Lord’s Day, Vol. 4 No. 42

God’s Call to Christian Service

The call of God separates a man to salvation. The call of God also separates a man for Holy service for His Lord. The Apostle Paul was saved and commissioned by Christ, he met Christ on His eleventh and final appearance recorded in Acts 9:1-6 and 1 Corinthians 15:8 “And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time”, on the road to Damascus persecuting the early church two years after the Ascension (Acts 1:9). He confessed receiving the call to be the last Apostle of Christ and his unworthiness in 1 Corinthians 15:9 “For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” He was a fierce persecutor of the early church. He witnessed the martyrdom of Stephen, for Saul, his Jewish name, was consenting unto Stephen’s death (Acts 8:1).

The encounter of Saul with Christ in Acts 9:1-5 was dramatic and altered the entire course of his life from henceforth. He himself testified salvation is by God’s grace and His good pleasure in Galatians 1:15-16 “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:”

Jesus vindicated Himself by appearing personally to Saul by a bright light from heaven (Acts 26:13) confronted Paul “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” He saw the resurrected Christ, he had no excuse for in 2 Corinthians 4:6 the Apostle Paul described his salvation vividly “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

A bright light literally shone at mid-day upon him to arrest of his drunken stupor as it were like a mad man persecuting the church in Acts 9:1 is described the climax of his zeal to persecute the church “And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest.”

The Lord Jesus Christ also revealed to the Apostle Paul his life mission in the heavenly vision that he received as his personal testimony before King Agrippa in Acts 26:16-18:

But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

In his book Lectures to My Students, C.H. Spurgeon wrote this observation on the Call to the Ministry for the prophet Isaiah like the Apostle Paul was chosen of God for a special mission to Israel:

“By reference to the Old Testament, you will find the messengers of God in the old dispensation claiming to hold commissions from Jehovah. Isaiah tells us that one of the seraphim touched his lips with a live coal off the altar, and the voice of the Lord said, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” (Isa. 6:8) Then said the prophet, “Here am I, send me.” He ran not before he had been thus especially visited of the Lord and qualified for his mission. “How shall they preach, except they be sent?” were words as yet unuttered, but their solemn meaning was well understood.” Indeed the overwhelming desire for Saul to preach Christ was recorded in Acts 9:20 after he was strengthened bodily from 3 days of fasting and prayer (Acts 9:9) that he “straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God” (Acts 9:10). Saul immediately shared of his salvation in Christ that others too may receive the blessing that he now possess.

C.H. Spurgeon observed that the first sign of the heavenly calling as an intense, all-absorbing desire for the work for the true call is an irresistible, overwhelming craving and raging thirst for telling to others what God has done to our own souls, concurs with the testimony of this account in Acts 9 of Saul’s conversion and commission. The Apostle Paul’s testimony in his response to the call of Christ is a life of sacrifice as described in Philippians 2:17 “Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.”

George Peters aptly reflected upon the life of Apostle Paul when he wrote, “The call of God is a challenge to a life of sacrifice. Loneliness, privations, and hardships that will deplete the physical strength and imperil bodily health are included in the call of God. Comforts and conveniences, homes, and relationships must become secondary for the called of God. The Lord may require the sacrifice of health and life. Such is the challenge of the call of God.” Paul lived a full life in the will of God answering to the call of Christ and endeavouring his utmost to fulfill the heavenly mandate despite adverse circumstances that puts his life in danger. His Lord was ever with him in each step of his way. He testified of his service for his Lord is in demonstration of the grace of God in Acts 20:24, “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”

May the Lord of harvest call labourers to His harvest today! Amen.

Yours lovingly,

Pastor Lek Aik Wee