At the beginning of the New Testament Church, the apostle Peter delivered a personal message to the child of a believer. In his powerful sermon on the Day of Pentecost he said: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:38-39).

A child of a believer must realize this special invitation that is before them now! They should be very thankful as they have access to God’s calling and priceless gift of eternal life.

To the believer and to their children belong the promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Think of the impact in this tremendously important statement!

If and when children of the called become personally convicted of God’s way of life and accept and respond to their calling, they too can receive the Holy Spirit as promised.

To the child of a believer: God considers you holy!

By virtue of the parents being called and chosen, God views their children in a very special way. Paul states that the children of those called are important to God. They are so important to God that they are described as “holy.” Even families where either the dad or the mom are the only parent baptized, the children are still holy to God (1 Corinthians 7:14).

The word “holy” means to be set apart, sanctified, worthy of awe, sacred, and sharers of the covenant. They are in an unusually blessed position. They live with a converted person and are thus exposed, in a very close and personal manner, to God’s way of life.

Will my calling be obvious or is it a subtle internal process?

The way children growing up in the Church are called will differ from what most adult converts experience. A child’s calling is gradual and becomes more personal as he or she grows and matures.

One of the signs that God may be calling you is that you are beginning, however gradually, to truly understand the Scriptures with a depth and dimension that you never experienced before. You have begun to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom of God (Matthew 13:10-11).

At that time God begins to open your mind to comprehend the true gospel of Jesus Christ. God’s Word now begins to make sense to you. Just as a picture emerges when the pieces of a puzzle are fitted together, so can those whom God is inviting to be converted begin to understand the Holy Scriptures. This is the miracle of God’s calling.

When the child of a believer hears or reads God’s truth, what follows depends on the choices they make

If God is calling you, you also will have awakened to the need for change in your personal life, to bring it into line with the godly standards and values shown in the Scriptures—"to live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (Ephesians 4:1, New International Version). The Bible refers to this process as repentance.

Luke called it “repentance to life” (Acts 11:18). You can respond to God and ask for His help to implement what you learn. Or you can turn their back on the understanding of the truth you have received. Although He clearly encourages human beings to “choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19), God does not force anyone to make the right choice.

God will give us His Spirit if we respond positively to His calling and repent. He also instructs us to be baptized that we may receive this gift.

A child of a believer must realize this special invitation that is before them!

God’s calling is a special gift not yet offered to everyone. Jesus explained this to His disciples. When they asked Him why He spoke in parables, He responded: “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given” (Matthew 13:10-11).

Those who are being called to everlasting life in this age are called “firstfruits” (James 1:18; Romans 8:22-23; Hebrews 12:22-23). This common scriptural term applied to the first part of a harvest, a portion given to God. God’s human firstfruits are few in number (Luke 12:32). Their invitation to eternal life comes now. A beautiful part of God’s plan, however, is that, after the return of Jesus Christ, God’s calling—His invitation to enter into a personal relationship with Him—will extend to all of humanity. Many, many others will then be part of God’s much greater harvest.

This great calling is made possible by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins and the forgiveness He made freely available. This is the motivation to yield your life to God and a gift you should appreciate.

A child of a believer must realize this special invitation that is before them now! They should be very thankful as they have access to God’s calling and priceless gift of eternal life.

Are you thankful? Will you answer the call?

You can be assured that there is no issue more pressing in your life than this. As a child of a believer, take hold of your calling today!