Romans chapter 1. Paul, a servant
of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the
gospel of God, which he had promised afore by his prophets in the
Holy Scriptures concerning his son Jesus Christ our Lord, which
was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared
to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness
by the resurrection from the dead, by whom we have received
grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations
for his name, among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ. To all that be in Rome, beloved
of God, called to be saints, grace to you and peace from God
our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Throughout the word of
God, the Lord's people are described in various ways, by various words
and definitions. All very glorious, all very comforting
to God's people. They're called the church of
Christ. They're referred to as his bride.
He being, of course, the bridegroom. They, his bride. They're called
the sheep, like Bobby just sang about a moment ago. They're also
called the elect. Yeah, that's in God's word as
well. The elect, the chosen. They're
referred to as the redeemed. They're all those things. And
how comforting to consider each of those blessed, blessed descriptions
of a child of God. But nobody, no one can truthfully
claim any of those titles. No one can truthfully lay any
of those titles to themselves until something else happens. Something else. You mean something
in addition to election? Something in addition to redemption? Yeah. Yeah. It's not possible
to know. It's impossible to know. If I'm
one of God's elect, or if I'm one of those that Christ redeemed,
that he shed his blood for until this takes place, Calling, calling. Notice again in verse 6, here
is another description of a Christian. The called of Jesus Christ, called
by his grace. This is the first open display
of God's love to us when he calls us. Yes, then we know, not till
then, that we've been loved with an everlasting love. God said, I am the Lord. I change
not. Whatever he does today, since
he changes not, he purposed to do before today, hence, before
the foundation of the world. If he loves me today, If he calls
me by his grace to his Son, Jesus Christ, he loved me with an everlasting
love, and that calling is the evidence and the fruit of it.
Turn, if you will, to 2 Thessalonians 2. 2 Thessalonians 2. Paul says
in verse 13 of 2 Thessalonians 2, but we are bound to give thanks. All the way to God for you, brethren,
beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen
you. That's what our Lord told the
disciples, didn't he? You've not chosen me, but I've
chosen you. God hath from the beginning chosen
you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the
truth. How did Paul know that? How did
Paul know that these people to whom he wrote were chosen by
God, that they were God's elect? The same way that you and I know.
Look what he says in verse 14. Here's the evidence that they
were chosen. Here's the evidence, the proof
that they were among God's elect. Whereunto he called you. He called you by our gospel to
the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Peter wrote in his second epistle,
chapter 1, to give all diligence to make your calling and your
election sure. He puts calling first because
that's first with us. Of course, the election is first
with God, but with us, it's calling. We don't know we're elect until
we're called, called by God's grace. The title of my message
is that from verse 6 of Romans 1, the called of Jesus Christ. Doesn't that have a nice ring
to it, child of God? The called of Jesus Christ. There are some things every man
and woman, every son of Adam have in common. We come into
this world, we experience these things, we all do. We're born
one time, one time. We live one time in this world. One life. One life. It'll soon be over. Then we die
one time. One time. And we'll not be back
and talk about a great light and a tunnel that we were shot
through. No. We die one time and after death,
The judgment. We all have those things in common.
We've all experienced those things and we'll experience those things.
But between the birth of some and their death, they experience
something else. The call of God. They experience,
not everybody, but a multitude that none can number, they experience
the The great shepherd coming to where they are and calling
them by his grace. They are the called of Jesus
Christ. Imagine that. Imagine that. Called by him. And that's our
first consideration. Who does the calling? The Lord
Jesus Christ. It doesn't matter who else does.
It doesn't matter. If he doesn't, that's what he
said in John 10, didn't he? Turn back there, if you will,
for a moment. Listen here as the great shepherd
describes his search and his call of his sheep. He says in
verse 2 of John 10, but he that enterth in by the door is the
shepherd of the sheep. to him that porter openeth, and
the sheep hear his voice. And he calleth his own sheep
by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his
own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, for
they know his voice." Down in verse 16. And the other sheep
I have, they're mine, they belong to me. Where did he get them?
