Ephesians; 1:4 – The calling of the elect, part 5: What are we called to?

Sunday January 27, 2019

 

 The calling of the elect, part 5: What are we called to?

 

3g. The elect are called, beloved, and kept, Jud 1.

 

Since practically every use of the verb kaleo, to call, is in reference to the believer and the object of his calling, meaning the life that he was called to, we would confidently say that calling and election are closely related.

 

Called to:

Fellowship with His Son - 1CO 1:9.

Peace - 1CO 7:15.

Freedom - GAL 5:13.

 

Walk worthy - EPH 4:1; 1TH 2:12.

In sanctification - 1TH 4:7.

Eternal life - 1TI 6:12.

Promise of eternal inheritance - HEB 9:15.

 

Out of darkness - 1PE 2:9.

Patiently endure suffering - 1PE 2:21.

Bless others - 1PE 3:9.

 

We had not completed our look into 1PE 2:21.

 

1PE 2:13 Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority,

 

1PE 2:14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.

 

1PE 2:15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.

 

1PE 2:16 Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.

 

GAL 5:13

For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

 

1PE 2:17 Honor all men; love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

 

1PE 2:18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.

 

1PE 2:19 For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a man bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly.

 

Conscience literally means to know with.

 

Conscience (“know with”) is the ability to witness one’s own thoughts and conduct (to know with yourself) and then determine its value.

 

“To know with” (the conscience) is the ability to evaluate yourself. Every person has one. Everyone evaluates themselves. It can be a terrible curse or the sweetest gift depending on the source of your standard.

 

But, what is your standard? In a world that has more and more come to the conclusion that there is no absolute truth, how do they evaluate themselves? Without God, how does one evaluate himself? That is why the sweetest conscience is the conscience towards God.

 

A good conscience completely depends on the origin of its standard.

 

Those who cannot discern good from evil have a conscience that evaluates wrongly. Those who make evil good and good evil become monsters who sleep well at night. Those who believe whatever lie comes down the snapchat or twitter or facebook line have a conscience that has been high jacked by the world system, and they become pawns on Satan’s chessboard.

 

The elect have had the door of truth opened to them. They can discern good from evil if they learn God’s word. The word of God is the critic and judge of their heart and body. 

 

Our calling is to discern what is good and do it. Therefore, because of our conscience towards God, we bear up under sorrow, when suffering unjustly, and we do what is right.

 

So then, a good conscience is learned, and takes time, as the believer learns God’s goodness from His Word. One must see the beauty of what God values.

 

What God values in the human race is the humanity of Christ.

 

If a believer does what is right, but grudgingly, at least he knows that he has a sound conscience, but he is as of yet, not mature in his agreement with the standard of God. It is far better to do what is right grudgingly, fighting the tendency of the sin nature, then to do what is wrong. Yet such a believer understands that he is not yet complete, PHI 3:12. And so he presses on towards the upward call when his heart is so enlightened by the truth that he considers it all joy to submit to the will of God.

 

1PE 2:19 For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a man bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly.

 

1PE 2:20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.

 

1PE 2:21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,

 

Christ is the example, and each believer is in Him; His bride, brother, slave, and friend. Christ was called and elected as a Man to patiently endure suffering. He was foreknown and predestined and glorified, and so is every believer in this age. It is the closest kinship in life by far.

 

Our kinship with Christ is be far the closest and it is eternal. We do all things for His sake, and never primarily for ourselves or others.

 

Since this kinship is so close, as well as eternal, we don’t do things in life for ourselves or for the sake of others, but for His sake first and foremost.

 

That doesn’t mean that we do nothing for ourselves or that we don’t consider others and do for others, but that we do for ourselves and others as He would have us do them. He said to us that if we love anyone more than Him then we are not worthy of Him. No person has the kinship with us that we have with the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

1PE 2:21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,

 

1PE 2:22 who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth;

 

1PE 2:23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;

 

1PE 2:24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

 

1PE 2:25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

 

Don’t be shocked by the suffering that comes upon you, as Peter will say in chapter 4, but understand that God called you to it before the world was even created.

 

Called to bless others:

 

Fittingly, I discovered ten things that the NT specifically says that we are called to: fellowship with His Son, peace, freedom, to walk worthy, in sanctification, to eternal life, to a promise of inheritance, out of darkness, to patiently endure suffering, and now to bless others. It is having the true life of Christ and living in it each day.

 

1PE 3:8 To sum up, let all be harmonious [homophrones - of one mind], sympathetic [sumpathes - suffer with (sum - with; pathes - suffer)], brotherly [philadelphoi - love the brethren], kindhearted [eusplangchnoi - well bowels (lit.) compassionate], and humble in spirit [tapeiphrones = humble minded];

 

1PE 3:9 not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but [“instead” - rather or contrarywise] giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.

 

Called by:

Grace - GAL 1:6.

Faithfulness - 1TH 5:24.

Gospel - 2TH 2:14.

Holiness (holy calling) - 2TI 1:9; 1PE 1:15.

 

Each of these are on God’s end. He called you by grace. He called you because He is faithful. He called you by means of the gospel, which sheds light on one call and not two, or at least that the general call to the world and the call that is answered by the believer are one in source and one in truth of the good news. And, He called you to a holy calling.

 

1TH 5:12 But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction,

 

1TH 5:13 and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.

 

1TH 5:14 And we urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all men.

 

1TH 5:15 See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all men.

 

1TH 5:16 Rejoice always;

 

1TH 5:17 pray without ceasing;

 

1TH 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

 

1TH 5:19 Do not quench the Spirit;

 

1TH 5:20 do not despise prophetic utterances.

 

1TH 5:21 But examine everything carefully [have much more than a superficial knowledge of the word]; hold fast to that which is good;

 

1TH 5:22 abstain from every form of evil.

 

1TH 5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

1TH 5:24 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass [vs. 24].

 

God faithfully called you and will bring vs. .24 to pass. It is up to your self-determination to fulfill His commands, vv. 12-22.

 

God the Father who called you will sanctify you entirely. In heaven you will be completely set apart unto Him with no competitors. Every believer will also be preserved in spirit, body, and soul complete and without blame. Every believer will be so in heaven and forever.

 

When it comes to the commands to you, as in “do not quench the Holy Spirit” God will not force that upon you. Yet, what Paul does here, which he does often in his epistles, is to reveal to us that faithfulness of God in bringing to pass everything that is good that we could not do. We could not preserve ourselves complete in heaven. We could not save ourselves or elect ourselves or predestinate ourselves. We could not guarantee our eternal security or our destiny. Yet, there are some things we can do that are divinely good. The good things that our faithful God did for us, that we could never do for ourselves, is the motivation for doing the things we can do that are of God’s life, God’s goodness, His justice, His excellence, His truth, and His love.

 

PHI 4:4Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

 

PHI 4:5 Let your forbearing spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.

 

PHI 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

 

PHI 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

PHI 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.

 

PHI 4:9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things; and the God of peace shall be with you.