for allowing me to come and to
bring this message. Let's look at the book of Galatians.
The book of Galatians, and I want to look at Galatians chapter
1. Galatians 1, and I want to pull out a scripture here that,
the testimony of Paul, and what he says about the calling of
grace. The calling of grace. Galatians 1, 11. But I certify you, brethren,
that the gospel which I preached, which was preached of me, is
not after man, for I neither received it of man, neither was
I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. For ye have
heard of my conversation or my conduct in time past in the Jews'
religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church and wasted
it. and profited in the Jews' religion
above many mine equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly
zealous of the traditions of my fathers, but when it pleased
God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by
his grace to reveal his son in me that I might preach him among
the heathen, immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood. Neither went I up to Jerusalem,
to them which were apostles before me, but I went to Arabia and
returned again to Damascus." We'll stop our reading there.
I want to take the effectual call of God. Paul says here,
he called me by his grace when Saul the persecutor was converted. And the effectual call of God,
and look at the exhortations and the applications to us as
the Bible describes it, mainly what it's based upon. There are
many calls in scripture. Brother Streeter read that this
morning in Psalms 19. There's that call of creation. And there's also a call of conscience,
a call of conscience. Paul said, men show the work
of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing
them witness their thoughts, the meanwhile accusing or excusing
them. And then there's a call of preaching,
as Brother Streeter read there in Psalm 19, the word of God,
the law of God converts the soul, the call of preaching. Paul said,
I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power
of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth to the Jew first
and also to the Greek. And God uses that to call out
his people. Men are without excuse because
of the call of creation and the call of conscience. and the call
of preaching as well, in the sense that much more detail goes
out about the work of Christ in preaching, and so men are
without excuse. All of these are general calls. You talk about the general call
of the gospel. Spurgeon said, the general call
of the gospel is like sheet lightning we sometimes see on a summer
evening, beautiful and grand, but who ever heard of anything
being struck by it? But the special call is the forked
flash from heaven. It strikes somewhere. It strikes
somewhere. It's the special call of God.
General calls are external. They go out to all. Many Christians
fail to distinguish between the external call of preaching the
gospel and the special call, the effectual call, the internal
call of the Holy Spirit. Believers in free will say that
God calls men externally and then when some men repent and
believe, then God grants them new life. But the truth is, the
truth is that God grants new life, repentance and faith. These are all gifts of God. Man
believes from a new heart which God grants. through the new birth
which is promised in the new covenant. And all this happens
when the Holy Spirit effectually calls His people. He only calls
His sheep, His elect, effectually, and that call gets the job done. Like Brother Fred said, that
call gets the job done. John Aerosmith said this, in
whatever dunghill God's jewels be hid, election will both find
them out and there fetch them out from hence. Augustine said,
thou didst seek us when we sought thee not. and did seek us indeed
that we might seek thee." That's the special call of God. That's
the call, the effectual call. Oh, yes, man wills and man runs. You know, man wills and man runs.
The Bible says, not of him that wills, not of him that runneth.
But man wills and man runs. And where does he run? He runs
as far as he can from God. As the scripture says, he will
not have this man, Christ, to rule over him. But we are the
called according to His purpose, the Word of God says. We're the
called according to His purpose. Whom He called, these He also
justified. And the Word of God says He justified
them freely by His grace. through the redemption that is
in Christ Jesus. That doesn't mean necessarily it was free
to us. God was free. God was free and did not base
His decision to love, to choose, to call, or to pass over any
person based upon merit, but upon His own will and purpose
and wisdom and counsel. That's what the Word of God teaches.
Look in Ephesians chapter one. Ephesians chapter one. where he says, in whom also we
have obtained an inheritance being predestined according to
the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel
of his own will. Look in Ephesians chapter three.
In verse 10, to the intent that now unto the principalities and
powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold
wisdom of God according to the eternal purpose which he purposed
in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Time would not permit us to go
through all the proof of this in scripture, and I'm hoping
in some of these texts we'll be able to see that. But it's
clear in one key scripture, you could have one key scripture,
and it would be enough, where he says in Psalm 110.3, thy people
shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the day of God's
power, He makes his people willing. First of all, I want to look
at our gracious calling. The word of God calls it a gracious
calling. It's an effectual call and he
calls it a gracious calling. It's a call of the grace of God.