The father gave them to him. before the foundation of the
world. The Father entrusted them into his care before the world
began and he promised, he promised, he pledged to God the Father
that in the fullness of time he would go and be made like
unto his brethren be made of a woman, be made under the law,
and do everything God required to bring them to glory. Oh, what
a great shepherd. And other sheep I have which
are not of this fold, them also I must bring." I like that, don't
you? I must bring. I must do so for the glory of
God. I must do so as the pledge I
made to my Father. I must do so for my love to the
sheep. Them also I must bring, and they
shall hear my voice. They shall hear my voice, and
there shall be one foal and one shepherd. Turn to another place,
Ephesians chapter 1. Here the apostle speaks of the
hope of this calling we're speaking of, the hope of God's calling.
In Ephesians chapter 1, verse 17, Paul says to believers at
Ephesus that he prayed for them, continually that he prayed for
them, and this is what he prayed, not that they would be wealthy,
not that they would be without physical trials, not that they
would be always in good health. No, no, Paul had more, something
much more important in mind than that. He says, I pray that the
God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give
unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge
of Him. In the knowledge of Him, the
eyes of your understanding, being enlightened, that you may know
that you may know what is the hope of his calling. The hope of his calling. And I pray that you and I might
know that too, child of God. Know this and rejoice in it. There is hope in the calling
of God. There is hope for everyone, an
eternal hope. A good hope, a sure and a steadfast
hope that entereth into the veil, within the veil, where Christ,
our forerunner, has for us already entered. The hope of God is unchangeable. The call, rather, of God is unchangeable,
just as He is. It can't be reversed. It can't
be revoked. Everyone who experiences this
call to come to Christ can never be uncalled. Can never be uncalled. In Romans 11 verse 29 we read,
For the gifts and the calling of God are without repentance. That doesn't mean without repentance
on your part. It means without repentance on
God's part. God will never retract that call. God will never repent of that
call. Once we're called, we're his
forever. Turn, if you will, to a very
familiar passage, one we could quote by heart. But let's look
at it. Romans chapter 8. Here Paul speaks
of this call, the call to the Lord Jesus Christ again in Romans
chapter 8. This blessed promise. And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are thee
called. Thee called according to his
purpose. God called us on purpose. For
whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed
to the image of his Son, that he might be, that is his Son,
might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom
he did predestinate, them he also called. And whom he called,
them he also justified. And whom he justified, them he
also glorified. Paul tells us there, if I'm called,
then I was chosen. If I'm called, he says, I am
justified. Justified. My calling is the
proof of my justification before the Lord God. Called by his grace. Turn, if you will, to 1 Thessalonians
chapter 1. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. Our calling is the proof of our election, our justification. In 1 Thessalonians 1, Paul says
it, verse 4, knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. How? How? How can that be known?
For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in
power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance. And you
know what matter of men we were among you for your sake. Justified. safe from any condemnation,
safe from any wrath that's to come. In Revelation chapter 6
we read concerning the Lord Jesus' return that men shall see Him,
unbelievers, the great men, the mighty men of the world, the
who's who of the world and they'll run into the rocks of the mountains
and cry, cover us, hide us from the face of him who sits upon
the throne, for the great day of his wrath has come, and who
shall be able to stand? Indeed, who? Indeed, who? Who shall stand in that day before
the throne of the holy Lord God? Some will. Some will. And Paul says concerning those,
the called, They are without fault before the throne of God. There is therefore now no condemnation
to them who are in Christ Jesus. I just love that expression.
I just love that description, don't you? Those who are in Christ
Jesus, safe, secure, kept, preserved by the power of God. In 1 Thessalonians
2, Paul said, God who had called you unto his eternal glory. In Romans 8, he said, those God
predestinated, called, justified, he also glorified. In 2 Thessalonians
2, we read it a moment ago, where unto he called you by our gospel
to the obtaining, the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Peter in his first epistle, chapter
5, wrote, But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto
his eternal glory by Jesus Christ, my soul, you mean we're going
to share? We're going to be partakers of
the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and heir, and a joint heir with
him. Turn, if you will, to Revelation
chapter 22. Revelation 22. The called of
Jesus Christ, without exception, will experience this as well.
