MANY GIFTS BUT ONE CALLING
By Evangelist Aleechea Pitts 12/20/06©
Discovering and exercising your God-given spiritual gifts allows you
to experience maximum fulfillment with minimum frustration in your
Christian life and ministry. Every Christian has a dominant gift and
many possess more than one. I want to start out by talking about
what a gift is. A gift is some quality or endowment given to man by
God; a preeminent and special talent or aptitude; power; faculty;
as, the gift of wit; a gift for speaking. A gift is something given
whether by a superior or an inferior, and is usually designed for
the relief or benefit of him who receives it.
David is a prime example of many gifts but one calling. He succeeded
in relieving from time to time the mind of king Saul, oppressed by a
evil spirit sent from the Lord, and became a favorite attendant
(armor bearer), received a command in the army after defeating
Goliath but was released from it to go back home where he resumed
the role as a shepherd. He was a expert in music (harpist, a
musician), psalmist, poet (see Psalms 8, 19 & 23), slinger,
tribesman and a man of war (1 Chronicles 28:3).
God in his kindness gave each of us different gifts. Romans 12:6
say, "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is
given to us."
Romans 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without
repentance. In other words, Gods word translation states, "God never
changes his mind when he gives gifts or when he calls someone."
The word gifts often denote bribes, (Exodus 23:8, Psalms 15:5 &
Isaiah 5:23) Sometimes your gift will open the door for your
calling. The Bible states it will make room for you and cause you to
be before great men. Now your gift can lay dormant if not used.
Paul urges Timothy to stir up the gift that is within him.
David was "the Lord's anointed," chosen by God to be king of Israel
instead of Saul, and consecrated to that office by the venerable
prophet Samuel long before he actually came to the throne, 1 Samuel
16:1-13, for which God prepared him by the gift of his Spirit. David
was the king (that was his calling, that was what he was anointed by
Samuel, Judah in 2 Samuel 2:4, then he was anointed King of Israel
after reigning over Judah for 7 years and 6 months). He was divinely
chosen. (1st Samuel 16:13) He was a versatile (Turning with ease
from one thing to another; readily applied to a new task, or to
various subjects; many-sided; as, versatile genius; a versatile
politician.) king.
Let us look at the word calling! Calling is a divine summons or
invitation; also, the state of being divinely called. From a
theological standpoint a calling is by the will of God.
Specifically: -- You were called by the will of God, which means…
(a) A call to special religious work, as to the ministry. 1
Corinthians 7:20 "Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he
was called." Abide means to withstand; to continue to be sure or
firm; to endure; to sustain; to submit to; to bear patiently; to
tolerate; to dwell or sojourn.
You Bible Scholars may say there is more than one calling and you
are probably thinking of these scriptures: "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 Timothy 1:9); "I press towards the
mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus…"
(Philippians 3:14) or "partakers of the heavenly calling" (Hebrews
3:1) but they are one in the same. Think of it this way. We have
the trinity which represents the triune God: Father, Son and the
Holy Spirit. These three make one. You may say, "How this can
be?" They are interchangeable. Each one has a separate function.
It is the same way with your gifts and calling. Your gifts have
different functions to work with your calling. The Apostles also
were taught concerning their important calling when Jesus reminded
them, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained
you" (John 15:16).
(b) The bestowment of God's distinguishing grace upon a person or
nation, by which that person or nation is put in the way of
salvation; as, the vocation of the Jews under the old dispensation,
and of the Gentiles under the gospel.
I found this word to be very interesting: vocation- destined or
appropriate employment. I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord,
beseech you that ye walk worthy of the VOCATION wherewith ye are
called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering,
forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of
the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:1-3) My God, are you
catching the revelation of this? You were destined to do what you
do, it is a appropriate employment wherewith you are called.
Calling and election are two different things that are irreversibly
linked together. Let us look at election from a theological
standpoint, it is a divine choice; predestination of individuals.
Give diligence to make your calling and election sure. For if you
do these things, you will never fall. (Here a promise is made.) 2
Pet. 1:10.
The initial call and election is through the gospel. Make your
calling and election sure with a Biblical response to the gospel!
The ultimate call and election is found in the scripture many are
called but few are chosen… There is a remnant according to the
election of grace. Rom. 11:5 So, as there were then, there are now a
few left that God has chosen by his kindness. (GOD'S WORD
TRANSLATION®) We have been called, but will we be chosen?
It is important to know God has elected and called you. Diligence
means to try to find out whether you are called and elected. This
is a personal, individual responsibility of every person. Calling
is to make sure the Holy Spirit has drawn us. Election is the
choosing of God that He has made before the foundation of the world.
For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after
the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: (condition
of life in which men were before God called them: Brothers and
sisters, consider what you were when God called you to be
Christians. Not many of you were wise from a human point of view.
(My God!) You were not in powerful positions or in the upper social
classes. [Look at God, he did the elevation! Exalted us because we
were humble!] (GOD'S WORD translation®) 1 Corinthians 1:26). The
question is "Do you see your calling?"
Those who are elected Verse 7: What then? Israel hath not obtained
that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and
the rest were blinded. So what does all this mean? It means that
Israel has never achieved what it has been striving for. However,
those whom God has chosen have achieved it. The minds of the rest of
Israel were closed, (GOD'S WORD TRANSLATION®)
Isn't God awesome! Who he elects he perfects that thing concerning
them and performs it until the day of his son Jesus Christ. Again,
this is a promise! The promises of God are yea and amen!
