Tonight I want to preach to you
about the character of the call. What I want to do is So to give a general overview
or a summary of what the scriptures teach concerning the call of
God by which we have been brought to life and faith in Christ and
by which you who are yet without Christ must be brought to life
and faith in Him. Let's begin in 2 Thessalonians
chapter 2. This blessed, blessed passage
of scripture which I pray has been etched in our hearts by
the finger of God. 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 and
verse 13 But we are bound to give thanks
all way to God for you brethren beloved of the Lord Because God
hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification
of the spirit and belief of the truth whereunto he called you
by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Now pay close attention to the
words of Holy Scripture. I'm afraid that many times we
are all guilty of reading the scriptures like we do the newspaper,
just kind of scanning them rapidly to pick up the highlights. But
when it comes to the word of God, the highlights are in the
details. These things described in these two verses are given
by the Spirit of God To give assurance to every sinner who
trusts the Lord Jesus Christ that these things are true of
him If you and I trust Jesus Christ, the Lord, as he's revealed
in scripture, look to his blood and his righteousness alone for
our acceptance with God. These things are true of us.
These are not suppositions. These are these are things that
are true facts of the gospel revealed concerning every true
believer. Number one, God had from the
beginning chosen you. Distinctly you. Particularly
you you as opposed to all others what a blessed word of good news
This is the Holy Lord God chose you as the special object of
his love and his distinguishing grace in Christ before the world
began in Fact the reason why he made the world is because
he chose you he chose you that which separates you and me and
from the rest of mankind is the distinguishing grace of God in
election. The reason we're here tonight
attempting, by God's grace, to worship Him, to worship at the
throne of His darling Son, rather than kneeling before a stump,
rather than being engulfed in the deceit of Antichrist freewill
works religion, is because God chose you. That's the doctrine
taught in this opening line. The second thing is this. God
chose you to salvation. Now that's very important, very
important for many reasons, but particularly in our day because
folks say, well, election is so that you'll be a missionary
or elections unto service or election is for the apostles
to be apostles and such as that. God didn't choose you unto service. He chose you unto salvation.
Some say, well, this, this means that the Lord chose you to give
you an opportunity to be saved. That's not what it said. It doesn't
say that God chose you to give you a chance. It doesn't say
God chose you to give you an offer, but God chose you to salvation. So election in its ultimate end
is salvation. Those who were chosen of God
must and shall be saved by God. Thirdly, God chose you to salvation
through sanctification of the spirit That is to say through
the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit by which he cuts
us out from the rest of mankind By which he calls us in his grace
the work of the Holy Spirit is as essential to salvation as
is the work of election and the work of redemption by the Father
and the Son and Those who are chosen of God unto salvation
obtained that salvation by the sanctifying regenerating work
of the Holy Spirit in which he gives us a new holy nature Not
only are we saved by the imputing of Christ's righteousness to
us in justification But also by the imparting of a righteous
nature to us in regeneration now then look at this God has
chosen you to salvation and through sanctification of the Spirit
and belief of the truth. Faith in Christ, who is the truth,
is as essential to salvation as is sanctification by the Spirit,
redemption by the Son, and election by the Father. This faith in
Christ who is the truth is inseparably connected with believing the
truth of God as it is revealed in Holy Scripture. In the first
chapter of Ephesians in verse 13, the Apostle Paul tells us
that we believed after that we heard the word of truth, the
gospel of our salvation accomplished in Jesus Christ the Lord. Now
look at this last thing. God chose you to salvation through
sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth Where
unto that is he called you to this salvation? He called you
to this Sanctification he called you to this belief of the truth
by our gospel Come back to this point this evening because it
is absolutely essential that we understand the teaching of
Holy Scripture in this regard Chosen redeemed sinners are brought
into the blessed experience of God's grace in salvation only
by the effectual call of the Holy Spirit through the preaching
of the gospel through the hearing of the word of truth and Now
tonight I want to show you four things clearly and distinctly
revealed in scripture Concerning the call of God. I want to show
you these four things which clearly are Characteristics of the call
first it is a call from God now you can look at numerous scriptures
the Apostle Paul describes himself as that one whom God called when
it pleased him and revealed his son in him and This call of the
spirit is that which comes to us through the three persons
or by the three persons of the sacred trinity So that the call
of the spirit like every other aspect of salvation Is set forth
as being the work of the father of the son and of the holy spirit
because the triune god ever is one and the triune god always
works as one So often people get the idea that somehow God
the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit have different
notions and different ideas and different wills. That's never
the case. That which is the will of the Father is the will of
the Son and the Spirit and the same is true throughout all aspects
