Let's turn this evening to Hebrews
chapter 3, Hebrews the third chapter. Here the Holy Spirit writing
to us by the Apostle says, Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the
heavenly callings, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our
profession, Christ Jesus. In the opening words of this
text, Spirit of God tells us these three things about every
believer. First, all true believers are
holy, holy brethren, made holy by the grace of God. There is
nothing about us holy by nature. We are made holy by the imputation
of Christ's righteousness to us, and we are made holy by the
imparting of Christ's righteousness to us in regeneration. In justification,
we're declared holy. in regeneration believers are
made holy. God gives us a holy nature. Then
he tells us that all true believers are brethren. Every member of
God's family, every true believer, I didn't say every religious
person, I didn't say everyone who believes the doctrines of
grace, but every true believer, all who are born of God, are
our brethren. We are members of the same household
of faith. We are heirs of God and joint
heirs with one another and with Jesus Christ our Lord. And then
thirdly, the apostle tells us that all true believers are partakers
of the heavenly calling. There are some people in this
world described by the Spirit of God as the called. In Romans chapter one and verse
six, we're described as the called, a definite article preceding
the word called. In Romans 8, 28, we know that
all things work together for good to them that love God, to
them who are the called according to his purpose. Those who are
the called of Jesus Christ are God's elect, sinners redeemed
by the precious blood of God's dear Son and saved by his free
grace. There are others among God's
elect, others redeemed by the blood of Christ who have not
yet been called, and they also must be called. But those who
are born of God are the called of Jesus Christ. All who are
privileged to hear the gospel preached in a public manner like
this, you who are blessed of God tonight to hear the gospel,
are called by the outward call of the gospel, called to life
and faith in Christ, and you're responsible to obey that call.
But those who are the called of Jesus Christ, they have something
other than just the sound of a preacher's voice. They have
something other than just the preaching of the gospel. The
preaching of the gospel goes forth to them in power, and they
are called not only externally and outwardly, but inwardly,
spiritually, by the power of God the Holy Spirit. So that
like the Thessalonian saints, those who are recalled of Christ,
have their election and their calling, their redemption and
their salvation made sure to them, by the fact that the Word
of God came to them, not in word only, not just as the Word of
a man, but in demonstration of the Holy Spirit, and in power,
and in much assurance. The Word of God has come to those
who are called of God in the power of God. Oh, how I pray
that God may cause His Word to come to you now in the power
of His Spirit. I earnestly pray And I earnestly
pray every time I stand to preach, every time I sit down to make
a radio message, every time I sit down to write an article, Lord
God, if you will not speak by me, don't let me utter a word. I would rather not speak than
speak for nothing. I would rather not preach than
preach in vain. I'd rather, I'd rather cease
ever to speak again right now than to stand and preach to you
without the power of God upon me. Those who are the called
of Christ are called by the power of his spirit. Now I remind you
once more that there is no effectual call of grace apart from the
preaching of the gospel. And yet the preaching of the
gospel will never produce life, it will never produce faith in
Jesus Christ the Lord without the effectual call of God the
Holy Spirit. So salvation comes to chosen
redeemed sinners in the experience of grace by the almighty, irresistible,
effectual call of God the Holy Spirit. When we say the call
of God, the grace of God is irresistible, We mean by that that it is such
grace and such a call that no one who experiences it has the
power or the will to resist it. It is not a matter of God by
omnipotence overcoming the hearts of men, it is a matter of God
by grace overcoming their hearts. It is not a matter of God knocking
someone in the head and dragging them to Christ, oh It's a matter
of God revealing Christ in your heart and causing you to come
to Christ as a young man who is smitten with the beauty and
attractiveness of a young lady. It just has an irresistible urge
to make her his own. So the believer seeing the beauty
and glory of Christ has this irresistible call of God that
he cannot resist because he cries in his soul, give me Christ or
else I die, when he's called of God. And until you find yourself
thus called of God, you will never come to Christ. You will
never believe on him. It is this call of which David
sang, and I've quoted it so many times in the last few weeks,
but it bears repetition. Blessed is the man whom thou
choosest. and calls us to approach unto
thee. It is this call of which Paul
was speaking when he said, God separated me from my mother's
womb and called me by his grace and revealed his son in me. When
God who chose us, separated us from our mother's womb, called
us by his grace, that's when he revealed his son in us. Now the apostle Paul when he
speaks of this calling, seems so overwhelmed, so in awe of
it, that he seems not to be able to find words suitable to describe
it. I looked up these things the
other day in preparation for this message. Paul sometimes
refers to it as a holy calling, sometimes as the high calling
of God in Christ Jesus. Sometimes he refers to it as
the calling of God, sometimes he refers to it as your calling.
