Partakers of the Heavenly Calling!

Our featured verse in Hebrews 3:1 tells us that we are partakers of the heavenly calling as believers. But what exactly does that mean? To answer that question, we must first and always consider and fix our eyes on Jesus, who is the Apostle and High Priest of our confession of the faith we profess. We find the explanation of the heavenly calling in the following verses:

And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews 5:9 – 10

Jesus is the Apostle or sent one from God the Father. God, the Father, also is the One who declared Jesus as our High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 5:5-6). Jesus, our High Priest, became like us and died once for all so that we can come before the throne of grace to receive grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 2:14-18; 4:14 – 16; 7:20-28). Because Jesus lives forever, He has an unchangeable priesthood and always lives to make intercession for us.

Jesus has made us kings and priests unto God and His Father. So also, not only are we kings and priests, but we shall reign with Him in life and for a thousand years (Romans 5:17; Revelation 20:6). We reign over the curse of the law even as Jesus had victory over the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2). He has given us authority as kings. We sit on our spiritual throne next to our King Jesus in heavenly places, and it is a heavenly calling (Ephesians 2:6).

We intercede and pray for others as priests because we have direct access to the Father through our risen High Priest, Jesus Christ. Therefore, all Christians are priests, and the Christian church is a kingdom of priests (1 Peter 2:5, 9).

And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Revelation 1:5 – 6
And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God, and we shall reign on the earth.” Revelation 5:9 – 10

God has consecrated us and set us apart for a higher purpose when we accept and trust in Jesus as our Savior. God has a plan and calling for each one of us, but we must walk it out by following the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives, even as Jesus did. He knew why He came and what His mission was:

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me because He has anointed Me, to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” Luke 4:18 – 19

Our victory in life comes when we understand that we share in the heavenly calling. We are called to an intimate relationship with God, to know Him. Jesus said that eternal life is that we may know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent (John 17:2 – 3). We can enjoy and experience eternal life beginning right now when we ask Jesus to be our Lord and Savior because eternal life is independent of time. (John 3:36; 5:24; 11:25). Therefore, as we experience this intimate relationship with God, our heavenly calling, we will experience the eternal and abundant life now that Jesus promised to us as His followers and will reign with Him also (John 10:10; Revelation 5:9-10).

It is important to remember not to get sidetracked with doing good things we believe we should do to advance God’s kingdom here on the earth (2 Timothy 1:9). He doesn’t want our service; He wants a relationship with us (Luke 10:38 – 42; 1 Corinthians 1:9)! The more time we spend with Jesus, the more we will be equipped and ready to share God’s love with others. Everything we do must come from our relationship with Him. We will fulfill the Great Commission because we are sent and want to share what we have with others!

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Matthew 28:18 – 20

My prayer for you:

That you would walk worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. 1 Thessalonians 2:12
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:1-3