THE UPWARD CALL

[FAITH]

 Many Christians muddy along, hoping for nothing loftier than a short reprieve from sin and self-condemnation. Should the lowliness of our limited expectation have veto power over the enormity of God's promises?

May it never be!

Scripture assures us that OUR CHRIST CALLING to God's PURPOSE for our life, even as lowly as we feel sometimes, is an upward climb that relies upon faith in God's abilities and Christ's redemption.

 

"Forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:13,14

We are not harnessed to our flaws and weaknesses; rather, in spirit-to-Spirit fusion we are united to the resurrection power of Heaven! Our mission is not merely to attend church but to walk with God, whose eternal goal has predestined us to be "conformed to the image of His Son" (Romans 8:29), which requires a life of purpose and DESTINY.

WALKING WITH PURPOSE

No one wants to make another trip through the wilderness. This is not a time to walk in circles. We are to walk with a true goal, aim, and purpose, making the most of each occasion, because we know the time is short (see Ephesians 5:14-17). Paul, the apostle, instructs us to walk purposefully toward one true goal -- God's PURPOSE for our life (see Philippians 3:12-16).

We must constantly seek to understand what God wants us to become -- our DESTINY.

"Matthew 7:8 AMP - "For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, the door will be opened."

What God has made us places upon us an obligation to fulfill the purpose (our Christ calling)  for which we were formed.

The "sound" of our Godly calling should be nothing less than the driving force behind how we live our entire life.

"Now you belong to Him who was raised from the dead in order that we might be useful in the service of God." - Romans 7:4

We can begin to walk in our PURPOSE so we can commence to bear fruit that remains for His Kingdom.

Paul states in 2 Corinthians 5:9, "Therefore we make it our aim, to be well pleasing to Him."  We must desire to fully finish the course--in such a manner as to hear the Lord say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

 

OUR NEW IDENTITY

 

It is imperative that we realize our Christ identity.  In Colossians 2:9 we discover this central fact concerning Christ Jesus:  "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily."

Since we are in Christ we also possess the fullness of the Godhead.

Our outlook on life is changed as we contemplate:  "And you are complete IN HIM who is the head of all principality and power." (Colossians 2:10)

"You are complete," which means we lack nothing at all, as we abide in Him.  Abiding in Christ and allowing Him to flow freely out of us enables us to function with the greatest degree of success, thus implementing God’s  CALLING upon our life.

When we catch a glimpse of our Christ identity, we see sin to be the boring, useless, and stupid thing it really is and we turn more easily away from it. This other side has to do with the rich inheritance that we share in with Jesus Christ as co-heirs (see Romans 8:17; Ephesians 1:7, 11). We need to spend much more time confessing, not our sins, but who we are in Christ according to the teachings of the apostles. "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful" (Hebrews 10:23).

We must not allow our past but rather our Christ identity define us! We are sons and daughters of a great King and His Blood is flowing in our veins. Unless we come to understand our eternal identity, we will not become instruments for noble purposes. We will not enter into a holiness from Heaven. We will not be useful to God.

 

POSITIONING OUR HEARTS

 

"That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened that you may know what is the hope of His CALLING...." - Ephesians 1: 17,18

We can position our hearts to become an open portal to Heaven -- where God infuses us with His presence and revelation abounds -- flowing to us and through us.

 

 

ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

https://afministry.ning.com/