Called according to His purpose.
The Apostle and the Gospel of God (2)
Romans 1:1–17
1. Paul’s Position: A Slave of Jesus Christ (what is he?)
2. Paul’s Identity: A Called Apostle (who is he?)
After Paul says, “a slave of Jesus Christ,” he says, “a called apostle.”
The call was God’s initiative.
Called into the fellowship of His Son
Called according to His purpose.
Then we must also see that calling is according to God’s purpose.
2Ti 1:9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,
God has not only saved us; He has also called us with His divine calling.
“God has saved us” because we were under the authority of Satan, obedient to the ruler of the authority of the air, slaves of sin, deceived by our own lusts, and occupied by the world. If God had not saved us through His Son, there would have been no possibility for us to escape.
However, God has not only saved us and set us free; He has also called us with a holy calling. This holy calling goes one step further than God’s saving us. God’s saving us is like a vessel that had fallen into the trash can, then was picked up and washed clean. God’s calling us with a holy calling is to recover the original purpose and function for which that vessel was created.
The reason it is called a “calling” is that man has a free will, and God does not force man. Those who are willing to answer the call are called. Those who are not willing — “they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business” (Matt. 22:5). The Lord said, “those who were invited were not worthy” (Matt. 22:8).
We often think that God calls us because we meet certain qualifications. This is the thought that many self-deceived Christians still hold firmly even today. We must see that God does not call us because there is something good in us, or because we are qualified. God says, “not according to our works.” This has nothing to do with whether we are good or bad. When God called us, our condition was like those “in the crossroads”; “as many as they found, both bad and good,” were gathered in (Matt. 22:9–10).
“But according to His own purpose and grace” — what a gospel this is! We no longer need to struggle and strive, nor do we need to improve ourselves, because God calls us according to His purpose and grace. That is to say, it is not because man fell that God began something else. Rather, God intends, through His Son, to bring us back and restore us to His original intention. He calls us according to His unchanging purpose and eternal plan. Therefore, we no longer look at whether we are good or bad, nor do we keep thinking about our success or failure. It is God who calls us back to His original intention, back to the fullness of His thought.
And for God’s purpose to be accomplished, He has already prepared grace for us and given it to us in Christ Jesus, so that we may share together with His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and so that all that belongs to His Son may become our glorious inheritance. How glorious is the hope of this calling of grace! This grace was prepared and given by God before time began, before the world existed.
Rom. 8:28-29 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.… to be conformed to the image of His Son.”
Lots of Christians often used to this verse to comfort them in difficult situations. But this verse mainly is not for the comfort, it refers to God’s purpose. Paul does not say, “All things work together to solve our problems.” He says all things work together for good to those who are called according to His purpose.
And what is that purpose? The next verse tells us: “to be conformed to the image of His Son.”
This means that in every situation, in every circumstance, we as the called ones need to recognize that God is working and is causing all things work together. He is not working to make our situation easier. He is not working to remove every difficulty quickly. He is working all things together for a divine good — to transform us into the likeness of His Son.
This changes how we view our life.
First of all, we need to recognize that all things work together under His soveinty for His purpose, Things never happen accidentally or randomly. We need to receive all things from Him.
Secondly, all things never happen to us without God’s intention, with God’s purpose.
However, when we encounter difficulties, our first thought is usually, “Lord, solve this problem. Change this situation. Remove this pressure. Open this door. Stop this suffering.” Of course, we may pray this way. The Lord cares for us. But as called ones, we must see something deeper, see something from God’s perspective.
All things relate to God’s purpose.
Our school life relates to God’s purpose.
Our family life relates to God’s purpose.
Our workplace relates to God’s purpose.
Our disappointments relate to God’s purpose.
Our delays relate to God’s purpose.
Our conflicts relate to God’s purpose.
Even the things we do not understand are under the hand of the God who called us according to His purpose.
Therefore, we must not be centered on solving situations. We must be centered on God’s purpose in the situations.
The reason our hearts turn toward people, events, and things is that our interests are involved in them.
With people, there is the question of whether they oppose
us or support us.
With events, there is the question of success or failure, gain or loss.
With material things, there is the distinction of quantity, value, and worth.
When our hearts are deceived by selfish desires, they easily turn aside toward what is evil. Like the Israelites in the wilderness, we forget God’s calling and forsake God’s purpose.
For the called saints, the question is no longer, “How can I get out of this?”
The deeper question is, “Lord,
How are You using this to form Christ in me?
How are You conforming me to the image of Your Son?
How can Your Son be expressed in me through this circumstance?”
Paul was a called apostle. His calling brought him into God’s purpose. And because he was centered on God’s purpose, he could pass through suffering, rejection, imprisonment, and conflict without losing his direction.
When the purpose is uncertain, direction is lost; and without direction, confusion is inevitable.
In every circumstance, Paul says:
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.” (2 Cor.4:7-10)
In Paul’s life and ministry, his purpose was settled, his direction was clear, and his path was firm, because he took God’s purpose as his own purpose.
In his trials, his only concern was whether God had the opportunity to conform him to the image of His Son, and whether, whether by life or by death, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, would be manifested through him.
In Corinthians 12:7–10 , we see Paul eventually values what gives God more room to conform him into the image of His Son
With the thorn in the flesh, Paul initially prayed three times for its removal. But after receiving the Lord’s answer—“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness”—Paul’s attitude changes:
“Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
Here we can see a remarkable spiritual transition:
At first: “Lord, remove this.”
Eventually: “If this weakness gives Christ a greater opportunity to rest upon me, then I can glory in it.”
Why is there such an essential change?
Because Paul knows that he is called according to God’s purpose and grace. All the situations eventually turn to his deliverance for his salvation. How our Lord seeks after the will of God; likewise, three times Apostle Paul seeks after the will of the Lord – “Thy will be done”, God’s purpose can be fulfilled.
In this incident, you see the image of Jesus Christ, which was shown in the Garden of Gethsemane, expressed through Paul.
“it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”(Gal. 2:20) “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.… to be conformed to the image of His Son.” (Rom.8:28-29)