of our salvation. Sometimes salvation is ascribed
to the work of God the Father who called us. He called us by
his grace Paul said and revealed his son in us He called us into
the fellowship of his son. He called us by his son Christ
Jesus Sometimes we are said to be called by God the Son. We
are the called of Jesus Christ Paul said in Romans chapter 1
and in verse 6 he's represented to us in the book of Proverbs
as wisdom and as the eternal word the logos the living Word
of God by whom we are called unto life and faith in him and
then sometimes and Principally this call is ascribed to God
the Spirit Because the work of the Holy Spirit in his office
capacity Primarily is that of our comforter who reveals to
us the things of Christ he comes to God's elect and he grants
to those who are redeemed by God's Son a Knowledge of Jesus
Christ the Lord granting us life and faith in him which brings
comfort and consolation Would to God I could make everyone
who attempts to preach, who pretends to preach the gospel of God's
grace understand that faith in Christ when properly understood,
faith in Christ when properly expounded in the scriptures is
that which does not set men upon introspection of how good they
are and how well they measure up. Oh no. Faith in Christ directs
us always to Christ and that faith which looks to Christ alone
Always fetches from him comfort for our souls. You understand
that the Holy Spirit is sent to show God's people the things
of Christ and as that one who calls us he's described in his
office capacity as the comforter and The blessed blessed comforter
who comes and applies to us the comfort of the gospel It is god
the spirit who brings chosen sinners then to life and faith
in jesus christ It is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profit
of nothing There is one body one spirit even as you're called
in one hope of your calling the scripture says now this effectual
call is by a divine work alone arising from and accomplished
by the will of God alone This can't be said often enough. It
can't be said forcefully enough. It can't be said dogmatically
enough It is not in any way or to any degree Dependent upon
are determined by the work of a sinner The Apostle Paul tells
us that God called us with an holy calling not according to
our works 2nd Timothy 1 9. I He tells us that God called
us by his will and by his power and he says it's not by our will
in other words our works of righteousness our good deeds our repentance
our reading the Bible our prayers our church attendance our baptism
our Observing the Lord's Supper all our works of righteousness.
I Our moral deeds of charity and philanthropy our great sacrifices
all those things have absolutely nothing to do beforehand or afterward
with the call of God in other words our works don't contribute
anything to it and then Paul says it's not of him that will
it and Now, wait a minute, Pastor. We understand what I say by our
works, but surely our will has something to do with it. No,
not a thing. Not a thing. We are made willing by His call,
but our will does not determine the call. The scripture says
it's not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but
of God that showeth mercy. If you make the will of God and
the call of God in any way to be dependent upon you or dependent
upon any man, then you declare that man is his own savior and
not God Almighty. Such doctrine is intolerable.
It cannot be excused because this effectual call is God's
work and God's work alone. It is always irresistible. Now, I want you to turn to Ephesians
chapter one and look at what the scripture says. Oh, I hope
you've learned to love that term irresistible grace. I like it. Irresistible grace. How sweet
the sound of irresistible grace. Because grace that can be resisted
is not grace. God who can be resisted is not
God Successfully resisted of course is what I mean all men
by nature resist God's call all men by nature resist God's grace
all men by nature resist God but nobody resists God's will
and God's work successfully a Call that can be resisted never saved
anyone. I It is only irresistible grace
that makes doomed, damned, dead sinners willing in the day of
God's power. The call of the Spirit is an
irresistible call because when God works, none can hinder. When God calls sinners who are
dead in trespasses and sins, they rise out of their graves
like Lazarus and come forth to the Lord Jesus Christ. The omnipotent
call of God is a life-giving, resurrecting call. Look at the
scriptures here. It takes the very same power
to raise a sinner from spiritual death to spiritual life in Christ
that it took to raise the dead body of Christ from the grave
out of the tomb back up into heaven's glory here in Ephesians
1 verse 18 Paul is praying that the eyes of your understanding
may be enlightened that you may know what is the hope of his
calling and What the riches of the glory of his inheritance
in the Saints and what is the exceeding greatness? You see
that the exceeding greatness of his power not not physical
power But spiritual power not not physical omnipotence, but
spiritual omnipotence. Can you understand what I'm talking
about? It's a power that doesn't force you. It's a power that
changes Power that that changes your heart and your will and
your nature that you may know the exceeding greatness of his
power power directed to us word Power aimed like a laser beam
right at your heart to us word who believe and how is it that
we come to believe? according to the working of his
mighty power That's out We preach, reason with men, plead with men,
pray for men, weep over men. We preach and plead with and
pray for our sons and daughters and weep over their souls. We
preach and plead with God that he may have mercy upon sinners.
And when all's said and done, the only way on this earth any
sinner ever is brought to believe is by the power directed specifically
to that center. Now listen to what that power
is, which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead.
