of ourselves (Eph.2:8-9).

Closing Comments: My professor Dr. Hannah said it best, "The truth of the gospel is not that I have come to Him, but that he came to me." We see then that the element of our human responsibility in salvation is simply our response to God’s first action to us. Our salvation doesn’t hinge on us, but it hinges on Him to prompt our hearts and our will to respond to his gracious offer. Hannah, clarifies by saying, “God, through His grace, boosts the will, strengthens and stimulates it, so that the will itself, without any coercion, will desire the good. Man does not save himself, nor is he saved against his will.” Therefore we see as St. Augustine did that it is “Neither the grace of God alone, nor he alone, but the grace of God with him.”

Questions for Discussion:
1.Is God prompting your heart through conviction and pain to want to know him more? Could He be calling you to experience Salvation? If so email me. ryanr@imagophoenix dot org
2.If salvation is not dependent upon you, how does that make you feel?
3.If we were the ones to obtain salvation, then would we also be the ones who could loose it?
4.If He is the one to grant salvation to us, then couldn’t He be faithful to secure it?
5.If the gospel is about Him coming to us--- not us to Him! How does that influence your understanding of God’s relationship to mankind?