Answering to the heavenly calling
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EN
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00:40:35
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Automatic transcript:
…
Verse 19, chapter 2, the Epistle to the Ephesians, reading from verse 19.
Now, therefore, we are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints,
and of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom all the buildings, thickly framed
together, grow unto a holy temple in the Lord, in whom we also are built together for an
habitation of God through the Spirit.
Chapter 4, verse 2, or rather, verse 1, chapter 4.
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing with one another in love,
endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
There is one body and one Spirit, even as ye are called, in one hope of your calling.
The connection between chapter 2 and chapter 4 is in the first verse of chapter 3.
We go back to this connection.
For this cause I fall, the prisoner of Jesus Christ, for you Jehovah's Witnesses.
And then, of course, the rest.
Chapter 3 is a parenthesis.
To read it properly, we pass on the verses I've already read.
For this cause, in verse 1 of chapter 3, I fall, the prisoner of Jesus Christ, for you Gentiles.
And then in chapter 4, I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord.
The verses we have read.
We are handed the 16th of Matthew.
It's hard, then, to have it and to insist upon it.
In the days of feeble ears, and the days of fainted hearts, the remedy, there is one.
And as believers, we should avail ourselves of that remedy.
The remedy is God and his purpose in Christ Jesus.
The scripture in Matthew 16 is clearly that.
The verses I read at the end of chapter 2 of Ephesians, equally so.
And Peter takes up another side of things of the same thing.
We also are being built up a spiritual house.
Those three scriptures go together as to how divine persons are engaged in this matter of gathering a people out for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is clearly defined.
In our chapter, chapter 4, there is one body. An only one.
In Matthew 16, my church proprietarily writes, in the face of all the universe, devils included,
the gates of Hades shall not, they will try, and continue to try, violence and corruption.
They will not prevail against it. Jesus said it.
In our scripture, and put alongside it, I refer to verse 21.
In whom? In Christ, of course. In Christ.
This is equivalent to the statement of Peter.
The revelation from the Father, after whom he is.
It is this person, in whom all the buildings are viewed now as a building.
The church, here, as a building. The same company.
And of course, we as believers in the sealing of the Holy Ghost from that August company.
It has a destiny, determined by God himself.
Glory, glory with Christ. Heaven, glory with Christ.
However long it takes, a matter where Jesus exercises his patience.
God is long-suffering, and we, as we are instructed, become intelligent.
We also learn what patience is.
So, the kingdom, according to Revelation 1, is looked at in another way.
We read this afternoon about being translated into the kingdom of the Son of Israel.
In Revelation 1, it takes another character.
It's the kingdom which is in patience.
A time of patience, when the Lord Jesus is waiting.
Waiting. He waited before we were born. He's waiting now.
We are inclined to be impatient. We have to learn patience.
Patience in communion with him.
Patience is his patience, and the kingdom has now that character.
Well, to go back to our verse in chapter 2.
In Christ, he also, I suppose this would refer to the Gentiles,
but what comes to light in Ephesians is, in regards to the mystery,
where Paul speaks of we, that is Jews, and then he, the Gentiles.
Believers in each case.
But now, as this chapter tells us in earlier, that God has made,
there has been made in himself, that is in the Lord Jesus Christ,
well between, been made one new man.
In view of reconciliation, there is that to be reconciled, as we read this afternoon,
there is that which is not intended for reconciliation,
but it will go down to judgment.
But there is that which is to be reconciled.
The things on earth, the things in heaven,
two separate items which are to be reconciled.
In chapter 2, it's a company who are reconciled, and reconciled to God,
in one body, and how?
By the cross.
What a lovely thing it is to be instructed in the truth of the cross.
Certainly, the Son, he gives character to every office.
People take an office in this world, and they become enhanced.
In a way, they were not when they were not in that office.
They qualify, and they are in an office which enhances the individual.
The contrary, the Lord Jesus enhances the office in virtue of who he is, the Son.
