The Purpose of God’s Call
Scripture Reading: 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.”
The Purpose of God’s Call
Father God, we thank you, we give you glory, we give you honour, and we give you adoration. We thank you for the love you pour out so generously into our lives. Lord we thank you because you love your own and you love them to the end. We thank you because eyes have not seen, ears have not heard, hearts have not known what you have prepared and purposed for those who love you, but you are revealing them by your Spirit. Holy Father, we adore you. Help us to love you more and more, in Jesus’ name.
What is the main purpose of God’s call on a life to service in His Kingdom? Let us look at the Apostle Paul, who got an audible call from the Lord. In that call, Paul’s purpose was made clear. Many of us say we are called but we do not have a clear picture of what we are called to do. Because we have no clear picture, we respond to other people’s calls and operate in realms outside the Lord’s purposes for their lives.
Paul, in his own proclamation, clearly stated that the first reason the Lord called him was to open the eyes of the blind. There are two ways to do this. The first is to restore physical
sight through the ministry of the gift of healing. Where applicable, by the power of the Holy Spirit, God seeks to open the eyes of the physically blind. The second way is to open the eyes of those who are spiritually blind. There are many who think they are on the right road spiritually but are totally wrong. This is alarming because they do not know they are blind and thus operate in dangerous ignorance. Paul’s call was to turn the Gentiles from darkness to light, to open the eyes of the spiritually blind. It is a pathetic state to be in spiritual darkness. God sees this and seeks to open their eyes. Today, there are many who operate in darkness. They are very busy, in perpetual motion, but do not know where they are going. God calls His own and says, “Go open their eyes; turn them from darkness to light.”
Next, He calls them from the power of Satan unto God. For many who walk in spiritual blindness, their default mode is to operate in the power of the enemy. They practice the occult, visit the witchdoctor, or go to a psychic to find out about their future. But God says He calls those who have received His light and the power of the Holy Spirit, to in turn go and convert others, to turn them from the power of Satan unto God and His Word.
God also calls us to connect others to the ministry of grace, the forgiveness of sin. Many are carrying around the weight of the sins they have committed. They live with a heavy conscience wondering when the penalty will fall for their offense. God calls His own to go and communicate the ministry of grace that God has made available a way whereby sins are forgiven and new life is offered. God has called us out of darkness to His marvelous light, but we should not enjoy it alone. We must endeavor to rescue the perishing and care for the dying, to snatch them in pity from sin and the grave, and to tell them
that forgiveness of sins has been made available by the atonement of Jesus.
Finally, God calls us to invite more people to join those of us who have received open eyes, who have been turned from darkness to light, who have been turned from the power of Satan to God, who have received forgiveness of sins to also come into their inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Christ Jesus. Brethren, if Paul was called to do primarily these five things listed in Acts 26:16–18, I am persuaded that Jesus Christ who is the same yesterday, today, and forever who called him yesterday, is calling you and me today to evangelize and live with Him forever.
Prayer Points:
If you have never given your life to Jesus, let us call on Him now. “Lord Jesus open my eyes, turn me from darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto God. Forgive my sins and let me enjoy my inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in you. Write my name in the book of life and give me the born-again experience.”
If you are already born again, this message is given clearly to say that you are called to open the eyes of the spiritually and physically blind by His power, to turn them from darkness to light, to turn them from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgiveness of sins and their inheritance among them who are sanctified by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The abundance of God’s grace causes the inheritance to be available to all. God is able and He is asking you to answer His call, in Jesus’ name. Amen
