The scriptures are very clear that Eternal Life is not for all people, as many people believe it to be, but is intended for the godly people set apart by God for Himself. That is, God draws people from the world and gives them to the Lord Jesus Christ so He will give them Eternal Life as a gift from God. Let us therefore continue our study of the scriptures so we will come to know and fully understand how God calls people and give them to Christ so they may be able to attain salvation and given Eternal Life.

How God calls people

1D.1   What did Jesus say, that God will do to people so they will go to Him?

In John 6:45, this is written:

"It is written in the prophets, `And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. (NKJV)

Jesus said, "They shall be taught by God", so everyone who heard and learned from the God the Father will go to Him.

1D.2   How will God teach and/or call people to go to Christ?

In John 6:44, this is written:

⁴⁴No one is able to come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me attracts and draws him and gives him the desire to come to Me, and [then] I will raise him up [from the dead] at the last day. (Amplified Bible)

God the Father attracts and draws people and give them the desire to go to Christ. In many different ways and situations, people who experience God's calling develops the desire to listen to the words of God.

1D.3   What will God use to attract, draw and give people the desire to go to Christ?

In Matthew 13:18-23, these are written:

     ¹⁸Listen then to the [meaning of the] parable of the sower:

    ^19[a]While anyone is hearing the Word of the kingdom and does not grasp and comprehend it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the roadside.

    ²⁰As for what was sown on thin (rocky) soil, this is he who hears the Word and at once welcomes and accepts it with joy;

    ²¹Yet it has no real root in him, but is temporary (inconstant, lasts but a little while); and when affliction or trouble or persecution comes on account of the Word, at once he is caused to stumble [he is repelled and begins to distrust and desert Him Whom he ought to trust and obey] and he falls away.

    ²²As for what was sown among thorns, this is he who hears the Word, but the cares of the world and the pleasure and delight and glamour and deceitfulness of riches choke and suffocate the Word, and it yields no fruit.

    ²³As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the Word and grasps and comprehends it; he indeed bears fruit and yields in one case a hundred times as much as was sown, in another sixty times as much, and in another thirty. (Amplified Bible)

In the above parable, the seed is the "word of the kingdom" There are four group of people who hear the word of the kingdom, but receive it in different ways.

1. Those who hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it is likened to a man who receives the seed by the wayside. When the wicked one (the evil one) comes, he snatches away the seed that was sown in his heart.
2. Those who hears the word of the kingdom, and immediately accepts it with joy, is likened to a man who receives the seed in a stony place, Since the seed has no root in itself, it endures only for a while. When problems or persecution arises because of the word, he immediately stumbles.
3. Those who hears the word of the kingdom, and accepted it, but all too quickly the word or message is choked by the cares of life in this world, and the pleasure and deceitfulness of riches is likened to a man who received the seed among the thorns or on a thorny ground. Thus, the seed did not grow much, choked and became stunted, so it did not bear any fruit.
4. Those who hears the word of the kingdom and truly understands the message, is likened to a man who receives the seed in a good ground, thus the seed grow strong and indeed bears much fruit, and produces a huge harvest thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as it is planted.

There are four groups of people who will be attracted to listen to the "word of the kingdom". But, in the parable, only the good soil or ground represents the heart of those who listened to the "word of the kingdom" and and truly understands it.

1D.4   How many of those who are attracted, drawn and given the desire to listen to the "word of the kingdom" or words of God are chosen by God?

In Matthew 22:14, this is written:

For many are called but few are chosen. (NKJV) 

The many refers to the general call of God to listen to His words or message. The few refers to the chosen ones, who truly understood the message. To the chosen one's the message is meaningful to them, as they are brought to repentance and faith in God and Christ Jesus. Thus, generally, God calls a person through the preaching of His words or the word of the kingdom.

How God brings people to Christ

1D.5 How were the few who were chosen by God be brought to Christ?  

In I Corinthians 1:9, it is recorded:

God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

To the few who are chosen, God will bring them into fellowship of His Son.

1D.6   What will this fellowship with Christ" lead to and what will it achieve? 

In 2 Corinthians 5:21, this is written:

Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made him share our sin in order that in union with him we might share the righteousness of God. (TEV)

The same verse in another version of the Bible:

He made Him who personally knew nothing of sin to be a sin-offering<k> for us, so that through union with Him we might come into right standing with God. (William's New Testament)

Fellowship with Christ will ultimately lead to a union with Christ, so that people might come into right standing with God. This is the reason why God made Christ who knew no sin to be sin offering for the people He called so that they might share the righteousness of God in Christ or come into the right standing with God.

1D.7  Where then can we find those who were called by the Father to have fellowship or union with Christ?

In Colossians 3:15, it is written:

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. (NKJV)

The people who called by God to have fellowship or union with Christ are in the "one body".

Which is the one body where God's people are called to be in union with Christ ?

 The answer is given in the following verses:

And he is the head of the body, the church:  . . . . . . . . . .  (Col. 1:18, KJV)

"Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, to feed the Church of Christ which he has purchased with his Blood." (Acts 20:28, Lamsa)

And that "one body" is none other than the Church who's head is Christ. The true Church of Christ.

1D.8  What is the basic reason why God's people are brought to the Church of Christ?

In the following verses these are written:

praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:47, NKJV)

"as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. (John 17:2, NKJV)

God, the Father calls and adds people to the true Church of Christ so that they can be saved and given Eternal Life by the Lord Jesus Christ.

For more details, you may study the following Lesson
from www.uniquebiblestudy.com  (a new window will be opened)
Lesson 30B - God call and draw people into fellowship with Christ

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Jesus said, "They shall be taught by God", so everyone who heard and learned from the God the Father will go to Him (John 6:45). God the Father attracts and draws people and give them the desire to go to Christ (Jn.6:44). In many different ways and situations, people who experience God's calling develops the desire to listen to the words of God. There are four groups of people who will be attracted to listen to the "word of the kingdom". But, in the parable, only the good soil or ground represents the heart of those who listened to the "word of the kingdom" and and truly understands it (Matt.13:18-23). The many refers to the general call of God to listen to His words or message. The few refers to the chosen ones, who truly understood the message. To the chosen one's the gospel message is meaningful to them, and they are brought to repentance and develop the faith in God and Christ Jesus. These people are then brought into the  fellowship of Christ (1 Cor.1:9), which will ultimately lead to a union with Christ (2 Cor.5:21), so they may come into right standing with God. The people who called by God to have fellowship or union with Christ are in the "one body" (Col. 3:15). And that "one body" is none other than the Church who's head is Christ (Col. 1:18, Acts 20:28). Thus, God calls and adds people to the true Church of Christ so that they can be saved (Acts 2:47) and given Eternal Life by the Lord Jesus Christ (John 17:2).

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