Jesus Is Calling You

“Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel’ … Then Jesus said to them, ’Follow Me’” (Mark 1:14-16).

Now’s the time. Jesus is calling you. Will you answer?

Called to Repentance

When Jesus calls us, we need to recognize that we are headed in the wrong direction. For some of us, that means looking at the mess we’ve made of our lives and turning to God for help. Others think they’re doing a great job of pleasing God by following a set of rules and must realize that trusting in their own goodness isn’t enough. Jesus calls us to lay down our sins and our self-righteousness and turn to Him. That’s the essence of repentance: to realize that we’re going the wrong way, have a change of heart, and turn to God’s way.

Called to Faith

Jesus calls us to “believe in the gospel.” What is the gospel? It’s the good news that even though we come short of God’s perfect standard, Jesus stepped in to be our Substitute and Savior. He became our Substitute on the cross, when He suffered and died to bear the punishment our sins deserve. After three days, Jesus rose from the grave to prove that God accepted His sacrifice, and that He had secured the victory over sin and death. Jesus becomes our Savior when we call out to Him, trusting that His payment for our sins was enough.

Called to Follow

Following Jesus is the natural response of a heart that has found His love and forgiveness. He says, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). Compared with the cruel master of sin, or the never-ending treadmill of performance-based religion, Jesus offers rest. He says, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

Answer the Call

If you hear Jesus calling you, now is the time to answer. Turn to Him in repentance, confessing the things that have kept you from following God whole-heartedly. Give up any idea of making yourself “good enough” to earn God’s acceptance. Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Call out to Him today, trusting His payment for your sin. He will forgive your sins, empower you to live a life defined by His love, joy, and peace—and give you a home in Heaven when this life is over.

“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation … whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:9-10,13).