You see, centers are dead. And the new birth is a resurrection.
That necessitates that the work be God's work alone, which raises
the sinner from the dead. Man's will has nothing to do
with it, he's dead. His works have nothing to do with it, he's
dead. A dead man lives only if somebody else who has the ability
to do so comes to him and gives him life. Not only is this a
call from God, but secondly, it is a call by the gospel. Now, this text we read a moment
ago in II Thessalonians 2. The Apostle Paul tells these
Thessalonian believers and us that we are called to salvation
by the gospel, whereunto he called you by our gospel. He told the Ephesian believers
that they believed after that they heard the word of truth,
the gospel of their salvation. I've dealt with this a good bit
in the recent weeks. And I will probably stress it continually
in weeks to come because I constantly find conflict and misunderstanding
I'm not going to spend a great deal of time on this aspect of
the message this evening But I want you to understand that
this is a matter of immense importance it pleased God by the foolishness
of preaching to save them that believe God does not call sinners
to life and faith in Christ. Sinners are not born again. Sinners do not come to believe
without the preaching of the gospel. I know people say, well,
surely you don't mean that a man can't just read the Bible and
come to understand the things of God from just reading the
Bible. No, I don't mean that, but that's what God means. That's
exactly what he means. That's the reason he gave you
a pastor and a preacher. That's the reason he gave somebody to
tell you the truth. So that men might hear the word. It pleased God to grant men knowledge
and understanding and life itself through the preaching of the
word. Oh, that lifts the preacher up awfully high. No, the preacher's
nothing. He's just an empty pipe. He nothing
reason God uses nothings to do it is so he gets the glory But
God speaking through a man grants life to sinners now listen and
see if this is not the teaching of scripture Of his own will
begat he us with the word of truth James 1 18 What does that mean means he
begot us with the word of truth I We are born again, not of corruptible
seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which lives
and abides forever. And then, you know, you run across
fellows, well, that's talking about Christ, the living Word.
You show me somewhere in this book where the living Word separated
from the written Word. Show me somewhere where it is.
The living word is made known only by the written word. The
living word speaks only by the written word. The living word
reveals himself only by the written word. And just to make certain
that you understand what he's talking about, the Holy Spirit
inspired Peter to go on to say, and this is the word which by
the gospel is preached unto you. To suggest that God may call
sinners and grant them life and faith in Christ Bypassing the
means which he has ordained for salvation is utterly ludicrous
You see if God's pleasure is to save his people Through the
preaching of the word as Paul says in 1st Corinthians chapter
1 it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that
believe if that's his pleasure I wonder when he doesn't do his
pleasure. I wonder when he doesn't do his pleasure. I'll tell you
the only time I don't do my pleasure is when I get in a bind and can't
do it. And to suggest that God Almighty
has gotten into a bind and can't do his pleasure is blasphemy.
God doesn't ever get into a bind. It pleased the Lord to save his
people by the foolishness of gospel preaching He says I will
do all my pleasure and he does God saves his elect He gives
them life and faith in Christ by the sovereign power of his
Holy Spirit Only through the preaching of the gospel of his
son now I stress this fact because it places upon our shoulders
an immense immense burden of responsibility Turn to Ezekiel
chapter 33. I want you to look at two texts
of scripture with me. Ezekiel chapter 33. Verse 7. So thou, O son of man, I have
set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel. Therefore thou
shalt hear the word at my mouth and warn them from me When I
say to the wicked Oh wicked man thou shalt surely die If thou
dost not speak to warn him That is you don't tell him the words
you heard from my mouth You don't declare to him the word that
I sent you to declare That wicked man shall die in his iniquity
But his blood will I require at thine hand. My soul, I never read those words
without trembling. Nevertheless, if thou warn the
wicked of his way to turn from it, if he do not turn from his
way, he shall die in his iniquity. But thou hast delivered thy soul.
Now let's look at the New Testament explanation of that in 1 Corinthians
chapter 9. 1 Corinthians 9 verse 16. This is how Paul, writing by
inspiration, tells us what the Lord meant by Ezekiel's word. For though I preach the gospel,
I have nothing to glory of. Man, this is nothing to make
you stick out your chest and pop your suspenders and strut
before men for necessity is laid upon me yea woe is unto me that's the same word our Lord
used when he spoke to the Pharisees woe is unto me that doesn't mean
necessity is laid upon me yea if I don't obey then I'm gonna
lose the crown when I get to heaven oh no Woe is unto me if
I preach not the gospel. Now I take this matter of preaching
the gospel to be a deadly serious responsibility for me and for
you. For me as your pastor and for
us as believers and a body of believers in this congregation.
