Week 1 - Friday

Called by God

among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:6-7)

There are two basic types of calls that go out from God in regard to salvation. First there is the general call that goes to everyone who hears the gospel message. In this call God offers to forgive a person's sins if they will turn away from their sin and receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. A second call of God is called His effectual call because this is the call which actually effects salvation. The people who come to Christ to be saved from their sins, do so because they have received not only the general call of God through the gospel, but they have also received the effectual call of God in their hearts. God uses the general call of the gospel to invite people to believe in Jesus. However it is the effectual call of God that really brings about salvation because it actually gives a person the faith that they need to believe. This effectual call goes out from God, only to those people whom He has specifically called to belong to Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that no one can come to Christ unless they have been chosen by God. We don't really know why God chooses the people he does to be saved. However there is no question about whose fault it is when someone is unwilling to come to Christ. If you have ever heard the gospel, and have not received Jesus Christ, you have no one to blame but yourself (John 5:40). God's offer of salvation is open to you, if you will come to Christ. Don't refuse Him. The only way you can ever be forgiven for your sins, is to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

What a great privilege it is to belong to Jesus Christ. Because we believe in His Son, we are the beloved of God. God has adopted us into His family and He is now our Father. Only believers in Christ can truly call God their Father. In the physical sense, God is the Father of everyone, because He created all of us. However in the spiritual sense, God is only the Father of those who have received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. But with this great privilege also comes a great responsibility. All who have been saved by God are called to be saints. Saints is from the Greek word hagios and it means a most holy thing. To be holy means to be morally perfect, set apart from sin for service to God. As saints, we are to live in a way that shows the rest of the world that we belong to God. We do that by avoiding sin and serving God. If you have received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, thank God that He chose you and rejoice that you are the beloved of God.

Readings for today: Mark 1:14-15; Acts 2:38-39; Acts 13:48; Rom. 8:28-30; John 1:12; 1 John 3:1