Today's readings are Malachi 3.6-4.6 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Malachi+3.6-4.6 ) and Matthew 4.12-25 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Matthew+4.12-25 ).
Look today at the way God calls people. See how Jesus goes somewhere, does something, and tells people (or simply lets them figure out) to follow him. Look in Malachi how God says things which point out the people's evil and his own goodness. Those who believe seem to talk with one another, presumably encouraging one another in their belief and God proclaims them to be his people. There's a sort of togetherness - conversation - accountability thing going on, but at the heart and center of all of it is God's works and proclamation of who he is.
How does this fit into our modern sensibilities? In modern evangelicalism we seem determined to press people for some sort of decision and confession which is persuasive to us, then follow it up with a set of behaviors which will prove to us the people are actually following Christ. Then and only then are we likely to accept people, once they have cleaned up their act and stopped engaging in whatever sins we think are serious.
That isn't the pattern of the Bible. God changes the heart, the people encourage one another and follow Jesus. Jesus talks about himself, only rarely about his followers. Yet the followers do seem to change over time. Their hearts are renewed. The rest of their lives can't help but follow as they are being nourished in their new life by the bread of heaven.
Let's try to be biblical. Let's expect the Holy Spirit to make those changes in people. And let's watch and follow Jesus.
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