We're going to look at Heavenly
Calling, Part 2. Look with me if you would again
at Hebrews Chapter 3, Verse 1. Wherefore, holy brethren, Paul
here addressing wherefore, because of all that he had just told
in Hebrews 1 and 2 about the Lord Jesus being a better high
priest, a better sacrifice, better than angels, better than men, the Son of God, wherefore, because
of all of that, holy brethren, you who are holy, partakers,
members of the heavenly calling, those of you who have been called
out of darkness, consider the apostle and the high priest of
our profession, Christ Jesus. And we're going to look at the
apostle and the high priest of our profession next week. That
might even be two lessons, I don't know. But those who are called
is once again our subject this morning. Those who are called
are there are people who have been called out by the almighty,
irresistible grace of God from the darkness that we all once
walked in into the light of His Son, the Lord Jesus. We've been
called out of bondage into liberty. We've been called out of turmoil
into peace. And we'll look at that a little
deeper, a simple peace, in our next message, our main message
for this morning. We've been called out of the
enmity that we once were against God into a fellowship with God,
to a fellowship with his dear son. And we've been called out
of sin unto holiness. Over in Galatians chapter 1 verse
6, we read this, Paul says, I marvel that ye are so soon removed from
him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another
gospel. We're told that God has also
called us into the grace of Christ, as we just read there. I marvel
that you are so soon removed from him that called you into
the grace of Christ. We've been called by the grace
of Christ. We've been called by the preaching
of the gospel of the grace of Christ. We've been called into
the blessed experience of the grace of Christ. And we've been
called to be partakers of and to enjoy all of the blessings
of God's grace and his son, the Lord Jesus. Salvation in its
totality, a matter of pure and free, sovereign grace, unconditional,
immutable grace, let us rejoice. Let us rejoice that we've been
called out of that darkness into his immutable grace And we looked
at that a little bit in last week's message But we looked
at those who are called those who have ears to hear Folks it's
only by God's grace that you and I hear the truth of what
we what we read in God's Word Completely it's only by his grace
that Speaking to you and I, speaking to our heart. Speaking to our
heart through the preaching of his word. I know there's a guy
standing here before you reading the word of God. But none of
us have heard with our ears God's audible voice through his son.
But we have heard his voice through his word, through the preaching
of his word. We're called into the grace of
Christ Our salvation, the salvation of our souls does not depend
on the works of our hands, our decisions, our emotions, our
hearts, our feelings, or the feelings that we lack. And I
say that with a little bit of strength to that because how
often do you and I not fall into that temptation of feeling we're
lost forever because we have a lack of something. You know,
I don't act like I think a Christian should act sometimes. I get stupid. I get foolish in thinking that
I'm something when really I'm nothing. Does that not come to
your mind once in a while as well? Do you not get to a point
sometimes where you think, I would never do that. I would never
do what that person just did. Really? Oh, yes I would. Sometimes we lack, don't we?
We lack strength in our faith. Aren't you thankful it's not
even, we don't even depend on the exercise of our own wills
for our salvation? Folks, salvation is of the Lord.
That's grace. That's a piece that we can grab
a hold of, knowing that it has nothing to do with us, that we
can't mess it up. It's all of Him. Every bit of
our salvation is of the Lord. We have no confidence in this
flesh. He who has called us by His grace has called us under
His kingdom and under His glory. In 1 Thessalonians 2, 12, we
read these words, that ye would walk worthy of God, who hath
called you unto his kingdom and glory. So we've been called.
We see in his word. He's not only called us with
a holy calling. We're not just partakers of that,
as being partakers of that calling. We're partakers of the calling
into his glory, into his kingdom. Listen to me, believers. Hear
these words. The Lord of glory has called
you unto his kingdom. He's called you unto his glory. He's called you into the possession
of his kingdom of grace here on this world and a kingdom thereafter
which can never be taken away from us. And he has called us
to inherit that kingdom of glory for eternity. The Lord will give you grace
and glory is what we read in his word. This kingdom and the
glory of it are not the things that we earn, but they are gifts
of God's free and sovereign grace in Christ. Remember the story
of Mephibosheth? Now I said that name wrong. Mephibosheth. There you go. Remember that story? He was the last remaining relative
of Saul, King Saul, a wicked man. He was the last remaining
one. And David sent out words and
said, is there anyone left of Saul? They said, well, yeah,
there's this guy who can't walk. And what did David do? He said,
go fetch him. Go get him. That's the word of
God coming to each and every one of us. Go get him. And when it's the power of God
behind the word of God, Guess what's going to happen? We're
going to be fetched, aren't we? We're going to be brought to
the Lord. Even though we can't walk of our own free will, we're
going to be brought to the Lord. We're going to be made willing
in the day of His love. The kingdom and the glory He
has called us into is an everlasting kingdom, everlasting glory. We've been called by the grace
of God to obtain to the obtaining, as it says in 2 Thessalonians
2.14, to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we obtained it. Obtained
it, we shall. Listen to the word of Colossians
3.4, when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall
ye also appear with him, where? In glory. This is our calling,
a calling unto glory. Those who are called are called
into one hope of their calling. That's in Ephesians 4. All who are called have the same
promise of eternal inheritance. And I want to show you that.
