Your Calling

Our Calling 2 Peter 1:3-11

Story: The St. Bernard Dogs in the Alps who seek out travelers lost in a storm take their mission very seriously. One of these dogs returned late one afternoon, wearied from fighting his way through the drifts. He went to his kennel, lay down in a corner, and acted thoroughly despondent, despite the efforts of his master to encourage him. Was he sick? Well, no, not in body, but in heart. He had failed to find anyone to help and had come back ashamed. May this be the attitude of every believer of RCC on Sunday morning.

Thesis: This morning I want to talk about the calling of God on our lives.

1. We are first going to talk about calling and election.

A. First we will begin with election.

1. The question here is who is electing whom.

** In an election, the people elect individuals for offices in the government.

a. One side says that God elects some to salvation. He predetermines who will be saved and who will not be saved. If we are a member of the elect, then we are one of his children. If we are not, then we are going to hell. God elects us …and we do not elect God! There is nothing we can do… to get elected!

b. The other side says that we choose to elect God, to make Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. God knows who will elect him and who will not, but that does not matter, He does not choose for us, we choose to elect him into our lives or we do not. Those who elect to accept the gift of salvation, are going to heaven. Those who do not elect him as their Lord are going to hell.

c. My friends, everyone is elected, whosoever will may come, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. All who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. However, the question is whether we will accept the office.

d. It is like those positions you are elected to while you are not there. When you come back you can choose whether to accept or reject your election. Through Jesus Christ, God has elected us for salvation; however, the question is whether we will elect Him for the throne of our hearts. Will we accept it!

2. Calling. Is. 1: 18 18"Come now, and let us reason together," saith the LORD. "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

18"Come now, -Invitation

and let us reason together,-Conversation" saith the LORD.

"Though your sins be as scarlet, -Proclamation

they shall be as white as snow; Expitiation though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

a. The calling of God is the preaching of the gospel. This is God’s call.

b. More specifically, for each individual, our call is to forsake our sins to become righteous through Jesus Christ, from our death in trespasses and sins to become living spiritual men, and women …from our worldly pursuits to become the lovers of Jesus Christ.

c. We hear about the election of our souls through Jesus Christ through the calling of God. This is why the calling is mentioned first. Without the calling, we would know nothing about the election.

d. Much debate on these issues throughout the years. In our salvation, what part does God play and what part does man play? In the case of Saul, God played a bigger part. Oh, I suppose he could have rejected the call but that is unlikely given the circumstances. If we say that we heard the call of God, the gospel and that we responded and that we saved ourselves by our obedience, then what part did God play? We do not save ourselves we know, but how much did God draw us to his grace. Talk of irrestible grace. How much did God cause circumstances and His Holy Spirit conviction to cause us to respond?

e. Most of the time people fall into two extremes under this topic.

1. Those who believe that God does everything.

2. Those who believe that man does everything (the only thing that God has done is to provide a way for salvation, take it or leave it)

3. What does the Bible say? It talks about both. God has a part and man has a part. God has the bigger part through salvation, but man has a part as well.

Vs. 3- His divine power has given us everything (God does it all);

Vs. 4- You may participate in the divine nature (Man must participate, man does it all)

4. Need to find balance. Man cannot save himself nor does God do everything.