But when it pleased God,
who separated me from my mother’s womb
and called me through His grace,
TO REVEAL HIS SON IN ME, that I might
preach Him
(Galatians 1:15-16).
There is much said about being called
to DO something…called to preach…called to minister to the poor and
afflicted...called to go to Africa to do missions work…etc. Was Paul called to preach to the
Gentiles? Was Paul called to be a
missionary? Was Paul called to be used
by the Holy Spirit to reveal Scriptures?
I proclaim no.
There is one, fundamental calling of
all of God’s children. God calls each of
us through His grace (not through our abilities or our willingness or our
through anything we can do to deserve anything from God), for one reason, and
one reason only:
FOR GOD TO REVEAL
HIS SON IN ME!
Now, once Christ was revealed in
Paul, Paul was indeed led and enabled to preach Christ (not about Christ). And Paul was indeed led to be a missionary,
and he was indeed used by the Holy Spirit to reveal Scripture. But all of Paul’s ministering was a fruit of
the one call – the revelation of “Christ in you, the hope of glory”
(Colossians 1:27)!
The focus on any other “call” could
subtly tempt us to focus on the “call” itself and to subsequently work for
God. Such a focus takes our focus off
the one glorious call of God working in us through the precious life of Christ!
©
2003 Gregg Gibbons