The Called of God

God calls us out of spiritual darkness into the light of Christ. When believers see the light, it comes quickly to dispel darkness. The change is sudden and abrupt. Darkness is defeated immediately in the presence of light. That's how God calls us out of spiritual darkness. God "called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9). 

God calls us effectively, when our eyes of understanding are opened to the truth of Christ. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life" (John 8:12). We are called by God to see the light, that we may know the glory of God in Jesus Christ (John 1:14). He is the light of life. Our salvation comes through the gospel, calling us out of spiritual darkness into the light of Christ.

God calls us to freedom from spiritual darkness. It is not our achievement. Rather, the light comes to us from without, changing our hearts within. Light is Jesus Christ coming into our dark hearts. The called of God testify, "I saw the light." Give all the glory to "Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." 

God calls us to walk in the light. When we see the light, then we are able to walk in the light. "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). The called of God come out of darkness, to walk in the light of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Why God Created Us

God created us for a purpose. Your life is not a cosmic accident. God has you on this planet for a real purpose. Life is not a meaningless journey with no goal. God has a purpose in all things. That certainly includes you. What is the purpose of God in your life?

Would you like to know God's purpose for your life with absolute certainty? Well, you can. God not only wants you to know that your life has a purpose, but He wants you to know exactly what that purpose is. God has revealed it to us in the Bible. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the Bible tells us why God created us. God created us to the praise of His glory.

God made all things for His glory. We were made to bring honor and glory to God. If we live selfishly, we miss the purpose of God. That's called sin in the Bible. It means that we fall short of the glory of God. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).

God provided the way for us to live for His glory. The way is Jesus Christ. He is the way to a life full of purpose. God changes our hearts and lives through Christ. He shall conform all believers to the likeness of Christ, to the praise of His glory (1 John 3:2). You were created to bring glory to God in Christ. "We who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory" (Ephesians 1:12).

How God Leads Us

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God" (Romans 8:14). Each and every believer may be led by the Holy Spirit. He lives in the heart of every true believer in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:9). God will lead us on the right path day after day. The Bible teaches clearly how God leads us. 

All believers may be led by the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The fruit includes love, joy, and peace. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace" (Galatians 5:22). These three words characterize any believer who is led by the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit leads us with love. When we follow Him, we love God and others. The Spirit of God leads us with joy. When we refuse to follow, joy evades you. The Spirit of God leads you with peace. It's "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding" (Philippians 4:7).

The Holy Spirit will lead us daily. He will not force us to follow Him. However, there are only two choices. One is to follow the Holy Spirit. The other one is to go astray. Even when we go astray, the Holy Spirit is there to lead us back into the right way.

When we follow the Holy Spirit, we discover love, joy, and peace. When we don't follow, then we doubt God's love, forfeit real joy, and replace peace with confusion. The choice is clear. The results are predictable, when God leads us.

How Christ Is in You

Christ is in every true believer. "Now if anyone has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His" (Romans 8:9). The Spirit of Christ lives in your heart, that is your mind, will, and emotions. He gives you new desires. Christ works in you what pleases God (Hebrews 13:21).

Christ and the Holy Spirit are in union as one. Even so, we are one with Christ through the Holy Spirit. This is our union with Christ. Christ is in us, even in our hearts. He lives in us through the Holy Spirit. That is "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27).

The Spirit of Christ is in you with three abiding gifts of faith, hope, and love (1 Corinthians 13:13). The indwelling Christ produces fruit in the life of every believer, such as love, joy, and peace (Galatians 5:22-23). Therefore, as a Christian you can say, "Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20).

The Spirit of Christ is in you for ministry to others. The Spirit of Christ gives you a ministry gift for service to others through the church, which is the body of Christ (Romans 12:4-8). You may have a speaking gift, such as preaching, teaching, or a gift for serving others in practical ways (1 Peter 4:10-11).

Providence Not Chance

Your life is not ruled by random chance. God's providence works over all things for your good and God's glory. God is working for good in all things for those who love Him (Romans 8:28). "For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever" (Romans 11:36).

