The Believers' Calling - Part 2: Call to the Purpose of Christ

Call to Purpose and Grace

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2Tim 1:9: Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. 

As believers, we are first and foremost called to testify of the saving power of Jesus immediately we are saved and baptized. This is call to purpose and grace; it precedes and supersedes call to ministry.

Call to Purpose and Grace 

2Tim 1:9: Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. 

2 important points in the verse: 

1. He Saved us 
   

• Salvation is the first gift of God to us which is “by grace through faith” (Eph 2:8, Tit 3:5).  
• We are saved from the consequences of what Satan did which brought sin and death to mankind (Rom 3:23, 5:12), to the miracle of what Jesus did on the cross which brought grace and salvation to mankind (Rom 5:12-19). 
  

     2. He Called us 

• As many as have been saved and redeemed by the blood of Christ are called into “His own purpose and grace.” 
• This calling is directional (Act 9:6, 1Tim 4:14) 
• This calling is conditional (1Cor 1:26-31)
  

As believers, we must understand that calling is as important to our salvation as the salvation itself (1Cor 1:26, 2Pe 1:5-8).

We are not just saved and waiting for Christ to take us on a joyride to heaven, we are saved for Christ’s purpose, otherwise, our salvation is unprofitable to Christ and to God on earth (Php 2:12-13). 

The Purpose of Christ is that He saved us: 

• To be useful for Him while on earth (Mat 16:15) 
• To occupy and testify of Him and for Him (Luk 19:13) 
• To have victory and demonstrate His power and authority over sin, Satan, demons, and the world (Mat 16:19, Mat 18:18, Luk 9:1, Col 1:13, 1Pet 2:9). 

We don’t have to be ordained or hold a special leadership training, skill, or position to do this (1Cor 12:7). This is the basics of being a Christian. 

• What is the call for the “purpose of Christ” to a believer after the salvation experience? 
• Discuss the consequences of not entering or functioning in this calling? 
  

The Salvation Process 
Many saved believers are not functioning in this calling because: 

• They are ignorant and are milk believers (Heb 5:12-13)  
  
• They think it is for some specific people (Joh 1:12) 
• Their salvation process is not complete (Act 1:8). 

What is the salvation process?  

Repent. Believe. Confess. Be Baptized (Mar 1:15, Rom 10:10, Mar 16:16). 

Further reading: Act 2:38, Act 8:12, 36-38, 10:44-48, Act 16:31-34, Act 19:5-6.  

Case for Baptism 
Baptism plays a big role in the salvation process: 

• Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God (Joh 3:5). 

This shows that when a believer is born (again), there are two experiences involved in the process: 

• Water experience 
• Spirit experience 

Except a believer has both experiences “…he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”  

Jesus explained further that: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (Joh 3:6). 
Water experience is the outer declaration (substance) of the Spirit experience (evidence of what is unseen - Heb 11:1).  

• Do you have both experiences? When? Where? How? Discuss. 

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Christian Without Power 
It is possible (though dangerous) for a believer not to experience either of these yet still be called a “Christian”.  

Paul was passing by Ephesus and decided to fellowship with a gathering of believers there. They were called “disciples.” When Paul could not discern the presence of the Holy Spirit in the gathering. He asked them: 

• Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? (Act 19:2) 

Even though they were called “disciples” and meeting as an Assembly, their answer to the question was:  
“We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.”  

Paul must have been puzzled and he asked a rider question: 

• Unto what then were ye baptized? (Act 19:3) 

Their answer to the baptism was: “Unto John's baptism.” 

They did not have Spirit baptism, all they had was water baptism which was a wrong (old dispensational) baptism (Act 19:1-5). 

The good news is that these disciples received the two baptisms once they knew the truth (Act 19:4-6). They started to manifest the gift of the spirit immediately: 
And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied” (Act 19:6). 

• In what instance can a believer receive wrong baptisms? 
• Discuss other events and instances where people manifested the gifts of the Spirits immediately after Spirit baptism (e.g. Act 10:44-47). 
• How is the Spirit baptism imparted mostly to a believer? And what’s the danger? (Ref: 1Tim 4:14, 2Tim 1:6, Act 6;6, 13;3, 1Tim 5;22). 

