I want you to turn with me, if
you will, to Hebrews chapter 3. And I want to talk to you
tonight about the heavenly calling. Now, this certainly is logical
truth. The gospel of God's grace is
logical, very logical. But it is not a matter of logic. God has predestined some to everlasting
life, but not all. Those who are predestined to
everlasting life in Christ are called God's elect. He has chosen
some to be vessels of mercy who must and shall be saved because
God loved them with an everlasting love. Those who are chosen of
God from eternity and predestined by him unto everlasting life
have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. The Lord
Jesus says plainly, I lay down my life for the sheep. It would
both be absurd and contrary to scripture to suggest that he
laid down his life for those who were not chosen and predestined
unto everlasting life. Not only is that the case, but
had he died for those who are not saved by his blood, then
his death is actually not that which accomplishes redemption,
but rather something else. And it is also true that those
who are redeemed by the blood of Christ, and only they, those
who are chosen unto salvation, and only they, those who are
predestined unto eternal life, and only they, are effectually
called to life and faith in Christ by the irresistible power and
sovereign grace of God the Holy Spirit. This call is described
in many ways in scripture. Here in Hebrews chapter 3 and
verse 1, the apostle writing by inspiration says, wherefore,
holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling. And notice
these three things are spoken concerning all who are called
of God, all who believe the gospel. If you're here tonight and you
believe the gospel, God describes you here as holy, not by nature,
not by something you do or could do or might do, but rather holy
because he has made you holy, imputing the righteousness of
Christ to you without your works. Our sins were imputed to Christ
at Calvary. He became sin for us by divine
imputation and was justly rewarded for our sins with the wrath of
God by which he suffered death. as our substitute. In exactly
the same way, His righteousness has been freely imputed to every
chosen sinner, everyone for whom He died, all who believe the
gospel being called by His grace. Not because of something we do.
His righteousness is not imputed to us because we do something,
because we repent, because we believe. Not at all. His righteousness
is imputed to us as a matter of free grace, and we are made
responsible for righteousness before Him, and God rewards us
accordingly with everlasting life. That's called justification. Now our faith in Him has nothing
to do with the accomplishment of this justification. Our being
called has nothing to do with the accomplishment of justification.
Our faith, our being called, has nothing to do with the putting
away of sin. Those things were done by God's
free grace in the finished work of Christ as our substitute.
But we come to experience this grace. We come to experience
this justification. We come to the enjoyment of grace
and peace and pardon in Jesus Christ when we are called by
the Spirit who gives us faith in Jesus Christ the Lord. This
is the heavenly calling of which he speaks. We are made holy and
we are brethren. united in Jesus Christ, partakers
of one holy calling and believing one gospel. We are brethren in
one kingdom. Not that all religious people
are brethren. They are not. They are not. I had a letter several years
ago from a fellow who wrote to me and wanted me to be careful
not to offend our Arminian brethren. I wrote him back and said, we
don't have any Arminian brethren. I don't. We don't have any. Don't
have any Catholic brethren, except because we are brethren in Adam.
Now, we fit in there, but not in the kingdom of God. In the
kingdom of God, all the called are holy brethren, partakers
of the heavenly calling. Do you see that? There are some
people in this world described by the Holy Spirit as the called. In Romans 1, verse 6, Paul speaks
distinctly of those who are the called. In chapter 8, verse 28,
he talks about God's providence and tells us that all things
work together for good to them who are the called. And there's
a definite article used, because there is a group of people here,
those chosen of God from eternity, those redeemed by the blood of
Christ, those who are saved by God's grace, who are the called. and nobody else is. That's what
distinguishes us from all other men. We've been called. We've
been called. That's what gives us faith. We've
been called. That's what gives us life before
God. We've been called. Those who are the called are
not just those who hear the gospel. Indeed, those who are privileged
to hear the gospel are called by the preaching of the Word.
I preach the gospel to you and call you to life. I call you
to faith. I call you to believe on Christ.
I call you to arise from the dead and come to Christ. I call
you, but I can't make you arise. and the call that I issue left
to itself will never reach your heart, will never give you faith. But oh, if God the Holy Spirit
speaks through His Word through the lips of this man or any other,
then the dead hear His voice, and they arise from the dead,
and they come to Christ. Come willingly, come gladly,
come with delight in their hearts, because they have been made to
come by God's irresistible grace. I don't know how on earth to
adequately express it, describe it, or illustrate it. Folks say,
well, you believe God saves sinners against their will. Sort of.
