IV.

- A HOLY CALL
For this reason also I, having heard of your faith in
the Lord Jesus, and of your love for all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks
for you,
remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the
knowledge of him, illuminating
the eyes of your understanding, that you may know what is the hope to which he has
called,
and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing
greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of the
power of his strength,
which operated in Christ, raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the
heavenly places, especially principality and authority and power and dominion, and
above all name that is named, not only in this century, but also in the one to come;
and subjected all things under his feet, and gave him as head over all things to the
church
which is his body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.
Efesios 1:15-23

The verses written in chapter 1 of Ephesians seem to reflect a single

thought, or rather a cascade of thoughts inspired by the
apostle by the Holy Spirit, in them Paul reflects all the feelings that exist in his
soul regarding the revelations that God had placed in her mind so that
shared them with the church of Ephesus and each of the churches of Asia, and for
consequently with each one of us, and indeed it does achieve it because there is no
another piece of the most magnificently inspired Word than Ephesians 1, nor than
deliver so much content nor new revelation.
In this part of the letter that most resembles a prayer, the apostle masterfully
teaches us how to balance praise with prayer
Christiana.
To achieve a healthy Christian life, it is of great importance to maintain this
the balance that Pablo demonstrates in Ephesians, that is keeping praise and
the prayer in our life with God. Not doing so will keep us
discontent with what we have or living mediocrity instead of a
full life.
Some only pray for new spiritual blessings,
forgetting that God has already abundantly blessed them in Christ with
every spiritual blessing.
Others place such emphasis on the truth that everything is theirs in Christ, that they
they become complacent and lose the love for the quest for things
new, of hidden mysteries in God or of living more abundantly
their spiritual privileges.
And among these there are many Christians and groups of Christians that polarize their
relationship with God and they teach the doctrine poorly, as they emphasize their preaching on
your experience; an experience of living in the midst of revelation.
Pablo encourages us here to live praising God because in Christ all the
spiritual blessings are ours and let's continue praying so that we can
to know the fullness of what has been given to us.
THE HOPE TO WHICH WE HAVE BEEN CALLED
That God, in some sense, calls and preordains everything that happens is a necessary result of
His sovereignty. God is absolutely sovereign over His creation. God can preordain the
things in different ways.
Who, among Christians, would argue that God could not prevent something from happening?
this world? If God desired it so, He has the power to stop the entire world.
Another core question in the Bible regarding this is what Solomon establishes when
says
Look at the work of God; for who can straighten what He has made crooked?
Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?

The well-known statement of Romans 8:30 is essential in this type of analysis.

Those whom he foreknew, he also predestined, and these he justified and called.
Here it is clear that EVERYONE, that is, each of his Children "We have a calling" and this
It is simple and easy to understand, obviously, when we look at it in the light of the Gospel.

THE COSTS OF BEING CALLED

It may arise that, when we know the gospel and understand God's calling in our
life, there are circumstances that must be faced like everything in life, Jesus when he exercised his
The ministry said:
In the world you will have tribulation, but do not worry, I have overcome the world.
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

In responding to this 'calling' we will inevitably encounter difficult moments.

In life, we will falter, but in Christ, we can stand firm and persevere.
Let us remember the words of the apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 1:7
"For God has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but of power, love, and self-control."

When we understand why we have been called and what we have been called to, we understand
also the reason why in our walk within the gospel we have gone through difficult moments and
Without a doubt, we will continue to go through them, but it is essential that we understand that many
Sometimes, that is what makes us grow in Christ Jesus. Sometimes the word contained in the
the gospel of grace might seem like a bed of roses and that everything is easy, obviously it
Jesus said it in Matthew 11:30 'my yoke is easy and my burden is light', however the roses
they also have thorns and although roses are beautiful, one must know how to handle them, otherwise it is
inevitable that they poke us and cause pain, the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, equally
It must be taken carefully and very seriously, because God gives everything in it, but
it also demands everything. The gospel requires a notable change of life from us,
attitude, to show excellent behavior, to love others. Paul wrote:
owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has
fulfilled the law
Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

THE ROAD SEEMS DIFFICULT

Therefore I advise you to fan into flame the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of hands
my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love and of
own domain. Therefore, do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord or about me, a prisoner
his, but participates in the afflictions for the gospel according to the power of God, who saved us and
called with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His purpose and the
grace that was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages of time
2 Timoteo 1:6-9

One of the things we must understand regarding God's calling is that it does not
It took place the day we arrived at a church, nor the day that God opened our eyes.
understanding, but the calling was given before the foundation of the world, Hebrews quotes
in chapter 2, that the provided salvation and the calling occurred in the mind of the Father
before we participated in flesh and blood (Hebrews 2:14) and the calling is one of
spiritual nature because when it was made there existed only spiritual beings, since
there was neither flesh nor blood yet.

