That phrase, “the upward call of God” is at the center of this passage of scripture and is at the core of the context of the scripture. In other words, the term “the upward call “ throws light on the surrounding verses and helps to explain the verses before and after its use. The entire passage hinges on the proper understanding of this phrase, the upward call or high calling of God.

Because it is stated, “the upward call ‘of God,’” it is clear the one who is doing the calling is God the Father. And to whom is He calling, and why or for what purpose is He calling? These and other questions need answering. And to answer it we must consider the following three verses which will shed light on these questions.

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Qualifying for the Race — The single qualification to enter this race is having spiritual life; a man without spiritual life, zoe, has no vitality and is unfit and unable to run this race. For the believer, it is written in 1 Jn. 512 “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” Therefore God has chosen us in Christ (Eph. 1.4), He is our sole qualification; and furthermore, it is written in Jud. 1.1 “we are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ;” which may more broadly be interpreted as, “being called we have received an invitation to enter that race, and have been consecrated or set apart by God to be a runner in it, and that He watches over us attentively as we run the race before us, able to preserve us to the finish.” Heb. 12.1-2 continues,

“let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus.”

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Ps. 122.1-2 “1I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.

2Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!’”

Just who is the “I” in this verse; and why is he “glad” to hear the beckoning call from the passerby? Firstly, many, including myself, can identify as the “I” in this verse, perhaps you may also. The reason being is that I too was once the one standing within your gates of Jerusalem. No, I was not in the city Jerusalem, Israel; there is a physical Jerusalem and a heavenly spiritual Jerusalem. (See Heb. !2.22, Gal.4.26) The first is the abiding place for the natural man, the man of flesh; the latter city is the abiding place for the spiritual man, as it is written, Heb. 12.22 “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,…” It was within this latter case I found my feet were “standing” within the gates of religion, just as the hearer in this verse.

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The previous Episode began laying the foundation for understanding just what is the “normal” Christian life. The “normal” that we see today seems to fall far short of the normal Christian life revealed in scripture—where there is a higher standard set. It seems that over time the Church has evolved to what it is today, but its evolution has largely been guided more by the mind of man, in a religious way involving certain doctrines, rituals, and routine; and not after Christ which brings life to the inner man, life that is new and spontaneous. There is a vast difference between Christianity as a religion and Christianity as life. We will now further examine the remainder our Ephesian passage in more detail.

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About 50 years ago, when I was quite young in the faith, I came across a book written by Watchman Nee entitled, "The Normal Christian Life." I was totally overwhelmed and amazed by the fact that what we may "think" is a normal life for a Christian is not at all normal, especially when compared to Biblical, New Testament, standards. It seems that on the one hand there is the church that has "evolved" over the years, that has become more sophisticated and formal, and today it is a center for the Christian “religion.” Many would describe this church as a good church with a good pastor, good worship and good caring people; perhaps family and community minded. I am reminded of an old saying, “The good is the enemy of the best” meaning that settling for something that is simply “good” and seemingly safe and comfortable can prevent you from striving for something higher, or the “best.” In regards to our faith, it implies that complacency, combined with mediocrity, can be a hindrance from pressing on to greater revelation and life in Christ; to a place where spiritual understanding dispels complacent behavior.

In a divine covenant, God sovereignly establishes the nature of the relationship between Himself and man. God binds Himself by His own oath to keep His promises set forth under the covenant. Still, there are conditions attached to the oath on the side of man; if he does not keep the covenant’s conditions there will be consequences. A clear distinction must be made between the conditions, promises, and consequences under the Old Covenant cut in the blood of goats and bulls and the conditions of the New Covenant cut in the in the blood of Christ. It is as Jesus said at the last supper, “For this is My blood of the ‘new’ covenant,…” Mt. 26.28 By emphasizing the word “new” He was affirming this divine covenant did not just add to the Old Covenant but it superseded it and was to completely replace the Old Covenant. The New is not the reconditioning of the Old like one reconditions a house, but is a replacement of the Old, a house built upon a new foundation, not one of “the Law” but a foundation which is Christ. It is confirmed again in scripture, Heb. 13.8 “In that He says, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.”

Man was created a tripartite being in the beginning and he will always be body, spirit and soul even unto eternity. This means that salvation must, by all means, come to all three components of man or he will be incomplete in eternity--first salvation comes to the spirit in the new birth, then the soul is progressively saved in this lifetime, and finally the resurrection of the body will occur at the return of Christ. If in this age one is saved in spirit and soul, and he dies, what happens to his body? It returns to the earth for it has not yet been redeemed. A soul in this state is Biblically stated to be found “naked” in the afterlife. Those believers now in the afterlife wait with us who are alive for the completeness of salvation, the resurrection of our bodies.

The Law of the Old Testament on the prophetic side was perfect for it undoubtedly pointed to Christ. However, on the moral side the Law held a standard of righteousness no one, not the highest of high priests, could obtain. Sin was made known to them through the law and the need for a savior was made obvious through their inability to keep the Law. So too, my good friend Albert tried as he may to control his character: his temper, attitudes, selfish actions, religious devotion, and so on, but grew increasing frustration that any sense of obedience did not bring any change in character, or any degree of deliverance from the “old man of sin.” Then one day it all became abundantly clear to him, that a life lived in union with Christ is presented as being righteous before God. Legalism brought him no closer to God; but it is obtained “in Christ.”