Called From Above, and Heavenly Men by Birth (Little Flock Hymnbook #212)

1

Called from above, and heavenly men by birth

(Who once were but the citizens of earth),

As pilgrims here, we seek a heavenly home,

Our portion in the ages yet to come.

“Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.” (Hebrews 3:1)

“Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:13)

“Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” (1 Peter 2:11)

“For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.” (Hebrews 11:14-16)

2

Where all the saints of every clime shall meet,

And each with all shall all the ransomed greet,

But oh! the height of bliss, my Lord, shall be

To owe it all, and share it all, with Thee.

3

Thou wast "the image," in man’s lowly guise,

Of the invisible to mortal eyes;

Come from His bosom, from the heavens above,

We see in Thee incarnate, "God is love."

“Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.” (Colossians 1:15)

“Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him.” (Proverbs 8:30)

“And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.” (John 8:23)

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

“He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” (1 John 4:8)

4

Thy lips the Father’s name to us reveal;

What burning power in all Thy words we feel,

When to our raptured hearts we hear Thee tell

The heavenly glories which Thou know’st so well.

“Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.” (John 20:17)

“And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?” (Luke 24:32)

“And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” (John 17:5)

5

No curse of law, in Thee was sovereign grace,

And now what glory in Thine unveiled face!

Thou didst attract the wretched and the weak,

Thy joy the wand’rers and the lost to seek.

“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” (Galatians 3:13)

“And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” (John 1:16-17)

“Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” (Romans 5:20)

“But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.” (2 Corinthians 3:14)
“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)

“Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. And he spake this parable unto them, saying. What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” (Luke 15:1-7)

“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10)

6

That precious stream of water and of blood

Which from Thy piercèd side so freely flowed,

Has put away our sins of scarlet dye,

Washed us from every stain, and brought us nigh.

“But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.” (John 19:34)

“For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (Hebrews 9:26)

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)

“But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:13)

7

We are but strangers here, we do not crave

A home on earth, which gave Thee but a grave:

Thy cross has severed ties which bound us here,

Thyself our treasure in a brighter sphere.

“Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” (1 Peter 2:11)

“And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.” (Mark 15:46)

“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” (Galatians 6:14)

“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” (Philippians 3:8)

212. Called From Above, and Heavenly Men by Birth