It's not from man. Paul says he did not receive
it, receive the gospel he preached by man, but by direct revelation
from the Lord Jesus. And then he states in our text
that, would it please God to separate me from my mother's
womb and call me by his grace? Paul has two things, I think,
there in mind. I think first he has in mind
election. Because Jeremiah said it in even
a more profound way. He says in Jeremiah 1 5, Before
I formed thee in the womb, I knew thee. And that word is I love
thee. It's an everlasting love. He said, I knew thee in the womb
before I formed thee in the womb. And before thou camest out of
the womb, I sanctified thee and ordained thee as a prophet into
the nation. I think that's what Paul had in mind. And also, Paul
has in mind providence because he says, to reveal his son in
me. That was the purpose, to reveal
his son in me. Everything that had transpired
in the life of Paul, and everything that transpires in your life,
in my life, brings us to that point of redeeming grace and
the effectual call, as he called Paul on the Damascus Road. He
says, I did not confer with men. What Paul is stating is that
the origin of the calling is the grace of God. And the result
of this calling is that the work of the Son was revealed in him. Also, this calling is not of
man because Paul said God called him by his grace. And Romans
9 says, if by grace it is no more of works, otherwise grace
is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it
is no more grace, otherwise work is no more work. You see, if
it's work, God is paying back a debt. If it's grace, God is
giving something in an unmerited way, it's unmerited favor. It's all referring to the origin.
It's not of works, it's of grace. If it's of work, it's no more
of grace. If man had a part in it, he would
be adding to what the Lord had done and saying that Christ's
work, it was not sufficient. Think about that. Also, it's
a calling of grace. It's a calling of the grace of
God because man is totally unable to come to Christ. No man can
come to me, he says, unless the father who sent me draw him.
He's not saying no man may come to me. He's talking about ability. No man can come to me unless
the father who sent me draw him. And I will raise him up on the
last day. Notice that's showing that that's
effectual. I will raise him up on the last
day. No man can, that person coming
to Christ, when the Father's drawing him, and I will raise
him up on the last day. That's a key scripture. It's
a calling by God's grace because man is dead in trespasses and
sins, right? Paul illustrates this truth perfectly
in his life because in our text, as Saul of Tarsus, he said that
all he had done in his life was wreak havoc upon the church,
waste the church of God through blind works-based religious zeal. Saul was moving up the ladder
of dead religion. moving up that ladder, and you
saw that in our text in verse 13 and 14 where he said, you've
heard in my conversation in times past in the Jews' religion how
beyond measure I persecuted the church and wasted it, and I profited. He was moving up the ladder above
many of his equals of his own nation. And so that just shows
the deadness of man's religious zeal that he tries to balance
the account out. to God and work his way to heaven,
which will never be accomplished. The Bible says, and you hath
he quickened, and there's the calling there, and you hath he
quickened, he made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
where in time past you walked according to the course of this
world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the
spirit is now controlling the children of disobedience. That's
that word, worketh. The spirit now worketh in the
children of disobedience. He was dead. He was bone dead.
We talk about graveyard dead? Paul was bone dead. And the reason
why I'm talking about bone dead, because the Lord had told Ezekiel
to go into that valley, look in that valley of dry bones,
and I don't want us to go there, I just want to use this for a
reference, because we don't have time, and I know I have a lot
of scriptures, but in Ezekiel 37, the Lord had told Ezekiel
to go down, and the Lord set him down in the midst of a valley
of dry bones. And he said unto me, he said,
son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord, thou
knowest. You know, John Gill said there was no probability
of hope, humanly speaking, that these bones would be quickened.
These are a fit emblem of men in a state and nature of unregeneracy
who have no spiritual life, have no sense of sin or danger, no
strength to redeem or regenerate themselves. or do anything that
is spiritually good. In themselves, they're totally
lifeless, helpless and hopeless. That's men outside of Christ.
