Jesus keeps calling everyone every moment of our lives whether saved or not till eternity strikes. He calls us for three reasons, to repent and be saved; to embrace his divine duty assigned to each of us; and to finish the race as his obedient suffering servants for the crown of life.
The call to repentance
Jesus said in Revelation 3: 20, Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me. Jesus is repeatedly knocking and has not ceased. He knows we need him so he is always at hand to save us as his friends. He said in John 15: 15-16, I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from the Father. You did not choose me but I chose you.
Jesus’ mission is to save our souls before eternity. He said in Luke 19: 10, for the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. Some of us do not know or accept that we are lost or perishing. Others also do not know or believe or accept that only Jesus can save them from the wrath to come in eternity. Jesus is recommended to us to accept him this and every moment as the Lord of our lives. Jesus is our redeemer and we cannot escape from his judgment hence he keeps calling us. He is Christ the Saviour of the world, John 3: 17; 12: 47.
Jesus said in John 10: 10, the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. Jesus wants to save us from what will obliterate us from God’s presence. The world’s pleasures are vain and vanities. Jesus said in Mark 8: 36-37, for what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Life has no substitute and thereafter, judgment, Hebrews 9: 27. Eternal life is more than food, and the body more than clothing, Matthew 6:25. Let us repent, and first seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, Matthew 6: 33. Even our death is precious in God’s sight, Psalms 72: 14; 116: 15. It is getting too late.
The call to God’s divine duty
God created each of us with a duty to discharge. Jesus calls to us to remind us of our duty by which we shall be judged. Jesus does not want anyone to be disqualified by failing to discharge our assigned duties. Our duties are what Jesus summarized to Peter in John 21: 15-17, feed my lambs, tend my sheep, feed my sheep. Jesus said in Mark 16: 15 go into the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. This can be done in only three ways, our words by evangelizing with bridled tongues, our deeds by showing unconditional love and care, and our thought by focusing on only Christ in righteousness.
The essence of the duty is to bear fruit. Jesus said in Matthew 3: 8; Luke 3: 8, bear fruit worthy of repentance. Responding to Jesus’ call is not complete without bearing fruit. Jesus said in John 15: 8 my Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. We are called to live the word. James 1: 22 says but be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. Jesus said in Matthew 7: 21, not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. We cannot live by the word without possessing the Spirit of Christ Jesus. Are we living by the word of God?
Jesus wants us to be the salt of the earth, and the light of the world, Matthew 5: 13-14. As salt, we are to preserve God’s desired purity and righteousness on earth, and as light we are to show the way to God which is by grace through Christ Jesus. We must be the first examples of the kingdom of God. Jesus wants us to grow in the knowledge of God, Colossians 1: 10; to show honour to one another, Romans 12: 10; to avoid self-indulgence, Galatians 5:23; and to show humility and gentleness, Ephesians 4: 2.
We have a duty to show sympathy and tender heart, a humble mind, and to avoid revenge, 1 Peter 3: 8-9; to show hospitality without complaining, 1 Peter 4: 9; to lay our lives down for one another, 1 John 3: 16; and to live in peace with one another where possible, Mark 9: 50; 2 Corinthians 13:11. Jesus said in John 13: 34-35; 15: 12, 17, I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another. Jesus said in John 4: 34, my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. Are we committed to complete the job of the Father in heaven?
Call to finish the race
Jesus does not want us to run half way but the full course to the end. 2 Corinthians 12: 9 says my grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness. Moses did not give up and so was Paul who said in 2 Corinthians 7: 5, for when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted in every way – disputes without and fears within. He recounted some of his trials and challenges in 2 Corinthians 11: 23-33. In spite of all these challenges, he finished the race.
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10: 13 no testing has overcome you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it. He wrote to Timothy to fight the good fight having faith and a good conscience, 1 Timothy 1: 18-19; 6: 12. At the end of Paul’s work, he said in 2 Timothy 4: 7, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Paul said in Romans 8: 35-39 who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.”… For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Are we ready to finish the race as Paul and the apostles did?
Paul said that in the case of an athlete, no one is crowned without completing according to the rules. It is a farmer who does the work who ought to have the first share of the crops, 2 Timothy 2: 5-6. In order to finish the race well, 1 Corinthians 16: 13 says keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Ephesians 6: 18 says pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication… keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. (Also Colossians 4: 2.) 1 Peter 5:7-8 say cast your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Have we done so?
Jesus cautioned in Revelation 2: 10, be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. Jesus said in Revelation 3: 11, I am coming soon; hold fast to what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. He is still calling and knocking on the doors of our hearts so we will be saved. Hebrews 10: 31 says it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God. We must always remember what says Romans 6: 23, for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Why not heed to the call of Jesus now? His wrath at the judgment seat is real. We must escape it.
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, we have heard your call for repentance and we submit to you now for redemption so we can embrace our tasks and to finish the race as your worthy children. Come into our hearts precious Jesus and abide with us. Let your will be done in our lives as it is in heaven. Thank you Jesus for answered prayer, Amen!!
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