Answering The Call

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 1:1-2)

During the Los Angeles riots in 1992, Steve Futterman was a reporter working for CBS radio. Part of his responsibilities was to interview looters who were ravaging the downtown businesses following the verdicts of the Rodney King trail. One of the looters he interviewed had just stepped out of a record store, laden down with property he had stolen from the store. When Steve asked him what kind of merchandise he had just stolen, the person replied, “Gospel tapes. I just love Jesus.”

OK, is it just me or is there a problem with this scenario? It’s sadly fascinating that this person didn’t see the incongruity of claiming to love Gospel music and Jesus while in the process of violating God’s law. So many people fail to see the connection between the privilege of being adopted into God’s family and the responsibility it carries. The word church comes from the Greek word “eccelesia” which means “the called out ones.” We are called out of darkness and corruption into light and purity. In reality, God has been putting a call out to people from the very beginning of time: “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, Where are you?” (Genesis 3:8-9) It was as if God was saying, “Adam, can you hear me calling?” Our original parents had responded to a different voice and suffered the devastating consequences that naturally follow disobedience to God.

Christians are people who have heard God calling and have responded. We are “called out” to live in contrast to the norms accepted by much of the world in which we live. Our calling is unique and precious and carries a responsibility with it. Living in contrast is our responsibility. We are called to be salt and light. We are called to make an impact on the culture in which we live. The opening verses in Ephesians above state three responsibilities our calling carries:

1. Called To Be A Saint: Now I’ve heard some people say, “I might be a Christian, but I’m no saint.” Wrong – at least according to the Bible. When Paul writes in the New Testament, he refers to the recipients of his letters as “saints” 9 different times. The word saint is one of the terms the Scripture uses to describe people who have been sanctified by their faith in Christ as Savior. Saints are people who are living – not dead. Saints are made by God - not by any religious organization. Saints are people who have been justified by their faith in God not by their works in life. Of course the calling of a saint is to live a sanctified life. That means that we are to live separated from the control of sin. We are called to live as saints.

2. Called To Be Faithful: The second call mentioned in the verse above is the call to be faithful. The bible defines faith as “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1) Simply put, faith is believing. But not just believing on an intellectual level, but believing to the point that our behavior is guided by our faith. If we are sure – if we are certain – then our faith will be reflected in the way we live our daily lives. When faced with choices, we will run our decision making process through the grid of our faith. We say to ourselves, “A faithful response to this would be . . .” To be faithful means we will live fully devoted to our Savior. Every expression of faith brings honor to our God. No spouse would want a partner who is faithful part of the time. Neither does Jesus. In truth, it’s impossible to be faithful “part of the time.” You are either faithful or not faithful. It’s like being pregnant. There is either a human being in the process of growth within a mother’s body or there isn’t. There’s no middle ground. So it is with faith. We are called to express our faith because of the certainty we have in Jesus. We are called to be faithful.

3. Called To Be In Christ: We are called to remain “In Christ Jesus.” Again it’s a unique calling. So much of the time we are “in trouble” or “in confusion” or “in turmoil.” All that evaporates when you remember your calling “in Christ Jesus.” When you answer the call, His everlasting love towards you, His grace and peace will fill your heart. You and I are being called out of trouble, out of confusion and out of turmoil into the rest that belongs to those who respond to His voice.

Today God is still calling to you – the question that remains – Can you hear Him now?

Constantly Listening,
PT