Yeah, sort of. Brother Richardson said it one
time best. He said, God saves sinners against their will with
their full consent. And that's exactly what happens.
He doesn't come and simply offer the gospel, but he makes his
people willing in the day of his power. I recall, I won't
be long now, Shelby and I have been married 31 years. I recall
when I first spoke to her about marriage, she wasn't much interested. And a year or so later, I knelt
down beside the sofa at my aunt and uncle's house in Spruce Pond,
North Carolina, took her by the hand and asked her to marry me.
And man, she jumped at the chance. Well, what changed? Her will. That's what changed. Nothing
else had changed. My thoughts hadn't changed. My intentions
hadn't changed. I hadn't changed in my person. She hadn't changed
in hers. But her will had changed. I'd been working on it. I'd been
convincing her she needed me. I'd been convincing her for a
year. She couldn't get along anymore without me. And finally,
she saw it. And this is what I'm telling
you. I'm telling you, you've got to have Christ. You've got
to believe on the Son of God. You've got to come to Christ.
And you sit back and say, not me. Oh, but if God Almighty shows
Him to you, you'll jump at the chance to jump in His arms, and
you'll cry, give me Christ or else I die, because you'll see
you've got to have Him. He works on the will, giving
a new heart, a new nature, and a new will in this effectual
call called here the heavenly calling. Now, turn to 2 Timothy
chapter 1. Salvation comes to chosen, redeemed
sinners in the experience of grace. Now understand this. It
comes in the experience of grace by the almighty, irresistible,
effectual call of God the Holy Spirit. David saying, blessed
is the man whom thou choosest and causest to approach unto
thee. The choice, that's God's election. Causing you to approach to Him,
that's the call of the Spirit. The Apostle Paul tells of his
experience of grace and says, God separated me from my mother's
womb and called me by His grace and thereby He revealed His Son
in me. Now here in 2 Timothy, Paul is
speaking to us about the gospel of God's grace and this call.
Look in verse 9. God hath saved us and called
us with an holy calling. Now look at this next word. Our
next few words. Not according to our works. It
is utterly amazing to me, folks miss this, but almost invariably
when the Apostle Paul writes and describes God's work of grace
and salvation, he turns around and says, now just in case you
didn't get what I meant, you don't have anything to do with
that. Salvation by grace means you don't have anything to do
with it. Salvation by grace means it's not the work of your flesh,
it's not the work of religion, it's not the work of your will,
it's not according to your works, but according to His own purpose
and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus when? Before
the world began. Now look at this. But is now
made manifest. This salvation arranged and accomplished
in God's eternal decree before the world began, this salvation
given us in Christ our surety before the world began, is now
made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who
has abolished death and brought life and immortality to life,
look at it, through the gospel. So that as the gospel is preached,
God saves chosen redeemed sinners by the power of his grace, making
the gospel effectual to their hearts. Whereunto I am appointed
a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. And
Paul writes about God's call. In fact, when the other writers
speak of God's call, they seem to be simply overwhelmed with
it. And there are numerous expressions used in the New Testament to
describe it. It's called a holy calling here. It's called the
high calling of God, the calling of God, your calling. And here
in our text, the heavenly calling. What is this call? Now, the theologians
use a lot of terms that are accurate and they're precise. They distinguish
the call that I'm talking about here as an internal call, an
effectual call, an irresistible call, the call of God's grace.
But I like with things like this for us to get in our minds what
the scriptures say. What does the Word of God say
about this call? Just exactly what does God say
in His Word this calling is? And what does God say in His
Word that this calling produces? Turn with me to several scriptures
tonight. If you want to jot them down, I'm going to look at several
texts of scripture where this calling is dealt with. And I
want you to see just in the light of Holy Scripture what the call
of God is. First, in 1 Peter 2 and verse
9. The Holy Spirit tells us, but
you are a chosen generation. A royal priesthood and holy nation. You who believe. You men and
women who believe, not those over in Palestine, not those
of this denomination or that, not those of this creed or that
creed, but you who believe. You are God's chosen generation. You are God's royal priesthood. You are God's holy nation. A peculiar people. that you should
show forth the praises of Him, look at it now, who hath called
you out of darkness into His marvelous light. This internal,
effectual, irresistible, saving call of grace is a call out of
gross, desperate darkness into the marvelous light of God's
free grace in Christ. You remember in the creation
of the world, The Scripture tells us that darkness was upon the
face of the deep. And God said, let there be light. And there was light. That's exactly
what happens when God saves a sinner. God comes to men and women whose
hearts are darkness, who sit in darkness, in ignorance, in
the depravity and corruption of their own hearts, in utter
ignorance to all things spiritual. And God calls them, calls in
the darkness to be dispelled and light to shine in our hearts
to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ. So that those who are unbelieving,
you who are yet without Christ, it matters not what your experiences
have been. It matters not what your background
has been. It matters not what classes you
may have taken all your life in Sunday school or in college
or in Bible college or in seminary. It matters not what you studied.
