THE FATHER'S CALL

THURSDAY 2 SEPTEMBER 2021

The Father's call is a call to the salvation which Christ accomplished for us on the cross of Calvary. Did you know that sinners have no power in themselves to change their rebellious hearts? Every sinner that genuinely accepts Christ as Lord did so because God chose them as the elect, even before the foundation of the earth was laid. So at the point of hearing the glorious Gospel, He is pleased to change their rebellious hearts and enable them to receive Christ by the invincible power of the Holy Spirit.

Reference: John 6:65 New International Version (NIV)

'He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them."'

This is the way people who come to Christ express their faith in Him: The Father has chosen them to do so. It takes the invitation of God to embrace the love of Christ. His welcoming voice first comes as Christ, knocking at the door of your heart, calling you to follow Him and then leads you to receive Him as Lord.

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20). Jesus readily stands and knocks. However, He doesn't force it on you. He says, "If anyone hears my voice and opens the door..." Simply put, Jesus is describing here the offer of the gospel. His voice announces His presence and today, we are the saints that share His voice through the glorious gospel.

Psalm 67:2 says, "Send us around the world with the news of your saving power and your eternal plan for all mankind" (TLB). Christ's saving power is Jesus' knock on people's door. The saving power emits sound as "knock" until it saves. The good news is the voice that interprets His knock, yet its not everybody that hears the knocks that opens, except the voice of the Holy Spirit, which represents the Father's call, speaks to them on the inside.

Now watch this: Remember Jesus only stands and knocks. If you examine the Scripture (Revelation 3:20), it actually says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door..." First there is an external knock ( the sharing of the glorious Gospel), and then there is an internal voice speaking to someone indoors (the voice of God's Spirit). That means, through the glorious Gospel, Jesus stands and knocks at the door of a sinner, while the Holy Spirit does the indoor conviction in his inward man. However the sinner who hears the voice and accepts Christ to come in, is the sinner who God already chose and therefore enables to answer the Spirit's voice by opening so that Christ may come in and dwell with them.

Beloved, this is indeed a divine arrangement, in regard to God's eternal plan for all mankind. The external knock goes to all men. But only the chosen or the elect respond to the internal voice. Christ always knocks, and the Spirit of God speaks to the sinner, while God the Father grants the chosen the enablement to hear, open and accept Christ as Lord.

Finally our Lord Jesus says, "I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me." That means, the new creation now has a wise internal company to help him to live for God all the way. Eating with Christ means that He feeds us with His Word which teaches us to apply His principles to every aspect of our lives. However, from eternal perspective, it implies that those who have opened the door of their hearts to receive Him will be seated at the wedding banquet of the Lamb at the consummation of all things. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Luke 5:32; Ephesians 1:18; 1 Thessalonians 4:7; 2 Peter 1:10; 2 Timothy 1:9.

Guided Prayer:

Everlasting Father, I thank you for making me your eternal choice and for enabling me to respond sincerely to your call. I have found salvation and eternal life in Christ alone, through your amazing grace. Thank you for the free gift of salvation offered through the gospel and the privilege to share it with others in my world, and bring them to the knowledge of Christ, in Jesus' Name, Amen!