God's providence works daily. God works according to His good will (Romans 12:2). God knows what is ahead for you and prepares the way. God works in all the details of your life. God's providence is at work in all your life situations.

God's providence works over all things. Chance and luck are myths. See the providence of God working in your life according to an eternal purpose,"the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will" (Ephesians 1:11). God has a purpose for your life through the Lord Jesus Christ. That purpose is to bring glory to God in you through Christ. 

When things don't go your way, never fret nor worry. Believe the providence of God over all in Christ is good. When it seems like everything is going wrong, don't be discouraged. Believe God's providence for you shall prevail in His time. We live in an evil age, where bad things can happen to us. However, God's providence works for good in all things. God brings good even out of bad circumstances in your life (Genesis 50:20).

God Revealed to You

God is revealed to you through creation and conscience. The created order of this world declares to all the glory of God. Creation declares the Creator (Romans 1:20). Also, God is revealed to all through conscience (Romans 2:15). God has made us moral agents to know the difference between right and wrong. It reveals God's holiness and our sinfulness.

God is revealed to you through the Bible. It reveals who God is (John 4:24). He is fully revealed through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-2). If you want to know what God is like, read the Bible. You will discover that Jesus is the full revelation of God. He reveals the fullness of God's love, mercy, and grace (John 1:16).

God is revealed to you through the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). God wants you to know how much he loves you. He knows we have done things that are wrong. He sent his Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins (I John 1:7). Jesus is alive! He is risen from the dead (Romans 10:9). The gospel reveals that you can know God's love through believing in the only begotten Son (John 3:16).

God is revealed to you in Christ. He is revealed to the heart of every believer, through the Holy Spirit. The heart is your inner-person, that is your mind, will, and emotions. The Holy Spirit reveals the truth of Christ to your heart (John 16:7-11). God the Father is revealed to you through Christ the Son (John 14:6)

Receive God's Wisdom

Receive God's wisdom in Christ, according to the Bible. God's wisdom is for every believer in our Lord Jesus Christ. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God (1 Corinthians 1:30). He is your wisdom for all of the decisions in life. God's wisdom is confirmed with peace in your heart.

Receive God's wisdom as a spiritual gift. In making the decisions of life, believers in Christ ask and receive God's wisdom (James 1:5). Always trust God's wisdom to lead you. Wisdom is based upon the truth, because wisdom comes from God. Follow the words of God's wisdom in your Bible, and you will have no regrets. 

Receive God's wisdom confirmed with the fruit of peace. Wisdom and peace come from the Holy Spirit. When you have God's wisdom, peace confirms it. God always confirms wisdom with the witness of peace. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts (Colossians 3:15).

God's wisdom has a counterfeit that seeks to lead you the wrong way. It disguises itself as wisdom, but notice the fruit. Wisdom of this world cannot compare to the wisdom coming from God. Worldly wisdom is selfish, sensual, and brings confusion. Receive God's wisdom proven with good fruit. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy, and good fruits (James 3:17).

Our Great Redemption

Charles Spurgeon preached, "Our great redemption is in the covenant, but we have no redemption except through His blood." Redemption is by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The word redemption means to pay the price to set prisoners free. The price has been paid to set every believer free from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13). Our sin debt was paid in full. God redeems us at the cross of Jesus (1 John 1:7).

God foreordained our redemption before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-4). In Bible days, covenants were made based upon the shed blood of a sacrificial animal. God redeems us based upon the sacrifice of Jesus at the cross. In the eternal plan of God, Christ is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8).

Redemption is in Christ alone. We are not redeemed by what we have done, but what God has done for us in Christ. It is a unilateral covenant, not based upon our promises nor our works (Ephesians 2:8-9). To the contrary, we are redeemed according to God's promises in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20).

Redemption is received by faith in Christ our Lord. Christ is our righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). What God commands of us, Christ provides for us. The Holy Spirit gives us faith as an abiding gift to trust in Christ. God credits to every believer the righteousness of Christ. Redemption is in Christ as our covenant Shepherd (Hebrews 13:20-21).