One of the things Paul prayed for the people in the church at Ephesus was: “…the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling…” (Ephesians 1:18 NKJV). This was not for the Ephesian church alone. As Christians, each of us has that same high calling for our lives. Notice, from the following verses, the many qualities of the calling on our lives.
We have been called to liberty. “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty…” (Galatians 5:13 NKJV). We have been liberated from sin, sickness, demons, and fear. There is no need to put up with them any longer. Jesus has set us free.
We have been called to the fellowship of Jesus Christ. “By Him you were called into companionship and participation with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9 AMP). We have a right to enter the presence of God without the feeling of fear, guilt, or shame. Jesus has called us to fellowship with Him.
When God created mankind and placed him in the Garden of Eden, it was for a purpose. God created man for fellowship and companionship. Although Adam’s sin separated us from God, God’s purpose for creating mankind has not been altered. Redemption was planned to restore man to the place of fellowship with God. Now that we have been made God’s companion, we are an active part of what He is doing in the earth today.
We have been called to be conformed to the image of Jesus. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:28-29 NKJV).
God created mankind in His image and likeness. Genesis 1:26 says, “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth'” (NKJV). As believers, we are called of God, and the primary purpose of that calling is to reflect His image. We become the reflectors of God’s nature to the world.
Jesus was God in the flesh, and He perfectly revealed the desires and attitudes of the Father. We are the very flesh and bone of Jesus, the Body of Christ. He desires to indwell us to the degree that when people are with us, they become inspired to a fresh commitment to walk with God and are uplifted by the contagious way we look at life.
People wanted to hear what Jesus had to say because He reflected His Father’s heart. They will want to listen to us because we reflect Jesus.