What is man's nature? Man is powerless to affect a
change in his nature. Think of what happened in the
garden. Adam sinned. He died spiritually. He turned
his back on God. He chose the will of the enemy,
the serpent. He chose the will of his wife,
turned his back on God. When he had walked with God in
the garden, he had full fellowship with God in the garden, and all
mankind fell in Adam. God accounted the sin of Adam
to all his seed. The result was man cannot choose
God. You know, Adam hid from God. He hid from God because of spiritual
death. He said, I'm afraid. He said,
I'm afraid, and the Lord began to question him. And God was
showing man his spiritual death, and Adam was showing spiritual
death that we all have. Man cannot choose God, his nature
is corrupt to the point where he does not receive spiritual
things. In fact, 1 Corinthians 2.14 says,
he cannot know them, neither can he know them. He doesn't
receive spiritual things, neither can he know them. for they are
spiritually discerned. And so if the spirit is discerning
something and man's spirit is dead, he cannot know them. He
needs life. What does a dead man need? He
needs life. And so let me give you A through
E about lost men. Lost men are astray. All we like
sheep have gone astray, turned everyone to his own way. That
means they're lost. That's why the Bible talks about
lost. They're lost, they're lost sheep. The Lord came for the
lost sheep of the house of Israel. They're abhorrent to God because
all our righteous deeds, the best religious thing that we
can do is as filthy rags before God, Isaiah 64, 6. They're blinded
by the devil. The God of this world has blinded
the minds of them who are lost. They're cursed. Cursed is everyone
who does not continue in all things that are written in the
law to do them. They're condemned already. They're
condemned already because he has not believed in the one solution,
the Lord Jesus Christ. He's not believed in the name
of the only begotten Son of God. They're devoid of a righteousness
that is acceptable to God. The Bible says they're being
ignorant of God's righteousness, going about to establish their
own righteousness. They have not submitted to the
righteousness of God because Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness to everyone who believes. And the last two,
man is in darkness by definition. Man is darkness by definition,
pardon me. He is darkness by definition.
It says, you talking Christians, he said you were once darkness.
And he is enmity with God by definition. His very being is
enmity with God. The carnal mind is enmity with
God. Going back to that reference
of the valley of dry bones, The Lord said unto Ezekiel, Prophesy
unto these bones, and say unto them, O dry bones, hear the word
of the Lord. And I believe this is a type of the command of the
preacher of the gospel. We cannot cause anything to happen.
We can preach, but it's preaching to dead bones. There's no arguments
that are strong enough to cause life to happen, to cause a dead
man to believe. Thus saith the Lord God to these
dry bones, behold, I will cause breath to enter unto you and
you shall live. You know, we just need to hear
a message on that. That's why I wanted to not bring
it out. I just wanted to pass by it because it just preaches
the whole way through Ezekiel 37, right after the New Covenant
of Ezekiel 36. He talks about a great illustration
there in Ezekiel 37. Notice that the prophet was told
to preach to dead people, to dry, bleached bones. Paul stated
that his gospel was preached throughout the whole region in
1 Corinthians 1, 22 through 24. Why don't we turn there right
quick? First Corinthians 1, 22 through 24, and then skip down
to verse 30. We're thankful it's not too far from
our text. In 22, he says, in 1 Corinthians 1, 22, for the
Jews require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach
Christ crucified. There's the preaching. There's
the call of preaching that goes out. We preach Christ crucified
unto the Jews, a stumbling block under the Greeks' foolishness,
but unto them which are called, there's a different call. There's
a call of preaching that's going out in the whole region, Paul
said. but people are rejecting it. But to them which are called,
both Jews and Greeks, that's the effectual call. Christ is
the power of God. Christ is the wisdom of God in
24. Jump down to 30. But of him are
ye in Christ Jesus. Look at that, of him. Of him
are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made to us wisdom and
righteousness and sanctification and redemption. It's a gracious
call that according to it is written, he that glorieth, let
him glory in the Lord. Praise the Lord for God's grace.
That's Paul's point in Romans 9, 11 through 16. especially 16 and in verse 11. Let's look at 16 first. In Romans 9, he's referring to
election, he's referring to God's prerogative in election, God's
plan in election, and Romans 9, 16, it says, It is not of
him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that
showeth mercy. Look at verse 11. For the children,
Jacob and Esau, being not yet born, neither having done any
good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to election,
might stand not of works, but of what? But of him that calleth.
You see, He called them with the effectual call. This is a
calling of grace, not a calling from man, even though God uses
the preaching of the word to call out His people. Also, the
writer of Hebrews tells us another facet of the calling of God in
Hebrews 3.1. And this is my second point. This efficacious grace is called
a heavenly calling. It's called a heavenly calling.
Look at Hebrews 3.1. We're for holy brethren, partakers
of the heavenly calling. Consider the apostle and high
priest of our profession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to him
that appointed him. He's referring to those things
previously mentioned in chapter two, verse 10 through 15. Look
up there right quick. And two, it says, for it became
him for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing
many sons to glory to make the captain of their salvation perfect
through sufferings for both he that sanctified and they who
are sanctified. are all of one, for which cause
he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare
thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the church while
I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust
in him. And again, behold, I and the children God has given unto
me. For as much as the children are
partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took
part in the saying that through death he might destroy him. that
had the power of death, that is the devil, and delivered them
who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to
bondage." Based upon the redeeming work of God. This is a heavenly
calling because it's based upon the redeeming work of Christ.
