You Are Called
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,
But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: (2Timothy 1:9-10)
WE HAVE FINISHED THE BOOKS OF PETER AND JUDE and for a while will consider some free-standing themes, not connected directly to a book study. As I read in my own private reading, or as Barbara and I read together, and as I hear verses in sermons, I am often compelled to write the verses down on my little note pad and come back to them. This is one of those copied verses.
WHEN PAUL WAS GROOMING TIMOTHY FOR RESPONSIBILITY, he showed him important things. I don’t believe Paul would have taken the time to show Timothy a lot of useless trivia for his entertainment. Paul showed him important things for living the Christian life and equipping young Christians around him for living the Christian life.
TIMOTHY, WHAT YOU ARE DOING IS A HOLY CALLING and you tell the other Christians that what they are doing is a holy calling. We need to get that nailed down, so it stays put. Barnes comments and includes several verses that address our calling. “Romans 8:28, 30. A calling which is in its own nature holy, and which leads to holiness; compare Ephesians 4:1; Philippians 3:14 and Hebrews 3:1.”
WITH THE CHRISTIAN CONVERSATION OF TODAY, one might get the idea that God has primarily one calling and that is when He calls someone to preach. We usually think of the church pastor as the preacher. The pastor preaches. Yes, that is one important kind of preaching but that’s just one kind of preaching. In the opening days of the first church in Jerusalem, Christians were being persecuted and they were leaving Jerusalem. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word. (Acts 8:4)
THEY WERE NOT ALLED OR GIFTED TO EXOUND AND EXPLAIN Scripture as a pastor would do. But, the portion of the Scriptures that they knew by heart, they were quoting these Scriptures to everyone who would listen. These were not the Apostles. These were the common people who worked at their trades to make a living and they also were a witness by quoting the Old Testament Scriptures. (That’s all they had for 30 years.)
WELL, THEN, IF THEY WERE NOT CALLED TO PASTOR A CHURCH or to expound the Scriptures as a pastor would do, what was their calling? They were called to salvation. You are called to salvation. It’s like God calling Adam after he and eve had sinned: “Adam, where art thou?” God called Adam. We are called to salvation and that calling is just as valid as the other callings God sends out to various individuals. You have been called to salvation. It is a holy calling. All of God’s callings are holy callings. Can you think of any calling of God that would be less than a holy calling?
GOD TOLD THE ISRAELITES THAT HE HAD NOT BLESSED THEM BECAUSE THEY were bigger than others. The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. (Deuteronomy 7:7-8)
IN THE SAME WAY, IN THE SAME SENSE, GOD HAS NOT SAVED US BECAUSE WE have managed to think and act worthy of being saved. Our text for today tells us that our being saved and our being called was given to us before the world began. That’s big isn’t it? Isn’t that the biggest thing you ever heard? That before God made the earth, He had decided to extend to you a holy calling to salvation and service for Him? I stopped trying to take it all in a long time ago. Someone wrote a song about it: The Wonder of It All. I found a good copy of the song. I hope you enjoy it.
BACK THERE BEFORE THE WORLD BEGAN, GOD'S PLAN FOR US was out of sight. But Paul says it was manifest, it became visible by the appearing of Jesus Christ. He came to a stable and went to His cross and His grave and came out of the grave victoriously and abolished death. Christ has brought life and immortality out in the open where it can be seen! Because He lives, we shall live also! Ω
Read Through the Bible in a Year
JUNE 28, 2018 – THURSDAY
A.M. Job 13-15 P.M. Acts 8:26-40
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.) If you are behind in reading, read the passage for today and then go back.
●Good Memory Verse:
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. (Psalm 91:1-2) (Write verses on scrap of paper and put in your pocket to memorize.)
●Song for Today:
The Wonder of It All (2:51) (Doug Oldham – Gaither Group)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSYzJZml_jA
●Health Hint:
Digestion is harder as we age. We can help our digestion by drinking water a half-hour before we eat. This will help us to produce saliva for chewing. Drinking liquid at meal time weakens our digestive juices. Under the tongue, the saliva that is produced contains an enzyme that helps us digest starchy foods. We should chew our food well and not “wolf it down.” We should chew until that bite of food is a paste that will swallow easily without drinking anything with it. Whatever we drink can be sipped and enjoyed but will not be necessary for swallowing our food. This will improve digestion.
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