The hope of His calling.
By Pieter Kirstein
There is a hope in the upward call of God in Christ to be crowned with honor and to receive the victor's crown of the overcomer as a co-heir with Christ but if we resist, if we refuse to deny ourselves and walk in the way of the cross unto the death of self we shall lose our crowns.
Salvation is a gift afforded through the redemption of the blood of Christ but it's a whole different story to receive the crown of the overcomer that the Spirit speak about in Revelation 3:21 To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and sat down with My Father in his throne.
Jesus humbled himself in the Presence of God the Father and He became obedient unto the call of the cross even to the point of death and only then could Christ be raised up into that place of victory and honor.
IF HE COULD NOT SIDESTEP THE PRICE WHICH HE HAD TO PAY NEITHER CAN WE IF WE DESIRE TO SIT WITH HIM IN THE HIGHEST PLACE OF HONOR
Philippians 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name.
Romans 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, so that we may be also glorified together.
To deny oneself by taking up the cross means to deny your sinful fleshly man it's deceptive stubborn right to do what it wants and to live as it desires to live contrary to the life of the Son of God. When we receive the incorruptible seed of God and we become infused with His divine nature through the supernatural new birth of His Spirit we enter the kingdom of our heavenly Father that is contrary to the kingdoms of this world. We enter a spiritual wrestling match against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places.
We discover that God rescued us out of the kingdom of darkness of which we read in Ephesians 2:
1 And you has He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins:
2 In which in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our behavior in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love with which He loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, has made us alive together with Christ, (by grace you are saved
6 And has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
If we are going to be victorious in our walk with God then we need to shift our attention and focus heavenward as if we actually realise and believe that we do sit in that place of authority and victory. To be victorious in and through Christ means that we will have to allow Him to exercise His power and rule over our lives to dismantle and dethrone everything within our hearts and minds that wants to resist Him and prevent us from living in agreement with our blessed GOD.
JESUS TOLD THOSE WHO WANT TO BE COUNTED WORTHY OF HIM TO WALK THE ROAD OF THE CROSS. HE HAD TO PAY THE PRICE THROUGH HIS CROSS TO BE CROWNED WITH GLORY AND HONOR AND WE SEE THIS IN John 12: 23 And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone: but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit.
25 He that loves his life shall lose it; and he that hates his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
26 If any man serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also My servant be: if any man serves Ne, him will My Father honor.
We are called to walk in the same if we want to receive honor from the Father but most are ignorant of this fact. Ours is not a physical cross although many saints have been martyred for their Christian faith through crucifixion. Our cross is the pathway of death unto the self life by which we submit ourselves willingly to be stripped of our former sinful way of life so that we may become useful selfless servants in the kingdom of our Father.
Ours is a walk in the likeness and the similitude of our Messiah Lord to allow the deep work of the cross to bring us to the very end of ourselves and into the fullness of our GOD.
It's a spiritual baptism of suffering through the purification fires of the Spirit of burning to bring us forth as holiness unto the Lord as a bride without spot or blemish.
We see this work being done by God in the Person of Jesus as we read in Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4 According as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, in which he has made us accepted in the beloved.
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
8 Which he has abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he has purposed in himself:
10 That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his own will:
12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
13 In whom you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after you believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise,
14 Who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
17 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:
18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
20 Which he performed in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come:
22 And has put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
23 Which is his body, the fullness of him that fills all in all.
In verse 18 we see that there is a hope revealed in the call of God upon the life of each of His children. It's not to say that everyone is going to make it. It's not to say that everyone is going to be an overcoming saint for most people don't realise that we have a race to run. We have been called to abandon all folly and the old life in the flesh if we desire to be crowned with honor and glory.
Jesus through the finished work of the cross indeed have opened the way for us but few there be that actually pursue the upward call of God in Christ to be allowed a place with Him in His throne.
Ephesians 1 speaks to us about what Jesus accomplished on our behalf but then Paul prayed from verse 17 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: 18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what is the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.
In Philippians 2 we see the way we have to take and the price we have to pay if we desire to be raised up into that place of honor.
Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not a thing to be grasped to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The same calling goes forth in the way of the cross in 1 Peter 4
1 Since therefore Christ has suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin;
2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
3 For the time past of our life will suffice us to have done the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in licentiousness, lusts, excess of wine, reveling, carousing, and abominable idolatries:
4 In which they think it strange that you run not with them to the same excess of dissipation, speaking evil of you:
5 Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the living and the dead.
The same calling to walk in the way of Jesus Christ is revealed unto us in Ephesians 4 although the way has already been opened through the finished work of the risen Savior. Through the finished work that God has accomplished through His Son He gave us all the opportunity to grow up unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ but most Christians are ignorant of these facts. Most are living in the level of salvation. Few are pursuing the crown of the overcomer.
Ephesians 4:17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto licentiousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20 But you have not so learned Christ;
21 If so be that you have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22 That you put off concerning the former way of life the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24 And that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
It's as the Lord clearly said to me one day during worship; "yes in Me and through Me all things does become new but first you must be willing to lay down the former way of life. Only those who follow Me through the cross can follow Me through the tomb into the glory and the freedom of the NEW CREATION"
2 Corinthians 5:15 And that He died for all, that they who live should no longer live unto themselves, but unto Him who died for them, and rose again.
16 Therefore from now on know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet from now on know we Him no more.
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