Revelation chapter 22, verse 14. Blessed, oh, how blessed are
they that do his commandments that they might have right to
the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the
city. Have a right to that. Through
the perfect obedience of Christ, those called have a right to
enter into glory. Have a right to it. Isn't that
amazing? Isn't that amazing? Not by any
merit of their own. No, no, no. But because of His
merit. because He earned it for them. Father, Father, He prayed before
He went to the cross. Just hours before He went to
the cross, He prayed to His heavenly Father, Father, I will. This
is my will and testament to all those that You gave me. I will
that they also be with me where I am. that they may behold my
glory, that they may enter in through the gates into the city. Turn, if you will, to Galatians
chapter 1. Galatians chapter 1. Paul tells
us that very thing, that very thing that God's called The redeemed,
the chosen, the sheep, the bride, they have a right to share in
the glory of God. By His grace, by His perfect
obedience, by His absolute righteousness, He's made them fit. In verse
12 of chapter 1, Paul says, giving thanks, indeed we should, giving
thanks unto the Father who hath made us meet, to be partakers
of the inheritance of the saints in light." Meet. It means fit. A right to. I hear people talk
about various judgments in heaven. A judgment to see if we're saved
or not. A judgment to see who's going
to get the bigger mansion or the bigger harp or the most crowns. Poppycock. Judgment for this
and a judgment for that. Oh, no. No. Every child of God,
as the hymn writer said, bold shall I stand in that day for
who ought to my charge shall lay. Absolved. absorbed from
all sin. We read in Revelation 14, concerning
everyone without exception, they are without fault before the
throne of God. To him who is able to keep you
from falling and to present you, oh, look at the result. the travail of his soul, the
bride of Christ are without fault before the throne of God. No
tears of disappointment, no regrets. Years ago, right before one of
the services at the church in Danville, one of the brethren
read scripture and prayed and he said, God, I'm so thankful
that in heaven your people or have no regrets. No regrets. None whatsoever. There won't be a section reserved
for second-class believers. Oh, no. No, they'll all receive
a full reward. They'll all enjoy, they'll all
partake of everything that he earned for them. Every one of
them. There won't be any lesser rewards. We'll all receive the full reward
of His obedience. That's what Paul says here. God
has made us fit, given us a right to this. I'll have a right to
be there. Isn't that something? I have
a right to be in glory. Oh, Larry, that's awful bold
talk. That's what God's Word says. We'll have a rite. Then enter in through the gates
into the city. Not go through hanging my head. Oh no. No. Go through dressed
in the perfect robe of Christ's righteousness. Remember our Lord
said in the parable of the man, the father who gave a feast,
a wedding feast for his son, and he came in and there was
a man there. who didn't have on the wedding garment. How did
you get in? Cast him out. That'll never happen
to a child of God who's dressed in the perfect righteousness
of Jesus Christ. God has given me a right to be
there dressed in his righteousness. Yes, there is hope in his calling. A blessed hope of grace and glory,
child of God, the called of Jesus Christ. Those called by his grace,
they'll be kept by his grace. The article about Noah entering
into the ark in this morning's bulletin, God said, Noah, come
into the ark. Come. Come. God's wrath was about
to destroy. Everyone except those who were
in the ark. But Noah found grace in the eyes
of the Lord. God looked upon Noah with grace. God bestowed His distinguishing
grace upon Noah. And He said, Noah, come into
the ark. Come into the ark. and we read,
Noah went in, and God shut him in. Shut him in. And all the wrath of God beat
upon the ark. The ark absorbed all the wrath
of God, but Noah was perfectly safe. Perfectly safe. He rode through it by the grace
of God. And every child of God, clothed
in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, who have been called
by his grace, have a good hope. The hope of God's calling. All that we might know it, that
we might enjoy it even now. that before him we have no condemnation. Until God ceases to be just,
and that's the same as saying until he ceases to be God, it
can never be that the great shepherd of the sheep shall lose one of
his own. Did he not say, I give them eternal
life and they shall never perish? They're in my hand. and they're
in my Father's hand. Double security. And they shall
never perish. Look at verse 4 in Galatians
in chapter 3. Look what Paul says here. Chapter
3 of Galatians and verse 4. When Christ, who is our life,
shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. with Him in glory. Here people speak about whether the streets of gold are
actually gold or not. Oh, I really need to know that. That's going to make a heap of
difference, isn't it? Oh, no. I cannot... I think about this
a lot. I shall see him. We're told they
shall see his face. My soul. What's that going to
be like? When I... See that One who loved
me and gave Himself for me. When He shall appear, then shall
we appear with Him in glory. Brother Lowell, that'll be glory,
won't it? That'll be glory to see Him. His honor is engaged to keep.
