You are called by the name of Christ any time you are invited to live a greater share of his character in your life. The Lord “calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.” (John 10:3) The call of Jesus consists of an invitation to become more like him.
You do not need to believe in Jesus to be called by him, or to recognize or heed his call. The call of Jesus consists of the next manageable increment between your choices and his character, whether you know or believe anything about him or not. Most people who claim to believe in Jesus do not heed his call.2
Answering the call of the name of Christ requires much more than simply claiming to believe in him. Answering God’s call requires you to become a disciple. A disciple doesn’t just profess to believe in Jesus, but actually follows him in feeling, thought, and action.3 They know the name by which they are called, recognizing the Lord’s voice and following it wherever it leads, no matter the earthly consequences.4 They have a model of how the Lord is, can confidently predict how he would think, feel, and act in their place, and proactively and intentionally consult that model before making any decision.
A popular reason why God’s voice is ignored or only partially followed is because what he says is not attractive to those who do not yet love him—including many of those who say they do.5 A central purpose of our lives is not just to discover God’s ways, but to increase our desires for them. There is no promise that the call of the name of Christ will be attractive to you. In fact, the promise is quite the opposite. The natural man finds the ways of God repugnant,6 and a person will only be attracted to God’s ways inasmuch as they have become like him.7 Answering the call of the name of Christ requires you to change what you value and by how much you value it. You will desire and think about what you value the most.1495 By nature, people most value the maximization of their earthly comforts rather than prioritizing the purpose of God. As you choose to prioritize the purpose of God, you will increase in your understanding of why doing so is superior to all other alternatives.
God’s calling is not limited to a few select people from the scriptures. His calling is to all people.1496 You do not need to be spoken to by Jesus or his servants to be called by him. Every situation in life presents all people with the opportunity to choose to live up to the best they know or not.1497 Whether or not they respond is a different matter. While the call of Christ is universal, the response is extremely limited.1498 Among those few who acknowledge his voice, most answer it only temporarily or partially. God blesses those who respond valiantly to his call,1499 whether they say they believe in him or not,1500 and he punishes those who ignore or lethargically reply to his call,1501 whether they say they believe in him or not.1502
Footnotes
- 1. Thus we may see that the Lord is merciful unto all who will, in the sincerity of their hearts, call upon his holy name. Yea, thus we see that the gate of heaven is open unto all, even to those who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God. Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked—And land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go no more out. (Helaman 3:27-30) ↩
- 2. And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit. And every one that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit cometh unto God, even the Father. And the Father teacheth him of the covenant which he has renewed and confirmed upon you, which is confirmed upon you for your sakes, and not for your sakes only, but for the sake of the whole world. And the whole world lieth in sin, and groaneth under darkness and under the bondage of sin. And by this you may know they are under the bondage of sin, because they come not unto me. For whoso cometh not unto me is under the bondage of sin. And whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me. And by this you may know the righteous from the wicked, and that the whole world groaneth under sin and darkness even now. (D&C 84:46-53) ↩
- 3. He that receiveth my law and doeth it, the same is my disciple; and he that saith he receiveth it and doeth it not, the same is not my disciple, and shall be cast out from among you; (D&C 41:5) ↩
- 4. These are they who “have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives. And it shall come to pass that whosoever doeth this shall be found at the right hand of God, for he shall know the name by which he is called; for he shall be called by the name of Christ.” (Mosiah 5:8-9) ↩
- 5. This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. (Matthew 15:8) If ye love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:15) ↩
- 6. For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father. (Mosiah 3:19) ↩
- 7. Anyone who draws nearer to me will only do so if they desire the Father, those who draw near to me will do so by becoming more like me, and I will raise up all who are like me at the last day. (John 6:44, Author’s Reflection) ↩