The Calling Of God

There are some people in this world who will hear and obey the calling of God. They are identified in the Bible as "the called." What is this calling, and who are they which are called?

In Romans 8:28, one can read this very familiar passage of Scripture: "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." Notice the definite article "the", which indicates that these who love God are a particular group of people. "The called", then, are the same as "them that love God."

Who are "the called" and why do they love God? The next two verses tell us plainly that "the called" and "those who love God", are the same as those whom God did, "Foreknow" (that is, intimately loved from all eternity). They are, moreover, described as those whom He, "Did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son." They are also identified in this passage as justified and glorified; and then in verse 33 they are shown to be the elect.

Jesus describes this calling in John 5:25 as, "Hearing the voice of the Son of God." He further identifies this spiritual calling as a new or heavenly birth which God sovereignly gives in John 3:3-5.

Now, the reason I want us to think on this matter is that many in the modern religious world consider this calling to come by the preaching of the gospel. It is, however, very important for us to differentiate between this heavenly calling and the gospel call. If one does not, he might come to the false conclusion that it is the sinner's response to the gospel call that determines his eternal destiny, but this cannot be the case, or salvation would be by the will of the creature; and the Bible tells us in no uncertain terms, that it is not (John 1:13, Romans 9:16, and a vast host of other Scriptures).

So, to clearly understand the difference between this heavenly calling and the gospel call, let us consider a passage of Scripture in which they are both discussed in the same context. To do this, we will turn to I Corinthians, chapter one. In verse 17, Paul declares that God sent him to preach the gospel, but at once he notices a phenomenon which he encounters everywhere he preaches.

Some hear and obey the gospel, but most do not. Thankfully, he knows the reason, and is thus, not discouraged. The gospel minister today also ought to notice the truth which Paul here asserts when he said, "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved (the called) it is the power of God." Paul knows that preaching is foolishness to some and power to others. To those who are in a perishing condition, it is (verse 23) either a cause of offense or just plain foolishness.

Indeed, he rather concludes this whole discussion in chapter two and verse fourteen with these words: "But the natural man (the man without this heavenly calling we are considering) receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

Well, then who will receive the gospel call or believe the message of the gospel? We are told quite plainly in verse 23: "But unto them that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." The calling spoken of in this verse cannot be the gospel call, for he just told us that the gospel call is offensive or foolish to Jews and Greeks! But, when one is called of God in the new birth, he is then able to hear the gospel call.

So, can we not plainly see that one has to have first had a heavenly call in the heart before he can hear the gospel call? That is why Jesus said in John 3:3-5 that one must be born again before he can either see or enter the kingdom of God.

Please allow me to show you a Biblical example of this truth found in Acts, chapter ten. We have this one, Cornelius, who is Gentile who had never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ; and yet, we find him a man who feared God, prayed, did good works which pleased God, and received a heavenly vision from God.

Now, Cornelius had never heard the gospel, but he certainly had heard the voice of the Son of God in the life-giving new birth. How do we know that he had received this heavenly calling? His life demonstrated that he was certainly under the rule and reign of God (the "kingdom of God" which Jesus said one can only see and enter if he had been born again).

Now, when this man, who had received a heavenly calling, hears the call of the gospel to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be baptized, he immediately obeys. So it is with all who are born from above, and it is only so with those who are born from above or "the called."

Paul declared this to be the case, as he emphasizes in I Corinthians 1:29, 31: "That no flesh should glory in His presence...That, according as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."