"That Ye May Know What Is The Hope Of His Calling
Paul's prayer for the Ephesians was that the eyes of their heart "might be enlightened that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, etc." (Eph, 1:18). This is vital knowledge. Every human being needs to know what is the hope of God's calling. To know definitely and correctly what is the hope of God's calling is just as important for us now as it was for those living 1900 years ago. The question for many is, "Where should I go to learn of the hope of his calling". What is the hope of his calling? What are its distinctive characteristics? The Bible is the only source of knowledge on the subject.
There is "one hope" (Eph. 4:4). This one hope is referred to as "the hope of his calling" (Eph. 1:18), "the hope of the promise made of God unto the fathers" (Acts 26:6), and Paul declared that he had "hope toward God, which these also themselves look for, that there shall be a resurrection both of the just and unjust" (Acts 24:15). Hope, now as always, looks for "a resurrection both of the just and unjust". Paul's "hope toward God" was the hope "which these (the Jews) also themselves look for" and that hope is "that there shall be a resurrection both of the just and unjust."
The hope of the resurrection is based upon the promise of God. Paul declared to Agrippa: "And now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers" (Acts 26:6). No matter how intense the desire, how urgent the longing, in the absence of a promise of God, no real hope exists. Our concern should be to learn what God has promised. When the eyes of our heart are enlightened by prayerful study of God's promises recorded in the Bible, we "know what is the hope of his calling". Christ promised that " the hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice and shall come forth: they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment" (John 5:28, 29).
Hope And The Power Of God
"Why is it judged incredible with you if God doth raise the dead?" (Acts 26:8) Agrippa regarded the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead as incredible. The Sadducees erred concerning the resurrection of the dead due to their ignorance of the Scriptures and the power of God (Matt.23:29). The raising of the dead is, of course, incredible to those who accept only that which falls within the reach of personal experience. The knowledge of the resurrection of the dead is, of course, incredible to those who accept only that which falls within the reach of personal experience. The knowledge of the resurrection of the dead comes from the Scripture as well as the knowledge of the power of God. The power necessary to raise the dead is outside the range of our personal experimental knowledge but we can know, in some sense, the power of God for this was one of the specific things of Paul's prayer for the Ephesians -"that ye may know what the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe" (Eph. 1:19.) Hope is "an anchor of the soul... both sure and steadfast" (Heb.6:19) to those who know the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward. In order to enable man to know the greatness of God's power to us-ward, the apostle points to the demonstration of that power of God as exhibited in raising Christ from the dead. (See Eph. 1:20-22). The power of God to us-ward is identified as the power which God exerted in raising Christ from the dead and putting him "far above all rule, and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and he put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all" (Eph. 1:21-23). This power of God exercised in accomplishing the resurrection and exaltation of Christ is the power to us-ward who believe. It is significant that the apostle gives the extended discussion of the power of God in connotation with the hope of God's calling. Assurance of power, to accomplish the thing promised, must exist in the heart of a person before hope toward God is present in the heart to anchor the soul to heaven. Deficiency in knowledge of the hope of his calling exists with any who do not "know the exceeding greatness of his power". This is a prevalent lack.
A stupendous miracle is required to raise from the dust the natural body, transform it into a spiritual body and also change the natural body of those still living into a spiritual body. A basic consideration is power. Is there such power and will that power be exerted in bringing this miracle to pass? As noted above, Paul includes the "exceeding greatness of God's power to us-ward who believe" as one of the things that he desires us to know. The resurrection of Christ from the dead is God's demonstration of his power to raise men from the dead and his pledge that his power will be wrought to bring the resurrection to pass. "But now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the first fruits of them that are asleep. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order; Christ the first fruits; then they that are Christ's at his coming" (1 Cor.15:20-23). God, by whose power Jesus was raised from the dead and exalted to heights incomprehensible and immeasurable to man, made the promise upon which hope depends. The exhibition of that power in the resurrection of Jesus is our strong assurance that we too "may attain unto the resurrection from the dead" (Phil. 3: 11).
The doctrine of the resurrection of Christ and the doctrine of the general resurrection are so related that proof of one is proof of the other. As the resurrection of Christ is a pledge of the general resurrection, it is readily seen that the denial or doubt of the general resurrection is denial or doubt of the resurrection of Christ. Paul points this out in these words, "But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither hath Christ been raised" (1 Cor. 15:13). The doctrine of the general resurrection and the resurrection of Christ stand or fall together. The general resurrection, being thus dependent upon the resurrection of Christ, is established when the resurrection of Christ is established. The evidence in proof of Christ's resurrection proves the general resurrection, hence the apostle concentrates on the resurrection of Christ in his presentation of the case in 1 Cor.15. The evidence which he marshaled in his answer to the false teachers who taught that there is no resurrection of the dead is evidence in proof of the third proposition of the gospel, "he hath been raised on the third day according to the Scriptures". The belief of the third proposition of the gospel involves faith in the power of God by which this miracle was performed. But this power is also exercised to us-ward who believe, hence, if you truly believe that God raised Jesus, your hope is living hope.
The mental energies of believers directed in diligent study of the "many infallible proofs" of the fact of the resurrection of Christ will yield rich rewards in "a hope both sure and steadfast and entering into that which is within the veil; whither as afore-runner Jesus entered for us.:' (Heb. 6:19).
The Hope And The Fathers
Abraham's hope, based upon the promise of God, was the hope toward which the twelve tribes, Paul and all saints, strive. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, all heirs of the same promise, "looked for the city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God" (Heb.11:9,10). Not only was the expectation of these ancient people directed away from the earth but their desire also was above and beyond material objects which could be provided within temporal limitations - "They desire a better country, that is a heavenly, wherefore God is not ashamed of them to be called their God; for he hath prepared for them a city" (Heb.11:16). The hope of Abraham and other Old Testament worthies involved the resurrection of the dead - "These all died" (Heb. 11:13), but their hope reached beyond this event to a better country, to the city prepared for them by God. Their hope would have been nothing but wishful dreaming if God is not able to resurrect them to enjoy the city in the better country.
"With What Manner Of Body"
The kind of body with which the righteous will be clothed has over the centuries been a matter of keen interest. The apostle, by the Holy Spirit, anticipated the questions and laid down some of the characteristics of the glorified body in 1 Cor. 15. The careful reader learns from that chapter that the new body will be incorruptible, glorious and immortal. It will be changed for the better - the dead shall be raised incorruptible and the living will be changed. The new bodies will be suitable for the eternal state.
In line with these thoughts, consider this language: "For our citizenship is in heaven; whence, also we wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus: who shall fashion anew the body of our humiliation, that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working whereby he is able even to subject all things unto himself" (Phil. 3:20-21).
John also writes, "Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet manifested what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2).
The living hope or hope of living unto which God begat us by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, has as its object the inheritance which is "incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you" (1 Pet. 1:4). It is incorruptible, that is, it is immortal in nature; it is incapable of experiencing decay and dissolution; it is undefiled; it cannot be tarnished by sin; it fadeth not away, its beauty and glory never grow dim and the possessor never grows tired of the inheritance.
It is possible for every responsible being on earth to "rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Horn. 5:2), but this rejoicing in hope belongs only to the heirs of God. The children of God are the heirs of God (Rom. 8:17), and one is a child of God "in Christ" - "For ye are all sons of God through faith, in Christ Jesus". A person gets into Christ by being baptized - "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ" (Gal. 3:26, 27).
The power necessary to originally create man from the dust of the earth and to raise Christ from the dead is certainly sufficient to provide that which He has promised. God can and will take care of you.