In our text this evening, he refers to it as the heavenly
calling. What is this call of God by which
we are saved? What is this heavenly calling
of which we have been made partakers by the grace of God? It's described
in the doctrinal theological books many ways. It's sometimes
called the internal call, sometimes the effectual call, sometimes
the irresistible call, sometimes the call of grace. But tonight
I want to show you simply how it is described in the Word of
God. And I want to call your attention to several verses of
Scripture, several texts, and these various texts will be my
outline and my message. So you follow with me, beginning
at 1 Peter chapter 2. 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 9. This is how God, the Holy Spirit,
describes this which He has called the heavenly calling, this call
of His grace. 1 Peter 2 verse 9, you are a
chosen generation, a royal priesthood and 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. When
God saved your soul, that's just what he did for you. He called
you out of darkness into his marvelous light. internal effectual
saving call of grace is a call out of gross darkness into the
glorious light of the face of Jesus Christ. As in the creation
of the world, you remember in Genesis 1 God commanded the light
to shine out of darkness, so in the new creation of grace
the Holy Spirit shines in our hearts to give the light of the
knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ. When Paul wrote
to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians chapter 4, he said, I pray that
God will cause the light to shine out of darkness to give in your
heart the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Christ. When the Apostle Paul was called,
remember in Acts chapter 9? When the Lord God met him on
the Damascus road, he was cast off of his animal, his beast,
and laid into the dust, and a great light shone around him, implying
that he was once in darkness, and now he's brought into great
light. And then the scales, as it were,
fell off his eyes, indicating that he was blind before, but
now he is made to see. And thus it is with every believer.
Those who are called of Christ are called out of darkness. into
the light of the gospel of God's grace. Before God saved us, we
were just like all other men, engulfed in thick darkness. Darkness,
darkness, darkness enshrouded our minds and our hearts and
our thoughts. Gods elect in their state of
nature, before they're converted by free grace, are just like
all other men, totally ignorant of all things spiritual. We had
no understanding of the character and grace of God. We had no knowledge
of our own selves. We didn't have any idea what
sin is. We presumed that we ourselves
had power within ourselves to resist evil, and that evil was
something outside us, not something within us. We were altogether
ignorant of Christ, of our need of Christ, of the necessity of
Christ. We were talking back in the study just a little bit
ago, Mark and I and some of the others, He was talking about
the sacrifices, reading about in the Old Testament. And he
used to wonder why did God require such precision with those sacrifices? Why was it necessary that they
be perfect, be the best of everything? And then he said, I didn't understand
then why Christ had to die. And that's the problem with man.
The whole religious world around us is engulfed in thick darkness
not knowing who Christ is and why he had to die. Why it was
necessary that the Son of God assume human flesh that he might
put away sin by the sacrifice of himself satisfying divine
justice. We knew nothing about righteousness.
The whole world presumes they do. But man by nature does not
understand what righteousness is. He thinks righteousness has
to do with doing the best he can at not doing too bad in offending
and hurting other people. He thinks righteousness has to
do with somehow doing the best he can at being generous and
kind and thoughtful and trying to help folks along the way.
He doesn't understand that righteousness is perfection. And God demands
it from us all. We, by nature, we're in darkness.
Utter, gross darkness. We looked at God's acts of prophetess.
Didn't understand them. Sometimes they scared the life
out of us. But we didn't understand. We didn't understand what God
was doing. We thought these things were freak accidents. These things were somehow the
result of bad luck or good luck. Somehow these things were just
fortuitous circumstances under no one's control at all. We didn't
understand that God does everything exactly as he wills, either in
judgment or in grace. We understood nothing about the
scriptures, nothing of the gospel, nothing of salvation. But now,
by the effectual call of God the Holy Spirit. The believer
is a person who has the eyes of his understanding open, and
is now made to see the light, and is now made to walk in the
light, not as one groping about in darkness, but he sees, he
sees, he understands. Turn to a text in Scripture in
this regard in Proverbs 28. Proverbs 28, I'll give you two
of it. God's people are children of
light. They no longer grope about in
darkness. They have the unction of the
Spirit. And this unction of the Spirit, this anointing of God's
Spirit, causes them to know all things. I frequently have folks
who I think that by their studying and by their diligent research
and by their diligent comparing of one thing with another, they'll
come along and say, well, God saved me back such and such a
time ago. Then I learned the gospel. Then
I really saw Christ. Oh, no, no, no, no. You were
still groping in darkness. You're saved when God reveals
his Son in you. You're saved when God gives you
light and understanding, gives you an unction so that you know
all things. This is what the book says, you
have an unction from the Holy One and you know all things.
He that is spiritual judges all things. You know what that means?
