Thoughts on Romans 1:1 Called 1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, 6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (Ro 1:1–6). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society. There are several different ways that the bible uses the word called. External or General Call Effectual Call Vocational Call The External/ General Call goes out to all men. But is not accompanied by the Power of the Spirit to bring about repentance. Man by his nature rejects this call because he hates God and despises the Gospel. Many are called, but few are chosen - Matt 22:14. God also reveals himself in nature which is called General Revelation. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge Psalm 19:1-2. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. Romans 1:20 This general revelation cannot save man. It just makes him inexcusable. Yet the External Call is not like General Revelation in that it proclaims the Special Revelation that is only found in Scripture. Apart from Gods Word there is no Special Revelation which is the Gospel call. The External/Effectual Call goes out proclaiming the Good News of Salvation and although many are called, few are chosen. The Internal Call is that call that is just that, internal. It is effectual because it is the call whereby the Holy Spirit opens the eyes and regenerates the heart of the sinner and gives him faith, eye to see and ears to hear. It is the call of salvation through the Gospel that awakens the dead sinner. This is the Internal or Effectual Calling of the Gospel that accomplishes salvation for the Elect. Then there is the Vocational Call. This is the call that Paul was speaking of in Romans 1:1 called to be an apostle Another way in which the Bible speaks of the call of God, a call illustrated by the next phrase: set apart for the gospel of God. This is what we call ‘vocation’, a concept which was popular when the Christian Faith had more influence in forming the outlook of our culture. It is a realisation that every human life is to be lived under the authority of God. This means that the career I pursue, the job I take, is to be in conformity with the will of God. In other words, my life is to be dedicated to God whether I am a minister, a farmer, a carpenter or a physician. Each one of us has a ‘vocation’, a calling from God that we are to carry out to his glory and for the benefit of his kingdom. Sproul, R. C. (1994). The Gospel of God: An Exposition of Romans (p. 18). Great Britain: Christian Focus Publications. As Christians who have responded to the Effectual Call we also must respond to the Vocational Call. God has called us to service. And that service does not necessarily mean full time ministry. It might be full time parenting, or a full time employee, etc. Whatever we do as Christians is a full time ministry. We are called to be ambassadors for Christ. We are called to serve Christ as cooks, bakers, bankers, school teachers, construction workers, etc. This is full time minster because we are called to represent Christ to people in those fields. May God grant us the grace to be faithful to the calling that he has called us to and be the light of Christ to those in the harvest field that God has placed us.
Posted on: Thu, 08 Jan 2015 12:27:11 +0000