The Evangelical Theological Society

A biblically and theologically informed understanding of calling underscores every believer’s position in Christ. To be “in Christ” is to be a called one—and to have a call(ing). Calling fundamentally refers to a believer’s identity within the community of God’s people. Those called live for the sake of Christ and others, in addition to embracing other crucial indicators. This informed use of calling leads to a freedom of God’s people and a more faithful church witness to the world in any generation and all cultures. This identity informs how all believers live and engage the mission of God in all the dimensions of life as called, holy ones of God. Only derivatively, rarely, and almost tangentially can “calling” refer to a specific “vocation” or task, or some subjective sense that sets one believer apart from another.