DRAWING NEAR
January 25
Understanding Your Calling
"I pray that . . . you may know what is the hope of [God's]
calling" (Eph. 1:18).
The hope of your calling is grounded in God's promises and Christ's
accomplishments.
In Ephesians 1:3-14 Paul proclaims the blessings of our salvation. In
verse 18 he prays that we will comprehend those great truths, which
he summarizes in the phrase "the hope of His calling."
"Calling" here refers to God's effectual calling--the calling that
redeems the soul. Scripture speaks of two kinds of calling: the
gospel or general call and the effectual or specific call. The gospel
call is given by men and is a universal call to repent and trust
Christ for salvation (e.g., Matt. 28:19; Acts 17:30-31). It goes out
to all sinners but not all who hear it respond in faith.
The effectual call is given by God only to the elect. By it He speaks
to the soul, grants saving faith, and ushers elect sinners into
salvation (John 6:37-44, 65; Acts 2:39). All who receive it respond
in faith.
The hope that your effectual calling instills is grounded in God's
promises and Christ's accomplishments (1 Pet. 1:3), and is
characterized by confidently expecting yet patiently waiting for
those promises to be fulfilled. It is your hope of final
glorification and of sharing God's glory when Christ returns (Col.
3:4). It is a source of strength and stability amid the trials of
life (1 Pet. 3:14-15). Consequently it should fill you with joy (Rom.
5:2) and motivate you to godly living (1 John 3:3).
As you face this new day, do so with the confidence that you are one
of God's elect. He called you to Himself and will hold you there no
matter what circumstances you face. Nothing can separate you from His
love (Rom. 8:38-39)!
Suggestions for Prayer:
1. Thank God for the security of your salvation.
2. Ask Him to impress on your heart the blessings and
responsibilities of your calling.
3. Live today in anticipation of Christ's imminent return.
For Further Study:
Joshua's call to lead Israel was not a call to salvation, but it
illustrates some important principles for spiritual leadership. You
might not see yourself as a spiritual leader, but you are important
to those who look to you as an example of Christian character. Read
Joshua 1:1-9 then answer these questions:
1. What were the circumstances of Joshua's call (vv. 1-2)?
2. What promises did God make to him (vv. 3-6)?
3. What did God require of him (vv. 7 -9)?
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
Ephesians 1:3-14 (NKJV)
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has
blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in
Christ,
4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to
Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us
accepted in the Beloved.
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of
sins, according to the riches of His grace
8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,
9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His
good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,
10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might
gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven
and which are on earth; in Him.
11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined
according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the
counsel of His will,
12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of
His glory.
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the
gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were
sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of
the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Matthew 28:19-20
19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you;
and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
John 3:7
Do not marvel that I said to you, "You must be born again."
Acts 17:30-31
30 "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands
all men everywhere to repent,
31 "because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world
in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given
assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead."
John 6:37-44
37 "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who
comes to Me I will by no means cast out.
38 "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the
will of Him who sent Me.
39 "This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has
given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last
day.
40 "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees
the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will
raise him up at the last day."
41 The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, "I am the
bread which came down from heaven."
42 And they said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose
father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, 'I have come
down from heaven'?"
43 Jesus therefore answered and said to them, "Do not murmur among
yourselves.
44 "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him;
and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:65
And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me
unless it has been granted to him by My Father."
Acts 2:39
For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are
afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.
Acts 13:48
Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the
word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life
believed.
1 Peter 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according
to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through
the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
Colossians 3:4
When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with
Him in glory.
1 Peter 3:14-15
14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are
blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled."
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to
give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is
in you, with meekness and fear
Romans 5:2
through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we
stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
1 John 3:3
And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is
pure.
Romans 8:38-39
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor
principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able
to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our
Lord.
Joshua 1:1-9
1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass
that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant,
saying:
2 "Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this
Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to
them; the children of Israel.
3 "Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have
given you, as I said to Moses.
4 "From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river,
the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great
Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.
5 "No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your
life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave
you nor forsake you.
6 "Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall
divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to
give them.
7 "Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do
according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not
turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper
wherever you go.
8 "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you
shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do
according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your
way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not
be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you
wherever you go."
~~~
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
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In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com
http://www.gty.org/Gospel/
http://www.nwbible.org/
To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner was you. -Alistair Begg
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