“Holy Brethren, Partakers of the

Heavenly Calling” -- Hebrews 3:1

Here are three words by which God the Holy Spirit describes every child of God in this world and in the world above: -- “holy” – “brethren” – “partakers.” With these three words, the Spirit of God tell us three things about all true believers, three things which characterize all who trust the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Holy”

All true believers are “holy.” None are holy by nature. None make themselves holy by something they will, do, or experience. Believers understand this. All who have experienced the grace of God in salvation know, and gladly confess that Christ is “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” Our holiness is a holiness bestowed upon us by grace alone. It is the perfect righteousness of Christ imputed to us in justification and imparted to us in sanctification.

We are made holy by having the righteousness of Christ made ours. That is the work of God alone. God’s great work of justification took place outside us, without our aide. Just as Christ was made to be sin for us, though he did no sin, we are made the righteousness of God in him, though we can do nothing righteous (Rom. 5:17-19; 2 Cor. 5:21).

In sanctification, in the new birth, God the Holy Spirit creates a new man within. He makes those who are the recipients of grace to be partakers of the very nature of Christ. He plants within that holy nature which is born of God (2 Pet. 1:4; 1 John 3:6-9). This new nature, this new man, that which is begotten of God in us is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

“Brethren”

All who are born of God are “brethren.” Believers, all true believers are brethren. They are all born of God. We all have one Father. We are all partakers of one Spirit. We all share a common hope. We all have one Elder Brother. We are all members of one blessed family, washed in the blood of Christ, and robed in his righteousness.

Being brethren in Christ, we all believe the same gospel, seek the same things, worship at the same Altar, and are motive by the same things – the will and glory of God.

Being brethren, we love one another, forgive one another, encourage one another, and support one another. Our common bond is blood, the blood of Christ. Our unifying principle is the glory of God. Our strength is the unity of the Spirit.

“Partaker of the Heavenly Calling”

There are some people in this world described by the Holy Spirit as “The Called” (Rom. 1:6; 8:28). Those who are the called of Jesus Christ are God’s elect, those sinners redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, who have been saved by his almighty, irresistible grace. All the rest of the elect shall be called, but those who are saved are “the called”, called from death to life, from unbelief to faith in Christ.

All who are privileged to hear the gospel preached are called externally, by the preaching of the gospel. But those who are saved, “the called” have been called internally, effectually, and irresistibly by God the Holy Spirit. “The called” are like the Thessalonian saints. Their election, redemption, and calling is made manifest by the fact that the Word of God has come to them, not in word only, but in the power of the Holy Ghost.