To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours.
Often Christians talk about calling as something experienced only by religious leaders: pastors, priests, nuns, missionaries, and the like. While it’s certainly true that God calls specific people to specific roles, it’s not true that only a few, select Christians have a calling. In fact, Scripture makes it abundantly clear that all believers in Jesus have been called by God.
Somewhere around 1982, I began to have a feeling that God was calling me into ordained ministry, either as a pastor or something else.
All Christians have a calling. All Christians are called by God.
We see this clearly in 1 Corinthians 1:2, in which Paul addresses the recipients of his letter: “To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours.”
Paul was not alone in having been called. In fact, all the believers in the Corinthian church were “called to be saints.”
I want to underscore the fact that calling was not relevant only to Paul as the apostolic church leader. Every Christian in Corinth was called to be a saint. Moreover, this calling extends to “all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus,” or, in other words, to every Christian everywhere. I’ll say it again: Every Christian has been called by God. Every Christian has a calling.
Now, to be clear, I’m not suggesting that every believer in Jesus is supposed to be an ordained pastor, a full-time missionary, or a church-planting apostle. Having a calling does not necessarily lead to what we sometimes call “full-time Christian service.” (Actually, the more we understand what calling is all about, the more we’ll realize that “full-time Christian service” isn’t just for pastors, missionaries, and apostles. It’s how all Christians ought to see their lives.) Sometimes God calls people to particular positions of leadership, such as was the case with Paul and his calling to be an apostle. But every single Christian – including you – has a calling. This simple but profound truth can change your life.
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