Look over at Hebrews chapter 9. In Hebrews chapter 9, we see that
we are called to the promise of an eternal inheritance. Hebrews 9 verse 15 Hebrews chapter
9 verse 15 read with me we're talking about the promise of
eternal inheritance and for this cause it says he is the mediator
of the New Testament that by means of death for the redemption
of the transgressions that were under the first testament they
which are called might receive the promise of of eternal inheritance. Look at another one, if you would,
over at 1 Peter, chapter 1. Turn over to 1 Peter, just before
1, 2, and 3 John. 1 Peter, chapter 1. We look at verses 3 and 4. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy
hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead, to an inheritance, this is that eternal inheritance
that you and I have been called to by the promise of God, to
an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth
not away, reserved in heaven for you. All who are called are
called to and have been given the same glory for their internal
inheritance. Look over at John chapter 17. This is where the Lord prayed
to the Father for His people. Over in John chapter 17. This
is the glory that we have been promised. The glory that we've
been called to. In John 17, verse 22, And the glory which thou gavest
me, this is the Lord praying for us, praying for us. Look
back, actually let's start back at verse 20. Neither pray I for
these alone, those that were with the Lord at that very moment,
while he walked this earth, but for them also which shall believe
on me through their word, that they all may be one as thou,
Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in
us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me, and the
glory which thou gavest me I have given them, that they may be
one even as we are one. We've been called. We've been
called to the same glory as the Lord Jesus himself. Here is a
call which falls from the lips of the Son of God himself. May
God the Holy Spirit make it irresistible and effectual
to all who read these lines of his almighty grace. This is indeed
the heavenly calling that the writer of Hebrews is writing
about in Hebrews 3. This is it, that heavenly calling,
and I ask, I pray that the Lord may make you a partaker of it
for Christ's sake. Come unto me, he says, all ye
that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take
my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in
heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls, for my yoke
is easy and my burden is light. This is the call. This is the
call that the Lord Jesus gives to you and I, and he makes it
an effectual call, a holy call. Come to Christ and he'll give
you rest. Take the yoke of Christ upon you and learn of him, and
you shall find rest for your soul. His yoke is easy, and his
burden is light. It also says holy brethren in
our text. Back in Hebrews chapter 3 verse
1 it says holy brethren and then he says partakers of the heavenly
calling. Three words, three words here
that the Lord uses to describe each and every person for whom
he died on the cross. Even if you don't know the Lord
Jesus this day, Even if you've never experienced the grace that
he has for his people and that experience is coming, this is
for you. If he laid down his life and
shed his blood, this is for you. Holy brethren, those who are
perfect, those who are righteous, holy brethren, partakers those
who are partaking of the holy calling. Three words, holy, brethren,
and partakers. These three words, the Spirit
of God tells us about all true believers, three things which
characterize all who trust the Lord Jesus Christ. Holy. Holy, brethren. All true believers
are holy. None are holy by nature. None
make themselves holy by doing something that they will do or
experience. No, believers understand this
clearly, that all who have experienced the grace of God and salvation,
we know and gladly confess that Christ, the Lord, Christ is the
Lord our righteousness. We know we have none of our own. And we know that To be righteous,
to be considered holy, we must be in Christ. It's his righteousness
that was imputed to us, or we have none at all. Holy. We are made holy by having the
righteousness of Christ made ours, and that is the work of
God and God alone. God's great work of justification
took place outside of you and I. That means it took place whether
you and I were there or not. And we weren't there, were we,
when Christ walked this earth? So our holiness is a work of
God outside of our time, without our aid. Just as Christ was made
to be sin for you and I, though He did no sin, we were made righteous
in God in Him, through God in Him. Though we can do nothing
righteous of this self. Look at Romans chapter 5. Turn
over to Romans chapter 5 for a moment. You know, in John 3, 16 it says,
Whosoever believeth. One thing for sure about God's
people. Kathy and I were talking about
this the other day. You know, we all struggle with the sin
that's within us at times and wonder, am I truly saved? And then God speaks to our hearts
about something. And this was something that God
spoke to our hearts as we had our discussion the other day
about believing. How do we know we're saved? We
believe. That's how. We don't know that
we're saved by our actions, folks. Our actions will deceive us each
and every time. Even if your actions are what
you might think is righteous, It will be deceiving to you. But something I know is I believe. As Kathy said, you know, I believe. I believe what God tells me about
what I am and who he is. And here in Romans chapter 5,
look at verse 17, for if by one man's offense death reigned by
one, much more, they which receive abundance of grace and of the
gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. Therefore, because of that, because
of the gift of righteousness, and the reigning of life in one
who is in Jesus Christ. Therefore, because of that, as
by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation,
even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon
all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience
many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many
be made righteous. Look at one more if you would.
