The Call of God
"By
faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after
receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he
went." —Hebrews 11:8
Whenever we discuss the life of
faith, we must begin with the call of God. The
first and most important thing in this verse is the call of God by which
Abraham was brought to faith in Christ. Genesis 12:1 (compare Acts 7:2-3) gives
us the historical account of that to which the Holy Spirit here alludes.
A Divine Gift
Faith is the gift of God. The life of faith begins with the
call of God. Salvation does not begin with man, but with God. It is not in any
sense of the word caused by man. It is not to any degree or at any point
dependent upon man. Salvation is God’s work, and God’s work alone. “Salvation is of the Lord.” Abraham was not seeking the Lord. The Lord sought
him. Abraham was not looking for God. God was looking for him. Abraham did not
come to God. God came to him. Abraham’s faith was not the cause of God’s grace
to him, but the result. Faith in Christ
is the gift of God bestowed upon, wrought in, and given to sinners who
otherwise could not and would not believe God.
Faith in Christ is given to lost men and
women according to God’s eternal purpose of grace in election (Eph. 1:3-4). It
is the result of Christ’s atonement (Heb. 9:12). It is wrought in chosen,
redeemed sinners by the power and grace of the Holy Spirit’s omnipotent,
irresistible, effectual call (Eph. 2:1-10). They and they alone are “the
called” according to the purpose of God for whom all things work together
for good (Rom. 8:28).
Two
Calls
There are two distinct calls from
God set forth in Holy Scripture—A General Call
and A Particular Call—An Outward Call and An Inward Call—A Call that Men Resist
and Reject and An Effectual, Irresistible, Almighty, Saving Call of Omnipotent
Grace. The general, external call is
given to all who hear the Gospel, or come under the sound of the Word of God (Pro.
8:4; Matt. 20:16; Luke 14:17, 18; Pro. 1:24-28). All men and women, without
exception, stoutly resist this general call.
The special, inward, and
efficacious call of God comes only to his elect. This call is always effectual. It is always saving. It always results in
faith. It always brings the chosen, redeemed sinner into the arms of his
omnipotent Savior. Examples of this omnipotent, irresistible call are scattered
throughout the Scriptures. Abraham is here held before us as one of the
examples in the Old Testament. In the New Testament era God still works
irresistibly in the salvation of his elect (Luke 5:27-28; 19:5-6; Acts 9:4-5;
John 5:25; 10:3, 4, 16; Rom. 8:30; 1 Cor. 1:26-31).
This invincible call of God is an act of God’s sovereign
grace, accompanied by all-mighty, irresistible power, giving life to men and
women who are dead in trespasses and sins. It brings life, eternal, spiritual
life. It brings us "out of darkness
into God’s marvelous light"
(1 Pet. 2:9). No wonder David sang about it as he did —“Blessed is the man
whom thou choosest and causest to approach unto thee” (Ps. 65:4).
A Call from Death to Life
Like all others, Abraham was a
lost man, dead in trespasses and in sins, when the Lord God called him by his
grace (Jos. 24:2). He belonged to a heathen
family He lived as an idolater in the midst of idolaters until he was seventy
years old. Then God called him! Until God stepped into his life, Abraham lived
just like everyone else in that massive, pagan land. He was content with the
husks of this world upon which the swine feed, without God, without Christ,
without hope, without life! Abraham’s experience is repeated and verified by
each of God’s elect (Eph. 2:1-4).
A Divine
Revelation
This effectual call of God comes
with the revelation of Christ (Acts 7:2; Zech. 12:10; 2 Cor. 4:6; Gal.
1:15-16). What marvelous grace! The God of
glory condescends to draw near to and reveal himself to lost sinners, immersed
in idolatry, having no concern for his honor and glory! There was nothing in
Abraham to deserve God’s notice, nothing to merit his esteem. Yet, God called
him!
This call is a work of God’s
sovereign, distinguishing grace. Grace singled
out one man from the midst of many. God says, "I called him alone, and blessed him" (Isa. 51:2). Why did God
call Abraham but not his father and kinsmen? No answer can be given but this:
God has mercy on whom he will have mercy (Rom. 9:18). He called Isaac and
refused Ishmael. He loved Jacob and hated Esau. He accepted Abel and rejected
Cain. Why? Because He would. No other explanation is or can be given (Rom.
9:16).
"The God of
glory appeared unto our father Abraham" (Acts 7:2). I do not know all
that is included in those words, but of two things we may be certain: (1.) For
the first time in his life God was real to Abraham. And (2.) Abraham beheld God
in his glory as God his Savior. Sooner or later, this is what God does for
every chosen, redeemed sinner. In the midst of their worldliness, self-serving,
self-seeking and self-pleasing rebellion and death, God steps in and makes
himself known! Then, they say with Job, "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth
thee."
This is how God saves sinners. He "who
commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to
give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ"
(2 Cor. 4:6). The chosen, redeemed sinner in whom this miracle of grace is
wrought is brought by the power and grace of God out of darkness, bondage and
death into the light and life and glorious liberty of the sons of God!