It matters not what you've memorized. You're in utter darkness until
God calls. Utter darkness. Shelby takes
her class, those little talks, and teaches them various things
concerning doctrine, Bible truth, and Scripture, and they get heads
full of knowledge, but they're still in utter darkness. Utter
darkness. They can't see anything. They
can't understand anything. They can't perceive anything.
They get hold of facts, but not light. They hold the lamp, but
they can't turn it on. They're in utter darkness. That's the way with natural man.
There's no point at all. I can't emphasize this enough.
As you witness to folks, family and friends, there's no point
at all in arguing and debating with them. No point at all. You
can't make a blind man see. It can't be done. You can't make
a deaf man hear. It can't be done. Until the blind
are given eyes to see, they can't see. Until the deaf are given
ears to hear, they cannot hear. And man by nature is ignorant.
totally void of spiritual knowledge. Now, that's not my opinion. That's
the language of Scripture. The Scripture tells us the natural
man understandeth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they're
foolishness to him. Neither can he know them, because
they're spiritually discerned. He doesn't have the equipment.
He just doesn't have it. He's not able to discern it.
The natural man is ignorant of God. He's ignorant of himself. He's ignorant of Christ. He doesn't
have any idea what sin is or righteousness is. He doesn't
understand anything about God's providence. He understands nothing
at all about God's salvation. He does not understand the scriptures,
even if he could quote them word for word and never miss a comma
from one end to the other. That doesn't mean he understands
it. The natural man does not understand the scriptures. He
does not understand the gospel of God's grace. But now, by the
effectual call of God the Holy Spirit, our eyes, the eyes of
our understanding have been opened, and now we are made to see the
light, walk in the light, as children of the light. You remember
when Saul of Tarsus was converted? Light shined about him. That's
a beautiful picture of what happens when the gospel comes. You sit
here and you listen, and there's light shining. And then scales
fell off his eyes. And he saw. And if God takes
the scales off your eyes, you'll see the light. But if you can't
see the light, it's not because the light's not shining. It's
because you've got scales on your eyes and you can't see.
The believer is that man, that woman whose eyes have the scales
removed and now they see. God's children don't go about
in darkness. They're children of light. They
no longer go about with ignorance, but rather with understanding.
They have an option called the Holy Spirit causing them to know
and understand all things spiritual. Now that's a mouthful. Let's
see if the book says so. Turn to 2 Corinthians 2. I'll
give you two other texts, but you turn to 2 Corinthians 2.
This is what the book of God says. Evil men Understand not
judgment. Tornado touches down, wipes out
a family, or wipes out a city. Who don't understand? They don't
understand. They call it an act of God, so
the insurance company doesn't have to pay up so much. That's
all. They don't understand. God wouldn't do that. Governor
of Arkansas, a year or two ago, I believe it was in Arkansas,
he wouldn't accept federal aid until they said, this wasn't
an act of God. This wasn't an act of God. God
wouldn't do that. They don't understand. They don't
understand judgment. But they that seek the Lord understand
all things. That's what the book says. You
have an unction from the Holy One and you know all things.
Now that doesn't mean that you know it all. That doesn't mean
that you're smart alecks. That doesn't mean that you have
a full, perfect knowledge of everything. But you understand
what's going on. And you understand what's taught
in this book, and you understand everything you need to understand.
You have an unction from the Holy One. You know the things
of God. Now look at 2 Corinthians 2,
verse 15. He said in verse 14, the natural
man doesn't understand. He just doesn't. But he that
is spiritual judges all things. The word means he discerns. He
discerns. He looks at it, and he discerns
all things. Yet he himself is judged, the
word is Bobby, discerned of no man. Nobody, nobody, not your mother
or dad, not your brother or sister, not your husband or wife, unbelieving.
Nobody. Nobody. Not your closest friends.
Nobody. Not your sons and daughters.