At every office, whether it be the Son of David,
the New Testament, as a previous speaker drew attention,
we cannot read in regard to the fulfillment of David's Son
in view of the meaning that it is a divine person, Jesus,
who is that who will fill the office.
Similarly, the Son of Man.
Similarly, the priest of Hebrews.
And so we can illuminate, they are illuminated in the scriptures,
but it is the person of the Son who gives character and dignity to the office
by virtue of who he is.
We are reconciled to God by the death of the Son, Romans 5,
here it's in view of the one body.
We are reconciled both in one body to God by the cross, that's the agency.
The necessary work, what a real thing it really is,
that which bows our hearts in will for coming together if the Lord spares us,
and for the breaking of bread.
That glorious person, great the glory thou art given,
and he is the Son, the eternal Son.
But equally so, the Son in manhood, Hebrews too,
for the purpose of doing that great work on the cross.
For us individually, but in the epistles and the Ephesians,
it is in view of the one body, not making a Gentile,
lifting up a Gentile to the level of a status of a Jew,
or bringing a Jew down to a Gentile,
making a cross like of a Gentile to be a Jew,
to claim Jewish privileges, but the cross is the means.
That is, in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
everything, all that man is, is brought down
to its proper level of nothingness and ignominy and shame
in the place that is necessary for the Lord to go into
to effect this reconciliation.
To reconcile both in one body, to reconcile them to God
in one body by the cross.
And in that way the enmity is slain.
No longer a Jew and a Gentile in this one body.
And so it is this company,
which is in view in Ephesians 2,
built together for a habitation of God by the Spirit.
This is a development in the ways of God.
For God did not dwell with Adam, nor with Abraham.
And the first mention of God's dwelling
is after redemption is accomplished
in the Lamb slain in Exodus 12,
and there being brought across the Red Sea
the song that was sung in Exodus 15.
There is reference to it further in Exodus about God
dwelling amongst them.
Of course, the Talmud, which comes into view
from chapter 25 of Exodus to chapter 38,
to give us typically that God has such a port
of being the center in that tabernacle system
and where the twelve tribes in their order
are assembled around that tabernacle
and where God dwells in that way typically.
We have now this dwelling, this thought pursued
in that this company, which is destined for glory
even in the present moment it brought
unto a holy temple in the Lord
and as a future aspect.
And in verse 22,
build it together for an annotation of God
through the Spirit, the Holy Spirit.
And so the character is of God
and the Spirit of God is in the midst of mistakes
to produce the appropriate character
that alone can answer to God.
And I suppose the apostle has in his mind this
when we turn to chapter 4 of this epistle.
He is said in verse 1 of chapter 3,
Paul is a prisoner.
For this cause I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ,
for you Gentiles.
And then he repeats it.
In verse 1 of chapter 4,
I am therefore the prisoner of the Lord.
This is what it is to be the chief servant of the Lord
in a world like this.
The world is opposed.
It's opposed to God.
It's opposed to Christ.
It's opposed to his servant.
It's opposed to the testimony of his servant.
And the chief man whom the Lord has raised up,
you've read of it in chapter 9,
who is to preach that Jesus is the Son of God,
he is a prisoner.
It's very remarkable that he has used the Lord
in regard to the highest truth that we have given to us.
Whether it be that of the Colossians this afternoon
or this of the Ephesians,
it is after Paul has been disillusioned
in regard to his pursuit at the Jews,
in regard to the gospel.
If only he had the opportunity to present it to his own countrymen,
whose love he felt that they would hear it and receive it
as he himself had done.
So it's not until the end of the Acts of the Apostles,
when Paul is a prisoner,
God using the strength of his own affections for his people
and the ways of God in this matter,
where Paul appeals to Caesar,
and unto Caesar thou shalt go.
So it fulfills what the Lord has asked of us
to bear witness and to be at Rome.
And it's at the end of the Acts of the Apostles
where we find the Apostles really fulfilling
his appointment by the Lord Jesus
as the Apostle to the Gentiles.
He went to some of his own countrymen, Jews,
they didn't believe him.
And they took exception to what was written,
especially in regard to God's favour towards the Gentiles.
