The eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, Eph 1:18.

May God enlighten the eyes of our understanding, that we "may know what is the hope of His calling." It would be a terrible thing for any one of us to come in the day of judgment and hear Christ say, "I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity," M't 7:23b.

These words were spoken to those who cried unto Him saying, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?" V-22. These terrible words were spoken to very religious people who had many wonderful gifts.

God's Word gives us road signs that we may know, ". . . what is the hope of His calling." The gospel call is clearly twofold. There is an external call and an internal call. The external call is made to all who hear the gospel. "Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of men," Pr 8:4.

That external call throughout Scripture teaches human responsibility, which is met with universal rejection. "I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded," Pr 1:24. This universal rejection is also clearly taught by our Saviour in Luke 14:18, where we are told that, ". . . they all with one consent began to make excuse," and the gospel call was rejected by all.

God gives another call to His elect—a calling from spiritual death unto spiritual life. "But ye are a chosen generation, . . . that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light," 1 Pe 2:9. When this blessed call, through "His marvelous light" of the gospel, was shown unto the Gentiles; we read, ". . . as many as were ordained to eternal life believed," Ac 13:47-48.

I must hasten to point out that to which they who receive the inward call are called, which is also twofold. Firstly, we are called unto assurance, "that ye may know what is the hope of His calling." Secondly, we are called unto holiness. "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord," Heb 12:14.

With "the eyes of your understanding being enlightened," you will learn to see that your holiness is not the cause, but the evidence of your internal calling. "If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him," Joh 14:23.

Then you will be able to say humbly, yet confidently, "One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see," Joh 9:25. The eyes of your understanding will be enlightened to see what a heinous and filthy thing sin is. What a depraved and loathsome creature you are by nature. What an ocean of iniquity still remains in you, and what a suitable and sufficient Saviour Christ is.

You will now become conscious of holy desires and endeavors to which you were previously a stranger, which is your evidence that Christ liveth in you. When you are called with that internal calling, it will be known by the fruits spoken of by our Saviour in M't 7:16-27. "Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven."

"Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in His commandments," Ps 112:1. The fruit of the Spirit is love, and if we love Him we will not only desire, but earnestly pray, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven," M't 6:10.