The concept of God's call to man, particularly as it pertains to eternal life, is a central theme in Christian theology. This call is understood as an invitation from God to enter into a relationship with Him, which ultimately leads to eternal life. This entry explores the biblical basis for this call, its implications, and its significance in the life of a believer.

Biblical Foundation

The call to eternal life is rooted in the very nature of God as a loving and redemptive being. In the New Testament, this call is most clearly articulated through the teachings of Jesus Christ and the writings of the apostles. One of the foundational scriptures is found in the Gospel of John, where Jesus declares, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). This verse encapsulates the essence of God's call: a divine initiative motivated by love, offering eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.

The Nature of the Call

The call to eternal life is both universal and personal. It is universal in the sense that it is extended to all humanity, as evidenced by passages such as 1 Timothy 2:4, which states that God "wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth" . However, it is also deeply personal, requiring an individual response. Jesus' invitation in Matthew 11:28, "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" , highlights the personal nature of this call, inviting each person to find rest and life in Him.

Response to the Call

Responding to God's call involves repentance, faith, and obedience. Repentance is a turning away from sin and a turning towards God, as seen in Acts 3:19, "Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away" . Faith is the means by which one receives the gift of eternal life, as emphasized in Ephesians 2:8-9, "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast" . Obedience is the fruit of genuine faith, as believers are called to live in accordance with God's will, as expressed in John 14:15, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments" .

The Assurance of Eternal Life

The assurance of eternal life is a key aspect of the believer's hope. This assurance is grounded in the promises of God and the finished work of Christ. In 1 John 5:11-13, the apostle John writes, "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life" . This passage underscores the certainty and security of eternal life for those who are in Christ.

Implications for the Believer

The call to eternal life has profound implications for the believer's present and future. It provides a new identity as a child of God, as stated in John 1:12, "But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God" . It also offers a future hope, as believers anticipate the fulfillment of God's promises in the life to come, as described in Revelation 21:4, "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away" .

In summary, the call of God to man is an invitation to eternal life, characterized by a loving relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It is a call that demands a response of faith and obedience, offering assurance and hope to all who accept it.1 Timothy 6:12
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto you are also called, and have professed a good profession before many witnesses.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

4102. pistis -- faith, faithfulness
... take our belief in God and call of faith ... is always necessary for believing ("man's
responsibility") to ... it involves the personal revelation (inworking) of God. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4102.htm - 18k

Prayer --Fills Man's Poverty with God's Riches
... the mightiest work, the divinest work which man can do. ... poured out my soul before
the Lord." God's serious promise to the Jews was, "Then shall ye call upon me ...
/.../bounds/the reality of prayer/ii prayerfills mans poverty with.htm

The Creaturely Man.
... we would be foolish on that ground to call the dog ... God made man upright, with nothing
crooked in or about ... respect Adam differed from the child of God by grace ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/vii the creaturely man.htm

The Corruption of Man, his Conversion to God, and the Manner ...
... who are called by the gospel obey the call and are ... or such a mode of operation that,
after God has performed ... part, it still remains in the power of man to be ...
//christianbookshelf.org/anonymous/synod of dort/the corruption of man his.htm

Of the Mutual Contentment of the Divine Persons, and the Mutual ...
... urged by grace, renounces himself and will call upon God ... from Both: and it is there
that God has made ... to their proper being, and has re-made man, through His ...
/.../john/the adornment of the spritual marriage/chapter x of the mutual.htm

Proofs from the Apostolic Writings, that Jesus Christ was one and ...
... Jesus Christ, exhibiting his generation as a man from the ... Matthew tells us of] the
angel of God standing by him ... bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xvi proofs from the apostolic.htm

Schleiermacher -- Christ's Resurrection an Image of Our New Life
... is wrought upon by the angel of the Lord in order to call forth the life of God
in it. ... and thus also, according to the words of the Savior, no man comes to ...
/.../the worlds great sermons volume 3/schleiermacher christs resurrection an.htm

The Canons of Dort.
... But that others who are called by the gospel obey the call must be wholly ascribed ...
the gift of God, not on account of its being offered by God to man, to be ...
/.../creeds of christendom with a history and critical notes/ 67 the canons of.htm

Human Life a Dream
... do we know it while we are in the midst of the dream which we call life. ... God in man! ...
God hath given unto us eternal life; and this life is in his Son." What ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 121 human life a.htm

The Water of Life (Preached at Westminster Abbey)
... All these images, which we have to call up in our minds one by one ... to the pole, because
it is a gift above man; the gift of the Spirit of God; the Eternal ...
/.../kingsley/the water of life and other sermons/sermon i the water of.htm

The True Excellence of Man.
... I call then wisdom nothing but science, since life differs not ... would no longer see
the knowledge of God "through a ... From man, when he reduces him to a state of ...
/.../clement/the stromata or miscellanies/chapter iii the true excellence of.htm

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