That is, from then, when he was disillusioned entirely
and in his prison epistles,
he devotes himself fully to his service to the Lord
regarding the Gentiles.
And we have in these prison epistles
the highest truth,
which shows God's great purpose in Christ,
purpose of love in Christ Jesus,
where the Gentiles are included in this great matter
along with the Jews.
And here we read of this distinction
of the being, even here,
the appreciation of God by the Holy Spirit.
Chapter 4 gives us a practical result
and is known for it.
But the purpose of this meeting
is to glean from the highest truth
what is the way we answer to it
in the normal lives of his people.
We definitely are not in heaven,
although we have a heavenly calling.
And the very fact that we need instructions
as to husband and wife,
according to such a standard,
and wives being subject,
according to another standard, the highest,
as the Church is subjected to Christ,
that's another standard.
And then we have the household.
God is concerned about the household.
Will that emphasize the fact
that we are not in our proper place
with not Jesus,
and we're not with Christ yet.
And so in circumstances which are not changed
even by the highest truth of Christianity,
it is the highest truth of Christianity
that gives character and color
to even the menial things
in which our responsibility is here.
God does not wage,
he does not,
the fact that we are blessed as we are
with all spiritual blessings,
and are to be with Christ in reigning,
and it is shining out.
The matters of our responsibility
are matters which are insisted upon
in every position.
I would refer especially
in regard to our living here,
in regard to wherever we live,
and that is the 13th chapter of Romans
is found in the explanation of that gospel.
And the importance of that is seen.
There's no excuse, even for Christians,
to get into lawlessness
even with the power of the Greek.
For there's such a thing as a sword
just as there is the grace of God.
And so here in chapter 4
we get a mention to our calling
to walk worthy of the vocation
wherewith we are called.
Whatever we have in our secular employment,
it is this which has first consideration.
To walk worthy of the Lord.
To walk worthy of the vocation
wherewith we are called.
And then in verse 2
we have how to receive.
And what a remarkable thing,
instead of coming out
in high-mindedness or pride,
and even with Christians there is a danger
even to use our privileges to enhance oneself.
I suppose for that reason
Paul had a distinction
in the 12th and 2nd Corinthians
caught up in the third heavens
and experienced peculiarity there.
And even Paul needed to be dealt with by the Lord
in returning to his normal responsibilities.
He says, lest I should be exalted.
What a solemn thing to say.
Lest I should be exalted.
And wonderful things that brethren know
taught by the Spirit.
And there is an tendency even
that the flesh would use those
to claim a certain distinction.
And so with Paul it was necessary
to give them to God.
There was given unto me,
yes a given unto me.
God will give us all things.
And he will give us the necessary discipline
in order to comply
with how we should come out here to please him.
He will spare not his own son.
How shall he not also with him?
Freely give us all things.
Some time to think.
It is the material things
and the things that we personally desire
and forget those along with Christ.
But what is higher than that is character.
And the way in which we answer to God.
And it is ever necessary according to Paul
in his experience in the third heavens
it was even necessary for an apostle
for him to answer to the Lord
in a balanced way.
There was given unto me
a form for the flesh
and from such a source
a messenger of Satan
to profit me
lest I should be exalted
above measure.
A very solemn thing.
For this he restored to the Lord Christ
another four times.
He submitted.
He learns this.
That it is weakness
weakness
the power of Christ
with law and evidence
and then he says henceforth
henceforth he will accept it.
He will accept everything
that ministers not to his tribe
he will accept everything
that ministers to his conscious sense of weakness.
That's a very remarkable thing.
Because naturally
we'll be as far as far away from him
as ever we can
to his use of every means.
But in the light of this
and we're dealing with the highest truth
the glory of divine person
the high calling
to which we are called
and left in this world
we shall not need it in the glory
of Christ.
But here these things are necessary.
And so the way we answer
to this calling wherewith we are called
and bear in mind
that this calling refers to our being
a habitation of God by the Spirit.
That's the calling.
