创世记这卷书虽然很长，但只有三段：神的创造（创一1-二25），蛇的破坏（创三1-十一9），以及耶和华的呼召（创十一10-五十26）。神的呼召是指神新的起头，族类的转换，和生命的转换。在我们这面，神的呼召是族类和生命的转换；在神那面，神的呼召是一个新的起头。
神的新起头——首先，神的呼召是一个新的起头。神造人的时候，是个起头。但人破坏了、玷污了。神为祂自己所造的人堕落了，并且弃绝了神。所以神来呼召人，好在堕落的人中间有一新的起头。神不放弃人。相反的，祂来呼召人，使祂有新的起头。神所呼召的人名叫亚伯拉罕。神造亚当的时候，不是造单个的人，乃是造一个团体的人。神呼召亚伯拉罕的时候，就一面意义说，祂所呼召的是一个团体的人；但就另一面意义说，祂所呼召的是单个的人。虽然亚当一切的后裔都是在亚当里被造，但我们不能说，亚伯拉罕一切的后裔都是在亚伯拉罕里蒙召。不论我们是犹太人或是外邦人，只要我们藉着信基督，有了新的起头，就是亚伯拉罕的子孙（加三7）。我们大部分都不是犹太人，但我们藉着信基督，就是亚伯拉罕的子孙。神呼召亚伯拉罕的时候，就开始了一个新的起头，现今我们藉着信都进入这新的起头。
族类的转换——在神的呼召里，神在人身上的新起头就是族类的转换。神呼召亚伯拉罕，意思就是祂放弃了亚当的族类，拣选了亚伯拉罕和他的子孙成为新族类，作祂的子民，达成祂永远的目的。这是族类的转换，就是从受造的亚当族类转换到蒙召的亚伯拉罕族类（创十二2-3，加三7-9，14，罗四16-17）。我们都已从受造的族类转换到蒙召的新族类。虽然我们生于某一种族，但在我们蒙召时已转换为另一族类，就是蒙召者的新族类。
生命的转换——在神呼召的族类转换，实在说就是生命的转换。我们虽然有了族类的转换，却仍然在生命转换的过程中。我们若没有这种生命内里的转换，就仍和堕落的族类一样。我们若只有地位上的改变，我们的生命仍是老样子。仅仅地位上的改变不能达成神呼召我们的目的。所以必须也有生命的转换。因为生命的转换是从亚当的生命转换到基督的生命，所以就是从旧造的生命转换到新造的生命。因着人的堕落，神原初创造的一切都变旧了，不再能达成神的目的。所以神需要新造，这新造有比亚当受造的生命更强、更好的生命。这更强的生命乃是神非受造的生命，基督的生命。
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The Meaning of God’s Calling — Gen. 12:1
Although the book of Genesis is long, it has only three sections: God’s creation (Gen. 1:1 — 2:25), the serpent’s corruption (Gen. 3:1 — 11:9), and Jehovah’s calling (Gen. 11:10 — 50:26). God’s calling refers to God’s new beginning, the transfer of race and the transfer of life. On our side, God’s calling is a transfer of race and life; on God’s side, God’s calling is a new beginning.
God’s New Beginning — First, God’s calling is a new beginning. When God created man, that was a beginning. But man became corrupted and defiled. God was disappointed with the man He had created for Himself, and He gave him up. Therefore, God came to call man so that there might be a new beginning among the fallen race. God did not give up on man. On the contrary, He came to call man to have a new beginning. The name of the one God called was Abraham. When God created Adam, He did not create an individual, but a corporate man. In one sense, when God called Abraham, He called a corporate man; but in another sense, He called an individual. Although all of Adam’s descendants were created in Adam, we cannot say that all of Abraham’s descendants were called in Abraham. Whether we are Jews or Gentiles, as long as we believe in Christ, we have a new beginning and are the seed of Abraham (Gal. 3:7). Most of us are not Jews, but by believing in Christ, we are the seed of Abraham. When God called Abraham, a new beginning started, and today, through faith, we have all entered into this new beginning.
The Transfer of Race — In God’s calling, the new beginning on man is a transfer of race. God’s calling of Abraham means that He gave up the race of Adam and chose Abraham and his descendants to be a new race, to be His people, to accomplish His eternal purpose. This is a transfer of race, a transfer from the created race of Adam to the called race of Abraham (Gen. 12:2-3, Gal. 3:7-9, 14, Rom. 4:16-17). We have all been transferred from the created race to the new, called race. Although we were born into a certain race, at the time of our calling, we were transferred to another race, the new race of the called ones.
The Transfer of Life — Strictly speaking, the transfer of race in God’s calling is a transfer of life. Although we have had a transfer of race, we are still in the process of the transfer of life. If we do not have this inward transfer of life, we are still the same as the fallen race. If we only have a change in position, our life remains the same as before. A mere change in position cannot fulfill the purpose of God’s calling. Therefore, there must also be a transfer of life. Since the transfer of life is a transfer from the life of Adam to the life of Christ, it is a transfer from the life of the old creation to the life of the new creation. Because of man’s fall, everything originally created by God became old and could no longer fulfill God’s purpose. Therefore, God needs a new creation, and this new creation possesses a life that is stronger and better than the created life of Adam. This stronger life is God’s uncreated life, the life of Christ.