And this helps us understand that the difficult moments of life are not beyond control of
God, it's not that God doesn't know what is happening to us, because everything has been predetermined. God
He has called us to understand, he did not call us yesterday, nor today, God called us before participating.
of flesh and blood, the calling, that is, what God called us to do does not depend on
Man, it does not depend on circumstances either, it depends on Him who called us.
When you know that God has called you before the times of the ages, there is no
an obstacle that we cannot overcome, there is no barrier in this world that we cannot overcome,
because we have been specifically called for the obstacles and barriers that are
we can transfer them, although sometimes not without difficulty.
Therefore, we must understand that many times God's calling in our lives will demand
of us important sacrifices, leaving behind things or people very dear to us, but
that perhaps are hindering us from seeing more clearly the destination to which we have been sent
calling. One of the things that God does when He calls us is separate us, (remember that to be holy is
being separated for him
God called Abraham, and commanded him to leave his land,... again when he wanted to speak to him.
about his son Isaac, he sent him out of the tent where he lived with his wife Sarah.
God works mysteriously and He sees what we do not see, which is why He sometimes asks us for things.
that at the moment we will not understand, but that we will understand later. Sometimes it separates us from
great friendships, but that inevitably take up all our attention and time. Others
Sometimes we do not know that those around us can be our worst enemies because they are the ones
who we listen to, and what we hear from them is the flesh and blood of those people, without
However, the call of God is spiritual. That does not mean that you do not love them, you
but it needs to have attention and a keen ear to listen, not the trivialities of life
daily, that of flesh and blood, but to arrange and exercise our spiritual ear before a
a spiritual calling, a holy calling, a specific calling that obeys
a the Word same of God, y no the advice of none man.
Hebrews 13:13 says 'let us go outside the camp', each one of us, once we
We know the gospel of grace; we have to go outside the camp, not just the
pastors or missionaries, we are also called to go out, not to stay where
We are forever, because the shepherds have to go out to pastor, once prepared.
they have to go out because this is part of their calling, to leave the camp and just like
Abraham, only there will we see the stars of the heavens and the calling will become clearer to us.

A CALL IN LOVE

It is important to understand what God has called us to do, this is to fulfill A ROLE, a
calling that contains the DNA of God, his seal, for this he grants us gifts which we
they guide us to know where we should move, what is in us that will make us
to fulfill the divine purpose, Paul says that He
"he saved us and called us with a holy calling," it is time to warn what the specific function is
what we must develop in the body of Christ. God's calling is not static, it is not
to contemplate His beauty and holiness is a dynamic call, of action and reaction, the other
it is important but not the most urgent. We will have all eternity to contemplate it, but
The harvest is plentiful, and the lost cannot wait.

Each one of us has been called to the regime of the spirit, it is not in man, nor in the
expositor, nor in preaching, is in God Himself guiding us, God Himself speaking to our
intellect, and under this order of things we have been called to listen to the voice of God, no longer
to listen to the voice of man. Each of us carries our own burden, we have
specific call.

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called
calls
Ephesians 4:1
God's calling for every believer says to "walk as is worthy of the calling with
that you were called, with all humility and gentleness, bearing with one another in patience and
gentleness with one another in love, there is a call to walk in love. What for
were we called? To walk in love, not just to succeed by trampling on others, no, we have
we have been called to overcome, but we will overcome through love.
In the face of the difficulties we must face, Paul tells us: 'Be strong in the Lord' Ephesians 6.
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Philippians 4:13, for that is why we have been called,
to love others above all things.

