Everyone
This week's study is on Joel 2:28-32:
The interesting thing about these verses, which were also mentioned in Acts 2:17-21, is that they open God's blessing to everyone who calls on him. There's a great inclusiveness to that. God doesn't just make things open to men, or Jewish men, or Jewish men of a certain lineage and educational background. He opens himself up to everyone.
Old men and young men will hear from God. Men and women, even servants, will hear from Him. Everyone who calls on God will be saved. It's awesome because it flies in the face of conventional wisdom. "If you do this, this, and that, you'll be OK." "If you're educated, you'll do OK." "If you're of a certain age, you'll do OK." But with God, it's "If you call me, you'll be OK." Anyone can do that.
One of the things that flies in the face of religiosity is the inclusiveness of God. There's a satisfaction in being part of the "chosen" inner circle, especially if you can point to some trait or thing you did that got you there. "We are saved because England descends from ancient Israel." "We are saved because God has favored us with industrialization." "We are saved because we have a doctorate in theology." "We are saved because we have the most innovative outreach programs." "We are saved because God favors men." "We are saved because we were born Christians, and never dabbled in anything else." The list goes on and on. But none of those things save you. God saves you. And he doesn't save you because you're special, but because you called on him.
In a world where old men, women, young men, and servants are listed among the chosen, can we really claim to have earned our salvation by our value, or inherited it as a birthright? It's all because of God. It gives him glory to choose us. How awesome is it that he can produce his perfect will using flawed materials like us? But the beauty for us is that when we choose him, he's chosen us too. We're not rejected. We're cherished.
So we're part of the everyone who God can use. Each of us is lucky enough to be able to address him directly, and have a personal experience with him. His miraculous powers are available to us all for the asking. It's wonderful. Marvelous. Miraculous.
“And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
I will show wonders in the heavens
and on the earth,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved;
for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
there will be deliverance,
as the Lord has said,
even among the survivors
whom the Lord calls.
The interesting thing about these verses, which were also mentioned in Acts 2:17-21, is that they open God's blessing to everyone who calls on him. There's a great inclusiveness to that. God doesn't just make things open to men, or Jewish men, or Jewish men of a certain lineage and educational background. He opens himself up to everyone.
Old men and young men will hear from God. Men and women, even servants, will hear from Him. Everyone who calls on God will be saved. It's awesome because it flies in the face of conventional wisdom. "If you do this, this, and that, you'll be OK." "If you're educated, you'll do OK." "If you're of a certain age, you'll do OK." But with God, it's "If you call me, you'll be OK." Anyone can do that.
One of the things that flies in the face of religiosity is the inclusiveness of God. There's a satisfaction in being part of the "chosen" inner circle, especially if you can point to some trait or thing you did that got you there. "We are saved because England descends from ancient Israel." "We are saved because God has favored us with industrialization." "We are saved because we have a doctorate in theology." "We are saved because we have the most innovative outreach programs." "We are saved because God favors men." "We are saved because we were born Christians, and never dabbled in anything else." The list goes on and on. But none of those things save you. God saves you. And he doesn't save you because you're special, but because you called on him.
In a world where old men, women, young men, and servants are listed among the chosen, can we really claim to have earned our salvation by our value, or inherited it as a birthright? It's all because of God. It gives him glory to choose us. How awesome is it that he can produce his perfect will using flawed materials like us? But the beauty for us is that when we choose him, he's chosen us too. We're not rejected. We're cherished.
So we're part of the everyone who God can use. Each of us is lucky enough to be able to address him directly, and have a personal experience with him. His miraculous powers are available to us all for the asking. It's wonderful. Marvelous. Miraculous.
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