Are we “called by God”?

One of the interesting ideas in scripture, and especially the New Testament, is being “called of God.” Today a person will often claim “God called them.” Others do not believe they were “called by God.”

What is the truth about being called by God?

The Bible does associated a “calling” with Christianity, but it is not quite what many allege. Paul spoke of Christians being called in places like 1 Cor. 7:20. In this context “called” is a metonymy for “conversion” (becoming a Christian). If the text is carefully studied, readers will notice from verse 22 that this “calling” occurs in Christ!

According to the Bible, a person is “called by the gospel” (2 Thess. 2:14). When a person obeys the information in the New Testament (Heb. 5:8-9), they are then “one of the called” (1 Cor. 7:22). Rather than use special dreams, messages, visions, etc., the Bible says the gospel is God’s power to salvation (Rom. 1:16). God’s word calls people because the word of God is the Spirit’s power (Eph. 6:17).

Do not be fooled by the false claims made by people who say “God called them.”

Find the truth about God and become a New Testament Christian. Find out more about New Testament Christianity by running some Internet searches for “church of Christ” and “churches of Christ.” You may also want to visit http://www.abiblecommentary.com for Bible study information.

Remember, in order to be saved and enjoy all God’s blessings (not the least of which is salvation), a person must have faith (Jn. 8:24), be willing to repent (Lk. 13:3), and after confessing Christ as Lord, the final step is water baptism (Rom. 6:3; 1 Cor. 12:13; 1 Pet. 3:20-21). Proper baptism in water puts a person “into Christ” (Gal. 3:27; Rom. 6:3) and results in the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).