Therefore, as the chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, of
kindness, humility, meekness, patience; bearing with one another, and
forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as Christ forgave you
forgive, so you should do as well. And above all these things put on love, which is the
perfect bond. "Col 3:9

And it's not easy if we look at it humanly, but if we see it with the eyes of God, of Christ that
He bore it all out of love for us, so we understand.
that the love of Christ has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
It was given 'Romans 5:5

And once again he tells us: "diligent in keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; a
body, and one Spirit, as you were also called in one hope of our
vocation." Ephesians 4:3-4,

You were called in one hope (one feeling) and the hope is the Gospel,
hope is that all of us talk about the gospel, it is not just repeating, it is not saying amen to
Everything is to scrutinize and discern in order to also teach others. Unity is hope.
may we all have a common language firmly established in our hearts, and that this language
understand, that it is an expression of our communication between the body and the spirit, between
us and God, then the words will make sense and we will be faithfully fulfilling the
calling that has been entrusted to us.

Called to be Saints
In addition to this, we cannot settle for what is known; we must investigate the
times of our pilgrimage; to find out the paths that God has for us
preset; the limits of our room and going beyond, where God wants us to
let's arrive.
those whom he predestined, he also called; and those whom he called, he also
justified...
It is true that one day we called him to save us from the dark pit.
and deep in which we were immersed; but our call to the
the light of what was learned was nothing but a desperate response of the soul to the call that
God had made one of the corners of our life empty.

Now the question is that we must find out what we were for.
called: because if he called us, it was with a purpose, a matter that they affirm
the scriptures on more than one occasion. He called us to something or for something.
and this is the hope to which He has called you...
In chapter 4:4 it speaks of "the hope of your calling..."
We find the answer to these questions in Ephesians itself and the
the way to carry it forward is found in countless quotes from the rest
of the New Testament where a varied and rich expectation is opened to us;
1. Among them, it tells us that we have been called:
To be primarily of Jesus Christ
 To the communion with Him
To be saints
To be and act like people with a holy calling
A question:
Are you holy? Do you live in holiness?
Within the longings of every Christian, one of the deepest is his
Heart is to be saints, Peter the apostle mentions in his first letter:
...but, as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all
your way of living; 1Pet 1:15
Hebrews tells us: Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, without which
no one will see the Lord. Heb 12:14
Holiness is not an option for the children of God, it is a requirement, the word
For the saint employed here is 'agion' and it means set apart for something; and we
indicates something that has been set apart, separated from the normal use given to it for
keep it for a specific use. The temple utensils were dedicated
‘sacred’, meaning they could not be used for any other purpose than serving the temple.
If we reduce this concept of holiness to a simpler definition, we would say
to be saints is to be "different", it is to walk a path that is distinct from
those who walk in the way of those who do not know the Lord, for this reason Paul points out in
Romans 12
Do not conform to this world, but be transformed by the renewal
of your understanding..."Rom 12:2

Now in the days we live, this becomes increasingly difficult because many
sometimes we find ourselves immersed in the culture that prevails in this world and
we are carried away by a trendy gospel and not by convictions; we
we are being dragged by the trends that mark each area of the
society and we are not the catalyst element that the world requires, we are not
but rather we dissolve into the sea of people, we are not the light that guides
it illuminates but we lament because we do not know how to hold onto that light.
Being saints means that every day we must make decisions, but decisions
what is particular about being different from those who take those around us
around, we have to be honest in a dishonest society; for being
integral in a corrupt society; for loving purity in a society focused on
towards pornography and sex; being people where consideration with our
the neighbor is present at the flower of the day, in a society where selfishness is
present at every level. And so many other areas of life in which God us
calls to be different. The Bible in its New Testament gives us countless pieces of advice and
clues to guide us to that holiness, but the greatest support and help is the one that
gives us the same Spirit of God, day by day, step by step the Spirit will guide us
marking a path that is different, distinct from the one chosen by the vast majority
of whom we know.
A challenge for us: Never choose the path of popularity, do not do
what others do, dare to take a different path, the path that Jesus
he/she traced for us.

Now, the church is God's holy and special people, free.

of the judgment of the law of God?
What does Scripture say about this:
For freedom you were called...
 2. A second characteristic that identifies the vocation of the people of God
it is the harmonious brotherhood that must rise above the barriers of
race and class, because "we are one body" to enjoy peace and
love of God in 'koinonia' that is to live 'a life worthy of the calling with
what you want called..., and continues supporting you with
patience with one another in love...
3. Peace is another characteristic that should identify us, and peace
among the members is the faithful reflection of the inner peace that you have
Revelations imprint on the conviction of every Christian.
4. At the same time while we can enjoy full peace within the
Christian community, we are obligated to experience opposition from
incredulous world. And although we should not respond in the same way as
being attacked does not mean that in order to lighten the load
we should compromise our convictions.
And anyone who wants to live a godly life will be persecuted...
And this is real, the more we try to live the straight and holy life that
God requires, the more opposition we will have, and not precisely from our
enemies but also of our peers.
And when he talks about how we should not repay evil for evil, saying 'well
For this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us,
leaving us an example, so that you may follow in their footsteps...

