“Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me.”

                                                                                                                        Jonah 1:2 

There are two distinct callings of God. One is of a specific nature such as the call on Jonah’s life. And what was God’s calling for Jonah? Simply to “arise and go to Nineveh.” God was prepared to forgive the sins of the people in Nineveh but He wanted a specific messenger to deliver that news. Much like Jonah’s calling, are those today in who God specifically calls to perform a task, move into a role, or take on some responsibility. God calls people to become pastors, teachers, doctors, nurses, lawyers, musicians, and a whole host of other special roles and responsibilities. It would be inappropriate to comment on the specific calling of God on anyone’s life apart from my own. Knowledge of specific callings are exclusively between the sender and the one sent.

But there is another type of calling from God. This calling is of a general nature and it goes out to all of mankind. And what is this general calling? Simply to “come.” We are to come to Jesus to experience salvation, forgiveness, healing, and redemption. God can take any life and make it whole once again but it only happens for those who receive this invitation to “come.” Consider the following callings:

“Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord, “though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.”

                                                                                                                      Isaiah 1:18 

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

                                                                                                           Matthew 11:28-30 

Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” 

                                                                                                                   John 7:37-38 

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”

                                                                                                                        John 6:35

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.                       

                                                                                                               Revelation 22:17 

All of these passages point to an invitation ending in the same outcome; obtaining eternal life. When we think of eternal life we might refer to it as living forever. Some would refer to the fact that upon leaving this earth, Christians will abide with God in heaven for eternity. Both of these are true however, I believe the very best definition of eternal life is given to us by Christ Himself. Consider the following:

“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” 

                                                                                                            John 17:3 

Jesus says that eternal life is knowing God and Jesus whom He has sent. This word “knowing” is a Jewish idiom indicating sexual intercourse between a man and a woman. In other words, this type of knowing God is personal and relational. This is a far cry from merely being religious or partaking in ceremonial or traditional ritual. When we have an intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ, we can say that we have eternal life. Jesus summed up this concept by stating the following:

“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

                                                                                                                     John 6:40

“Beholding” Jesus is to enjoy His presence. To believe in Him is to trust Him. For the one who enjoys a relationship with Christ and trusts exclusively in Him for salvation and forgiveness, this is the one who truly has discovered eternal life.

Jonah had a specific call on his life. God had a special assignment just for him. Our lives can also have a specific calling but it is the general calling to come to Christ that goes out to all of mankind. Regardless of what our lives have looked like in the past, the best thing that any of us could do is to “come!”