That means the person who has spiritual understanding discerns
everything. He has discernment about everything,
yet he himself is judged of no man. Nobody knows what in the
world is going on with him. Nobody understands him. The world
knows us not because the world knew him not. But this one who
judges all things, who discerns all things, is that one of whom
it is written, who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he
may instruct him. But we have the mind of Christ. Now that's not written about
a few very zealous, very studious, very righteous men. Oh no, that's written about every
sinner born of God's grace. He has the mind of Christ. Now
look at Proverbs 28 5. Are you there? Evil men understand
not judgment. They don't understand it. God
sends whirlwind and destroys this house and leaves that one.
God sends a flood and wipes away this family, leaves that family. God sends a tidal wave across
the land like Bangladesh. God brings about what men would
call a tragic accident and takes a baby out of this house and
leaves a drunk standing beside him. And men say, how can these
things be? Men don't understand God's justice.
They don't understand it. They cannot fathom God's Word. But look at the next line. But
they that seek the Lord, they understand. They understand all
things. They understand all things work
together for good to them that love God. They understand all
things under God's providential rule. Believers then understand
the truth. They believe the truth. They
receive the truth. And they have received the love
of the truth. Being taught of God, regenerate
men, enlightened faith sinners have the ability, given by God,
to distinguish between things that differ. The sheep hear the
shepherd's voice. Goats don't. The sheep understand
the difference between grace and works. They understand the
difference between free will and free grace. They understand
that salvation is God's work. Now then, look in Galatians chapter
5. We have been called out of darkness into God's marvelous
light. Here in Galatians 5, 13, the
Apostle Paul writes to the Galatians urging them to not hear those
false prophets who would bring them under the yoke of bondage
and legal servitude. And he says, for brethren, you
have been called unto liberty. You who are born of God have
been called to liberty. We were by nature children of
wrath. even as others," Ephesians 2
verse 4. Now sometimes folks read that and they think, well,
does that mean that God's elect were once the objects of his
wrath and condemnation? No, no, not at all. But in their
minds they were. In their minds they were rebels
deserving of wrath. In their consciences the verdict
of guilt was passed upon them and condemnation, the sentence
of death, sent upon them. And thus they were children walking
under the scent of God's wrath because they were children of
disobedience. But now, in Christ Jesus, we have been freed from
the curse and condemnation of God's holy law. We lived all
the days of our lives as home-born slaves under the dominion of
sin. But now in Christ, we become
the servants of righteousness. We spent all our days under the
power and influence of Satan. But now in Christ Jesus, we are
his free men. We've been made free. Therefore
the Apostle urges us to stand fast in the liberty wherewith
Christ hath made us free. How I thank God for the glorious
liberty of grace. I want you to turn back to Deuteronomy
chapter 4. Deuteronomy chapter 4. When I
read this this week, I couldn't help but to recall what it was
intended to make us recall. On your way back you might want
to stop at chapter 6. Moses is wrapping up his ministry as God's
prophet, and he's telling the children of Israel what the Lord
had done for them. In chapter 6, in verse 20, he
says, When thy son asketh thee in time to come, and if you worship
God, your children will ask. They may not pay any attention,
but they'll ask. What mean these testimonies? What's the meaning
of all this? What's the meaning of all these
services? What's the meaning of this commitment
to the worship of God and the statutes and the judgment which
the Lord God has commanded you? Then thou shalt say unto thy
son, we were Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt. Look at this, and the
Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Verse 22. And the Lord showed signs and
wonders great and sore upon Egypt and upon Pharaoh and upon all
his household. Look at this, before your eyes.
And he brought us out from there. But it didn't just bring us out.
Moses said, now, now I'm fixing to die. But God didn't bring
you out in this wilderness to kill you. He brought you out
that he might bring us in. to give us the land which he
sware unto our fathers. He brought us out of bondage
to bring us into liberty. He brought us out of the kingdom
of darkness to bring us into the kingdom of his dear son.
Now look at chapter 4, verse 31. Moses says the Lord thy God is
a merciful God. He will not forsake thee, neither
destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which
he sware unto them. For ask now of the days that
are past. Be wise, children of God, and
ask of the days that are past. Did ever a people have a God
like your God? Did ever a nation exist with
whom God was constantly near, nigh unto them? Has God a say
to go make him a nation of any other people? Verse 35, Unto
thee it was shown that thou mightest know that the Lord he is God. There is none else beside him.
Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might
instruct thee." God spoke out of heaven so you'd listen to
him. That he might instruct thee.
