Hebrews 3:1
Part 2 – Wherefore, partakers of the heavenly calling
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; (Hebrews 3:1)
We, as the children of God, are brought into this divine mystery of the heavenly calling, as His voice cries out from the far reaches of heaven, a voice of grace, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:17) God in His Omnipotent power first introduces Himself to the wandering soul, then He shows the soul it’s need, then God, through the Spirit, moves that soul into conviction. He then draws the heart to repentance, and when all is in turmoil in that soul He shows that soul the wonder of His grace in His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the mystery of His love from which God the Father displays all His glory in His beloved Son. All must begin from heaven and emanate from God; whether it is creation or redemption, all must start with God. He is the Caller of the heavenly calling. His voice is both the voice of the Creator and the voice of the Redeemer (it is finished). This voice or calling is full of divine love, and divine love gives us divine faith. And divine faith gives us divine grace, and all that is divine comes from the source, and that source is Jesus Christ.
In the community where I once resided as a youth, there is a hill that we called Look Out hill, and when I stood at the top of this hill (for we did not have mountains) I could see the meadows and the fields all around. My eyes enjoyed the beauty and tranquility of this land because it had not yet been molested by man. Now all has changed, but I still have those memories, although vague. Why share this little memory? This memory of looking down upon creation from a higher plain aids in the understanding of the heavenly calling in Christ Jesus; the heavenly calling is on a higher plain looking down on man from above allowing us to have a broader panorama of what the heavenly calling is to the Christian.
We go from the time of beauty in the Garden with all the pristine wonder that has not yet been soiled by sin. There is a glory of that man, Adam, standing in the paradise of God. His radiance glowing as he walked with God. Not a distant call by His Creator but voice to voice, man and God, God and man both walking together in the paradise of God. What a wonder we see from the top of that hill of this world untouched by sin; eye have not seen nor the ear heard all the glories of God. For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. (Isaiah 64:4) Now millenniums later, if we look out over any landscape we see the desolation of sin. Whether by the works from the hands of man, or the work of man’s destruction, the landscape is scarred by man’s sin. Sin is the great polluter. It pollutes the soul of man, and it is no respecter of persons, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Sin has no respect for the earth or for it’s beauty. We can only imagine what Adam saw with untainted eyes of glory. From the hill that I now stand on I see the declension of man. Those who believe that they have evolved from slime refuse to see the slime of their sin working within them. They want man to evolve into a beast of sin, and his only glory would be his sin; however, God created man in His image, and man has been continually descending from the image of God to the beasts of the field. It is about time that man examined himself for what he really is. He is sin, and because of sin he has become a beast and all his works are of the beast of his nature. The only answer is from above in God’s heavenly throne. His heavenly calling is the only life-line of grace, and He has given us this life-line in His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Man thinks that he can create a better world for himself, how has that been working out for you? Man feels that he can teach other men to be better than those who went before. In one hand he holds out a false goodness, or false righteousness, in the other hand man holds out death and destruction. There is no reasoning nor wisdom that this man, or any man, could bring us into a better world. This world, as well as Adam, exists in a fallen state. Both Adam and the world cannot be changed. With Adam his only hope is the grace of God through Jesus Christ. By this grace Adam does not continue but is created a new creature by God Almighty; so also the world that we dwell on cannot be changed for the better. Prophecy informs us that it will pass away in a burning consuming fire, and God will create a new heaven and a new earth wherein righteousness dwells; therefore, Adam and the earth both must come under the creative power of the Almighty God. One must receive the heavenly calling and grace in the Lord Jesus Christ. In the end of the history of man, both man and the world will be removed, and the hills in the new heavens and the new earth will give a view of all God’s glory.
In this new creation there will be no sin or slime of man only God’s righteousness will exist in this new creation. We who have experienced the heavenly calling will see all this wonder; however, now we patiently wait for our home-going, the moment that we will see Him face to face. While I write, I am thinking of all those glorious faces that I will see. The throng of saints around the Lord Jesus, and those who I have shared what little I have to share, but God knoweth. And what I give I give from my soul, and I give it freely so that your hearts may soar in the heavenlies with Christ. My only desire is to please Him who loved me, for I love Him so; and that love goes out to you where ever you are. Now back to our study, the study of our heavenly calling . . . .
