Our High Calling of God in Christ Jesus

The strongest Christian influence in early America came through men and women who prayed and yielded their lives to Christ. The Pilgrims crossed the Atlantic seeking the freedom to worship God according to their convictions.

Yet the idea of being a pilgrim did not begin with the voyage of the Mayflower. Scripture describes all faithful believers as pilgrims, strangers, and sojourners whose ultimate citizenship is not rooted in any earthly nation but in the Kingdom of God. Abraham himself “sojourned in the land of promise, as in a foreign country” while looking for “the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:9–10). Peter likewise exhorted believers, “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11).

The early settlers who came seeking religious liberty often understood themselves through this biblical lens—not merely as migrants seeking a new homeland, but as pilgrims on a spiritual journey, pursuing the hope of a new life where they could worship God according to the dictates of their conscience. Like the faithful described in Scripture, they viewed themselves as strangers and sojourners upon the earth, seeking not only earthly opportunity but the freedom to live according to their convictions before God. Though they crossed an ocean in search of refuge from religious pressures and persecution, many believed they were ultimately traveling toward a higher purpose, striving to build families, communities, and institutions that reflected their understanding of God’s will.

They established small self-governing communities where Scripture shaped daily life and moral order. The Puritans followed, building tightly organized societies in which church life, education, and civic responsibility were closely connected. Pastors and ministers became central voices in shaping public morality and community standards. While their communities were imperfect and often reflected the limitations of their age, many sought to order their lives according to biblical principles, viewing themselves as temporary residents in this world, ultimately journeying toward a heavenly country. As the writer of Hebrews declared concerning the faithful, “they confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth” and “desire a better, that is, a heavenly country” (Hebrews 11:13, 16).

Families and local churches carried this faith into everyday life. They formed the moral foundation of colonial society and shaped the character of its people long before there was a unified national government. These communities developed systems of local governance through town meetings, covenants, and assemblies that reflected both practical necessity and religious conviction.

By the time the revolutionary generation emerged, this inherited structure of faith and self-government had already shaped the political imagination of the colonies. It influenced their understanding of law, liberty, and moral responsibility. The federal government that would later form did not create this influence. It inherited it from generations of believers who had already built societies rooted in Scripture, conscience, and communal accountability.

The Called-Out Ones

The Church, in its New Testament sense, is referred to as the ekklesia, the “called-out ones,” a people set apart not by political systems or national identity but by the redemptive work of Christ and the authority of Scripture. Its foundation is not institutional recognition but divine calling expressed through the written Word of God. The believer’s identity is shaped by Scripture itself, which defines both origin and direction:

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13–14)

This is the defining posture of the ekklesia—a people not anchored to the systems of this world, but pressing forward toward the purpose of God in Christ. Their identity is not derived from history, from governments, cultural approval, or denominational labels but from a continual upward calling that shapes how they live, think, and walk in the present. In many respects, this was likely how colonists understood their own journey. Living under the authority of both the English Crown and the established Church of England, many sought the freedom to order their lives according to deeply held convictions of conscience and faith. While their understanding was often shaped by the limitations of their age, they nevertheless viewed themselves as a people called to something beyond the political and religious structures they had left behind. Yet those structures did not disappear entirely upon their arrival in the New World. The authority of the Crown, English law, and various forms of religious establishment continued to shape colonial life. Over generations, the desire for greater self-government and liberty of conscience grew, contributing to the colonial mindset that would eventually fuel the American Revolution and the rejection of both royal rule and many of the vestiges of religious establishment.

Yet the biblical vision of the church reaches beyond political liberty alone. The freedom sought by the ekklesia was not merely freedom from earthly authority, but freedom to live under the lordship of Christ and the authority of God’s Word.

In the New Testament, the church was never intended to be a building, an institution, or an ecclesiastical system governed by councils and ecumenical meetings that simply agreed to disagree on matters of doctrine. The ekklesia was a living body of believers called out by God and united through faith in Christ and the authority of Scripture. It was a people before it was ever identified with an organization. For many of these settlers, the pursuit of religious liberty reflected a desire to worship and live according to conscience and conviction before God rather than under the authority of distant political powers or established religious systems that exercised control over both church and daily life.

Understanding Our Identity

The first reality of that calling our identity. Before believers can understand who they are, we must understand who Jesus is. During my years as a teaching pastor, one subject I returned to repeatedly was the believer’s identity in Christ. Again and again, I discovered that many struggles in the Christian life could be traced back to a misunderstanding of who we are and whose we are as new creations in Christ. As Scripture declares, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

When Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus responded, “Blessed are you… for My Father who is in heaven has revealed this to you” (Matthew 16:16–17).

The foundation of our spiritual identity begins with this revelation from our heavenly Father concerning who Jesus is. Peter did not arrive at this truth through human reasoning alone; it was revealed to him by God. When Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus responded, “Blessed are you… for My Father who is in heaven has revealed this to you” (Matthew 16:16–17). The foundation of our spiritual identity begins with this revelation from the Father concerning who Jesus is. Peter did not arrive at this truth through human reasoning alone; it was revealed to him by God.

In the same way, as God reveals to us who we are in Christ, we come to understand deeper spiritual truths. Scripture declares, “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (Romans 8:14), and through Christ we have “become partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). These are not ordinary promises. They are extraordinary, supernatural declarations concerning the believer’s relationship with God and His eternal purpose. Yet they are often read quickly, treated as familiar religious language, or explained away without careful consideration of their depth and significance. To be called sons of God, born from above, heirs with Christ, and partakers of the divine nature points to a destiny far greater than mere religious affiliation. These promises reveal God’s intention to conform His people to the image of His Son, preparing them for an eternal inheritance and participation in His coming kingdom. The more we understand who Christ is, the more astounding it becomes to comprehend what the Father has purposed for us.

The believer becomes part of a spiritual family, born from above, reconciled to God, and adopted as children of God. This new identity becomes the foundation from which every other aspect of a believer’s spiritual growth proceeds. As our understanding of Christ grows, our understanding of ourselves is transformed, for it is only in Him that we discover our true identity, purpose, and calling.

Let this mind be in you

From identity flows the transformation of the mind. The called-out ones are not merely invited to believe differently; they are invited to think differently. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). Through humility, the renewing work of God’s Spirit, and the authority of Scripture, believers gradually learn to exchange the patterns of the fallen world for the thoughts, attitudes, and perspective of Christ Himself. As old assumptions, fears, strongholds, and self-centered ways of thinking are confronted by truth, a new way of seeing emerges. The believer begins to view their circumstances, their purpose, and history itself through the lens of God’s wisdom rather than merely human understanding. As Paul wrote, “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). The goal is not merely the accumulation of knowledge, but the formation of Christ’s character, wisdom, and perspective within the heart.

This transformation is a process. Jesus Christ stands as the pattern, prototype, and “firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). Believers are called to follow in His steps, being conformed to His image and prepared for the purpose God has ordained for His family. As Christ learned obedience through the things which He suffered, so believers are refined through the trials and experiences of life. As He “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52), so we are called to mature in our relationship with the Father and in our witness before others—not through the pursuit of man’s approval, but through a life that reflects God’s character and truth. The promise extends beyond individual transformation. Jesus declared, “He who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do” (John 14:12). As a corporate body of believers growing into the fullness of Christ, the ekklesia is called to manifest His life, continue His work, and fulfill His purposes in the earth.

God Calls Us Toward Himself

Identity and renewed thinking ultimately lead to vision and purpose. God never calls His people away from something without also calling them toward Himself. Before there is a commission, there is communion. Before there is an assignment, there is a relationship. God does not call believers to pursue purposes that are disconnected from His greater plan or that fail to strengthen and supply the body of Christ. Rather, each member is given a unique role that contributes to the growth, maturity, and effectiveness of His called-out ones. As Scripture declares, “from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:16).

The Christian life is not simply about avoiding sin or escaping judgment; it is about responding to a divine calling. As we draw nearer to Him, He reveals both our place in the body and our purpose within His unfolding work. The high calling of God, following the steps of Jesus, is not passive but active, drawing us into a lifelong journey of transformation, stewardship, and partnership with Him in Kingdom work. Every believer is invited into a life of intentional growth, spiritual maturity, service, and participation. God has works prepared, gifts to develop, lives to influence, and assignments uniquely suited for each member of His called-out ones. As we grow in our understanding of who we are in Christ and learn to walk in the mind of Christ, His purpose for our lives becomes increasingly clear. The high calling of God is not passive but active, drawing us into a lifelong journey of transformation, stewardship, and partnership with Him in the work of His kingdom. The high calling of God in Christ Jesus is not reserved for a select few but extends to all who follow Him. It is a continual journey of becoming, learning, serving, overcoming, and walking in obedience to the unique assignment God places before each life.

To be part of the ekklesia is therefore to live under a different authority and toward a different horizon. It is to know who you are in Christ, to develop the mind of Christ, and to pursue the purpose for which God has called you. It is to be shaped by Scripture, formed by Christ, and directed by a calling that transcends the shifting structures of nations and the interpretations of history. The believer is not ultimately defined by where he stands in relation to earthly kingdoms, but by how he responds to the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

And it is here that the journey comes into focus. Beyond the debates of history, beyond questions of nations, identity, and competing interpretations of the past, the central issue becomes deeply personal and immediate: how one lives, how one grows, and how one presses forward with intention and clarity before God.

For the believer, identity is not ultimately grounded in earthly systems, cultural narratives, or the shifting definitions of national purpose. It is rooted in a higher reality defined by Scripture itself—a citizenship that transcends geography, politics, and time.

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 3:20)

Ultimately, this is the essence of the call: to discover one’s identity in Christ, to be transformed through the renewing of the mind, and to walk with vision and purpose into the destiny God has prepared.

Consider for a moment the improbability of your own existence. Some statisticians have attempted to calculate the odds of any particular individual being born and have suggested numbers as high as 400 quadrillion to one. Yet even such staggering figures likely fail to capture the full picture. They cannot account for the countless generations, choices, circumstances, and divine providence that converged throughout history to bring a single life into existence. The true odds may be far greater than we can comprehend.

If the probability of your existence is so extraordinarily small, then your life is not insignificant. You are not a random accident drifting through history. You were born at a specific moment in time, with unique gifts, opportunities, challenges, and a calling that no one else can fulfill in exactly the same way. Scripture teaches that we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which He prepared beforehand for us to walk in.

Go ahead, roll the dice

People spend fortunes chasing lottery jackpots or obsessing over material possessions and accomplishments in this life, yet we all know that these things ultimately fade away. There is nothing wrong with building a good life on earth, but we should not lose sight of the fact that God offers something infinitely greater. If all of our hopes, ambitions, and investments are tied to this present world, we may want to consider what we are leaving on the table. The prize set before us is eternal life, being partakers of His divine nature, and joint heirs with Christ. Scripture declares that if we are God’s children, then we are “heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ”

Popular culture is filled with superheroes, mutants, and larger-than-life characters possessing extraordinary abilities. Humanity has long been fascinated with the idea of transcending its limitations. Such stories tap into humanity’s dreams of immortality, transcendence, and abilities beyond those of ordinary men and women, reflecting a growing cultural fascination with becoming something more than human. Yet all of these imaginations are rooted in a disconcerting truth. When Satan lied to Eve, “You will be like God” (Genesis 3:5), he planted a seed that has echoed throughout human history, through the proliferation of genetic Armageddon.

The reality of what God is creating in His Sons and Daughters is far greater. Satan offered a counterfeit path to exaltation through rebellion, but God offers transformation through redemption and spiritual sonship. The highest achievements of human imagination pale beside the eternal purpose of God, who is preparing an incorruptible people to inherit His Kingdom forever.

God’s vision includes a powerful backstory and a future fulfillment. It is the story of faithful men and women through the generations who preserved the line of the promised Seed amid a long conflict between the kingdom of God and the forces of darkness. Throughout Scripture, Satan repeatedly sought to corrupt, destroy, or divert the promise through rebellion, deception, violence, and counterfeit kingdoms, all in a futile attempt to establish his own dominion and secure his own legacy. According to this understanding, Satan also worked through fallen angels who presented themselves as wise gods and produced an illegitimate hybrid offspring that the Bible calls the Nephilim, meaning “the fallen ones.” Yet God faithfully preserved His promise through His patriarchs and matriarchs and ultimately through Jesus Christ, the promised Seed.

But the story does not end at the cross or even at the resurrection. It continues through Christ and His Church toward a destiny almost beyond comprehension—far grander and more miraculous than anything Hollywood could ever imagine. What began as a promise in Eden unfolds into the redemption of humanity, the transformation of God’s sons and daughters, and the ultimate fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose in Christ. God promises that His children will be transformed and given immortal, glorified bodies like that of the risen Christ. Paul wrote, “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:53). He also declared, “As we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man” (1 Corinthians 15:49). The destiny of the sons and daughters of God is not merely to exist forever, but to be transformed—to share in Christ’s glory, to bear His likeness, and to participate in His eternal purpose in ways that far surpass anything humanity has imagined through mythology, science fiction, or popular culture.

When viewed against eternity, the pursuits of this present world quickly lose their luster. James reminds us, “For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14). Our years on earth, whether many or few, pass swiftly. The opportunities before us are temporary, but the consequences of our response to God’s call are eternal. Unfortunately, many will simply roll the dice on life and hope for the best. But God has extended an invitation to become part of something far greater than ourselves—to grow into the image of His Son, to fulfill the purpose for which we were created, and to inherit promises that will outlast this present age. The odds of your existence are beyond comprehension. The opportunity before you is here now. As Paul declared, “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). Will you answer the call? www.Liveandgrowonpurpose.com