II. The Heart of Calling
Returning to God
1. Our Deepest Problem Is More than Uncertainty about Direction: It Is Estrangement from God through Sin
Planning can help us organise our lives, but it cannot resolve the separation from God caused by sin. In Scripture, sin includes both specific evil actions and resistance to God: refusing to trust Him or live according to His will. Sin offends God and harms others. Its consequences cannot be resolved merely by adjusting our plans for life.
Adam hid from God after he sinned. The people of Israel repeatedly turned away from Him, and the prophets called them to repent and return to God. Through Zechariah, God said, “‘Return to me,’ says the LORD of Armies, ‘and I will return to you’” (Zechariah 1:3, excerpt). Joel also conveyed God’s words: “turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning” (Joel 2:12, excerpt). These calls point to abandoning rebellion and trusting God again. Fasting and weeping should express genuine repentance; they cannot replace turning to God in the heart.
As Jesus began His public ministry, He proclaimed, “The time is fulfilled, and God’s Kingdom is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News” (Mark 1:15, excerpt). Repentance includes acknowledging sin, abandoning the path of resistance to God, and turning to Him. Believing the gospel means trusting the redemption God has accomplished in Christ. Repentance and faith are closely connected: both turn us from reliance on ourselves to the grace God gives. People cannot remove sin by improving their behaviour or reconcile themselves to God through religious enthusiasm.
As we consider God’s call, then, we first need to ask ourselves: Have I repented, trusted Christ, and turned to God? Career direction, life goals, and a desire to serve each deserve serious attention, but they cannot replace our need for forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God.
2. Paul: Knowing Christ Radically Changes the Direction of Life
Before encountering Christ on the road to Damascus, Paul already had knowledge, zeal, and clear goals. He had received rigorous training in Jewish tradition and had believed that he ought to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth (Acts 26:9). He thought he was being faithful to God, yet in his zeal he persecuted those who belonged to Christ.
Acts records that light from heaven shone around him, and he heard a voice: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” (Acts 9:4–5, excerpts). Jesus revealed Himself to Paul, leading him to recognise that the One he had been resisting was the very Christ sent by God.
Paul’s transformation began with Christ taking the initiative to approach him. His former judgements were corrected, and the centre and direction of his life changed. He later valued knowing Christ above all else. Rather than relying on his own righteousness, he received righteousness from God through faith in Christ (Philippians 3:7–10).
He no longer treated his religious credentials and performance as the basis for his standing before God. On the basis of Christ’s redemption, God declares those who believe in Jesus righteous. This is “justification”: sinners are forgiven by God, declared righteous, and given standing before Him. This acceptance is by grace and grounded in Christ, rather than earned through personal performance (Romans 3:23–26).
This experience reminds us that effort and enthusiasm do not in themselves guarantee the right direction. People can have a strong sense of mission and still need God’s correction. They can be familiar with matters of faith and still need to know and trust Christ more truly. We too need to examine ourselves: Am I responding to the Lord, or simply trying to prove that I have been right all along? Turning to God means trusting Christ, acknowledging Him as Lord, and allowing His truth to guide our lives anew.
3. Calling and Salvation Are Closely Connected but Cannot Simply Be Equated
The word “called” in the wedding feast parable in Matthew 22:1–14 and the “call” closely linked to justification and glory in Romans 8:30 occur in different contexts and carry different emphases. The former reminds people to respond seriously to the king’s invitation. The latter reveals God’s work in saving those who belong to Him and ultimately bringing them into glory.
When calling concerns sinners turning to God, it is inseparable from salvation. Yet salvation cannot be summarised merely as “issuing a summons.” God accomplishes redemption in Christ, so that those who trust Him receive forgiveness, reconciliation with God, and new life, and look forward to the final fulfilment of salvation.
Paul explains that Christ died for us while we were still sinners, demonstrating God’s love (Romans 5:8), and that God reconciled us to Himself through Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18). The eternal Son became human, died for our sins, and rose from the dead, accomplishing the redemption we could never achieve for ourselves. Christ’s death and resurrection are central to the gospel proclaimed by the apostles (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). Turning to God therefore has a definite foundation: we trust the Lord who gave His life for sinners and rose from the dead.
Repentance and faith are our response to grace, not achievements that earn salvation. Ephesians 2:8–10 explains that we are saved by grace through faith, not by works. Those who receive grace are also created in Christ to do the good works God has prepared.
Grace saves people and enables them to begin a new life. Good works are not achievements that earn salvation, but the fruit that a life transformed by grace should bear. Caring for people in need, honestly fulfilling commitments, and willingly bearing responsibility should all be concrete responses to trusting Christ. The gospel directs our attention to Christ, turning us from self-reliance to trust in God, and from estrangement to reconciliation with Him.
4. Turning to God Brings Both Our Personal and Shared Lives before Him
People may attend gatherings, be familiar with biblical language, and undertake church work while still needing to ask whether their hearts have truly turned to God. Quoting Isaiah, Jesus said, “These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me” (Matthew 15:8). When outward actions are detached from trust, repentance, and obedience, they cannot express genuine worship.
Bible study, prayer, worship, and service should all help us know, trust, and obey God, and learn to love others. In these activities, we also need to let God’s word correct our thoughts and actions, learning to put the truth we receive into practice in our lives.
Turning to God also brings us into the shared life of His people. Ephesians 2:19–22 explains that believers become members of God’s household and are built up together in Christ. The church is the community of those who belong to Christ. We trust God personally and, through Christ, also belong to one another as believers. Together we worship, receive encouragement and correction, share one another’s burdens, and learn to love.
This life of belonging to one another has concrete expressions. Believers in the early church devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer (Acts 2:42).
Today, churches likewise need to help believers continue following Christ through teaching faithful to Scripture, shared worship, prayer, and care for one another. Turning to God should not remain a private feeling. It also needs to take shape in a life of belonging to other believers.
Paul urges believers to live in a manner worthy of their calling, then immediately speaks of humility, gentleness, patience, and unity (Ephesians 4:1–6). We belong to one Lord and share one hope. Our response to God’s call is expressed not only in our personal decisions but also in how we listen to differing views, handle disagreements, care for those who are weak, and follow the Lord together with other believers.
Turning to God therefore involves the whole of life: acknowledging sin, trusting Christ, receiving grace, and learning obedience in both personal and shared life. Those who receive grace also need to consider further: Since I belong to Him, how should I live?