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Hope Of Our Calling

making mention of you in my prayers that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, gives you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in knowing him, to the extent the eyes of your hearts are enlightened so you know the hope of your calling, what are the riches of his glory, the inheritance among the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe...(Ephesians 1:16-18)

There is a growing in Christ, of knowing Christ, more and more. "Now, grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ..."(2 Peter 3:18) The Church grows "in the knowledge of Him into maturity, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."(Ephesians 4:12-14) Paul counts all things as loss through the surpassing worth of knowing Him, regarding all else as dung in order to gain Christ.(Philippians 3:8-10) In our leading verse, Paul prays that our Father (the Father of glory which we will see, it is about glory) gives us a spirit of wisdom and revelation in knowing him, to the extent that the eyes of our hearts are enlightened so we know the hope of our calling... 

His divine power gives freely to us everything for life and godliness through the knowledge of the one calling us, by his own glory and goodness...(2 Peter 1:3-5)

Though God has given us all things, we must grow "through our knowledge of the one" until we attain (like unity of faith in knowledge of him) to everything God has given to us for life and godliness, to that which He has called us to, his own glory and goodness. This is true in regards to many things in the Christian life, we grow through knowledge of him. For example, agape love, as we grow strong through the Spirit's power, Christ dwelling in our hearts through faith, and having been rooted in love, we have the ability to lay hold of a love that has no bounds, and this love begins to fill us to the fullness of God.(Ephesians 3:16-19) This growth in the knowledge of Him is how we are being conformed to His image, transformed by the renewing of the mind, consecrated in truth... all of which the outcome of is life. The outcome or fruit of maturity produces obedience, a mind that accepts God's will, as perfect, acceptable, and good, and the Father is glorified in that we bear much fruit thus lavishes on us more and more of his love.* 

... through whom giving us the precious and favored promises so that through them we come into existence, escaping the corruption in the world in sinful desire, becoming partakers of His divine nature. For this very reason make every effort to bring into your faith, to further add goodness, in goodness knowledge, in knowledge self-control, in self-control endurance, in endurance godliness, in godliness brotherly love, in brotherly love agape love. For if you possess these also you have more than enough to be rendered effective to the extent of your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the one not having these qualities is blind, nearsighted, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his past sins.(2 Peter 1:3-9)

Through the knowledge of Jesus, every promise of God is yes and amen, and through these precious and favored promises, we come into existence, the new man, escaping the corruption in the world in sinful desire, becoming partakers of His divine nature. We bring into our faith these qualities becoming like Him, thus such is a sign I am growing in the knowledge of Him. There is a greater boldness, loving fellowship, to be had as we grow in the knowledge of Christ, which brings about an obedience whereby we are called friends of God not servants.(John 15:9-15) So it is with hope, it increases as we grow in him. We grow in knowledge of Him, and the point of maturity is about the glory of God.

A child sees dimly who he is in Christ, he doesn't know how he is fully known in Christ. It is not that God loves more or less but he wants us to grow up, so he holds back his fellowship and will discipline his children so that we share in his holy character. This is the message John writes they heard from him and proclaim to us, God is light, there is no darkness in him, if we walk in the Light as He is light we have fellowship with one another.(1 John 1:6-7) We can call this type of love tough love, which is also seen in the church in brotherly love through admonishing, and even removing fellowship from a brother in sin, in hope of saving their soul.(1 Corinthians 5:2, 5,11, 13) Paul prays that the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened, to God's power which gives freely to us everything for life and godliness through the knowledge of Jesus. 

through whom we have obtained access by faith to this grace in which we stand and boast to the extent of the glory of God. Now, not only, rather we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that the suffering brings out as a result endurance, now endurance proves character and the proving hope, and hope doesn't disappoint because the love of God is poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.(Romans 5:2-5)

Endurance proves character, which is maturing into the fullness of Christ, which produces hope, so to get to hope we must endure the trial. "Know the testing of your faith brings out as a result endurance, now, possessing endurance having it's intended purpose, so that you exist mature and complete, lacking in nothing.(James 1:3-4) Maturity is the fullness we grow into in Christ.(Ephesians 4:12-14) The Spirit testifies of the need for endurance to produce hope, "the Spirit groans inwardly while we eagerly await the redemption of our bodies, for in this hope we are saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what he sees? Now, if we hope for what we do not see, we have expectation through endurance."(Romans 8:23-25) Endurance brings into effect maturity which gives hope, and hope doesn't disappoint as God pours out his love into our hearts as He is glorified in that we bear fruit of becoming like him, partakers of His divine nature. Hope works like God's love, we must mature in our knowledge of Jesus to be able to grasp and lay hold of it more and more. 

