You may think of God's call to those who are to be pastors or missionaries. Yet, there is the call of God in the New Testament to believe on our Lord Jesus Christ. God's call is out of darkness into the light of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:9).
God calls us to respond to the gospel of Christ. We do so in repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21). The gospel is for whoever, but not all will respond (Romans 10:13). Those who do are the called of God (Romans 8:28).
God calls us out of spiritual darkness into the light of Christ. Our eyes of understanding are opened to Christ crucified for our sins and raised from the dead for our justification. We are enabled to live in the light. "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).
God calls us by the Holy Spirit and the word of the gospel (Romans 1:16). When God calls us in this sense, we may respond to the gospel by turning to God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our hearts are changed by the grace of God. Certainly, the gospel is preached to all, but the effective call is when we repent, or turn to God, through faith in Christ.
