Thy mercy, my God, is the theme
of my song. But those who are the called
according to God's purpose are no different in and of themselves
than those who are left to wander in the darkness and ultimately
reap the just reward of their disobedience. For all have sinned
and come short of the glory of God. The clear teaching of the
Scriptures is that the sons of God are saved totally by grace
and not in any wise owing to anything they have done or said.
There were many sheep herders on the plains around Ur of the
Chaldees, but it was unto Abram, later called Abraham, that the
Lord spoke this commandment, Get thee out of thy country,
and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land
that I will show thee. This is a scenario which is repeated
many times in the Scriptures, such as with Noah, who found
grace in the eyes of the Lord, the widow of Zarephath, to whose
house the prophet was sent, or Lydia, whose heart the Lord opened,
to name just a few. There was no debate or decision
that was made by Abraham, since it was true then, even as it
was when the Lord Jesus spoke these words, My sheep hear my
voice, and I know them, and they follow me. The Lord had determined
to bless Abraham, and his call was but the evidence of his appointed
purpose. There were no conditions involved,
but there was an action on the part of Abraham, which was a
product of the same grace that called him. He obeyed, and he
went out, not knowing whether he went. Thy people shall be
willing in the day of thy power. Where you find men who are not
willing to follow the Lord Jesus, you will find those who are not
called. Many of the carnal descendants of the house of Israel believe
that these promises which were made to Abraham and his seed
are those that they partake of by their natural birth and are
those who are called by the Lord simply because of their nativity.
Paul was very clear to whom these promises were made. Now to Abraham
and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds,
as of many, but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ. All of the promises of God are
found in Jesus Christ. He is the one to whom these promises
were made, and He is the one who has taken possession of those
promises in establishing His kingdom in the earth. The calling
of Abraham is but an illustration of the extent of that kingdom.
As Abraham journeyed, he pitched his tent and built an altar of
worship unto the one who had called him. Those who are called
by the grace of God will be found worshiping at the footstool of
him who has purchased their eternal redemption. They will lift up
the name of Christ as a name above all names. Abraham believed
God and embraced the promise of God even before he saw it
completely fulfilled, even as God is determined to save his
people before he is pleased to call them. His call of them is
evidence of this determination. Abraham never actually possessed
any of the land which was promised to him. Even though he was called
out of Haran as a man mightily blessed of God, he was never
anything more than a sojourner in a strange land. Yet he confessed
that he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder
and maker is God. In like fashion, those who are
called by the Lord rejoice in the promise of God, and yearn
for a complete manifestation of the redemption which is promised.
Yet they find in themselves such a weakness in their flesh that
they fear being consumed by it. The Lord gives to his children
a thorn in the flesh, which we find described for us in the
book of Galatians. For the flesh lusteth against
the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary
the one to the other, so that ye cannot do the things that
ye would. This warfare is accomplished in the sons of God to teach them
that His grace is sufficient, and that they stand only because
of His strength, and not their own. So the children of God,
when called by the Lord, do indeed confess that they are strangers
and sojourners in this world, but they are also very much beset
by the sin that dwelleth in them. They desire to be found among
those who worship Him in spirit and truth, yet they are made
to lament the fact that even their repentance needs to be
repented of. They are yet in the world, though
they are not of the world. They look for a city which hath
foundations, confessing that Jesus Christ alone is their righteousness. They are given an abiding hope
in Christ, and taught by His Spirit that He will never leave
them, nor forsake them. For He is not a Jew which is
one outwardly, Neither is that circumcision which is outward
in the flesh, but he is a Jew which is one inwardly, and circumcision
is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter, whose
praise is not of men, but of God. Is this world your home,
or are you merely passing through, looking for a city which has
a foundation, one which is not made with hands? If you would like a free transcript
of this broadcast, email us at forthepoor at windstream.net.