Will We All Be Called By The Lord?

Will We All be Called by the Lord?

Romans 11:29

The Message Bible - God’s gifts and God’s call are under full warranty—never canceled, never rescinded.

Easy-to-Read Version - God never changes his mind about the people he calls. He never decides to take back the blessings he has given them.

The NIV - for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.

Undoubtedly some people may have had this thought or question come to their mind, what does it mean to be called? Is it that someone is trying to call me on my telephone? Is someone speaking in a loud voice hoping that I might hear? Is someone knocking at my door to call upon me for some reason?

The Merriam-Webster dictionary has the word CALL defined as:

To speak in a loud distinct voice so as to be heard at a distance. To make a request or demand. To speak to or attempt to reach someone by means of a call (telephone). To summon to a particular activity, employment, or office. To invite or command to meet. To rouse from sleep or summon to get up. To give the order for, bring into action. To require as necessary or appropriate. A request or command to come or assemble. A summons. An invitation to become the minister of a church or to accept a professional appointment. A divine vocation or strong inner prompting to a particular course of action.

Before we begin, let us look at the verse again, “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” That could also be rephrased as “the offerings and summons of God can never be removed.”

Paul has written previously that God's people Israel, will get back to God. This will be through faith in Christ, eventually. This is the reason for the nation of Israel, it was God’s purpose. Why has God done this? Earlier it is said that it is a direct result of their ancestors. Those are the patriarchs of Israel: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God provided for these three men unconditional promises that He would favor them and make of them a powerful country. Since these guarantees were given by God, they were sure of the outcome. The promises were God's blessings. God called the patriarchs to follow Him, and He made a never-ending contract with them that would pass to their descendants.

Paul composes that these gifts and calling are unalterable. However, God later made contingent agreements to favor Israel in the event that they would keep the law, His vows to the patriarchs were for the most part promises dependent on His own integrity. Those promises will not be disavowed regardless of how much Israel sins in dismissing faith in Christ as the Messiah. God will consistently call Israel back into a relationship with Himself, even guiding the nation to faith in Christ in due time.

So, what does it mean to be called or to hear the call? What is our answer, to preach or not to preach? How do we know if what we heard, or what we think that we heard, is from God? To be able to give any type of answer, I would venture to first ask this question,

Church Hymnal, page 357, “Is thy heart right with God?”

Have thy affections been nailed to the cross?

Is thy heart right with God??

Dost thou count all things for Jesus but loss?

Is thy heart right with God??

Is thy heart right with God,

Washed in the crimson flood,?

Cleansed and made holy,

Humble, and lowly,

Right in the sight of God?

Anyone can be called for one reason or another, for one type of service or another.

Ephesians 4:11-16 talks about the endowment of spiritual leaders and the significance of an adoring, mature, and bound together Christianity. A few believers are supplied with gifts of instructing, lecturing, etc. It is urgent to the wellbeing of the congregations that these individuals utilize their spiritual gifts suitably. Simultaneously, various individuals from a congregation have various capabilities. The group of believers works best when those individual pieces are cooperating, through their special jobs. A sound and healthy church is undeniably more impressive than a large fully packed church. Each person is called to do something and not in the same way as someone else.

Have you been called, and if so, who called you?

Are you called to preach, to teach, or to serve in some capacity by God or man? Have you called yourself into a profession of the ministry to fill a place in society? The Holy Spirit has called. Who among us has answered? Have we picked up the Holy telephone or have we left the earthly answering machine on? Have we told the unholy secretary to hold all calls? Or have you responded, “Speak, for thy servant heareth” (1 Samuel 3:10).