But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. (Ephesians 4:7) In our heavenly calling we have the gift of Christ. His presence within us is that wonderful gift; yet, there is so much in this gift of God’s grace. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14)There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;. (Ephesians 4:4) We not only have the gift of grace, but in that grace we have the fellowship with Jesus Christ. In that grace the cross is just the beginning of our journey in God’s grace; all the wonders of Jesus Christ who is the wonderful of God. And we have been called of this Sovereign, for He is both Sovereign of things seen and things unseen. This is the wonder of His high calling. Yes, our heavenly calling is our high calling; for in our heavenly calling we press, as Paul wrote, for a higher calling in life by our obedience to our Christ. Ephesians 4:4-7
There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; (Ephesians 4:4)
One Lord, one faith, one baptism, (Ephesians 4:5)
One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.(Ephesians 4:6)
But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. (Ephesians 4:7)
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: (Philippians 3:9)
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; (Philippians 3:10)
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. (Philippians 3:11)
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12)
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, (Philippians 3:13)
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14)
Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. (Philippians 3:15)
Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. (Philippians 3:16)
Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (Philippians 3:17)
(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: (Philippians 3:18)
Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) (Philippians 3:19)
For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: (Philippians 3:20)
Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Philippians 3:21)
The Spirit of God through the Apostle Paul anoints our eyes with the mystery of our calling. Would be that all who belong to Christ felt the calling from above as did the Apostle Paul. Paul could say in his heart, I am a child and an heir of Jesus Christ. I am an adopted son according to His marvelous grace. I have the high calling of heaven upon me to do the will of God, and this I share with all God’s children in Jesus Christ. Should not this be our relationship to our Savior? Is there not one Body? Is there not one heavenly calling? And each one in that Body will be fashioned like unto the body of the glorious Christ of God. There is one Spirit in this heavenly calling, the Holy Spirit of God in each one of the new born babe in Christ. They have received this promise of the Spirit directly from Jesus Christ. Not one of God’s children is left out. There is one calling from the throne of God in heaven: a glorious calling, a high calling, and a heavenly calling from one God, and one Savior, Jesus Christ.
And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. (Revelation 4:2)
And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. (Revelation 4:3)
And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. (Revelation 4:4)
And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. (Revelation 4:5)
And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. (Revelation 4:6)
And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. (Revelation 4:7)
And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. (Revelation 4:8)
The Holy Spirit of God has opened for us a door in heaven. We see a majestic scene of the throne of God set in the heaven. The word ‘set’ takes us into the very foundation of all things. This is the anchor of grace and truth which came by Jesus Christ. It is the glory of Him who is Holy, Holy, Holy. The purity of the polished stone that gives off His full radiance, and it is from here that God calls out to man through the cross of Christ. The Lamb in the midst of the throne, it is He who is worthy, and now we remember what Paul wrote to us in Ephesians. In this glory, there is one Lord, there is one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all; who is above all and through all, and in all of you, the holy brethren of God. We are viewing the God of all creation, the God of redemption in all His glorious beauty, and He has called YOU with His heavenly calling. Now, did He call us through His life? For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:. (1 Peter 2:21) Were not you called by His death? Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24) Do we share His resurrection and eternal life in Him? For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. (1 Peter 2:25) For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:. (1 Peter 3:18) We see from the previous verses that we are identify with His life, with His death, with His resurrection, and with His ascension into heaven by the quickening of the Spirit of God. The Lord Jesus ministers to us the heavenly calling. Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him. (1 Peter 3:22) We not only see His position of authority and power, but that He has gone into heaven for us. In His death and resurrection He has obtained all power and glory from God the Father. From this position upon His throne He ministers to His holy brethren with their heavenly calling in Christ.
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: (Ephesians 1:17)
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, (Ephesians 1:18)
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, (Ephesians 1:19)
Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, (Ephesians 1:20)
We are only seeing a small window into our heavenly calling. For it is quite evident in the scripture that all three Persons of the Godhead, Father, Son and Holy Spirit have been involved in our salvation, and in the ministry of the Godhead to us. For instance, God the Father wants us to see the glories of His Son; the Son wants us to see the glories of the Father. The Son sent the Holy Spirit to teach us both the wonders of the Son and of the Father to glory them both before us who have the heavenly calling. In Ephesians 1:17 we have one God, and beside me [there is] no God . . .
I, [even] I, [am] the LORD; and beside me [there is] no saviour. (Isaiah 43:11)
Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I [am] the first, and I [am] the last; and beside me [there is] no God. (Isaiah 44:6)
I [am] the LORD, and [there is] none else, [there is] no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: (Isaiah 45:5)
That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that [there is] none beside me. I [am] the LORD, and [there is] none else. (Isaiah 45:6)
Tell ye, and bring [them] near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? [who] hath told it from that time? [have] not I the LORD? and [there is] no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; [there is] none beside me. (Isaiah 45:21)
Then we have the Father of glory revealing His Son of His glory, which glory the Son had with Him before the foundations of the world. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. (John 17:5) In our heavenly calling, God has given us the spirit of wisdom, and revelation, and the knowledge of Himself. The Spirit of God magnifies all these things through the Word of God. And the Lord Jesus sent the Spirit of God to teach us and to show us things concerning the Son of God.
