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The Call of God

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 7, 1915

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 92, No. 1.

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The Call of God

By W. LETTERMAN SMITH

W. LETTERMAN SMITH

The Call of God the Son

“The Master is come, and calleth for thee.” John 11:28.
“Come unto me.” Matt. 11:28.
It is the voice of Jesus. It is a call to salvation. “There is none righteous, no, not one.” “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Rom. 3:10, 23-26. All! There is, then, no exception. Sin is a dreadful fact, and a universal experience. It is a personal offense against a personal God. Like smut, it is black, defiling, and sticks. The blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse from all sin.
“The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” Eze. 18:20. God will destroy sin utterly and forever. It is because the sinner is joined to his sins that he is destroyed. Separated from his sins, he is safe forever. Can the sinner be separated and saved from his sins? “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.” Isa. 63:1. “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Heb. 7:25. O, yes, Jesus is mighty to save, mighty to save even unto the uttermost, for he has made atonement for sin by his death on the cross.
Sincere repentance for sin, and simple trust in Jesus the Christ, will be accepted of God, and he will mercifully account the sufferings and death of his Son as a sufficient punishment for all sins that have been committed, and will pardon, accept, and save the sinner who so repents and believes, and will reckon to his account the perfect obedience and righteousness of Christ. Thus Jesus becomes the penitent sinner’s substitute, and his death the accepted sacrifice for the penitent sinner’s guilt. Repentance, faith—there is no other way of salvation from sin, eternal death, and hell.
“Come unto me.” The gracious, loving call of Jesus comes to every one who is unsaved. “Whosoever will” may come. The “whosoever” includes you. The invitation is for you. Will you come?

The Call of God the Holy Ghost

“Be ye holy.” 1 Peter 1:14-16.
It is the voice of the Holy Spirit. It is a call to holiness; to the higher, Christian life; to a life of whole-hearted consecration unto the Lord, and of devotion to his service, making God and his work first, always first.
It is a call to be crucified with Christ to all manner of sin and iniquity; to have Christ reign in the heart; to live not to the flesh, but “by the faith of the Son of God” (Gal. 2:20); to walk in the Spirit; to abound in good works unto the glory of God; to develop and perfect the fruit of the Spirit in character and life.
It is the life of peace and satisfaction, of profit and service. It is the happy, the blessed life, the only life worth living.
“Be ye holy.” The call comes to every Christian. Will you live such a life of holiness unto the Lord?

The Call of God the Father

“Go work today in my vineyard.” Matt. 21:28.
It is the voice of the Heavenly Father. It is a call to service. “The fields . . . are white already to harvest.” John 4:35. Lift up your eyes and see. “The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few.” Matt. 9:37. The work is vast, the workers are few, and the night is swiftly hastening on. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work . . . in the grave, whither thou goest.” Eccl. 9:10. “Faith, if it hath not works, is dead.” James 2:17. Faith and good works are inseparably joined. What, therefore, God hath joined together let no man attempt to put asunder. Work that which is well pleasing in the sight of God.
“Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” Luke 14:23. Constrain them by love and earnest appeal. This is at once a divine command and a divinely appointed method of procedure. Go! Compel! Today!
Souls are dying for want of Jesus, the bread of life. Care you not that they perish? “Give ye them to eat” (Matt. 14:16), says your Master. Set before these starving, dying souls Jesus Christ, the bread of life, the only Saviour. Won’t you? This is well pleasing in the sight of God.
“Go work today in my vineyard.” The call comes loudly and imperatively to every child of God. It is an urgent call to prompt, active, earnest, cheerful, faithful, persevering, prayerful service unto the Lord.
“I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” Isa. 6:8. Is this your response to the call of your Heavenly Father?

The Call of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit

“Give me thine heart.” Prov. 23:26.
It is the voice of the triune God. Father, Son, and Spirit unite in this earnest, pleading, loving call to men.
If you will but make the Lord God the king of your heart, the ruler of your life, then true pleasure, success, happiness, peace, joy, and hope will be yours; and you will be a king and a priest unto God forever, wearing the crown of perfect righteousness and of eternal life, and ministering unto the Lord forever in the heavenly kingdom above.
Respond to the tender, gracious call of God, and all will be yours to enjoy forever. Will you?