FEBRUARY 2009
Theme: Partakers of Christ
For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end (Hebrews 3:14).
But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy (1 Peter 4:13).
Partakers of Christ — Leonard Davis
Rather than just read the above verse of Hebrews 3:14 in and of itself, let’s look at the text to discover and understand in more detail the truth herein the Apostle Paul writes and how it relates to us today. We’ll see how it extends beyond what we normally recognize. But, in the first verse of chapter six, He starts with, “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling” and “brethren” in the twelfth verse to let us know who the “we” of verse 14 is referring. “For we are made partakers [those that take hold of, grab, seek out the fullness of the entailing attributes] of Christ.” What purpose would the Apostle Paul have in telling us that?
We go to Jn. 17:20-24 to understanding why we are “partakers of Christ.” “Neither pray I for these alone…[the apostles, but it doesn’t end there]”. The implication of this prayer that Jesus is making unto the Father extends through all ages from beginning to ending at this one time. All future time is being viewed in His mind and essence, and in so doing, He is seeing this present time as past and gone; meaning it is over, completed. Think of that! “[B]ut for them also which shall believe…” Every child of God has a claim in this prayer. Do you understand what this means? You can claim that the Son prayed to the Father for you! It’s significant that He prayed for you, but God, the Father, who always hears His Son, heard that prayer concerning the children of God. Think of that! How marvelous; He thought of you.
He was thinking of me All the way to Calvary.He had me on His mind All of the time So that I could be free.It's hard to understand; Now I can see. He suffered and diedSo that I could have life. He was thinking of me.Del WayFrom the beginning through the very end of the future His praying included all of God’s children—all that were given to the Son including you! What a gem that is for the children of God to grasp.
He says, “Them also which shall believe on me through their word [the preaching by the apostles].” We all understand that God causes one to believe. “I will put my laws into their mind…” (Heb. 8:10). “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh” (Ezek. 36:26). We then can see, understand and feel spiritual things. Before that new work, our old carnal nature was unable to discern spiritual things from what is not spiritual—a God-given ability. Jesus prayed that those given unto Him—made alive in Him—will be able to hear and understand through the preaching of the gospel including us today even though we did not have the privilege of living in the days when Jesus walked here. He prepared the means by which we can walk and talk with Him since we now have minds to think spiritual thoughts unto His glory. Our Father hears each and every one of us just as He heard Jesus. What a privilege to go to Him in prayer!
“[That they all may be one” (verse 21). Consider the oneness of Jesus and the Father the same as the perfect union of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Jesus is praying unto the Father that they may be one. “As thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” Again reversed, “…that they all may be one as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee.” Notice how Jesus associates the Father and Himself, “in one.” But, whenever it comes to the children that God gave Him, it’s them “in us”—“that they also may be one in us.” Jesus never crosses that perfect union existing between the Father and Him but prayed that the oneness they experience in Their essence can be shared by whom? you and me and all the children of God. We can experience that relationship: that union, that fellowship, that love that God, the Father, and Jesus have. He’s praying that we also share in this. Man! When I look and search what these words mean, it brings chills on my arms and up my back! Knowing this, especially in respect to our having the oneness that He experiences with the Father, can you even imagine such a relationship?
“[T]hat they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me and the glory which thou gavest me.” Jesus Christ prayed that we experience that glory, and what is that glory? It is that oneness; that we have that union and relationship. He’s not talking about the glory in Heaven, but He’s praying that we have togetherness likened to what He has with the Father. That is a glory. What a glory! It is given unto His people to experience and know that it is ours to feel, to understand, to see and to standing fast in. The world doesn’t see or understand that. They’re not hungry; they are filled with self-righteousness, their own doings, but the Lord is praying in behalf of that humble sinner—the child of God who is “hungry, faint and poor.” A sinner renewed by the Spirit realizes there is no hope for him in his own ability nor of ever coming out of that miry pit, except the Lord Jesus Christ lifts him out by giving him life to hear and understand spiritual things— to know the glory that exists in that union with Him. Man! How the word of God can lift the child of God up if he just takes the time to contemplate it.
When you finish reading a book, any book, ask yourself what it was about. Do you have to think, “Well, I read it; it was good, so it seemed,” but what was it about? What did it mean? What did it relate to or show you? That reaction is the same as with The Bible, the word of God. You have to seek before you understand. You must be hungry for this knowledge, realizing you’re weak in your own ability and need help to understand. Its meaning will not be understood without revelation from God through the Holy Spirit. This revelation—a blessed mercy and grace of God within itself—is a glorious bestowal upon each of the children of this union with his Savior. Otherwise, its meaning isn’t understood; it’s just another reading; another story. But, The Book has substance; this story goes beyond human capability.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:8,9). The Lord doesn’t come down to our level of understanding. No, He must open our minds and cause us to hear His word. He enlightens every child of God, first of all, to know that he is one of His. Second, he learns he is not guilty under sin any more because of the sacrifice God’s only begotten Son made. Therefore, we have this union with our Lord and Savior. In this prayer He prayed that this union will expound the glory that He has with the Father. How beautiful can that be. He says, “and the glory which thou gavest me I have given [past tense] them.” We have no need to seek or search for it; it’s not lost. It’s been taken care of by Jesus. He already accomplished it, and one way or another sometime in their life each child of God will experience the height or depth of it by seeing, feeling, hearing or understand this glory.
