One of the greatest blessings we have been given as Christians is our calling by God. At this time, this divine summons is not directed to mankind at large but only to those to whom God has determined to reveal Himself. When God calls us, He performs a miracle in our minds that results in our becoming more aware of spiritual truth, of our sinfulness, and of God and His claim on our lives. This calling by God is so rare and valuable that we are urged to walk worthy of it, setting a high standard for the conduct of our lives. God called us with a holy calling, meaning we are to be separate and set apart, different from others. He considered us to be holy because of our position before Him, not due to personal goodness or character at the time of separation. God has separated us from our trespasses and sins, the course of this world, and satan the devil. Our calling requires that we remain apart from these influences, staying free from the defilement of sin and walking according to the course of God rather than the course of this world.

God's calling is a unique and unparalleled gift, setting apart those chosen by Him in a way that distinguishes them from all others on earth. The Lord has declared His people as a holy nation, a special treasure above all others, chosen not for their number or merit, but because of His love and the oath sworn to their fathers. This selection, as seen in Deuteronomy 7:6-8, reflects God's deliberate choice to express His love more profoundly to some, separating them in His mind's eye for a distinct purpose. This uniqueness is further emphasized in I Peter 2:9-10, where God's called ones are described as a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and His own special people, tasked with proclaiming His praises after being called out of darkness into His marvelous light. Unlike others, they are gifted with spiritual understanding and deliverance from satan's grip, a transformation not merely physical but deeply spiritual. In I Corinthians 1:26-29, it is clear that God's calling often falls upon the foolish, weak, and despised of the world, chosen to shame the wise and mighty, ensuring that no flesh glories in His presence. This deliberate selection underscores the humility required in recognizing that such an awesome gift is not earned but given by His will. Ephesians 1:3-6 reinforces this by stating that God chose His people before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before Him in love, predestining them to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will. This premeditated act of grace highlights the extraordinary nature of being selected out of billions by the Creator Himself. Romans 9:8-15 illustrates this selective love through the example of Jacob over Esau, showing that God's choice is not based on works but on His sovereign will to have mercy and compassion on whom He chooses. This intentional act of setting apart individuals for His purpose is a profound aspect of their uniqueness. God's purpose in this calling, as seen in II Corinthians 5:4-7, is to prepare His people to live by faith, a requirement that further distinguishes them. He equips them with gifts to ensure they can fulfill His will, providing confidence that He knows them, loves them, and is actively involved in their lives to bring about their salvation. Additionally, II Corinthians 5:16-19 reveals that God's calling transforms the worldview of the called, changing how they perceive Christ and others, no longer regarding anyone according to the flesh but as part of a new creation in Christ. This radical shift, a gift from God, enables them to become reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ and to take on the ministry of reconciliation. Finally, in Colossians 1:22-23, God reminds His called ones of their qualification to partake in the inheritance of the saints, delivered from darkness, redeemed, and reconciled to Him, yet with the sobering responsibility to continue steadfastly in faith. This unique preparation, supported by countless spiritual gifts, ensures they have no excuse for failure, as God supplies all they need to live by faith and fulfill their extraordinary calling.

Before our calling by the Father to His truth we were darkness and part of that darkness. We were spiritually blind and dead though physically alive and totally cut off from God. Our calling by the Father to Jesus Christ was a radical transformation from one extreme to the other just as darkness is to light. We had nothing to do with this conversion. It took place because the Father called us and upon our redemption His Son's righteousness was imputed to us. We are light in the Lord because the Father and the Son dwell in us and Their light makes us light. Our light is not our own but is given to us by the Father and the Son. Their presence in us obligates us to live up to the high standard of conduct that light represents which is the spotless sterling character of Almighty God. We are to take what we have learned and begin conforming to it so that at the end of the sanctification process we have light in ourselves.

God's calling is unique because those appointed to eternal life believed after hearing the gospel. Appointed means set, disposed, inclined, devoted, designated, instituted, resolved, arranged or addicted from a source other than the individual. God through His Holy Spirit inclines or disposes the called to believe. Their faith is not self-generated. God predestines some to adoption as sons according to the good pleasure of His will. He foreknows, predestines, calls, justifies and glorifies those He selects. The calling separates one from many as when a parent summons a specific child from a group. God supernaturally disposes the minds of the called through His summons and begins to separate them from those He does not call while revealing Himself and His way. God does not call everybody generally. He must predispose the called because they are deceived about what to look for and busy with their own concerns. Human nature avoids admitting that salvation is far more an act of God than something earned through personal qualities. God chose Israel as His covenant people and freed them from Egypt. Israel did not choose God. God chose Israel. The same principle applies spiritually to those He calls today. God has not predetermined every act of a person's life. Human nature resists God and choices are made. God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. He appoints some to fill a different part in His scheme until a later resurrection. God has chosen the foolish, weak, base, despised and nothing of the world. He did not choose them for any skill, ability or social quality. The love of the called is a response to His initiative. They believe because God appointed them to eternal life and gave them faith by grace. No cause apart from God's will moved Him to make them the special object of His love. Humility begins when the called properly recognize who and what they are in relation to the sovereign Creator.