See Your Calling

See Your Calling

It is good to take notice of God’s election. Then it is easier to understand His ways and to be humble of heart. He destroys the wisdom of the wise so that no flesh can glory before Him. Cursed is everyone who puts his trust in flesh, but blessed is everyone whose help is the Lord.

In these days we see it more clearly than ever before that God has made the wisdom of this world foolishness. Those who possess the most wisdom in this world, those who rule in our days, have managed to make a total mess of things. The result of all the peace conferences has been war and destruction. All inventions have been turned into instruments of destruction. Nations are preparing to meet destruction. Their wisdom has truly become foolishness.

“You are wearied in the length of your way; yet you did not say, ‘There is no hope.’ You have found new strength in your hand; therefore you did not become weak.” Isa. 57:10.

Today people in the world have become tired of fear and ruined plans; nevertheless they do not say, “There is no hope.” In spite of all these things they do not turn to God. They come together for prayer meetings in churches and chapels in order to be saved from misfortune, but they don’t want to acknowledge that their wisdom is foolishness and arrange their lives according to God’s will. They are not giving up hope. They find new strength in their arm. Their plans for peace have just been ruined, but they have already made new plans, which, of course, will also be ruined.

We can ask this question: Why are people unable to bring order into the situations—peace in the world? Are they not intelligent enough? Are they not good enough mathematicians? Perhaps they haven’t studied the national economy enough, or they lack sufficient language skills? Perhaps they have studied too little theology or they lack a few doctoral degrees? When we take the measure of those who were eminent, and those who are eminent in these days, we have to admit that they do not lack any of the above. Not at all! They are richly endowed with talents and education; but all of them—in the wisdom of God—do not know God. That is their failing.

This state of affairs will not always last. God has elected, and He still elects certain ones from among the people. He takes one here and another one there, and He educates them to become His kings and priests. With these people Jesus will establish an eternal kingdom—a kingdom of peace, because Jesus is the Prince of Peace.

A stone was cut without hands out of the mountain. Dan. 2:44-45. These are the few who have been elected and have been freed from the mountain of humanity. Jesus Himself is a living stone; yet He was rejected by men. They did not want to build their house with this stone as a foundation. But these few elect come to Him and are built up as living stones to be a spiritual house. 1 Pet. 2:4-6. This is a house that will endure for all eternity. People build large houses in these days but they burn up or are blasted to pieces. Large, royal palaces are destroyed. The only thing of value is to be a living stone in this spiritual house that will never be destroyed. No matter how many great things you have accomplished in this world, all that means nothing if you have not become a stone in this spiritual house.

“Consider your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things that are mighty.” Vs. 26-27.

When we consider our calling, we see that what Paul wrote is true. Most of us are, humanly speaking, just rubbish. But Jesus will establish peace and order with such people. Thus those who are something in this world will truly be put to shame—the noble, the mighty, and the strong.

We have become partakers of God’s grace that trains us to deny ungodliness—the worldly lusts—and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present world. Tit. 2:11-14. Therefore it is these things that are of value and that make us into kings and priests. It is not clever heads, worldly education, or talent.

Jesus came with the Sermon on the Mount, and people laugh and say that it is impossible to follow, admitting at the same time that it would really be good if things were as it is written. However, they are not so “foolish” to believe that it is possible! But Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount with these words: Blessed are the poor, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Blessed are those who hunger, for they shall be satisfied. They were to be satisfied with the Sermon on the Mount—in this present world. That is God’s wisdom, but it is foolishness to the world. They do not know God in His wisdom; that is their misfortune.

Jesus lived in this world under a cover of reproach. He was in training. Heb. 5:7-10. His time had still not come. This is where He gained His royal authority. Heb. 1:8-9.

We, too, during the time of our preparation for sitting on thrones together with Him, must live under a cover of reproach. Rev. 3:21. For God’s wisdom is and will remain foolishness to the world. Our time has still not come. But when our Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, then our time will have come. Then He will be glorified and admired in all those wretched, weak, incompetent ones whom He has elected—those who believed the gospel, i.e., the Sermon on the Mount. 2 Thess. 1:7-10. Then this word will be literally fulfilled that those who are something will be put to shame.

Stop with relying on man whose breath is in his nostril! For of what account is he? Isa. 2:19-22.

We also need this word of exhortation even though we are of the elect. Even though we are of the weak, the foolish, and those who are nothing according to the flesh, we do have a tendency to esteem the little talent we have, and it is not so rare that the foolish fall prey to this tendency to be something according to the flesh. God is working hard with us to save from esteeming talents and putting our trust in things that are something in this world.

Someone who is a gifted speaker, writer, or a poet is easily exalted because of his talents, and many have become eminent figures because of their gifts, but perhaps they are nothing in God’s eyes. We have heard them deliver profound speeches about humility, love, and self-denial. They had no lack of ideas and words, but they lacked deeds. They were proud and conceited. And then there are others who are not so talented; they have a simple vocabulary and they stammer; they cannot make a speech; people despise them, but they have overcome sin. Who do you believe is something? Who will sit with Jesus on His throne? Then there are others who write excellent songs about faith, hope, and love; perhaps we all rejoice when we sing them, but they themselves suffer from discouragement and are anxious for food. On the other hand, there are those who can barely read these songs, but they are full of faith and hope and are happy in all situations. Who do you believe will sit with Jesus on His throne? On that Day which the Lord has made this word will truly be fulfilled: He will turn everything upside down; He will abase that which is exalted and exalt that which is abased. He will raise the poor out of the dust. Perhaps now we understand Paul’s word: “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” 1 Cor. 9:27.

We praise God for all the gifts He has given to the church and for the sufficiency with which He has equipped each and every one of us—also according to the flesh. But we praise God first and foremost because He has opened our eyes to the fact that it is not the gifts that are the true treasures, but keeping God’s commandments and denying worldly lusts. Then there will be an end of partiality, for the true light is already shining.

When the things we look up to are brought low, then we will also be put to shame. Therefore make sure that you will not be put to shame on that Day when Jesus will debase that which is exalted, and exalt that which is debased. No flesh will be able to boast on that Day, but as many of us as have believed the gospel will praise Jesus Christ who became to us wisdom from God and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption. We will glory in the Lord.

All of creation longs for this Day. It groans and labors together until now, for it eagerly awaits the revelation of the sons of God. Rom. 8:19-22. The creation was not waiting for any of the ideologies that rule the world in our days. Not at all! The earth is shaken, and all of creation is together in groaning under the foolishness that rules in our days. Therefore we live not just for ourselves, but also for the entire creation that is waiting for our revelation in the hope of being liberated from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God, when the lion and the lamb will feed together.