What is God’s purpose in calling us?
It is written by THE SPIRIT in Psalm 8:
5 Yet what honor you have given to men, created only a little lower than Elohim, crowned with glory and magnificence.
6 You have delegated to them rulership over all you have made, with everything under their authority, placing earth itself under the feet of Your image-bearers. TPT
I strongly recommend you meditate on verse 6. It holds the key to the overall calling specifically to the overcomers We are here to be trained as companions of Christ to rule and reign with Him in the future and to be given the authority and power to overcome the enemy in the present.
The word salvation means “to liberate, to set free or to loose.” It literally means to deliver from bonds (chains or shackles) by a payment or a ransom. (A “ransom” is something that is given in exchange for a life.) Matthew 20:28 tells us that Christ paid that ransom for us.
Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 20:
24 The other ten disciples were listening to all of this, and a jealous anger arose among them against the two brothers.
25 Jesus, knowing their thoughts, called them to his side and said, “Kings and those with great authority in this world rule oppressively over their subjects, like tyrants.
26 But this is not your calling. You will lead by a completely different model. The greatest one among you will live as the one who is called to serve others,
27 because the greatest honor and authority is reserved for the one with the heart of a servant.
28 For even the Son of Man did not come expecting to be served but to serve and give His Life in exchange for the salvation of many.”
By accepting what Christ has done for us on the Cross, five things occur:
1) we are set free from our bonds of sin and reconciled to Him,
2) we are delivered from the penalty of death,
3) we are guaranteed an entrance to the Millennial Kingdom (and to Heaven),
4) we are given the gift of a brand-new spirit (which is like a “down payment,” a pledge or a seal that assures us His promises are true) (Ephesians 1:13–14), and finally,
Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Ephesians chapter 1:
13 And because of Him, when you who are not Jews heard the revelation of Truth, you believed in the wonderful news of salvation. Now we have been stamped with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit.
14 He is given to us like an engagement ring, as the first installment of what’s coming! He is our hope-promise of a future inheritance which seals us until we have all of redemption’s promises and experience complete freedom—all for the Supreme Glory and Honor of God!
5) we are given His eternal Life (His Love, Wisdom and power) in our hearts
Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in:
Colossians 1:27
Living within you is the Christ Who floods you with the expectation of glory! This mystery of Christ, embedded within us, becomes a Heavenly treasure chest of hope filled with the riches of glory for His people, and God wants everyone to know it!
And in Romans 5:5
And this hope is not a disappointing fantasy, because we can now experience the endless Love of God cascading into our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who lives in us!
When we first come to Christ and are born again, we are declared righteous and holy just like Romans 10:9 tells us. This is called justification, which is a judicial term meaning “to be declared not guilty before God.” The word justification (Strong’s #1344, dikaioo) means “to be acquitted, to render just, innocent or righteous” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Christ has already paid the penalty for us and there is nothing more we can do to add to it (Romans 3:24). It’s a free gift! (Titus 3:5). The price has already been paid. God uses the instrument of grace to accomplish this justification.
Being justified also means that we are guaranteed an entrance to the Kingdom of Heaven on the basis of what Christ has already done. He is the righteous and Holy One, and He has imputed that righteousness and that Holiness to us. The down payment, or the pledge or seal of this future redemption is the gift of His Spirit indwelling our own spirit (Ephesians 1:13). In other words, at our new birth, our spirit is saved.
This is the first step of our calling.