"These [in Berea] were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so." - Acts 17:11

(9) Sarah, "At this time next year I will return, and you will already have a son." (10) Don't forget what happened to the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah. (11) Even before they were born or had done anything good or bad, the Lord told Rebekah that her older son would serve the younger one. The Lord said this to show that he makes his own choices and that it wasn't because of anything either of them had done. (12) (SEE 9:11) (13) That's why the Scriptures say that the Lord liked Jacob more than Esau. (14) Are we saying that God is unfair? Certainly not! (15) The Lord told Moses that he has pity and mercy on anyone he wants to. (16) Everything then depends on God's mercy and not on what people want or do.

Contemporary English Version copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society.

Our calling and election by God preceded even the slightest fragment of saving knowledge of God and thus our having faith in Him. Therefore, we could not possibly earn any grace of God, even as Jacob could not. As a vivid illustration for us, God deliberately chose to do this before Jacob could possibly do any works pertaining to salvation.

An almost overwhelming nugget of truth may be gleaned from these verses. If God is revealing here His general pattern which He follows to call all of those He is choosing to save at this time, then it shows that our personal calling and election into His spiritual creation is in no way random but very specific, even as Jacob's was.

Perhaps we, like Jacob was, are called from the womb so that, like him, there will never be any doubt that even the tiniest of our works had a part in saving us. There is precedent for this in Jeremiah 1:5 about Jeremiah's birth and calling; in Luke 1:11-17 about John the Baptist; and in Psalm 139:14-16 about David.

We might think that these were really great personages, people important to God's purpose. They were indeed, but are we not part of the same spiritual Body and part of the same Family as they are? Does not God say that there is no partiality with Him in Romans 2:11? Every part of the Body of Jesus Christ is important. Enough is revealed in Scripture for us to give this serious consideration.

— John W. Ritenbaugh

To learn more, see:
Living By Faith and God's Grace



 

Topics:

Body of Christ

Calling

Calling and Election

Calling, Uniqueness of

God Shows no Partiality

God's Grace

Living by Faith

Living by Faith and God's Grace

Spiritual Body

Uniqueness of Our Calling




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