Called!
It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 2:14, NASB.
Who Does the Calling?
God does the calling. It was His plan before the foundation of the world to save the lost – people in sin, living in darkness and separated from Him.
God could have called us in any way He chose. However, He calls us, not by a great shout from the heavens, but by communicating His word. God speaks to us through Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God, Hebrews 1:1-2, NASB. And if God calls us, it’s best to heed His calling, Matthew 7:24, NASB.
How Does He Call?
God calls everyone the same way, Romans 2:11, NASB. No one today gets a special calling. There is no Godly calling for the selection of preachers, for example. That is a false doctrine that’s been spread around for a very long time. Faithful preachers of the gospel preach because they have the desire to preach.
Likewise, no one, not a single person, is called for salvation apart from the Bible. The doctrine that God calls some people to salvation and not others is also false, 2 Peter 3:9, NASB.
So, then, how does God call us? He calls us through His word, the Bible, and the New Testament. 2 Thessalonians 2:14, NASB, says God calls everyone through the gospel. And, what’s the gospel? It means good news, and it’s good news from God. Therefore, if God gives the world good news, we ought to be shouting it from the housetops.
Well, then, what is the Gospel?
Specifically, the words mean good news, as so stated above. The gospel is God’s way of telling people that He offers salvation through Jesus. Sin separates us from God.And one may ask, “What is sin?”. Sin is the transgression of God’s laws. It is missing the target of His glory. It means we do not measure up to His standard.For example, knowing the right thing to do and not doingit is a sin.
As stated, sin separates us from God. We all sin, everyone, Romans 3:23, NASB. In God’s law, the penalty for sin is physical and spiritual death; see Romans 5:12, NASB. Spiritual death means being apart from God eternally. There will be a day of judgment, and all sinners will be cast into a burning lake of fire. We’ll be covered in flames unless…
Unless we pay attention to Jesus, Jesus came from heaven, was born of a woman (Mary), lived a perfect life, and spoke of God’s kingdom and salvation. The Jewish leadership of the day colluded with the Romans and had Jesus put to death by way of crucifixion. Jesus was buried in a rock tomb. The tomb had a massive stone rolled against the opening. A Roman seal on the rock denoted “the property of the Roman empire.” There was also a Roman guard unit watching over the tomb 24/7.
However, just as Jesus said it would happen on the third day, He arose from the dead. The stone had been rolled away. The seal broke, and the guards fled. Jesus came forth from death to live again.
Here are the specific Bible verses,
Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand,
which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,”
1 Corinthians 15:1-4, NASB.
Here are the essential parts of the verses:
- Jesus died for our sins, as the Scriptures foretold
- He was buried
- He was raised on the third day
Everyone would be lost to hell if Jesus had not undergone His death and resurrection. He is God’s answer to the His law that everyone who sins must die.
God Tells Everyone about Salvation through the Gospel
Jesus told His disciples, the apostles, to go into all the world and make more disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Matthew 28:19-20, NASB. And this is precisely what they did. They preached the good news, the gospel, by which all hear it and obey the message, are saved, and their names are written in the Book of Life.
Second Thessalonians 2:7-9, NASB, has this:
…”the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire,
dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.”
Two points need emphasizing: (!) those who do not know God will be thrown into the lake of fire, and (2) those who do not obey the gospel will also be thrown into the lake of fire.
God is calling out to people right now. He is calling them with the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. Make sure you heed the call!
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