The weakest of His sheep and all that His Heavenly Father
gave, His hands securely keep. nor death nor hell shall ever
remove his people from his breast. In the dear bosom of his love
they shall forever rest." I would rather be among the called of
Jesus Christ than anyone else. I would rather be reckoned among
the called of Christ whom Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1 are not
the mighty or not the noble, but are the base and the weak
and the despised of the world. The world counts them as none.
You know what they say concerning you who believe on Jesus Christ?
Poor deceived creatures. Poor deceived souls. The world
looks down on us with pity. Feel so sorry for them. Poor
ignorant creatures. Oh, no. No, I would rather be
among the called of Jesus Christ than to be counted in the wealthiest
family in this world. Wouldn't you? I would rather
be rich in grace than rich in money, this call that Paul speaks
of is essential. It's as necessary as we say it,
as election and redemption. Let me read you something along
this line by an old Puritan. John Flavel wrote this. How so ever excellent Christ
is in himself, what treasures of righteousness so ever lie
in his blood, Whatever joy, peace, and ravishing comfort sprang
up to me and out of his incarnation and humiliation and exhortation,
they all give down their distinct benefits and comforts to them
in the way of effectual application. He went on to write, for never
was any wound healed by a prepared but unapplied plaster. Never
any body worn by the most costly garment made but not put on. What he's saying, we must come
into the ark. We must be called to enjoy all
the blessings of wisdom and sanctification, of righteousness and redemption
that's in Jesus Christ. Over the last, oh I don't know,
quite a few years, I would be asked to go to a church, a group
of believers who met in the basement of a bank. And one time I asked the fellow
that would call me up there. I'd go up there maybe once or
twice a year. I said, above us is the bank, yeah. And all that
money just over my head, yeah. But you know, it didn't make
me any richer. It being there didn't make it any richer. Oh,
but if someone would have opened the vault and just dumped a bunch
in my lap, that would have made a difference. Oh, child of God,
if you've been called to Christ, you have all the riches of God's
grace. You shall experience His grace
and His glory. This call is essential. Christ said, Behold, the Son
of Man, The hour is coming that they shall hear the voice of
the Son of Man and they that hear shall live. Peter said we've
been called out of darkness into his marvelous light. Yes, when
Christ calls, when he knocks, he also enters. He has the keys. and he has a way of opening the
heart and lets himself in. He invites himself in and then
we open the door. We won't be saved without this
call of his grace. This is why we pray to God for
our children. God, call them by your mighty
grace. You remember when our Lord was
on the way to the house of Jarius, He had one daughter. She was
dying. And on the way, there was a woman
with an issue of blood who interfered. And after our Lord had healed
her, a servant from the house of Jarius came and said, Thy
daughter is dead. Thy daughter is dead. Trouble
not to master. Don't bother to come. Thy daughter
is dead, trouble not the Master." What they considered to be a
reason not to trouble Christ any longer was really all the
reason to do so, was it not? That's exactly why we do call
upon Him, because our children are dead. and true with men,
their salvation is impossible, oh, but not with God. And remember
what our Lord said just as soon as that message came to Jairus,
our Lord spoke up and said, fear not, fear not, believe and she
shall be made whole. Martha, if you'll believe, You'll
see the glory of God. Oh, give me grace to believe.
