What if I were to tell you that God has something to say to you? On Sunday morning, our plan is to study the call of Abram (Genesis 12:1-9). God continues to call us today. His call is not miraculous. He is not whispering audibly in our ears. His voice is not booming audibly from the heavens. Scripture teaches us that God calls us through the Gospel (2 Thessalonians 2:14). Every time that the Gospel is preached, God is calling you. God is communicating with you. God has something to say to you. Will you take a moment to hear His voice?
“You are guilty.” The reason that the Gospel is good news is because there is bad news. The bad news is that we are sinners. As Romans 3:10 says, “None is righteous, no, not one.” A similar message is found in Romans 3:23: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Our sin has separated us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2). Because of our sin, we deserve death (Romans 6:23), wrath (Romans 5:9), and condemnation (John 3:18).
“I sent My Son for you.” God wants every person to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:3-4). God does not want anyone to perish; He wants everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). This is not just God’s desire. Through Jesus, God has done everything necessary for us to be saved. Even though we are guilty, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Paul makes a similar statement in Romans 5:8: “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” As Peter says in 1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.” We praise God because “according to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3). Even though we were dead in our trespasses, because of God’s rich mercy, great love, and amazing grace, He has given us the opportunity to be made alive, be raised up, and be seated with Christ in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:4-6). Salvation is only in Christ (Acts 4:12). Justification is only in Christ (Romans 5:9). Reconciliation is only in Christ (Romans 5:11). Approaching the Father only happens in Christ (John 14:6). All spiritual blessings are only found in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
“Give your life to me.” Jesus is the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him (Hebrews 5:9). Because of what God has done for us through Jesus, we have the opportunity to give our lives to Him and live for Him every day. How do we give our lives to God? First, we must place our faith in Him. Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). If we do not place our faith in Jesus, we will die in our sins (John 8:24). We must repent of our sins. God has commanded all people everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30). We can either repent or perish (Luke 13:3, 5). We must confess Jesus before others. As Paul says in Romans 10:9, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” We must be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38) for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). Baptism is the moment that we step into Christ and clothe ourselves with Christ (Galatians 3:27). Baptism is when God saves us (1 Peter 3:21), “not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). When we are buried in baptism, we are raised up to a brand new life (Romans 6:4). That is not the end goal; that is only the beginning of our relationships with the Lord. We must continue to grow (2 Peter 3:18), love (Matthew 22:37-40), serve (Mark 10:43-45), do good (Galatians 6:10), be connected to our church family (1 Corinthians 12:27), and remain faithful until death (Revelation 2:10). This is the only way to an abundant life on earth (John 10:10) and eternal life in heaven (1 John 2:25).
There is certainly a lot more that could be said here. Through the Gospel, God is calling you. God is communicating with you. God has something to say to you because He wants a relationship with you. Will you hear Him? Will you trust Him? Will you obey Him? Will you love Him? Will you give every part of your life to Him? These questions are essential as they challenge you to reflect on your personal journey of faith. Embracing the answers may lead to a deeper understanding of His purpose for your life and the joy that comes from walking in His light.
-Tyler Alverson
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