Nobody. Not the preacher, deacons, or church, if they don't know
God. Nobody understands what makes the believer tick. Nobody
they don't understand the motives. They don't understand what what
inspires you. They don't understand what rules you They don't say
they've got to have law. They gotta have rewards the believers
ruled by grace. They don't understand it He's
discerned of no man. Look at verse 16 now for who
hath known the mind of the Lord That he may instruct him but
we That means every child of God everyone else We have the
mind of Christ You have an unction from the Holy One, ladies and
gentlemen. Understand all things. Nothing can be turned aside.
Not God's people. Sheep, they hear the shepherd's
voice. A stranger, they will not follow
because they don't know his voice. They understand what the shepherd
says, not what the stranger says. Believers understand the truth.
They believe the truth. They receive the truth. They
love the truth. The truth with regard to God
and His ways. The truth with regard to themselves
and sin. They acknowledge it and they
even love that for it drives them to the Savior and makes
them call on His name. They acknowledge the truth concerning
Christ and His atonement and love it. They acknowledge the
truth concerning God's grace and salvation and love it. Folks,
want to argue and fuss over, do you believe this person saved? He loves the Lord, but he sure
doesn't believe in election. He loves the Lord, but he doesn't
like God's sovereignty. No, he doesn't. No, he doesn't. You preach the truth, and believers,
God's sheep, they just feed on it. They love it. The goats,
every time you say something about God's sovereignty, It says
about God's butt. It says about God's cock butt. That's what gooks do. They butt
themselves right out of the kingdom of God. Believers love the truth. Being taught of God, regenerate,
enlightened, saved sinners have the ability to distinguish things
that differ. They know the difference between
grace and works. They know the difference between
free grace and free will. We've been called out of darkness
into God's marvelous light. I'll right turn to Galatians
chapter 5. Here's something else about this call. Verse 13. For you, brethren, had been called
unto liberty. We were by nature children of
wrath, just like everybody else. But now, in Christ, we are freed
from the curse and condemnation of God's law. We lived all the
days of our lives as home-born slaves under the dominion of
sin, under the chains of darkness, but now, in Christ, we've become
the servants of righteousness. We spent all of our days under
the power and influence of Satan, but now, in Christ, we're free,
free at last. How I thank God for the blessed
liberation of grace. Satan was a strong man armed,
and I was held in captivity, in bondage, in chains of sin,
in shackles of ungodliness, in a prison of corruption. And every
now and then I recognized there was something wrong, and I would
do something, or I'd hear something, and I'd shake my chains, and
I'd run out of my cage, but I was still in bondage, until God called. And when he called by His grace,
the shackles fell off, the prison doors were opened, and I went
free. And I've been free ever since. Free in Christ. We've
been called into liberty, even the glorious liberty of the sons
of God. Now look at 1 Corinthians 1,
verse 9. Larry read it just a few moments
ago. God is faithful, by whom you
were called. into the fellowship of His Son,
Jesus Christ, our Lord. Not only have we been called
out of bondage into liberty, out of darkness into light, but
we've been called into the liberty of intimate, sweet fellowship
with the triune God in our glorious Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. God calls His people to abandon
the world. and abandon the world we must. Those who are called of God are
called like Abraham to forsake family, friend, and all, and
follow Christ. We've been called and we are
continually called by our God to love not the world, neither
the things that are in the world. Now this is what that means.
God calls us away from the riches of this world. Turn loose of
them. Don't set your heart on these things. He calls us to
abandon and never seek the recognition of this world. The applause of
God's enemies is obnoxious, and we ought never to seek it. And
he calls us to abandon the religion of this world. You're going to
have to forsake it. He said, be not unequally yoked
together with unbelievers. He said, I come out from among
her, my people, that you be not partakers of her sins, that you
receive not of her plagues. He calls us continually to cut
ourselves off from the world. But having said that, let me
hasten to say that all of this is no sacrifice, but a privilege. I hear folks talk about, you
know, what they gave up. I hear preachers sometimes talk
about, you know, I was going to be a football star, I was
going to be this, I was going to be that, and I decided to
preach. Shoot. A man who talks about what he's
given up to serve God doesn't know God. He doesn't know it. God's people look at the Whatever
it takes to follow Christ, it's a privilege. It's a privilege.
You see, this heavenly calling of which we are now partakers
brings us into far better company than we've ever known before.
