God calls people to serve Him. Man who lost his affinity with God through sin comes into fellowship with Him only through serving Him; there is no other way. The foremost reason for God to call people to Him is to have many sons. This incorporates serving Him. Unless God calls, the way to salvation or freedom for man is hidden from him. He is the first to call that men may obey Him and respond seeking relief from bondage. There is relief in serving God; relief from all forms of bondage. Those who serve God by heeding His call will be served by God through His son, Jesus. It is for this reason that God constantly called and continues to call through His servants that men may find relief from their bondage. God, who sees their turmoil and hears their cry, sends His word for their relief. He is their creator; He cannot ignore their bondage. The world bound with sin produces in people suffering in many forms. And, God desires to bring relief to the suffering. In this is realized the nature of the world and of God – the world produces suffering leading to agonizing death while God brings relief leading to freedom. “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD’, ‘Let My people go, that they may serve Me’” (Exod. 8:1).
When God called Israel to Him, He called them to serve Him that they may receive His freedom. There was no other way for Israel to be saved. Salvation is obtained only by realizing the nature, majesty and blessings of God. When man does not realize them, he cannot serve Him. One is eventually released from all forms of bondage when He or she serves Him. So too Israel had to serve God to be released from bondage through the only way men can understand Him i.e. by heeding His call. Their heeding gave them the freedom that God provides, and God had sons. As God sent Moses to call His people out of misery, He certainly gave a reason to Pharaoh, but also to His people the way to be saved. Relating to this manner of salvation a few things must be considered. A servant of God is needed to lead God’s people out of bondage. He must be appointed by God. God’s mighty hand must be upon him that he truly and skillfully leads His people out. He must be a man who constantly implores God to guide His people and looks to God for understanding to teach, inform and convince people. In other words, God’s wisdom must be proven in him. Then, the purpose of God’s calling will be fulfilled. People will listen to his voice, not for it being a man’s voice, but for being the will of God. God has established him before men that they may listen to his every word. He does not establish him with mere words or any words, but with His words that manifests His powerful wisdom and works; the wisdom and works that make men fear God and makes them confess that they are but sinners and inferiors.
God makes Himself known to men in many ways and though many are those ways, they are only for one result i.e. to call people to serve Him and receive the freedom He gives by serving Him. For this reason, men of God appear. They lead people out of bondage into the freedom which God sought to give them. The mighty hand of God upon them had convinced men to come to them. They lead them toward God and God’s call is rewarded. “Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him; and he became captain over them. Now there were about four hundred men with him” (1 Sam. 22:2). Are not distress, debt and discontentment the fears of life by which many churches lurch with weaknesses? Have these fears not become the weapons that make war with their mind, body and soul? The churches are constantly facing defeat leading them to sorrow. Every thing, matter and situations they do not desire to face in life are falling upon them. They do not know how to escape. They do not have the way that saves them. The freedom that comes from God is far from them. For if the nature, majesty and blessings of God are realized in you, you would certainly overcome the weapons that wage war against you. Again, if you are gathered to a man appointed by God, you would come to know how to overcome the fears of life. Joy and victory would replace your sorrow. God’s calling you rewards and frees you from all forms of bondage only when you are serving Him in all matters of your life. Your response to God’s call is firstly belief that confirms your obedience to Him. When you continue to believe His word, you obey, and His desire for you to serve Him is being fulfilled in you. God through Christ will serve you with salvation to your soul and with freedom to your spirit from distress, debt and discontentment.
Whatever our stature or manner of life we who heeds God’s call and serve Him will be liberated. His liberating us will change our life, even the course of our life. We shall become a witness to many to the work of God in us. They shall come to us, whether family, friends, strangers or neighbors. They too shall praise the life that God provides and if possible, seek it. For God will establish us before them to achieve such a marvelous accomplishment through His powerful wisdom and works. Nonetheless, many churches have failed to obtain this knowledge. It is a pity. “When a cloud vanishes, it is gone, so he who goes down to Sheol does not come up” (Job 7:9). Once the cloud is gone the shade and the refreshing conditions it brings also go away with it; they do not return. God in Christ is the cloud that satisfies the churches. The Day of the Lord to those that do not serve God would be like the cloud that vanishes. For this reason, the word of God greatly emphasizes the value of ‘today,’ the day that men ought to obtain His freedom. Do not consider the grace of God as weak! And if you have gone down to your grave without serving God, you have certainly disregarded the emphasis the word of God placed on ‘today.’ The Day of the Lord has come upon you. You shall never come up to receive the glory that God in Christ has stored for those who serve Him. Therefore, have this fact in you: you have not rewarded God for calling you until you have served Him according to His calling.
For men to serve God there must be men who are appointed to serve Him. Many are present now that speak from their imagination. They interpret the word of God with their thoughts. Therefore, they have disregarded the cloud that satisfies them. They work contrary to the interests of God. God is pierced by their work. “They keep saying to those who despise Me, ‘The LORD has said, ‘You will have peace’; And as for everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart, They say, ‘Calamity will not come upon you’” (Jer. 23:17). One thing is certain of men appointed by God. They do not speak for man’s interests. They will surely let people know the understanding they receive from God. God also diligently works in them that many gather to them. In fact, God always searches for men whom He could turn into His men. And, in each one of them He reveals His powerful wisdom and works that His calling is rewarded. By this He gathers many to His men that they supply them the understanding of His nature, majesty and blessings. Each such man of God with a gathering that God provides represents the church of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Alas, there are many present today that despise God, as they do not rightly speak of Him. They are constantly making amends to God’s precepts to satisfy their interests and the interests of those that work like them. They do not acknowledge the almightiness of God through faith. Yet, they acknowledge it by their thoughts and words. Therefore, they never come to the realization of the nature, majesty and blessings of God. The churches have fallen prey to such men by assuming that these thoughts and words are the truth about God. Furthermore, they themselves have owned them. But, to be frank, there is an absolute sign for your serving God. Distress, debt and discontentment are gone from your life. The salvation that you received from the cross will also save you from these fears of life. In other words, that which causes these fears will be replaced by those that can remove them. Having known Jesus must help you realize that the replacements God gives you are not of the earth. They provide you with untold fellowship with God. Through these you will also receive honorably many earthly blessings. You shall always be adequate in all things, because of the God Whom you serve. Though Satan should bring upon you distress, debt and discontentment, they shall be for a short time. The replacements you have from God will avail you to overcome them.
“But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison” (Acts 8:3). Remember the life and work of this man? Satan brought fears upon the church through him. There was distress; believers scattered, which causes debt and discontentment. Yet, how long did he persist? And, how long was the church in fears? Only for a little while i.e. until Christ turned Saul into His man. God did not leave His people to bondage. He is their creator; He did not ignore them. Of this Saul, also called Paul, the people bore witness to his turning to the Christ Whom he severely persecuted. God also gathered many to Paul, who gave them the understanding of God’s nature, majesty and blessings. The scattered too were not known to have lacked anything, though suffered for a little while. Many are the ways by which God’s people have known Him “from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name” (Eph. 3:15). Yet, for this be realized each one, each family and every church hearing His call must confirm their obedience to Him.
A family’s or church’s belief in God shall derive its name from Him on this earth. They are called by God to serve Him and receive the freedom He gives by serving Him. To them He provides adequately. They have realized the nature, majesty and blessings of God. Therefore, they receive an auspicious name from Him. They are called after God or named in association with Him. Indeed, it is God who gave them such a name to manifest them as His people. This is the foremost reason for God to call you to Him “so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:4).