God dwells in us
by his Spirit
and the effect of being
in the presence of God
in the conscious sense
of God dwelling there
by his Spirit
where everything contrary to God
is judged in the power of the Spirit
and everything that is pleasing
to God is maintained
in the same power of the Holy Spirit.
It's in persons like ourselves
those who constitute the habitation of God
by the Spirit
there is the answer
to walk in worthy of this vocation
what comes out is
all
lowliness
all lowliness
and weakness
not weakness, but weakness
instead of answering for oneself
we leave it to God
who is well able to take up
everything
on our behalf, leave it to him
I believe that would answer him for this weakness.
An example of this is Moses in Numbers 12
when Millium
and Aaron
they had something to say
in the way of envy and resentment
to the place that Moses had
it's there where it says
the man Moses was very mean
he left it to God
the Lord took it up
come out you three
they three came out
and he put Aaron
and Moses
in that place
Moses never said a word
they had
they were obliged
as a result, for respect
the man in that responsibility
and God in call
and so this matter of meekness
say to the Lord, I am meek and lowly at heart
whatever they say, whatever they did
Isaiah 49
my judgment is with the Lord
and my work with my God
and God will give thee appropriate answer
there is a verse
going back to chapter 2
where it speaks of
and it's so beautiful
it is to see it in this light
in verse 20
verse 20
it is a person like this
where the Lord Jesus
had over all the things in the church
and here it says
the one who is the chief cornerstone
the conspicuous stone
in all the building
it doesn't say the Son of God
it says
Jesus Christ
what a lovely thing
that God who has witnessed all this
the crucifixion of Christ
the mockings and the deridings
the Lord left it with him
and God is well able
to give
the adequate answer is according to
Philippians 2
which was quoted this afternoon
God has decreed, he will see to this
God has decreed
that at the name of
Jesus
he is the Son of God
every knee
two knees
every tongue
everybody has a tongue
everybody has two knees
every tongue
Jesus Christ is Lord
to the glory of God the Father
how lovely to see
God's answer
Jesus Christ
himself being
the cornerstone
and so as we refer to verse 4
in the way
God being an
allegation of God
where God knows by the Spirit
these are the features
that show
how we answer
and walk worthy
to the vocation
wherewith we are called
to be humble in this
and meekness
and here we get the word longsuffering
excellence
marks us naturally
insufferable
we need to be very much on our guard
in our local meetings
being overbearing
always an overbearing man
he learned what it was
what this matter of meekness and longsuffering was
what a lovely thing it is
in Christianity
is not assessed by gift
if that was so
we should only have to consider the brothers
and the sisters
would be left out
but the assessment properly
of any Christian
anywhere
if not
any special gift
even though that gift
the Lord uses
and it is necessary
the assessment properly
of every one of us
is growth
in the divine nature
and we get these features here
our practice of being
the habitation of God
by the Spirit
our being together
on two occasions already
how beautiful to see a room
filled with people
and where a looker on
would like to say
there is
respect
to an unseen
authority
where everyone
is seen to be subject
isn't that lovely?