Go to the right again, 2 Corinthians chapter 5. 2 Corinthians chapter 5. Verse
21, for he hath made him. He hath made him. Folks, this
is our holiness. He who knew no sin, For he hath
made him to be sin for us who knew no sin. He who knew no sin
was made sin for you and I, that we might be made the righteousness
of ourselves. Is that what he said? No. No. No, there's no righteousness
in John Reeves. But there is a wonderful righteousness
in my Savior that we might be made the righteousness of God
in Him. As I said those words, I heard
you all, or not all of you, but several of you, reading those
words out loud. Is that not good news to you
and I, sinners saved by grace? that we would be made the righteousness
of God in Him. Our sanctification in the new
birth, God the Holy Spirit creates a new man within us. He makes
those who are the recipients of His grace to be partakers
of the very nature of His Son, the Lord Jesus. He plants within
us the holy nature which is born of God. And we read about that
over in 2 Peter. Turn over to 2 Peter chapter
1. Look at verse 4 with me over in 2 Peter chapter 1. Whereby are given unto us, it
says, 2 Peter chapter 1 verse 4. Whereby are given unto us
exceeding great and precious promises that by these ye might
be partakers, partakers of the divine nature. Having escaped
the corruption that is in the world through lust. Escaped that
corruption. Now one more if you would over
to the right again. 1 John chapter 3. Just a couple of pages to
the right there. The very next book. 1 John chapter
3. Look at verses 6-9 with me. Whosoever
abideth in him, it says in verse 6, 1 John chapter 3, verse 6,
whosoever abideth in him. Now is that something you did? Is that something you did? Is that something we did to abide
in Christ? No. Christ has to give us a new
heart. He has to cut that old heart
that we were born without and replace it with a new heart.
Verse 6, whosoever abideth in him sinneth not. What? Whosoever sinneth hath
not seen him, neither know him. Verse 7, little children, let
no man deceive you. He that doeth righteousness is
righteous even as he is righteous. He that commiteth sin is of the
devil, for the devil sinneth but from the beginning. For this
purpose the Son of God was manifest, that he might destroy the works
of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth
not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot
sin, because he is born of God. This new nature. This new nature
that we are partakers of, this new man that which is begotten
of God in us is Christ Jesus in you, the hope of glory. Next
thing he calls us is brethren. All who are born of God are brethren,
we're believers. We're brethren in Christ, we
all call upon one Father, God Almighty. All true believers
are brethren. We are all born of God. We all
have one father. We are all partakers of one spirit. We share one common hope. We
all have one elder brother. We are all members of one blessed
family, washed in the blood of Christ and robed in his righteousness. Brother Don Fortner wrote this.
He said, being brethren in Christ, we all believe the same gospel.
We all seek the same things. We all worship the same altar,
that's Jesus Christ. We all seek the same thing, that's
Jesus Christ. The same gospel, that's Jesus
Christ. And we are all motivated by the same things, by Christ,
the will and the glory of God. He also said, being brethren,
we love one another, forgive one another, we encourage one
another, we support one another. Our common bond is the blood
of Christ. Our unifying principle is the
glory of God, and our strength is the unity of the Spirit. Partakers of a heavenly calling. We looked at this the other day,
but I want to repeat it. Some people of this world are
described as the called, as we read in Romans 1 and Romans 8.
We looked at those the other day. Those who are called of
Jesus Christ are God's elect, partakers of His precious blood,
partakers of His death, partakers of His resurrection. Everything
that happened to Christ, we were in Him as He did it. That means
that we were in Him from before the world was. We've been partakers
of God's holy calling before creation was ever made. even
though we didn't know it. What a calling that God would
give his people, his children, those that he had loved from
before the world was.