The house of God is open to us. The throne of God is ours. Christ
is ours. God is ours. God's table is ours. God's family is ours. We've been
called with a heavenly calling. Now look at 1 Corinthians 7 and
verse 15. The paramount text of Scripture
in the New Testament dealing with the business of divorce
and remarriage is 1 Corinthians 7. Here in verse 15, if the unbelieving
depart, And you can mark it down. You can mark it down. Any man
or woman who willingly abandons those responsibilities and privileges
which God has given them is unbelieving. If I should depart from my wife,
I don't care what I've said. I don't care what I've experienced.
I don't care what I profess. I don't care how much folks are
influenced by me. If I abandon that woman, it's
because I don't know God. That's just all there is to it.
And if she abandons me, the same is true. The same is true. Believers
are not rebels. If the unbelieving depart, let
him depart. Let him depart. What's he saying?
This is what he's saying, Rex. If you're married to a believer,
rejoice in that. And if you're married to a scoundrel,
live with it. That's what he's saying. Live
with it until they can't live with you. And when they leave,
Man, don't try to hold on to them. You're holding on to death.
You're holding on to trouble. Let them go. Painful as it may
be, let them go. Just let them go. You're better
off without them. If the unbelieving will depart,
let them depart. How come? How come? A brother
or sister is not in bondage. The marriage bond is broken by
the one departing. The brother or sister is not
in bondage in such cases, but God has called us Oh, peace, peace, peace. Blessed, blessed peace. God has
called us to peace. The call of God is an internal
call to internal peace. Peace of mind and peace of conscience. Peace to which all men are strangers
by nature. There is no peace to the wicked,
but God has called us to peace. He has blessed us with peace,
with peace that passes understanding, peace in the midst of tribulation,
with peace which the world can neither give nor take away. Our peace is a peace that arises
from the blood and righteousness of Christ. It is a part of that
kingdom of God, which is within us, into which we have been brought
by this heavenly calling. It is a peace of conscience and
a peace of heart, peace of faith. Trust in God. Let the peace of
God Rule your heart into which you've been called. Live in peace. Live in peace. Recognize that
whatever comes to pass, your Father brings it to pass. And
He's done it for your good. Be at peace. That doesn't mean
your heart doesn't break. That doesn't mean tears don't
burn your cheeks. That doesn't mean life's a bed
of roses. It means we trust God. We trust
God. Live at peace. Now look at 1
Thessalonians chapter 4. One more text. Verse 7. God hath not called us unto uncleanness,
but unto holiness. The call of God is a holy calling. It arises from God's holy purpose. It is based upon a holy principle.
God calls those sinners for whom justice has been satisfied by
the blood of Christ. It calls us to a holy position
so that now being called of God, we are justified and sanctified
in Christ. And it is a call which makes
men and women a holy people, a holy nation. a peculiar people,
a royal priesthood. Holy brethren, holy brethren. I realize we live in a decadent,
perverse, horrid society. I received a letter sometime
back from a fellow in another country. I just couldn't believe
it. I couldn't believe what I read.
It was back when Faith and Doug were just about to get married,
and he said, I'm so delighted they're getting married. He said,
where I live, even Christians just live together and don't
get married. I wrote him back and I said, I beg your pardon?
You mean Christianity is different there than it is here? God's
people. are not wrapped up in this world. God's people are not a people
conformed to the world, but a people conformed by grace to Christ. And they walk in holiness. They've been given a new nature,
a holy nature. They've been given a new will,
a holy will. They've been made to love righteousness
and holiness and truth. Now, children of God, in this
morally decadent age, in this age in which the world looks
at everything and says, well, you know, we've got no right
to judge anybody. We've got no right to say that's
wrong, this is right. No, we don't. But Oscar Bailey,
God Almighty, does. And God has declared what's right
and what's wrong. God has declared what's true
and what's false. God has declared what's upright
and what is decadent and perverse. And we, as God's people, have
been called not only into the blessed holiness of Christ, but
we've been called with a calling that makes us to be partakers
of the divine nature so that God calls us and says, walk before
me. and be ye holy, for I, the Lord
your God, am holy." That means believers are men and women who
have a disposition toward righteousness. Oh, the old nature hasn't changed.
Not at all. But God's given us a new nature.
And believers are ruled by that Holy Spirit who dwells within
us. It's called the nature of Jesus
Christ. It's called Christ in you, the
hope of glory. And he's there because we're
made partakers of the heavenly calling. Amen. All right, Linda,
let's have a hymn.