A heavenly calling is not in itself exclusive to the church, for such a thing was known even in the Old Testament. In the first part of Hebrews 11, the Spirit of God refers to men like Abel, Enoch, Noah and Abraham, of whom it is said in verse 13, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” Then in verse 16 we read, “But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly.” So these men all looked for heavenly blessings rather than earthly ones, and with this hope, they lived as strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
The church, however, has a heavenly calling that is unique. Not only are we called to be strangers and pilgrims, but we are directly united to a risen Christ in glory. More than this, Christ is the center and pivot around which all of God’s purposes revolve, and Christ and the church are one. To be sure, God’s dealings with men on the earth revolve around Israel, and they will be brought back into blessing on earth during the day of the millennial kingdom. In that day they will be God’s administrative center in the world, and the kingdom will be governed from Jerusalem. However, they will not have the nearness to Christ and the place of blessing that the church will have. Not only will the church administer the kingdom with Christ, but they will have that special place of nearness to His heart that characterizes the bride. She is the bride of Christ, and even in the eternal state, when the kingdom as such has been delivered up “to God, even the Father” (1 Cor. 15:24), she is still presented “as a bride adorned for her husband” (Rev. 21:22And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (Revelation 21:2)).
The Families in Heaven
Even in heaven all will not share that place of nearness, for Scripture speaks of “every family in the heavens” (Eph. 3:1515Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, (Ephesians 3:15) JND), showing us that there will be different families in heaven. So the Lord Jesus could say of John the Baptist, “Among them that are born of women there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Matt. 11:1111Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. (Matthew 11:11)). John the Baptist will be in heaven, for he will have “part in the first resurrection” (Rev. 20:66Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:6)), but positionally he will not be part of the church, and in that sense all who are part of the church will be greater than he.
The Favored Place of the Church
Thus we see that the church is in a most favored place in God’s sight. Others were called to look forward to heavenly blessings, but only the church is united to a risen Christ in glory. Only the church will be the bride of Christ in heaven for all eternity. The question arises, “Does this have its proper effect in our lives?” Paul could say to the Corinthians, “I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Cor. 11:2). The church is to be only for Christ, like a woman who waits for her wedding day, yet she is left in this world to be a living witness for the One who has given everything in order to have that “one pearl of great price” (Matt. 13:4646Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. (Matthew 13:46)). May we have our Bridegroom before us and live as those who wait for Him to come at any moment!
Remembering Our Calling
If we remember our heavenly calling, it makes the pathway of faith simple. We will not be asking whether it is all right to do this or that, but rather will feel instinctively what is appropriate for those who are engaged to Christ, the man presently rejected by this world. We will not be mixing with the world on its level, but will be like the woman in the Song of Solomon who delighted to tell others of the beauties of her Beloved. If our hearts are really full of anticipation for His coming, it will show on our faces and in our lives. Our longing will be to see the One who loves us and died for us, and we will want to be at home with Him. Because He is absent, everything down here will fail to interest us, even though we may, up to a point, enjoy the things of nature that He has created and given for our good. But all bears the stamp of death, and we look for that which is heavenly.
If we can only grasp what our heavenly calling means, it can only draw us closer to the blessed One who is our Bridegroom and whose coming is our hope! W. J. Prost