God had given him a seed. He calls them children. He gave
him children. He calls them brethren. He became
like them, he took part in the same, the Bible says, because
he had a mission to redeem them to God. This had to have been
done as a man, because a man violated God's will. A man failed
to glorify God and he had broken God's law and he had dishonored
God. Christ came to deliver them from
the power of death and to purge their sins. Look at Hebrews 1.3. who being in the brightness of
his glory, the expressed image of his person, upholding all
things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged
our sins, by himself, he did that. He purged our sins. He washed them away. As Revelation
1.5 says, and he sat down at the right hand of the father
of the majesty on high. to destroy the works of the devil,
to release us, his children, from that bondage. I have glorified
thee on earth, the Lord said. I have finished the work which
thou gavest me to do. What was that work that he finished? He worked out a perfect and eternal
righteousness. That righteousness is given to
all that the Father calls effectually by his grace. were counted righteous
in Christ. He became obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross. He magnified the law, made it
honorable. He honored it by putting himself
under it. He obeyed it completely. He humbled himself and became
obedient unto death to die a curse for the broken law that I had
broken all my life. Oh, thankful, thankful for God. This is a call from, this is
a heavenly call. He took my place, 2 Corinthians
5, 21. For he hath made him to be sin
for us. He who knew no sin that we might
be made the righteousness of God in him. So I want to say
it's a heavenly calling that God gives to us because it's
based upon the redeeming work of Christ who has called us as
his children. We are partakers of that heavenly
calling. Think of this, that hymn that
says, why was I made to hear his voice and enter while there's
room, while thousands, while millions make the dreaded choice
and rather starve than come? Think of that and marvel that
God called us with a heavenly calling, a calling of grace,
Another facet of this calling can be studied in the unbreakable
chain of the purpose of God. Look at Romans 8.28. Many don't
even need to look at this because this is just a memory verse for
you. It's such a great, great verse. Look at Romans 8.28-30. And we know that all things work
together for the good of them that love God, to them who are
the called. There's the word again, the called
according to his purpose. Whom he did foreknow, he also
did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom
he did predestinate, them he called. Whom he called, then
he also justified. Whom he justified, then he also
glorified. This is an amazing scripture,
amazing scripture. And years can be spent and have
been spent on this scripture, preaching this scripture. It's
amazing scripture on many levels. But just looking at it from one
aspect. We are called according to His purpose. He loved us. That's that word for knowledge.
He loved us. He predestinated us. He called
us. He justified us. And we're already
glorified in the plan of God. We're already glorified. And
Romans 5.1 says we're justified by faith. It cannot be obtained
by my faith. We're justified by faith. It's
got to be a faith that's a gift of God. It can't be a justification
by my faith that comes from within me because that would be my adding
something to the process and the word would be wrong because
then I'm not dead. If that were true, if it was
my faith that comes welling up from within me from a dead carcass,
a walking dead man, that would mean that I'm not dead. I would
have an ability and therefore I would contribute something
to my salvation. How senseless would that be? Secondly, that
supposed faith would be a righteous act and the Bible says there's
none righteous. And then, there's none that seeketh God. And then
thirdly, saving faith is a gift of God everywhere in the Bible.
The best scripture that I can find on that that I love to bring
on that is Philippians 129. It says, for unto you it is given
in behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to
suffer for his sake. So in the same way, that scripture,
by definition, that scripture is saying the same way he gives
you suffering, he also gives you faith. He gives you faith
and and he gives you suffering. This whole context is given to
show that salvation from eternity to eternity is from him. Look
at all the he pronouns in Romans and Romans 8. It was his purpose,
Romans 8, 28, whom he did foreknow. 29, he did predestinate to conform
to the image of his son, of his son. that he might be the firstborn
among many brethren. Moreover, look at verse 30. Moreover,
whom he did predestinate, he also called. Whom he called,
then he also justified. Whom he justified, then he also
glorified. It's all of God from start to
finish, from start to finish. Thirdly, this effectual call
is a heavenly call because it's the Spirit of God who regenerates
man. Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3 that it's of the Spirit
of God to grant eternal life, and it's a must. He said, you
must be born again, born of water and of spirit. In John 3.3, he
says, Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say
to you, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom
of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when
he is old? How can he, can he enter in a
second time in his mother's womb and be born? That's expects a
negative answer, obviously, and many versions bring that out.
