Saved and Called To Be Holy

          Charles Spurgeon, "The Prince of Preachers," wrote about the effectual call to
    salvation by grace, and the call to be holy, in the book of devotions, Morning and
    Evening.


          "Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his
     prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us
     and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but because of His own
     purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began ..."
                                                                                                         2 Timothy 1:8-9



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          "The Christian is perfectly saved in God's purpose;  God has ordained him unto
     salvation, and that purpose is complete ..."

          "This complete salvation is accomplished by a holy calling.  Those whom the
     Savior saved upon the cross are in due time effectually called by the power of God
     the Holy Spirit unto holiness:  they leave their sins, they endeavor to be like Christ;
     they choose holiness, not out of any compulsion, but from the stress of a new
     nature, which leads them to rejoice in holiness just as naturally as aforetime they
     delighted in sin."

          "God neither chose them nor called them because they were holy, but He called
     them that they might be holy, and holiness is the beauty produced by His workman-
     ship in them.
                         

                               "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus,
                                 to do good works, which God prepared in advance for
                                 us to do."
                                                                                            Ephesians 2:10


          "The excellencies which we see in a believer are as much the work of God as
     the atonement itself.  Thus is brought out very sweetly the fulness of the grace of
     God.  Thus is brought out very sweetly the fulness of the grace of God."

          "Salvation must be of grace, because the Lord is the author of it,"


                               ("Salvation is of the Lord."
                                                    Jonah 2:9b)

          "and what motive but grace could move Him to save the guilty?"

          "Salvation must be of grace, because the Lord  works in such a manner
     that our righteousness is forever excluded."

          "Such is the believer's privilege -- a present salvation;  such is the evidence
     that he is called to it -- a holy life."

                                                                   Charles Spurgeon


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          God's people are called to salvation and holiness, not because of our good works,
     but by His grace. 

         
    
  


          Next time -- The Holiness of Christ.