Did Paul ever receive the two baptisms? Discuss with bible passages. 
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The Manifestation of The Spirit 
1Cor 12:7: “…The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.” 
The manifestations of the Spirit are: 

• The gifts and grace a believer receives to function as a Christian (Mar 1:8, Joh 14:26, Joh 16:7, 1Cor 12:1-12) 
• It is released after the Holy Spirit is received by the believer 

It is worth noting that Jesus did not begin His ministry until he received the manifestation of the Spirit (Mat 3:16, Mar 1:10, Joh 7:6,8). 

Jesus knew the danger of doing the works of the Spirit without His manifestations and empowerment (2Ch 32:8, Jer 17:5, 1Cor 2:14)  
He warned the disciples: “tarry yea in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high (Luke 24:49).   

Jesus told His disciples further: “Ye shall receive power, AFTER that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Act 1:8). 

Manifestations (Power) comes AFTER the Holy Ghost is received. And then boldness to witness follows.  
If there is no manifestation of the Spirit through baptism:   

• Purpose will not be released by the Holy Spirit or received by the believer  
• Believers will do the work of the Spirit (ministry) with strategies, ideas, program, etc  
• There will not be manifestations, gifts and fruits of the spirit in the life of the believer and the gathering. 

When there was no baptism of the spirit, Peter denied His Lord and Master several times “because the Holy Spirit has not been given” (Joh 7:39). 
The same Peter became bold and testified of Jesus publicly after he received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Act 2). 

• What could make a believer unable to witness Christ? 
• In Gal 3:1-4, Paul called the Galatians foolish and bewitched. Explain and Discuss (Ref Mat 25, Gal 3:1-5, Gal 5:7). 

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Call to Ministry 
As said earlier, call into purpose of Christ is not the same as call into “Ministry” (Eph 4:11).  

Call into the purpose of Christ is a general call to all believers who are saved and have the Holy Spirit (1Cor 1:26, 1Cor 12:7, Heb 3:1, 1Pet 2:9, Luk 19:13).  

Whereas a call into Ministry is a call into leadership. Only a few are called into it (Eph 4:11-13). 
But there is yet another call. It is beyond call for purpose and call to ministry.  
Paul calls it a “high calling” (Php 3:14). 
He said, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”.  

Paul said further, “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus” (Php 3:12). 

As believers, we need not worry ourselves about call to Ministry and the high calling. Our concern should be the Call to Purpose of Christ. This is the kindergarten call. It is an immediate call after salvation (Act 9:20).  

Unlike call to Ministry (2Tim 2:15), call to the purpose of Christ requires no initial training or bible schooling, etc, only the baptisms after the salvation experience. This brings the Holy Spirit into a believer’s life.  
The Holy Spirit in you will: 

• Guide, lead, and teach you what it means to be a disciple of Jesus (Joh 16:13, 1Jn 2:27).  
• Direct you into a local gathering of other believers where you can fellowship together in Koinonia, each edifying and expressing the grace in each other’s lives interactively without becoming denominated, Christ only as the head (1Cor 14:26-40). 

If you feel called into the ministry, ensure that you already answered the call into purpose. Only God calls into ministry, not man, condition, or situation.  

• Discuss the following scriptures in regards to call to ministry, Jas 3:1, Luk 16:11-13, Heb 5:4. 

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Call to Action 
Paul encouraged us as believers thus:  
“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (2Cor 13:5). 

If you have wondered why it seems that you don’t know your calling in Christ, it’s perhaps because you are yet to fulfil the first call, call to purpose (Luk 16:10-13). 

It’s time to examine yourself because: 
That servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself,  
neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes (Luk 12:47). 

• Discuss practical ways a believer can enter in and function in the call to the purpose of Christ without words. 

Ref. Mat 7:16, 1Jn 4:20, Mat 25:32-46, 1Pet 3:1-7.