He further says, “…that they may be one, even as we are one.” See that differentiation between the children of God and the Son as compared with the Son and the Father? Otherwise, we would be elating ourselves as equal with God having the same attributes as God. No, Jesus was not talking about that but was referring to the glory that comes in that union—the glory of having that fellowship. Again, He is talking about the oneness of that union. He says, “I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me” meaning that this glory has been bestowed upon the children of God. Therefore, it must reflect in every child of God so the world can understand and see the glory that exists between the Father and Son by what has been extended to each child of God. What does that mean? We should exemplify the attributes that Christ has revealed in us. Now listen, “…that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, [not only that He sent and called them but that He loved them] as thou hast loved me.” Therefore our very way of life—character, feelings, togetherness, interdependence, love and affections—all of our principles must glorify Jesus Christ. Why? “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe…that they also may be one in us…and the glory thou gavest me, I have given them…” This is the glory and honor bestowed on each child of God and that behooves us to return it to Jesus Christ.
By discussing [verses 20-23], have you understood this union was solely imparted by the Lord Jesus Christ? He does the giving, not us. It all flowed from Him. So, what does the religious world tell us? Go seek, find and accept Jesus, but that’s not according to Scripture. He knew you from the beginning; before the foundation of this world. Plus, Jesus already sees the end. As I said, in the very moment —now is past and gone—of His prayer, He saw it and we’re living in the very glory that He asked the Father to impart to us.
“As thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me…” See, He’s telling us to whom and about whom He is talking. What did it say? John’s record didn’t say the entire world. It says, “...whom thou hast given me” yes, limiting yet all-inclusive of the “whom.” “...be with me where I am.” The Lord is praying to the Father for us to be with Him in His glory, and you know what? He gives us a taste of that glory in the very union and fellowship that exists in our heart, the very tabernacle which He fashioned for His abode. “…that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me.” We behold the glory of the union of the Son and the Father and the Holy Spirit; that’s the glory. “…for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.” We had nothing to do with it.
“O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.” I’ve often wanted to know why Christ used the parable of the vine and the branches in His speaking unto the people. It came to sight right here. Each of us have probably seen an oak tree with a vine growing up it. Is there oneness in that vine and tree? Superficially maybe, but why? The vine grows all around the tree, but there’s no oneness. Each has its own root—its own foundation in the earth for food. But, the oneness that Jesus is talking about comes from Him, the vine. All of our necessities—life-giving needs of food and drink—come through Jesus as the Root of Jesse, the Root of the vine. The branches are fed from that single root. The world teaches that the vine that grows round about that tree is establishing a oneness like what the Bible speaks of, but the world fails to declare that the vine wrapped around the oak tree has its own root. Jesus Christ says, “No, the oneness that exists in the divine union is the oneness that comes from Me as the Root of Jesse, as the Root of life, as the Root of truth, as the Door into the knowledge and understanding of the Lord Jesus Christ with God our Father in Heaven. I see a purpose there. That’s why Jesus taught them and now us about the vine and branches—nourishment coming from the root of the vine to feed the branches. Oneness cannot be in a union if each part has its own separate root system. But, Jesus tells us that He is the vine and root of all spiritual nourishment that we receive. Notice, we receive as always; we don’t give. We don’t have the ability to give since we have nothing to give.
I know of an author (without mentioning a name) of a book that wrote, “We can be as gods.” Is that reflected in our discussion of the union and the parable of the vine and the branches? I don’t think so; that is why rightly dividing the word of truth is a principle need of the ministry. As Jesus told Peter, “feed my sheep” (Jn. 21:16, 17). He didn’t tell him to go out and raise the food. Jesus provides the food with which Peter fed the sheep. “And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.” The rest is history.
