Paul’s first “sight” request is that we would know what is the hope to which God has called us. There are two key words here that we need to make sure we understand: hope and called. But before we get there, I want you to see something really important. Ephesians has six chapters. The first three focus primarily on theology - what is true about God, His plans, His purposes, and His people. The final three focus mainly on the application of these realities. And so we get the “therefore…” in Eph. 4:1. And it is here that we see nearly the same phrase: “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called….” And then verse 4: “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call.” Grasping this hope that belongs to our call is not just a nice encouragement. It is essential to us responding practically - walking worthy - to the call.
Let’s start with the word called. We find this word all over Scripture. So how does its usage elsewhere shed light on this passage?
- Take 1 Corinthians 1:9… “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” We’ve been called/summoned into a relationship, a fellowship with the Godhead!
- 1 Timothy 6:12 says, “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called.” Called to eternal life!
- 1 Thessalonians 2:12… “We exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.” Called into His own kingdom and glory!
- And in case you think this is just Pauline language, Peter says, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9)…. And again in 1 Peter 5:10, “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” And again in 2 Peter 1:3, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.” Called out of darkness, into His marvelous light, into His eternal glory in Christ, to His own glory and excellence!
Do you hear it? Glory. Glory. Glory. How fitting then that Paul tells us he is praying to the Father of glory (v. 17), this God for whom all things are done to praise His glory! (Eph. 1:6, 1:12, 1:14)
And when God calls, we respond. Just as Lazarus - a dead man - responded to Christ’s death-defeating call (Jn. 11:43-44), so we who were dead in our sins, were enabled by His effectual call to respond, being given new life (Eph. 2:5). This calling is undeniable and irrevocable, as Romans 11:29 tells us. It cannot be undone or changed or taken back. Glory!
So, what hope do we have in this calling? I hope you see it in the call itself! But we need to understand that this hope is not an “I hope so” hope like we tend to use the word today. It’s not dependent on how good we are, or smart or faithful or pious. Rather, it is a certain hope because of His promise to do so. If I can give you perhaps the most encouraging verse to support this, here it is: “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it” (1 Thess. 5:24). What an amazing hope we have!!
So let’s pray for one another this week, that we would truly come to understand and believe this incredible hope that God has called us to - a hope of glory with Him, in Him, for Him, forever. And then let’s pray that we will walk worthy of that calling together, until the day when His work in us is complete, and He can say to us, “I have surely done it! Well done, good and faithful servant.” ❤️🙏🏼