Through long-enduring, Abraham received what was promised.(Hebrews 6:15) To the heirs of the promise God wanted to make it clear in regards to that which he purposed in Christ, and according to this purpose he would not change, so for us who have taken refuge, we have a strong incentive to hold fast to the hope placed before us, having this like as an anchor for life, both sure and steadfast...(Hebrews 6:15-19) God purposed in Christ before he created the world that we would be chosen in Him, to exist holy, in His presence, in love, so predestining us for adoption as his own, sealing us with His Spirit as a guarantee.(Ephesians 1) We become heirs of the promise through the Spirit, born a new into the kingdom of heaven, thus the Spirit is a Spirit of adoption, and a Spirit of promise, the pledge of our inheritance.(John 3:3-6, Ephesians 1:13, Romans 8:15)

His divine power gives freely to us everything for life and godliness through our knowledge of him... through Him giving to us the precious and favored promises... becoming partakers of His divine nature... bringing into our faith,  further adding... to be rendered effective to the extent of our knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.(2 Peter 1:3-5) God was rich in mercy through his great love though we were dead in our sin, we were made alive in Christ, by grace saved and raised up and seated in the heavenly places.(Ephesians 2:4-6) This is what it means to be his workmanship created in Christ, I can't boast I did this supernatural thing through my works but it was a gift from God accomplished in me through faith. According to his great mercy we are born a new into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus.(1 Peter 1:3) What does it mean we are born into a living hope? The gospel proclaims Christ crucified and resurrected, for without his resurrection our faith is futile and if our only hope is in this life, then we would not be made alive in Christ but still be dead in our sins, as such men are to be pitied. (1 Corinthians 15:12-19) They go hand in hand, his death and resurrection.
 
In Christ, we also receive a share, predestined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all according to the counsel of His will, to the extent we, the ones hoping in Christ exist the praise of His glory.(Ephesians 1:11-14)

From the riches of His glory and grace God has blessed us with every spiritual blessings in Christ; adoption, redemption, forgiveness, favor, and an inheritance, (Ephesians 1:3-12) A sharing in the kingdom as co-heirs, sons. It is a beautiful description of the purpose that God had in Christ before he created the world, that we receive a share, yes, an inheritance but more, the ones hoping in Christ exist the praise of His glory. "Because it is God who said, “from darkness, light shines” who has given light to our hearts by the light of the glorious knowledge of God in the face of Christ."(2 Corinthians 4:5-6) 

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork the psalmist writes.(Psalm 19:1) But what does the heavens compare in glory to the Son? The Son created all things including the heavens.(John 1:3) He was the word who was with God and was God who became flesh, who was the glory of the one and only begotten of God.(John 1:1,14). And what does the sky's proclamation of his handiwork compare to His workmanship in us? The life that is in us that is the Light to men? For in Christ God has shined in our hearts the glorious knowledge of God in the face of Christ.(2 Corinthians 4:6) In Christ we come to know the glory of God and are being transformed from glory to glory.

Jesus said he was glorified in the ones the Father had given him.(John 17:10) And he was saying these things in the world so that we would know, so His joy would be made complete in us.(John 17:13) He prayed that the ones that were given to him be consecrated in truth.(John 17:19) He prayed that they may all exist one and share in His glory. "And also the glory like as given me I give them so that existing one just as we are one so that the world knows that you sent me and love them just as you loved me. Father, I desire so that these whom you have given me exist together with me where I am, so beholding my glory, whom you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world."(John 17:22-24) If we knew of His glory we would exist one, filled to fullness in him, filled with joy, love, peace... fruit of the Spirit and the world would know through the glory shining in us, that he is from the Father and that he loves them.

Whom God made known among the nations, the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.(Colossians1:27)

Paul prays, that "the eyes of your heart are enlightened" so we know the hope of our calling, and what is the riches of his glory. If the only hope I had was the beauty of an inheritance that looked much like that of earthly treasure, of gold and silver, then I would soon lose heart in this world. But thank God that here on earth, I am called to share in something greater, His glory. And when I do, hope springs alive in me. There is hope when I look into the face of Jesus in which the glory of God shines, as I am being transformed from glory to glory, into the image of Christ, and such bearing fruit glorifies God. The testing of our faith, enduring the trial brings about maturity which produces hope. It is a glorious thing to know what it means to rejoice in the trial. We pray for such strength, so to lay hold of his deep love so to share in his glory. The amazing thing about God's glory is that he did not just create us for his glory but so that we share in it. In other words, the reason he created us for his glory is to share it with us. Now, abide (in the knowledge of Christ, in whose face shines the glory of God) faith, hope, and love.

My Hope
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