This call is an effectual call. You've heard that expression.
What's that mean? It simply means it works. It works. because it's issued
by him who sits upon the throne of grace doing whatsoever he
hath pleased. And he is pleased to call sinners
to life and faith by his mighty power. As when Paul was called
on the Damascus road, We're told that a light surrounded him,
a picture of that light, the light of God's grace shining
in his heart. And after that, the scales fell
from his eyes, a picture of the removal of his former darkness
and ignorance. As old Newton said, I once was
blind, but now I see. Paul wrote, God who commanded
the light to shine out of darkness has shined into our hearts to
give us the light of the glory of God, the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. I once was blind, but I'm not blind anymore. I was. Blind as to who God was, blind
as to what I was, blind as to my need, blind to sin, blind
to salvation, blind to grace, but I'm not blind anymore. I know who He is. Yes, I know
what I am. Oh, but bless God, I know who
He is. Look, if you will, in Galatians
chapter 1. We'll wrap this up. Galatians chapter 1. what Paul says about this call,
the call of God's elect to himself. In verses 13 and 14, Paul describes
his state, his condition, what he was before grace. This is
before grace, before the experience of grace, before he was called
by grace. You've heard of my conversation,
the way I lived my life, in times past in the Jews' religion, how
that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God and wasted
it, and profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals
in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the tradition
of my fathers. That was before grace. In the
next verse we read, what happened after he was called by God's
grace. But, but, but when it pleased
God, does that make a difference? It makes all the difference.
When it pleased God. When is a man saved? When it
pleased God. Who separated me from my mother's
womb and he called me by his grace. He called me by his grace. Paul never got over that. He
never got over it. He called me by His grace to
reveal His Son in me. Thank God for His blessed, powerful
grace. The psalmist said, Blessed is
the man whom thou choosest and calls us to approach unto thee. "'Tis not that I did choose thee,
Lord, that could not be. "'This heart would still refuse
thee, had thou not chosen me. "'My heart owe none before thee,
for thy rich grace I thirst. "'This knowing, if I love thee,
thou must have loved me first.'" And this is, it must be, a personal
call. We read it, didn't we? Our Lord
said, "'He calleth his own sheep by name.'" Like Joe read to us
earlier. Bartimaeus, our Lord said, bring
him to me. Bring him to me. After David
had ascended to the throne, Saul was dead. Saul's son Jonathan
was dead. David's close, close friend. He loved Jonathan. And he asked
someone, is there any of the house of Saul left that I might
show mercy to them? Is there anyone, is there one
left? I promise Jonathan, I will show
mercy. Is there one left? And someone
said to David, there's one. There's Mephibosheth. He's a
cripple. Remember what David said? David said, go fetch him. Go
fetch him. Fetch him. God's grace is fetching
grace. And that cripple came and we're
told he sat at David's table in aid of David's provision all
the days of his life. Thank God. You couldn't see his
crippled feet under the table of the king. And with his holy garments on,
I'm as holy as God's own son. Mr. Spurgeon had an orphanage,
a ministry of the church in London that he pastored for boys and
girls. And they would all gather every
time Mr. Spurgeon would preach at the
tabernacle. And there was one little boy sat on the very first
pew, and he'd be giving it this all the time. And someone asked
him, why do you do that? Are you having trouble hearing? And he said, no, no. He said,
Mr. Spurgeon told me if God ever speaks to me, it's going to be
through the gospel that he's preaching. And he said, I don't
want to miss it. If he speaks, if he calls, I
want to hear. Have you heard? Have you heard? May God in His grace call you. Come into the ark. Come into
the ark. May God make you willing in the
day of his power. Amen. Amen. God bless you.