Jesus answered, verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man
be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom
of God. That which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which
is born of spirit is spirit. Titus confirms this, doesn't
he? In Titus 3, he says, it's not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us by the
washing of regeneration. The washing of that's where the
water, the washing of regeneration, renewing of the Holy Spirit is
referring to Ezekiel 36 in the New Covenant and the New Covenant.
We can flip over there if you if you if you think you can get
there. Ezekiel 36. We would have to look at it quickly.
I know I always bring out a lot of scripture, and I think they're
important, though. I think they're important. In
Ezekiel 36, we're talking about the washing of regeneration,
washing of regeneration. Look what he says in the New
Covenant. It's the fulfilling of the New Covenant. being born
again. And look what he says in Ezekiel
36, 25. Then will I sprinkle clean water
upon you, and you shall be clean from all your filthiness and
from all your idols. I will cleanse you. Verse 26,
a new heart will I give unto you, a new spirit will I put
within you, and I will take away the stony heart of your flesh
and give you a heart of flesh. It's exactly what the Lord was
talking about. And I will put my spirit within you. and calls
you to walk in my statues and you shall keep my judgments and
do them." Being born again. That's what he's talking about
in Ezekiel 36, being born again. It is a heavenly calling. The washing of water can also
be referring, and it does refer, I believe, to the washing of
the word of God to bring the new birth. Because in Ephesians
5, he talks about that he might sanctify and cleanse his church
with a washing of water by the word. And also, 1 Peter 1, verse
23, I think he's writing 23 through 25, he says, that we're born
again by the seed of the gospel that was preached unto you. So
that was through the word of God. So, but he said, marvel
not that I say unto thee, you must be born again. The wind
blows where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, and
canst not tell whence it cometh. or whither it goeth, so is everyone
that is born of the Spirit." The point of this illustration
here in John 3 is that the wind is out of man's control. The
wind bloweth where it listeth. That's a personification. Obviously,
God moves the wind, but it's out of man's control. Comparing
this wind with the will of the Holy Spirit. Christ marveled
that a master teacher of Israel, in John 3, Nicodemus, a master
teacher of Israel would not have known these things. You know,
but these things have to be revealed spiritually, don't they? But
he would have been familiar with those scriptures. Washing would
be the new covenant blessings of Ezekiel 36. And the wind and the breath of
God would be 37, Ezekiel 37. So this calling we have received
is not a calling that man produces, it's a heavenly calling. And
thirdly, I want to say that my main point here, thirdly, is
that also this biblical effectual calling is not only a gracious
calling, it's not a heavenly calling only, but it's also called
in the scriptures a holy calling. It's called a holy calling. It's
talking about the effectual call, a holy calling. How is it used,
this holy calling? It is used pertaining to God's
giving His grace in Christ Jesus, in Christ Jesus. I want to say
it's a holy covenant calling. Second Timothy 1.9 is where it's
used at. Second Timothy 1.9, God who saved
us. and called us with a holy calling,
not according to our works, but according to his own purpose
and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world
began. Praise the Lord. It was God who
gave a people to his son in that covenant of grace or the council
of peace. It's also referred to when before
the foundation of the world, Christ was granted a bride from
among all nations whom he would come and redeem in the fullness
of times. That covenant was made within the persons of the Holy
Trinity, yet it was made with us. It was made with us because
we were in Christ when that was made. Christ was our head. Christ was the surety of the
covenant, the mediator of the covenant. He made that covenant
and represented us in that covenant. We were in our head, the Lord
Jesus, the second person of the Trinity. Look at Isaiah 49. Look
at Isaiah 49. This is a good, a short scripture
on the covenant. Let's, Stop a little bit in verse
2 and then go down to verse 6 and then verse 8, Lord willing. In Isaiah 49, he says, And he
hath made my mouth like a sharp sword. In the shadow of his hand
he hath hid me. He made me a polished shaft,
and a quiver hath he hid me. Talking about the secret counsels
of God in eternity past. In verse 6, Verse six, and he
said, it is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved
of Israel. I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles that
thou mayest be my salvation to the ends of the earth. Look at
verse eight. And thus saith the Lord. Thus saith the Lord. Well, let's let's stop. Let's
let's go through verse seven. Thus saith the Lord, the redeemer
of Israel, thus saith and his holy one to whom man despiseth
to him whom the nation abhorreth to a servant of rulers. Kings shall see and arise. Princes shall also also shall
