God Has Called Us According to His Grace

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver

It is God "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" (2 Tim 1:9).

God is the personification of grace. God is giving. He is benevolent. He is abundant in lovingkindness. He is gracious. The manner in which God saves and works with men can be seen in this word: “calling.” God is not imposing His will upon men when He saves them. He is not forcing men to follow Jesus but will judge them on the basis of their acceptance of Jesus. And so, He calls them. God doesn’t use gimmicks, He calls. He doesn’t use a bait and switch strategy, He calls. God doesn’t want disassociated, ignorant men who are obeying religious traditions, He wants willing participants. So, He calls, and men respond. 

Called by the Gospel. The calling of God is an announcement of the work of Christ and an invitation to repent and believe the gospel (Mk 1:15). The calling of God is a declaration that Christ has made peace between God and men by abolishing the enmity that existed between them by sin. He “came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh” (Eph 2:17). The gospel is the call of God for man to draw near by the blood of Christ; that access is granted to those who believe on Him who justifies the ungodly. 

God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth; whereunto He called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14)

Grace is Divine Provision. Grace speaks of a gift from God to men in order to help them obtain the everlasting prize. Men have fallen further than they would like to imagine by sin, but the call of grace brings them higher and closer than they can imagine, by Christ. Sin put them in a situation where they could not come to God, know how to come to God, or even seek God. They were altogether defiled, corrupt and dead in trespasses and sins. But where sin abounded in this distance from God and moral corruption, grace abounded all the more. Everything that sin did is abundantly undone and overcome by the provision of grace. Our calling is in accord with this great victory. Jesus is mightily destroying the works of the devil. Sin has been shown to be utterly sinful. Grace has been shown to be sufficient.

The calling of God is a gift from God that was not earned by men. The calling of God is a provision of God that no one else could provide. Where God has not called men, they have simply joined an organization and lifestyle. But where God HAS called men, He enables them to do what they otherwise could not do. Men have come to God because God has called them. And in His calling, God was not responding to the works of men but acting in accord with His own person and purpose. He is gracious and so His calling is in accordance with grace.

Grace Came by the Divine Man. This grace is given us in Christ Jesus. God has always been gracious. But He has always been gracious in view of the provision of Jesus Christ. If God hadn’t purposed to give us Jesus before the world began, He would not have been merciful and gracious prior to Jesus being born of a woman. The grace of God is in accord with the work of Jesus, and the work of Jesus is in accord with the grace of God. 

And so, while God had shown His grace to men in sundry times and in diverse manners in time past, He has now poured it forth abundantly by Jesus Christ. For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwelt bodily and of His fullness we have all received and grace for grace. “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (Jn 1:17). The requirement was laid down by Moses but the ability to comply and understand God came by Jesus Christ. “He hath declared Him” (Jn 1:18). Jesus has come and preached peace to us. He has manifested to us that life and immortality are available and found in Him. God has called men according to His grace which is in Christ Jesus.