One who serves the Lord must do everything by being joined to the Lord, by being in union with the Lord. In other words, he must serve by relying on the Lord. We are often unable to rise up to answer the Lord’s demand and meet the Lord’s need, but when we are able to rise up to meet the Lord’s need, there is a risk of not relying on the Lord. It is possible not to rely on the Lord or look to Him because we are able to work according to our own capability, diligence, and earnestness. Everyone who serves the Lord must avoid acting independently. Acting independently is to put the Lord aside, not depending on Him, not praying to Him, not being joined to Him, but doing the work all by our self.
As a proper serving one, we should stop our thoughts, views, and concepts because none of our service should be out of ourselves. All our service must be of the Lord; hence, we must stop ourselves. We can receive the Lord’s command and revelation only when we stop ourselves.
When a person has the Lord’s command and receives the Lord’s revelation, he should immediately rise up to cooperate with the Lord. Some cannot rise up because they have not been prepared adequately. For example, some have a poor character of complacency, and others are not familiar with the Bible. Both reasons prevent them from being able to rise up. Others cannot rise up because of wives, children, and parents. When the Lord came to call people, some could not answer His call because they needed to care for wives, children, parents, and even their living and safety (Deut. 13:6; 24:5; Luke 14:17-20, 26). In the same way, many have the Lord’s calling today, but they are unable to rise up because of their personal concerns.
Those who are able to answer the Lord’s call are simple. When James and John were mending their nets by the Sea of Galilee, they left the boat and their father and followed the Lord as soon as they heard His call (Matt. 4:21-22). Their answer to the Lord’s call is the standard. There are no indications that they made arrangements for their father, their boat, and their nets. Their answer was quick, simple, and without concern for the consequences. This is truly a pattern. It is difficult to find someone who rises up to answer the Lord’s call without considering his own needs first. Many brothers and sisters answer the Lord’s call, yet they do it in a dragging way; they need to make arrangements for their “boats” and their “nets,” and they also need to have a proper plan to take care of their “fathers” so that their relatives and friends would not misunderstand and the Lord’s testimony would not be damaged. Amazingly, however, this group of Galileans did not have any of these considerations. They left their boat and nets and even were not concerned about their father; they simply rose up to meet the Lord’s need.
In the Gospel of Matthew a disciple said to the Lord, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father,” and He said, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead” (8:21-22). Whenever the Lord called someone, He did not allow him to make arrangements. If the Lord does not call, there is nothing we can do. However, once He calls, we must answer His call immediately and unconditionally. This is what is needed in order for one to rise up. Although many brothers and sisters have the Lord’s calling, they cannot rise up. The first time He calls, we consider; the second time He calls, we still cannot rise up; the third and fourth times He calls, it is even more difficult for us to rise up. Throughout their lives, some Christians are called continually, but they are unable to rise up. On their deathbed, they have only regret. We need to solemnly see that when the Lord’s calling comes, we must rise up immediately to answer His call and meet His present need.
In God’s redemption nothing can be done apart from man. God needs man to co-work and co-labor with Him. Only degraded Christianity teaches that some, but not others, can serve God. Little do they know that in God’s salvation, everyone must serve God. God saves everyone and calls everyone. As long as someone is willing to receive His salvation, He saves him; as long as someone is willing to answer His call, He calls him. The problem is not that He does not save or call but that we are unwilling to receive His salvation and to answer His call.
The Lord’s salvation is His calling; all those who know God understand this. The Lord saves us to call us to serve Him. The Gospels show that when the Lord was on the earth, everyone who was saved was also called. In the Bible there is no example of the Lord’s calling being separate from His salvation. The Bible does not show that Peter believed but was not called. Peter was called at the same time that he was saved. His being saved was his being called, and his being called was his being saved. Likewise, Nathanael was called at the same time and in the same place that he was saved (John 1:47-49). Paul was not saved in Damascus and called in the wilderness; rather, he was called when he was saved.
In the New Testament there is not one person whose calling is separate from his salvation. We cannot find an example in the New Testament that shows that someone was saved but called only later. If we have truly been saved, God’s calling came the day we were saved. Salvation and calling are one. A genuinely saved person has a deep desire to serve God once he is saved. If a genuinely saved person does not want to serve God, his salvation is questionable. Did we not have a desire to serve God on the first day we were saved? We had this desire because God’s calling is included in His salvation. God saves us so that we may serve Him. God saves everyone and calls everyone.