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; (John 14:16)
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. (John 14:26)
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: (John 15:26)
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. (John 16:7)
And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: (John 16:8)
Of sin, because they believe not on me; (John 16:9)
Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; (John 16:10)
Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. (John 16:11)
With all these verses can anyone deny that the Spirit of God is sent by the Son to glorify the Son and to lead us into all truth. That we, as the children of God, through the ministry of His Spirit would receive all the wisdom of God from God Himself.
For it is Christ, Himself, who is made unto us wisdom. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:. (1 Corinthians 1:30) All wisdom projects and interjects to us by Christ. We have the wisdom of God available to us at all times through Jesus Christ. We have also the revelation of God’s Word revealed to us by the Spirit of God.)That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:. (Ephesians 1:17) The wisdom of God and the revelation of God reveals to us the wonders and beauties of Christ through His divine revelation. I ask you, Standing on this hill of your heavenly calling what do you see now? Is it more of the glories of Christ, is it more of that majestic view that resounds with Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty? Our view from this hill is not an earthly view; from this view we receive an image of Himself to our spirit. The brightness of His glory, the express image of His Person — has He not revealed Himself to you? He wants to reveal Himself and to speak to your heart through His glorious Spirit. He wants you to look at His glory, to look into the distant past as He walked with Adam before sin, and all His glory was beheld in the eyes of Adam; then came sin, and sin stopped Adam’s walk with God. Not until the day of the prophet Enoch did man, once again, walk with God. Then after the flood we see Abraham walking with God. We see David, and Elijah, and Ezekiel, and Daniel, and Malachi, and many more holy men in the Old Testament walking with God. We see the Lord Jesus Himself walking amongst men. He walked with John the Baptist by the river of death. The cold waters of the Jordan whispered out to the Lord Jesus that the determinate counsels of God the Father, and God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit that God the Son, Jesus Christ, would fulfill all of God’s righteousness. This was the baptism of death and not life. This was the baptism of the death of the cross.
Look out over the hills, resurrection has come, and now we see the Lord walking with His disciples and apostles. We could go on and on, as we look over this vast panoramic vision of Himself. He walked with the Apostle Paul, Christ reached down out of heaven and saved Paul on the Damascus Road. He called Paul up into heaven to receive revelations. Paul saw all the majestic things of God, all the things of God’s beauty and grace. He received all the precious teachings from Christ when the Son of God revealed to Him the one Body of the Church in the Christ of God, the indwelling Spirit of God to all believers, the temple of God which is our body, the cleansing power of the blood of Christ, the coming of the Lord for His saints in the great translation of all His beloved, and this is only part of what Paul received when he met with Christ on that holy mount. The wonders that Paul saw, the glories he saw, the things he heard were not all written to us, because the Spirit of God discerned what was needful for the Church and for it’s growth.
From this hill of glory He opens our eyes and our understanding so that we might be enlightened to all the wonderful glories of Himself. We can only see through the eyes of the Spirit of God, and what do we see? We see the Holy thing of God, the man of sorrows, the glories of resurrection, His glory and our glory in Him. The life that I now live in Christ I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. As we stand on this hill of glory, the Spirit of God moves our eyes to the horizon, He opens our understanding, and our eyes look into the blue, then we see an opening in heaven, and God’s Christ waiting for us there. It is as a star burst of His glory, the majesty of His love and grace, the total of His Being surrounded by grace and truth. He is a rainbow of glory, then in the face of Jesus Christ we hear the echoes of Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty.
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. (Revelation 4:11)
Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. (Revelation 5:12)
And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. (Revelation 5:13)
This is only part of your heavenly calling. Your life and your history, your name, and your actions, and work will all be recorded. It all will be written down in heaven to testify to the wonder of wonders.
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. (1 Timothy 3:16)
We have now approached holy ground, we must take off our shoes and look out over the mystery of godliness and our heavenly calling in Jesus Christ our Lord. God the Father looks down on this dark evil world and sees the twinkling of His grace in all believers in this earth. Some burning brightly, some barely flickering, but one and all are His children because of the grace of God in their hearts and souls. Can we hear Him say, ‘Soon children, I will be gathering you home. Be patient, and do the good work of God in Jesus Christ.’ From this hill we look out and hear the high note of God’s glory singing to our hearts. And on this high note we will say, Amen.
© Copyright 2015, Michael Haigh
Article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the Authorized King James Bible. (KJV)