When Paul talks to us about seeing Christ and knowing of his wonders of glory in
Gloria, Pablo speaks of a glory in the midst of suffering, for he knows that
this 'light momentary affliction...' (which is in no way light)
it is part of the sacrifice that Christ has required for us to be able to
to know more and more of your perfect peace and love, and who needs
we conquer in death the flesh and live for God in it
Spirit.

This is the 'supreme calling of God in Christ,' a HOLY CALLING,

for which reason he continues in the Christian race towards the goal.

All of this was in the mind of God when He called us, He called us to Christ, to
holiness, to freedom, to peace, to suffering and to glory. In other words, we
he called for a new life, a life that we must strive for; we already said it
Before, the new life as a life of holiness is not a state; it is a path.
that we must journey every day, always towards the goal which is Christ; in
obedience and service. It is the communion with the saints and with God, looking more
beyond the present sufferings with our eyes set on the inheritance that has been given to us
has been provided and will be revealed to us in fullness on that day.
"this is the hope to which we have been called."
It is for this hope that Paul prays for God to open the eyes of our
understanding in order to be open to comprehend it.
If the calling points to the beginning, the inheritance of Christ points to the end, to
that which the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of (see v.14) which Peter describes
as "incorruptible, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven
for you...

That of which we are co-heirs with Christ, and which one day by His grace will be
ours. How will it actually be?
It surpasses our imagination, although some aspects of it have been
revealed in the New Testament saying 'when he manifests we will be'
similar to Him... and this not only in body but also in character,
We have the mind of Christ... Because his inheritance will not be one
a particular portion for each one, but will be given 'among the saints' in that
...great multitude, which no one could count, from all nations, tribes and
languages, that were before the throne and in the presence of the Lamb...” Paul
now for this, so that we can know her and know "the riches of her
glory.

The doctrine of election:

It is a divine revelation, not mere human speculation.

It was not invented by St. Augustine, nor by Luther or Calvin, it is a doctrine
eminently biblical and as such we cannot ignore it. The OT indicates to us that
God chose His people from among all the nations of the earth to be to Him 'a
special town.
According to the NT, God is choosing from among all the nations of the earth a
new town, a community of 'saints', their 'special town'. So if
We are part of this election, we must learn to take it humbly.
(even if we do not fully understand it), but as a truth that God Himself has
revealed. Calvin preached on Ephesians 48 sermons in the year 1558. the
he comments in one of his sermons:
 Although we cannot conceive either through arguments or by means of
reasonings like God chose us before the foundation of the world, without
We know about the embargo because he declared it to us, and the experience itself is
sufficient proof, when we are enlightened by faith

It is an incentive for holiness, not an excuse for sin.

While this doctrine gives us a powerful guarantee of eternal security, it already
how faithful is the one who called us and chose us to keep us until the end. But not
we can use this security to admit and less encourage sin. The
presumption of someone who considers it unnecessary to take care of their life and holiness not
has any support in what it holds as the true doctrine of election. It
because Paul himself states that God chose us: "that we might be holy and
without spot before Him
Without blemish =amomus= without defect (Col 1:22)
Here it marks our final state of perfection. But the process of sanctification
begins here and now. So far from encouraging sin, the doctrine of the
election prohibits it and places upon us the burden of holiness. Since this
it is the very purpose of our choice. Finally, the only evidence of being
Chosen is to lead a holy life.

It is a stimulus for humility, not a reason for vanity.

Generally, people who do not clearly understand (even Christians) the doctrine of the
election, they often believe that claiming to be chosen is an arrogance
supreme. And it would be so if we imagined that we have been chosen for merit
own. But there is no place for merit in the doctrine of election, it is
just the opposite.
God made it clear to the people of Israel why they had been chosen (Deut
not because they are the best or most outstanding of all the peoples. But rather that
they were chosen solely because I loved them. The reason lies entirely in
love and not in one's own merit. We see this same truth reflected in the
words of the apostle to the Ephesians. The emphasis of the entire first paragraph is on the
grace, in the love of God, in His will, in His purposes and choice.