The Pilgrims Call

The Greek word translated “calling” occurs eleven times in the New Testament, and in each instance it signifies the effectual call of the Holy Spirit, with the exception of 1 Corinthians 7:20, where it is used to denote a business or trade; see Romans 11:29; 1 Corinthians 1:26, etc. But there is a “call” which comes short of this “calling.” Let us consider:

The Outward Call

This is the external “call” or voice which all who are brought within reach of the sound of the gospel hear; and which, if unaccompanied with saving, quickening power, becomes a “savor of death unto death” (2 Cor. 2:16); according to the words of the Lord, “Many are called, but few chosen” (Matt. 22:14). Such are the stony-ground, the thorny-ground, and the wayside hearers (Matt. 13). It is a fearful thing to become gospel hardened through the power of unbelief. The gospel declares, “He that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16).

The Inward Call

The calling of the Holy Spirit through the Word reaches the heart. It is eternal, effectual, and spiritual (Rom. 8:28–30; 1 Peter 2:9,10). It is the beginning of the work of grace in the elect vessel of mercy. Its result is a spiritual conviction of sin and a genuine conversion to God. There is an absolute necessity for such a “call,” because by nature man is “blind,” “dead in trespasses and sins” (1 Cor. 2:14; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:1). But natural convictions are sometimes mistaken for the work of the Holy Spirit. To clear this up, we must briefly describe these.

Natural Convictions

The conscience of a man may be aroused by various causes to the intensifying of that innate sense of sinfulness common to all men which, accompanied with some knowledge of the letter of God’s Word, will be sufficient to produce alarm and terror to a great degree. Such conviction as this has many times been taken for true conversion. But, if there is no sign of a spirit of prayer, no being brought to the feet of Jesus, and no real humility of soul before God, it is only natural. The distress is the effect of sin being brought home to the sinner in a way of retribution. He is writhing under the lashes of a guilty conscience. When the circumstances which have caused his sufferings are removed, such an one returns to the world tenfold more a child of hell than before, or else settles down into a carnal, dead profession of religion, satisfied with outward reformation.

Spiritual Conversion

Very different is the fruit and effect of the operation of the Spirit of God when He displays the riches of His grace in the effectual calling of His children out of darkness into His marvellous light. There is a mystery in this calling which is often especially seen in relation to the time when the voice divine first reaches the soul. We must ever remember that the fact of conversion and the consciousness of conversion are two different things. It may take place early in childhood before memory awakes, or so imperceptibly and incomprehensibly, that it is possible for a person to be truly converted and yet not to know that he possesses divine life. But spiritual life always manifests itself, even from the first, in spiritual feelings, which are of two kinds—either despairing, dark, sorrowful, or hopeful, bright, comfortable. These correspond to the twofold work of the Holy Ghost upon the soul (in effectual calling) of the law and of the gospel.

Law Work

The Lord calls His people by the powerful application of His holy Law, by which they are made to feel the exceeding sinfulness and bitterness of sin. “By the law is the knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:20), because “sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4); hence, when the law comes with its condemning, killing power, sin revives and the sinner dies to all help or hope in it or in self (Rom. 7:9). This must needs be experienced in some measure. We cannot be healed without being wounded, nor can we be saved in Christ unless lost in self. The Lord wounds and He heals. He kills by the application of the law and makes alive by the application of the gospel. The first is preparatory to the second (Gal. 3:24). Now when a poor soul feels the awfulness of his state by nature, as a sinner under the curse of a broken law, and that he is justly exposed to the wrath of God, there is created within him a twofold desire: first, to get rid of sin; and, second, to flee from the wrath to come. But the more he strives against sin’s power, he sins and stumbles but the more. So far from getting rid of sin, he does but feel to add to his sins. The law helps him not. He proves that by his deeds he can never be justified. Neither does the law reveal the way of escape from the wrath of God against sin. On the contrary, he finds by painful experience that while the law demands love (Rom. 13:10), it worketh wrath (Rom. 4:15); while it claims perfect obedience Games 2:10), it makes manifest nothing but sin, which is disobedience (Rom. 5:20). The office of the law is to reveal sin and self to the sinner, and thus it drives to despair. There is nothing healing or lifegiving in the ministration of death (2 Cor. 3:7). Indeed,

Law and terrors do but harden

All the while they work alone.

Oh, the poor guilty sinner passing through this experience knows and feels that he is lost, ruined, hopeless, and undone in himself. When brought down to this state, the Lord calls with another voice. He speaks a second time in the application of the gospel.

The Gospel

Let us take a striking instance from the New Testament which illustrates the present subject admirably, namely, the case of the leper, whose history is recorded in Mark 1:40–45. See the poor man covered with the loathsome disease, perishing without remedy or hope. By the application of the law to his case through the priest, he has been pronounced unclean and separated from Israel. By virtue of his state as a leper and by the operation of the law, he was utterly given over to death. He knows it; he feels it. He has sought in vain for healing. His case is now hopeless, helpless, hapless. Just then, tidings are brought to him of One who is able to heal him and save him. Good news indeed! The gospel is good news of a Savior and a Healer. Those, however, who needed not a Healer and Savior, would turn deaf or indifferent ears to the tidings. But the needy, dying leper gladly receives the good -news which produces the effect of immediately bringing him to the feet of Jesus just as he is—law-condemned, unclean, unfit. This is the result of the gospel applied with power. It works faith in the heart, for “faith cometh by hearing (of Jesus), and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom. 10:17). It enables and encourages him to venture to the Savior’s feet, and then and there produces real prayer in him. Listen to the leper’s plea, “If Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean.” Here was faith in the Savior’s power—”Thou canst”;

and hope in His willingness—”If Thou wilt.” Who can tell? Why not for me? Yes, the leper’s only hope was in the Lord’s willingness to save him. Such a hope is never put to shame. That prayer which is founded on faith in Christ’s power to save, and hope in His willingness to do so, is always heard and answered sooner or later. Jesus never, no never casts out those who thus come to Him (John 6:37).

Such is the powerful gospel call by which poor sinners are called to the feet of Jesus, to receive from Him life, cleansing and healing.

Distinctions

Now, mark the distinction between law and gospel. The law reveals self and sin; the gospel reveals a Savior, and thus becomes “the power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16). The law drives from every false refuge; the gospel leads the soul to the only true Refuge. The law declares God’s curse against sin; the gospel proclaims God’s mercy in Christ to the sinner. The law wounds, yea, kills with the arrows of conviction; the gospel binds up the broken-hearted and makes alive unto God with its rich, consolatory revealings of the balmy blood of a precious Christ.

The Walk of the Called

Life from God leads to living for God. Presumptuous hypocrites and carnal, contentious professors misunderstand, despise, and too often vilify the humble, consistent lives of those who desire to “walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called” (Eph. 4:1), according to the precepts of God’s holy Word and the enablings of His grace. God’s people are “called to be saints” (Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:2); they are called out of darkness and into light (1 Peter 2:9) in order that they may show forth His praises who called them. It is a “holy calling” (2 Tim. 1:9), for “God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness” (1 Thess. 4:7).

Conclusion

Here we stay our pen. It is a mercy to be enabled to give gracious heed, by the Spirit of God, to the Word of God, in seeking day by day to make our calling sure, and by this means will our election to eternal life be proved sure. The living family of grace desire sure work. Now, nothing is clearer in the Scriptures of truth than this, that effectual calling is the proof of election (2 Pet. 1:10). If we are called, it is “according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28).

Edward Carr was a nineteenth century pastor. This article was extracted from a recent issue ofZion's Witness.

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen