What is the upward call?
Definite aspects of the upward call
The apostle Paul was determined to pursue the upward call of God in his life. In Phil. 3:7-11, he describes definite aspects of the upward call. These were things that he sought after, goals that he set for himself.
1. Knowledge of Jesus
Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord…” (Phil. 3:8)
Paul considered knowledge of Jesus a significant part of the upward call. To him, knowledge of Jesus is not just good to have, rather, such knowledge is “excellent”. Even though Paul already knew much about the Lord Jesus, he determined not to stop learning about Him.
We too must seek to grow in our knowledge of Jesus. We must never think that we already know enough about Him. Each week as we come to church, and each day as we read the Bible, we can challenge ourselves with these questions: “What have I learnt about Jesus?” or “ What have I learnt about God?” Let us seek to grow in our knowledge of Jesus as part of the upward call.
2. The power of Jesus’ resurrection
…the power of His resurrection” (Phil. 3:10)
Another definite aspect of the upward call is having the power of God in our lives. This is the same power with which He resurrected Jesus from the dead. Have you ever seen a dead body? Imagine that dead body coming back to life! This can only happen through the power of God! In the natural course of things, dead bodies simply do not come back to life! Such is the power of God.
This same power is able to cleanse us from our sins. If we are lazy, God can make us hardworking. If we are prone to anger, God can grant us self-control. If we are proud, God can make us humble. Such changes may seem impossible, but with God’s power, they are possible. Let us humbly ask God to work in our lives, with His power, as we pursue the upward call.
3. The fellowship of Jesus’ suffering
…the fellowship of His sufferings” (Phil. 3:11)
As we seek to live out the upward call, there will be sufferings along the way. We may not be persecuted or tortured for our faith in Singapore. However, we must cultivate a spirit that is willing to suffer for the Lord. In our context, it could mean standing up for our faith even if our non-Christian friends do not see the value of our faith, or make fun of us sometimes. For example, we can make a commitment to come to church to learn God’s Word and serve God, even in the face of such difficulties. Let us learn to suffer for the Lord, even in these little ways, as a part of the upward call.