worship because of the Lord that is faithful and the Holy One
of Israel. And he shall choose thee. He shall choose thee. Look
at verse 8. Thus saith the Lord, in an acceptable time I have
heard thee, and in a day of salvation I have helped thee. I will preserve
thee and give thee for a covenant of the people to establish the
earth to cause to inherit the desolate heritages. The desolate heritages. Psalm 2 is a good one. Let me
just quote this one. When Christ was given a people
and all peoples, some to destroy and some to be his people. In
Psalm 2, he says, I will declare the decree. The Lord said unto
me, Thou art my son. This day I begotten thee. Ask
of me and I shall give thee. the heathen for thine inheritance,
and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession." In verse
12 at the bottom, he says, blessed are they that put their trust
in thee. With this covenant, we're given
every spiritual blessing in Christ. This holy calling is distinct
from the gospel call that goes out to all because I do not know
a place in the word of God where the gospel call is mentioned
as a holy calling, but the effectual call is. holy calling, a holy
calling. This holy calling is very interesting
because the Bible states that a new man is created in us, and
that way I want to say the holy calling is transformational.
We're called out of darkness to his marvelous light, 1 Peter
2, 9. For we ourselves were once sometimes
foolishness, he says. Think about that. Think about
the contrast between what we were and what we are now. He
says, we were sometimes foolishness, the Bible says, disobedient,
deceived, serving diverse lusts and pleasures, living in malice
and envy, hating, hateful and hating one another. And now we
have the fruit of the spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness,
meekness or kindness, faith and faithfulness. Another way this
calling is transformational is it is life changing. If any man
be in Christ, he's a new creature. He's a new creature in Christ
Jesus. He's a new creation created in
righteousness and true holiness according to Ephesians 4. Look at the result of our transformation. The result is growth in this
new calling. Look at another scripture in
Ephesians chapter 4, 1 through 6. Ephesians chapter 4, 1 through
6. Look at the transformation. I therefore the prisoner of the
Lord beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation with the
vocation wherewith you are called with all lowliness and meekness
and longsuffering forbearing one another in love, endeavoring
to keep the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace. For there's
one body and one spirit, even as you were called in one hope
of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and
father of all who is above all and through all and in you all,
in you all. not you all from Texas, but in
you all. All of him is in you. He's in
you. And so it's a transformation,
it's a growth. process. It's a growth, growing
in grace. But that new man is created in
us. What I'm trying to say, it's created righteousness and true
holiness. And as our pastor said, do you feed the new man or do
you feed the old man? Because it's a growth. It's a growth process when you
become a child of God. It's a growth process. God creates
that new man when he shine the light out of darkness and shine
into our hearts to reveal the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus. It's a holy calling, it's
transformational, based upon the Holy Covenant, secured in
Christ, and all of our blessings are in Christ. Lastly, and quickly,
quickly, it's a calling, not only a calling of grace, a gracious
calling, it's a heavenly calling, it's a holy calling, but Paul
refers to, and he's really referring to another calling, but it's
also effectual, and that is the high calling from heaven, or
the upward call from God. This has the blessed hope in
mind. The goal is the glory of God in our eternal home. The
Apostle Paul had this in view as he struggled in the Christian
life. He had this in view when he said, I count all things but
lost for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus. And
he says, not as though I had already attained, neither were
already perfect, but I follow after that I may apprehend that
for which I also apprehended of God. He calls it, he says,
I pressed for the mark of the prize of the high calling, the
upward call of God. Paul wanted to apprehend and
possess in present experience that for which God had apprehended
him. You know, Paul, in his way, and I'll close with this, he
had a set of scales in his evaluation of his life. And he said, for
our light affliction, Our light affliction on that scale. He
said, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding
and eternal weight of glory. Can you see that scale? Your
light affliction is working for us an exceeding eternal weight
of glory. We've had this purpose shift
in our lives. Is your life counting for a greater
purpose, an eternal one, glorifying God, knowing Christ, and making
Him known? That purpose when God gave us
that gracious call, that heavenly call, and that holy call, when
He called us out of darkness to His marvelous light. Think
about that. Today is the day of salvation. Thank you.