Called To Holiness, Called To Grace, Called To Glory

1 Thess. 4:7

            All who are saved by the grace of God in Christ, though sinners in themselves (by birth, nature, and practice), are a holy people, made holy by the grace of God. God has called us to holiness. It is written, "God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness." The call of God is a holy calling. It is a call arising from a holy purpose. God’s purpose in choosing us in his eternal, electing love was “that we might be holy and without blame before him” (Eph. 1:4). This holy calling is based upon and arises from a holy principle. It is based upon and arises from the satisfaction of justice by the obedience and death of Christ our Substitute. Those who are called to grace and life in Christ, are called because justice demands it. This call of God has brought us into a holy position. Being the called, we are both justified and sanctified in Christ. It is a call which makes all who receive it a holy people.

            John Gill said, with regard to this call of God’s elect, “They are called out of a state of unholiness and sinfulness, into a state of holiness and righteousness; for being created anew in righteousness and true holiness, and created in Christ Jesus to good works, they are called to the exercise of them; to live holily, soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present evil world; ‘God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness’, (1 Thess. 4:7) and ‘hath called us to glory and virtue’ (2 Pet. 1:3), to glorious acts of virtue and goodness becoming the nature of their call, and of him that has called them; ‘As he which hath called you is holy’ (1Pet. 1:15).”

Being called of God, we are called into the grace of God, grace which is found only in Christ. "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel" (Gal. 1:6). Astonishing as it is, some who have been well instructed by faithful pastors turn from the grace of God to another gospel to the damning of their souls. Those who turn to free will, works religion turn away from the gospel of the grace of God. Believers are people who have been called by grace, called to grace, walk in grace, and are kept in grace. We have been called by the instrumentality of the gospel of the grace of Christ. We have been called into the blessed experience of the grace of Christ. We have been called to be partakers of and to enjoy all the blessings of the grace of Christ.

            God has called us to a glory which is a kingdom. He has called us into the possession of the kingdom of grace here, a kingdom which can never be taken away from us. And he has called us to inherit a kingdom of glory hereafter. “The Lord will give grace and glory!” This kingdom and glory to which he has called us is an everlasting kingdom. “That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory" (1 Thess. 2:12). Can you get hold of this? We have been called by the grace of God “To the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 2:14; Col. 3:4). All who are called are “called in one hope of their calling” (Eph. 4:4). All who are called have the same “promise of eternal inheritance” (Heb. 9:15). All who are called are called to and have been given the same glory for their eternal inheritance, the very glory that Christ himself possesses (John 17:22).

Don Fortner