And upon earth he showed thee his great fire, that thou, and
thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire. And because
he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them,
and brought thee out in his sight with his mighty power out of
Egypt, to drive out the nations from before thee greater and
mightier than thou art, to bring thee in, to give thee their land
for an inheritance, as it is this day. know therefore this
day and consider it in thine heart that the Lord he is God
in heaven above and upon the earth beneath there is none else. We've been called out of bondage
worse than Egypt by the mighty hand of God into the glorious
liberty of the sons of God. Now look in first Corinthians
chapter 1 verse 9. Here's the third aspect of this
call. God is faithful, by whom ye were
called unto the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Not only have we been called
out of bondage and into liberty, blessed, blessed liberty, we've
been called into the glorious liberty of sweet, intimate fellowship
and communion with the living God. I wonder if we have to appreciate
that as we all do. God calls his people out of the
world. If you're going to come to him,
you're going to have to come out with him. He met Abraham and
Ur of Chaldeas, but he called him out from family and friends.
He calls us out from those things which would engulf our hearts,
the people and the possessions of the world. He calls us out.
He calls us out to follow him, and we are continually being
called. Love not the world, that's the people, neither the things
of the world, that's the possession of the world. God calls us from
the riches of this world. Don't be engulfed by them. Don't
be engulfed by their silver and their gold. Don't be engulfed
by what the world has to offer you. It'll be a snare to your
soul. He calls us out of the recognition and the applause
of the world. I spent all of my youth trying
to get somebody to pay attention to me. Trying to get somebody
to pay attention to me. That's what rebels generally
do. We wonder why on earth kids are so blooming mean, why they
get into stuff like this. Because they're craving attention. They're
craving attention. But the crave for the recognition
and attention of this world will just be a snare to your soul
to bring you to hell. God calls us away from it. It's
like a forsaken. Forsaken. Family, friend, people
all around him. And he calls us out of the religion
of this world. Read the seventh chapter of Deuteronomy
again. And see how God demands that
the children of Israel, as they go to take possession of the
land, destroy every altar. Burn every graven image. Don't
even save the silver and gold attached to that graven image.
Don't bring the abominable thing into your heart, into your house,
because it will turn your heart from God Almighty. He calls us
always away from the religion of this world. Look in 2 Corinthians
chapter 6. I want you to turn there. 2 Corinthians
6. This passage is saying the very
same thing that our Lord says in Revelation 18. Come out of
her, my people, that you be not partakers of her sin, that you
receive not of her pleasure. Now here it is, 2 Corinthians
chapter 6, verse 14. Do not unequally yoke together
with unbelievers. He's talking now about religious
folks, but they're unbelievers. For what fellowship hath righteousness
with unrighteousness? What communion hath light with
darkness? And what concord hath Christ
with Belial? Or what part has he that believeth
with an infidel? And what agreement has the temple
of God with idols? You're the temple of the living
God. As God has said, I will dwell in them and walk in them.
I will be their God and they shall be my people. Wherefore,
come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord,
and touch not the unclean things, and I will receive you, and I'll
be a father unto you, and you shall be my sons and daughters,
saith the Lord Almighty. having therefore these promises
dearly beloved. Let us cleanse ourselves from
all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. Cleanse ourselves from
every filthy remnant of human free will, works, idolatrous
religion, and thus perfect holiness in the fear of God. Having said
all that, let me hasten to say this. The heavenly calling of
which we are now partakers brings us into far better company than
we ever knew before. We are now brought into the company
of God's saints, given free access to God's house, to the Lord's
table, even to His throne. He brings us into the glorious
liberty of the sons of God. What a privilege. We've been
called into fellowship with God and his people, not just his
people on the earth, but as we gather around his throne in the
name of his dear son, we've come unto Jesus and the sprinkling
of the new covenant and the general assembly in church of the firstborn,
whose names are written in heaven. The spirit of just men made perfect,
so that we worship with those even in heaven around the throne
of our God. Look closely at chapter 7 in
1 Corinthians and verse 15. Paul writes to the saints of
God who have the misery of an unbelieving husband or wife,
and says, if the unbelieving departs, let him go, let him
depart. A brother or sister is not in
bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace, internal peace, peace that passes. May peace, even in such a state
as this, peace in the midst of tribulations in this world, peace
when all the world would be pulling their hair out, God called us
to peace. A peace that is based upon the
blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ and his sovereign rule
and dominion over everything. He called us to peace. We've
also been called to be at peace among ourselves. and with all
men. So he says, let the peace of
God rule in your heart, to the which also you are called. Now
look at 1 Thessalonians 4, very quickly. Verse 7, God has not called us to uncleanness,
but unto holiness. Don't forget This calling arises from a holy
purpose, the purpose of God. It's based upon a holy principle.
God has called us because his justice has been satisfied for
us. It is a calling which has brought us into a holy position,
so that now we are made to be the sons of God, justified and
sanctified in Christ. And this is a call which makes
us a holy a holy nation, a peculiar people, a royal priesthood. May God be pleased now to make
you a partaker of this heavenly calling in his holy kingdom for
Christ's sake. Amen.