“GOD is faithful by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." It is only necessary to put this verse which declares the fellowship into which God has called us with His Son, into connection with "the grace of God which is given us by Jesus Christ" in verse 4, to see how they act and react upon each other for our present blessing and the glory of Christ. Each rests on "the faithfulness of God" to Him and to us!
But I will quote a few texts for our consideration, which will bring into prominence the subject of a Christian's calling, that we may see how large a place "calling" has in the mind and ways of God; and possibly discover how very much it is left in the background as regards our communion with Him. Our salvation occupies us so exclusively, that we forget its connection with "calling," and therefore fail to see how great a Christian is by calling. The order in which it is put in Rom. 8 is important, "whom He did predestinate, them He also called; and whom He called, them He also justified; and whom He justified, them He also glorified." Passing by this instructive and Divine order, we shall find other parts of Scripture, which connect salvation and calling; for example, in 2 Tim. 1:99Who 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 Timothy 1:9), "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." We shall do well on all accounts to ponder such a full and precious text as this, and the verse that follows, that we may see the nature and character of the Christian's calling, established thus by purpose and by grace; and given us in Christ Jesus If we turn to the Hebrews, we shall learn further how we are personally recognized: "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him who appointed him," &c.
The Scriptures first cited established our calling upon the fact that "God is faithful;" but Heb. 3 presents Christ to the holy brethren, in His faithfulness towards God and us (now that He is passed through the heavens) as the Apostle and High Priest of a heavenly calling; "for such an High Priest became us who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens." The Christian's dignity thus flows from the double fact of the faithfulness of God, who is the Caller, and also from the Person and Office of our great High Priest, "who was faithful to Him that appointed him" over the "partakers of a heavenly calling." Peter may supply a further scripture to us on this great subject: "The God of all grace, who hath called us to His, eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish; strengthen, settle you." This text gives the additional fact, that it is the God of ALL grace who hath called us, and binds the suffering with the glory (as this apostle always does) as the way of our perfection, establish went, and settlement. The two things which Peter was unable to put together, where his Lord was on the earth (the sufferings and the glory), he is careful never to separate in his epistles, as the highway to present blessing, and eternal glory, " even hereunto were ye called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow His steps. God is faithful, who hath called us unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is likewise the subject of the Philippian epistle, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Here the practical power of our calling is seen in the entire separation of a Christian unto God, and unto Christ; in the enjoyment of a hope, which associates him with itself, in the heavens; and makes him forgetful of those things which are behind. "This one thing I do" is the secret by which the soul is kept true to its center, like a needle to the pole.
Another text in the Thessalonians may suffice to present our calling in some of the varied aspects by which we are instructed in the epistles by the Holy Ghost. The connection and effect of our calling upon our walk is most important for the believer, especially in a day of great weakness, when these two things are separated—"that ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto His kingdom and glory." The fellowship into which God has called us, with His Son, thus embraces what the Son is, and what He is set over; and therefore in this text " the kingdom of God and His glory " are brought to bear upon the soul, for Christ is over the kingdom. Where the heart responds to the power and blessedness of the calling, it is consciously attracted and attached by Him who calls, to the circle of His own delights into which He calls us by Jesus Christ. That which satisfies Him is what He associates us with, by calling, for the display of His own love towards us, and for the satisfaction of His dear Son, Jesus Christ our Lord; for it is He, who is to "see of the travail of His own soul, and be satisfied." What must it be, that God has called us out into—and what must be the character of this fellowship with the Son of His love—when we are taught that the travail of Christ's soul is the measure which the Father adopts as the rule by which He will express His own delight in the work, by which He has been so glorified?
The Lord grant to us, that we may live more in the understanding and enjoyment of our calling, and that the eyes of our understanding being opened, we "may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.”
In conclusion, we may discover the practical power of the calling upon Abraham, when "the God of glory appeared to him, and said, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I will chew thee." He viewed himself in the light of this calling, and there was not one like him in the whole of Mesopotamia, which he left behind. He looked at himself in connection with the God of glory, who appeared to him; and in following God, he came to the place where God, and the glory, and Abraham, and his seed will be together. The calling was wondrous, and became a power in Abraham's soul, and he went out not knowing whither he went, nor much caring; for it was God who led him to what suited Himself. "If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you.”