isn't that a sight in a world like this
where there is dissent
and noise and confusion
and to sit
crowded in a room
without a word spoken
in proper deportment
and with our hearts
going out to the Lord
and in love with one another
and all the saints
is surely a sight
for heaven
and God will be
in this
these are the features
and so the true assessment
of saints
sisters and brothers
in the divine nature
with the presence of God
by the Spirit
produces
it is seen to be contrary
quite the contrary
in the world and of course
it is
in chapter 4 and in this
epistle where saints
have this calling
we are not to walk as the other
Gentiles walk in the land of their mind
darkened in the dark
in the ignorance of not knowing God
and the ignorance of self indulgence
and self pleasing
and having no motive
the lowest motive
what a lovely thing
to be given the privilege
to answer to God
where God
is able to assess
looking on the heart
and not what is outward
looking on the heart
oh Lord in us
someone
remarked this afternoon
about the saints
and the body being
a perpetuation
that Christ is here
and that is what we get in conscience
when we are reading this afternoon
Christ was here and the heavens opened upon him
the Father's delight
expressed on a man
to the man of
Genesis 6
and all the outcomes
and even when we get the Jews
who read this afternoon
and this all came from a family
of Romans too
that were a privileged nation
that were able to represent
God and it has to be said
the name of God
is blasphemed
amongst the Gentiles
through the Jews
a privilege
a misrepresentation
what a lovely thing it is
for the company to be called
and where God
by his very dwelling
by the Holy Spirit
not in the tabernacle
of the wilderness
not in the temple of Solomon
but in the company of people
this is the material
the material
where
that material is produced
from the
ungodly
and the sinners
and the enemies
of Romans 5
to be
brought into the
true redemption
and the work of Christ
and to be tossed by the Spirit of God
like stones dressed
skillfully dressed
to be able to take their
place intelligently
in this
building where God is
pleased to dwell by his Spirit
so these are the features
that within this world
loneliness, all loneliness
and weakness
and this matter of long
suffering
not
discounting
the seed
for a long period
this long suffering
and this growth in the divine
nature will take us
into the presence of God
each of the sin offering
as though it were our own
and how
God would
be in a situation like this
and to be able to come from his presence
and to act as Christ would
have acted
what a lovely
thing it is
that there should be long suffering
and this in the epistle, the highest truth
long suffering is
essential and God has placed it
together, we do not choose our own company
God
has chosen us
to be that company
and he gives us the grace
where being
as good as we are
there is the grace of Christ
and the divine nature coming to light
in this matter of long suffering
and forbearing
one another in love
this is the divine nature
in Colossians 3 we get this said
Paul enumerates
and uses the doctrine
which is necessary, so necessary
the doctrine
but after then he says
having given
all this he says
to this add love
which is
the bond of
perfectness
doctrine
is not so said to be
the bond of perfectness, doctrine
is necessary, we have it in the doctrine
Christ is up to twice today
twice today
or once today
and we expect it tomorrow
but this matter
of love, the practical side
of things which God is developing in us
subduing us
breaking down the will
giving us a deeper appreciation of Christ
and in that self
just state that gives room
to Christ in the spirit
we have to see the saints
in the grace of Christ
and in the acceptance of Christ
instead of the
failures which mere human
nature would
not be able to get
so we have these blessed features
forbearing one another in love
and then if we conclude
verse 3 says
endeavoring
we are placed in this place
in the
where is there is the
unity of the spirit
it exists
the unity of the spirit
but since we are caught in the spirit's place
we have the exercise to maintain
and how is this fulfilled
the very absence
of self assertion
the very
the way that the spirit of God
would enable us to do as growth
in the divine nature in this
forbearance and non-suffering
and instead of
instead of
being always on our dignity
and quick to be insulted
the very opposite
is the result, it's our personal
continuation to maintain
the unity of the spirit
in the uniting bond of peace
in the way we judge
ourselves and our hearts
go out in love to the
saints in the growth
in this growth in the divine nature
the verse I did
read is
so assertive verse 4
a lovely thing to hold to this
this is where we have God's purpose
there is
we don't get this in the world
this is excluded
to the
saints who are taught of God
here it is, there is
one body
just as there is one
spirit and if we consider the young
the young know the difference
between one and two
one, there is one body
and one spirit
and one focus
of our calling
I believe this reference to our calling
could be the ultimate
how the saints will come out
publicly, if it says in chapter 2
Jesus Christ
the cheap corn stone
and the conspicuous places reserved for him
every eye to see it
so
there is a public
display in them
and I believe the heavenly city
of revelation
revelation 21
there could be
the answer the way this
calling could be
one hope of our
calling
the first chapter in the prayer
speaks of the
hope of God's calling
this is the
one hope of our calling
and a wonderful thing it is
that whilst there is yearning on suffering
there is the answer to that
in the saints who receive
an adequate vessel called
reigning with Christ
and what it is to judge
all that is unto the God
they are capacitated
in that day to be
the vessel
of God's administration
in association
with Christ Jesus …