As a preacher, it is my responsibility to seize every opportunity God
gives me and puts before me to the best of my ability to preach
the gospel. It is not enough merely to preach
or merely to preach the doctrinal facts and moral lessons revealed
in Holy Scripture. But it is my responsibility as
I open the word of God and stand before me and whether it is by
writing or standing here preaching or over radio It is my responsibility
as a man speaking for God to preach the gospel The Word of
God has not been preached until the gospel of God's free grace
has been expounded That's my responsibility. It doesn't matter
whether you're teaching five-year-old children or whether you're teaching
75 year old man It doesn't matter whether you're talking to one
person or talking to 20 as God gives opportunity to speak his
word it is our responsibility to preach the gospel the gospel
of his free grace and To declare to me and they're ruined by the
fall the only possibility and certainty of redemption is by
the blood of Jesus Christ God's son and that regeneration is
the work of his spirit and As individual believers as a local
church it is our responsibility to use everything God puts in
our hands and Seize every opportunity he gives us for the furtherance
of the gospel Why else do you reckon he left
us on this earth? What other function do you think
you've got here? What other purpose do we have here? Now, I realize
religious infidels. I realize that folks deluded
with free will works religion. Imagine somehow that God left
us here to finish up what Christ failed to do. He left us here,
you know, so we could make ourselves completely holy, because he missed
it somewhere. But we understand the truth of
God. We have been made right now in Jesus Christ meet to be
partakers of the inheritance of the saints in life. That means
there's nothing else to be done. The only thing, the only thing
that keeps us right now from glory is the fact we still live
in these tabernacles of clay. I mean, that's the only thing.
There's absolutely no other function I can find in the book of God.
For you and I existing upon this earth, except for the preaching
of the gospel. God left us here as his servants
and said, you shall be my witnesses. You shall be my witnesses. The
word in the New Testament comes from the word that we would normally
translate martyrs. That's what it means. To be his
witness is to be his martyr. That means that Mark Henson and
Don Fortner, if we are His, if we are His, and Judas Estes and
Captain Pruitt, if we are His, that means that we are men and
women who have willingly sacrificed our lives to His cause. That's what it is. Oh, Pastor,
you mean everything? That's what a martyr does, isn't
it? That's what he does. If we faithfully meet the responsibilities
that God puts before us in preaching the gospel and sinners refuse
to believe, then their blood is forever upon their heads.
But we have delivered our souls and are free from their blood.
If, however, we refuse to meet these responsibilities, My God, their blood shall forever
be upon our heads, because we have not indeed laid down our
lives in the cause. We have not indeed given up our
lives to Jesus Christ the Lord. Now thirdly, this call of God,
it is a call from God, it is a call by the gospel, and it
is a call of grace. The apostle Paul writing in Galatians
1 15 says God called me by his grace God as the God of all grace
Call centers to grace in life grace and glory in Jesus Christ
the super abundance of God's grace is Displayed in the call. In fact, the first open manifestation
of God's grace toward us is in this call of the gospel It is
by this call We were drawn with loving-kindness and it is the
fruit of God's loving-kindness and the evidence of God's loving-kindness
That he calls us by his grace When we think of God's call,
we ought to always remember these three things concerning it being
a call of grace The call of grace is the fruit of everlasting love. I Have loved thee with everlasting
love therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee. I also that
which is issued to sinners according to the sovereign will of God
our Savior. I read today in Mark chapter
3 once more where our Lord goeth up into a high mountain and calleth
unto him whom he would. And they come to him. He called
whom he would, he still does. And they came to him, they still
do as he calls them. And thirdly, Oh, thank God it
is a call without repentance. It's unchangeable, irreversible,
irrevocable, for the gifts and callings of God are without repentance. Now here is the happiness and
the joy of this doctrine. Those who are called of God are
by their call assured of everlasting glory. Whom he did predestinate,
then he also called. Whom he called, then he also
justified. Whom he justified, then he also
glorified. Now, if I believe God, I am called
by God the Spirit, and that is an assurance. That is an assurance
that I've been predestined everlasting life, justified by the blood
of God's dear Son, and shall be glorified at last. Now then,
look back at our text in 2 Thessalonians chapter two, verse 14. Where unto he called you by our
gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord God in this call issues
a call unto glory and his call will result in our everlasting
glory. even the possession and enjoyment
forever of the glory which Jesus Christ now possesses as the God-man,
our mediator. Now then, listen to this one
word and go home rejoicing, you who are called. Blessed is the
man whom thou choosest and causest to approach unto thee. Here's
the reason. that he may dwell in thy courts.
Now then, being called, we shall be satisfied with the goodness
of thy house. Amen.