Today the world and the society we live in equate a “calling” with the ability or talent an individual is born with. We have all heard the exclamation, “You sure missed your calling!” This calling is mostly attributed to something physical—a job, a sport—not a spiritual calling. What is a spiritual calling anyway? Who does the calling? And for what purpose?
Throughout the Bible God makes it evident that He works in dualities, type and antitype. The physical is often a type of the spiritual, just as physical circumcision is a type of spiritual circumcision—an inward change of the heart and mind (Rom. 2:28–29). And physical Israel of the Old Testament was a type of spiritual Israel of the New Testament.
Physical and spiritual
In reference to physical Israel, God said in Exodus 19:4: “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.” Strong’s Concordance #935 renders the Hebrew word translated brought as “bring forth, call, carry.” Therefore, God in effect called Israel to Himself out of Egypt—which is a type of sin. Israel was supposed to be God’s own peculiar people, a “special treasure and a kingdom of priests” “if she would indeed obey His voice and keep His covenant” (Ex. 19:5–6). Who brought or called Israel out of Egypt? God did! He called them out of a pagan, sinful and idolatrous nation to worship Him in the place He chose.
To worship Him—in effect to make their physical calling sure—they had to discontinue their worship of false gods, which they had learned from the Egyptians, and keep the covenant He made with them.
God did not give the promise of the Holy Spirit to the physical house of Israel of the Old Testament—their calling was physical only, not spiritual. That promise was to their descendants and later to the Gentiles: “And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams” (Acts 2:17).
Our unique calling
We need to understand that our spiritual calling is unique—it is the only calling of its kind in the plan of God. This calling actually makes us, and those called from the inception of the New Testament Church to the return of Christ, the firstfruits behind Jesus who has become the first of the first fruits born from the dead (I Cor. 15:20). Christ pioneered the way for others to follow. We are called ultimately to be kings and priests and rule with Christ during His 1,000 year reign here on earth (Rev. 20:4; 5:10). The apostle John notes that before we receive the kingly and priestly offices we must first be overcomers and keep God’s works: “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron…even as I received of my Father” (Rev. 2:26–27).
What will we look like at that time? Christ inspired the aged apostle John to write, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (I John3:2). What does Jesus look like? Read it from your own Bible: “His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two–edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength” (Rev. 1:14–16). No wonder John “fell down at His feet like he was dead” (v. 17).
Yes, He is a magnificent, glorious king bristling with awesome power that we cannot even begin to imagine. Christ does not look at all like the world religions picture Him—a weak, sickly, long–haired, effeminate looking person. Christ is going to return in His glorified form to collect the saints, the first fruits who have overcome and kept His law, and they will be changed to look just like Him.
A holy nation
Now, God through the apostle Peter refers those who have received this spiritual calling, from the apostolic era until this age, as “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people…” (I Pet. 2:9). For what reason have we received this calling? That we may “offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (v. 5).
{{RelatedContent}}We are Christ’s spiritual temple, being built up to be changed into His very likeness to rule with Him at His glorious return (I Cor. 3:16–17). Consider, as if that were not enough, we are to inherit all things with Him. All things—the entire awesome universe! As co–heirs with Christ, we will share in His glory and power in the God family (Rom. 8:16–17). What does this mean? We will no longer be restricted by this physical body—no more aches, pain and sickness—and we will be rulers with Christ. That is the glorious future for those who are called and chosen, and who make their calling sure (II Pet. 1:10–11). Jesus Christ says, “Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matt. 13:43). Not all who have ears will hear, and it is an awful shame that some will not hear until they enter into the great tribulation.
What are your plans today, tomorrow, next week, next month and next year? Are you going to be intently focused on and busy about making your physical future secure? Does your limited physical calling and future in this world match the unlimited spiritual calling and future in the glorious Kingdom and Family of God? That is our ultimate purpose and future that we have been called to. He who has ears to hear, let him hear and make his calling sure.