Sermon Tone Analysis

1 Thessalonians 4:7

To What We Were Called

 

/God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life/.

| G |

od saved us … but why?

There is no question but that God has saved us so that we may glorify Him.

Throughout eternity the redeemed shall be trophies of His grace.

Having saved us, why has He left us here in the midst of this fallen world?

In a previous message I spoke of practical Christianity, that is, how the doctrine of sanctification is worked out in our lives.

In this message I intend to focus more keenly still on the issue of why sanctification is so very vital in the life of the child of God.

Each Christian is now declared holy in the sight of God.  Paul has written that/ /[God] chose us in [Christ] before the creation of the world* to be holy and blameless in His sight* [*Ephesians 1:4*].

We Christians are *now* declared faultless, perfect, holy in the sight of the Father.

Writing the Colossian saints, the Apostle restated this same issue in beautiful language which serves to encourage us: [N]ow [God] has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation [*Colossians 1:22*].

The issue of holiness before Holy God is already settled for the Christian, and because the child of God has been declared to be without blemish he stands before the Father free of all accusation.

Child of God, though Satan may slander, his accusations have no power.

We need no longer fear such lies.

This truth is the basis for the exultation provided in *Romans 8:31–34*:/ /If God is for us, who can be against us?

He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all – how will He not also, along with Him graciously give us all things?

Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?

It is God who justifies.

Who is He that condemns?

Christ Jesus, who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

The teaching has practical implications in setting us free from fear and guilt.

Though I may not be perfected in this life, before God I am even now holy in Christ.

I need not fear the accuser of my brothers.

What slander can he bring against Christ … or me?

Despite our standing before God, we nevertheless live in a fallen world where we are responsible to serve as examples of His grace and where we are to glorify His Name.

Therefore, it is not surprising that we should be instructed to live lives pleasing to God, to be holy in our actions in this world.

Peter wrote:/ /[J]ust as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy' [*1 Peter 1:15*].

We shall yet be saved from the presence of sin.

Again, in the Ephesian encyclical, Paul writes of the Church: [Christ shall] present [the Church] to Himself as a radiant Church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless [*Ephesians 5:27*].

We are *now* declared holy in the sight of God; that is* **positional sanctification*.

We are *to be* holy in the lives we now live; that is* **progressive sanctification*.

We *shall be* made holy at the return of Christ; that is* **prospective sanctification*.

Despite the importance of positional sanctification and the glory of prospective sanctification, the message this day focuses on the life we presently live and the importance of struggling against sin now.

The message seeks to answer the question of why we should be concerned about the call to sanctification in this life.

To address that matter we consider one verse only and three propositions which are presented in those few words.

The First Proposition – */God Does Call Us/* — Throughout the whole of Scripture is presented this one stunning truth: *God calls us*.

Such knowledge challenges us to think not that we choose to be saved but rather that God chooses us for salvation.

It is true that in time we speak the temporal language of this present world.

Whenever I preach I issue a call for those listening to repent and believe.

This is what each of us is called to do.

Each one must believe the Gospel.

There is a definite moment in the life of each believer when he begins to believe, even though he may not be able to define that moment.

Yet, having been saved we are able to look back discovering that God did call us.

It is God who initiates salvation.

We have read that marvellous statement in Luke’s Gospel concerning Christ’s ministry: The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost [*Luke 19:10*].

It is not Christ who is lost and who must be found, but it is we of this fallen race who are lost and in need of being found … and Christ seeks us.

What mercy is this!

Perhaps someone says, “But, Preacher, what of the message the Lord has given through Isaiah’s prophecy?

Seek the *LORD* while He may be found, call on Him while He is near [*Isaiah 55:6*].

Is this not a clear call for man to be the initiator of salvation?”

The language is precise and definite, it is while He may be found that we are to seek Him and while He is near that we are to call on Him.

He reveals Himself to us, seeking us and extending to us His mercy, and we dare not trifle with that revelation of grace.

We are responsible to respond when He calls us and while He seeks us.

Nevertheless, having believed, having been born into His family, we look back and realise that He pursued us for our good and called us when we were yet dead in sin.

Many of us love those verses written in the Ephesian letter.

Remember this revelation?

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

For* He chose us *in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.

In love *He predestined us to be adopted as His* sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will [*Ephesians 1:3–5*].

Again, in that same encyclical, Paul states of the Christians’ former condition that you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts.

Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we ere dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved [*Ephesians 2:1–5*].

The dead are not able to initiate a search for life.

For a corpse to seek life it must be energised and animated by power from without.

In retrospect we realise that it is God who animates and energises us while we are yet dead sinners.

Do you not see, then, if you are a child of God it was God who called you, for you had no strength or ability to provide for your own salvation.

If you are saved it is because of God’s gracious call extended you from eternity past.

‘Tis mystery, I confess.

Neither do I imagine that I shall explain the matter to your satisfaction.

It is sufficient that I declare what is written in the Word that all who share in the Faith may draw encouragement as we marvel at the grace of our God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Imagining that we embarked on a search for life, it is always and ever after that we discover that He was always calling us.

After entering into the salvation He provides we discover that He loved us and therefore sought us, calling us by name.

What grace!

You who are members of this assembly, who have trusted Christ as Master of life and as Saviour of your soul, invite others to faith in the Risen Lord of Glory.

Invite others to trust Jesus.

Do not cease to call others.

You do no injury to this great doctrine.

Though God elects whom He wills we may nominate as many as we can.

One of the great comforts to me in my evangelistic efforts is knowing that when I invite others to the Faith, some will respond.

I know that when I issue an appeal, Christ has prepared some hearts to respond.

Just so, you may be assured that He has prepared some someone to respond to you when you invite others to the Faith.

Before proceeding further, I must press the appeal to you who listen.

I would be remiss to fail to invite you to trust Christ today.

Do you say God has not called you?

What is this today but the call of God for you to believe the Gospel?

Your presence here today cannot be considered mere happenstance.

Has not God arranged that you should be here today that you should once more hear the appeal of the messenger of Christ to believe the Gospel?

That you should once again be urged to believe?

This is nothing less than the call of God.

To reject this call is to position yourself among the condemned.

To fail to believe this call now is to accept the sentence of death.

Salvation – the forgiveness of sin and the adoption as a child of God – is offered to you even now.

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved…  Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved.

[*Romans 10:9,10,13*].

God’s salvation is offered to each one.

In the time of My favour I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.