Let’s go back to Hebrews 3:14. We now have a glimpse of why the Apostle Paul says, “…we are made partakers of Christ.” See how all that he is talking about fits together? “If we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end,” He inserts the word “if” meaning some action is required; something has to be done by the children. Paul wrote to the Hebrew brethren, but the Scripture here is timeless in that it applies to us—Faith Primitive Baptist Church, every one of us sitting here as well as to the ministers that proclaim the gospel to God’s people. “…if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end.” He not only refers to the preaching from the apostles, but also to the course of God’s handiwork in us where “God worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13). All right, by having paid attention from that moment of understanding the things that took place when God first performed His handiwork in each of us [that’s the “beginning of our confidence”], we’ll remember. But, we still have a carnal nature—a sinner mired down in the pit of carnality. Do you recognize all the things to which we need to “hold stedfast”? We maintain the cause of Christ with:
Ÿ the same trust, Ÿ the same faith, Ÿ the same reliance, Ÿ the same firm hope,
Ÿ the strong bond, Ÿ the intense, untiring devotion, Ÿ the great enthusiasm and zeal
that we exhibited when the Lord first brought us down upon our knees and opened our eyes where we could see. Compare the reflection from the eyes of our old carnal nature with the glory He has now prepared in our new life that He gave each of us. That is the glory for which He prayed to the Father that we will have the same union with Him as He has with the Father. Man! Isn’t that something? “If we hold the beginning of our confidence.”
A while back we warned about letting things slip by? Paul is referring to that. According to the Lord, we will face temptations and persecutions, trials and opposition in this life, so it behooves us to keep our mind, our heart, our being, our essence from letting slip by these glories—all these wonderful things that I’ve just covered which were imparted to us when the Lord brought about that union and called us as children of God. By so doing then we, too, can taste, see and feel the benefits of that relationship which He has with the Father.
Paul writes to the Hebrews to encourage a remembrance of these things. Why is he writing this to them? Because they are letting what Jesus taught them slip by, they are murmuring and complaining among themselves. “There is nothing for us to do to gain eternal life. This just is not right; for all this is going to be taken care of by Jesus! We’ve got to do something—make a sacrifice, perform a ritual, do something!” They wanted to return to the rule of the law. But, by doing that, what would they gain? They’d be taking away the glory of the Lord. That’s what they’d be doing—stealing His glory for themselves. That’s why Paul writes these words to the Hebrews.
If you remember the list of those things when you first heard the words of truth that Jesus Christ is your Savior and Messiah, you will want grace, not law service. Jesus satisfied the righteous law of God which would have condemned your life for all eternity. He took care of it by the sacrifice of His life. The pureness of His blood washed the sins of His people whiter than snow. And, God says, I’m going to put them behind Me as far as the east is from the west and never recall them again (see Psa. 103:12). That’s the glory of our Lord Jesus in the relationship that He established with you. That’s what Paul is telling the Hebrews; remember this and you will not want to go back under the law—trying by yourself to accomplish the impossible!
To hold our confidence steadfast in this union, we must distinguish ourselves in our character, in our life in our “conversation” (a Biblical term meaning “the manner of life lived”), our temper, our conduct, our relationships (with one another and with Jesus Christ). We are to do those things with a direction and intention in this life to bring honor and glory to God.
That’s why Jesus used another parable, the parable of the marriage feast. Marriage is a close union, too. Christ tells us that a man and a woman, the twain, become one (see Mt. 19:5). This is what Paul tells the Hebrews. The twain, meaning the group or totality of all the children of God, become as one in Jesus Christ, and we share that glory—the glory which gave you that privilege and established that fellowship of oneness.
“Stedfast” means firmly, fixed and unchanging. Can we do that? No, not to the required perfection we cannot, but he’s saying at least we must attempt to hold these things firm, fixed and unchanged. “If,” “if we hold…stedfast” That’s the “if” part of it and for how long? “Unto the end”—as long as we live is what the apostle says. It’s not a now and then thing. It’s not this week and then maybe next week or skip and go to the following week. The present is Jesus’ day; tomorrow is Satan’s day. If we put spiritual things off until tomorrow, what are we doing? We’re putting God behind us and looking to Satan’s day because tomorrow never comes. We would never be fixed, stedfast, unchanging if we put off until tomorrow. Just like Paul wrote regarding to the Hebrews in verse eight, we’d be “as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness.” Wake up! “Brethren” Wake up! there’s a relationship here on to which we must hold.
“While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice.” Let’s go back to verse seven to find who said it. “Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,” the Holy Ghost is speaking unto His people. That’s the glory of God again through His Spirit speaking unto His children. That’s the union, see? That’s why we’re called the tabernacle where Christ abides. In the heart of the tabernacle is where the life exists in us. He says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me” (Jn. 15:4). What a union! As in that prayer of the Lord: “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us” made in your behalf. We have confidence today, tomorrow and every day thereafter that our Mediator Jesus Christ continues to make intercession for us. Even when we fail to stand fast in His word and fail to live to His glory, daily He makes intercession in our behalf. He imparts all of our necessities so that we may live in the hope of the glory that is to come.
A sermon preached on 9-07-08 to Faith Church
We Are Heirs -- Author Unknown
