MADE PARTAKERS
Thursday – September 14, 2017
Brother and sister, we have been and are made partakers (participants with) of Christ. The idea here is that whatever Christ (not Jesus’ last name) is a partaker of or a participant in so are we at the outset of our Kingdom of God walk. This is different than participation being available and something to be achieved perhaps later. We were made participants. Just as the children of Israel come out of Egypt wealthy and none feeble among them so did we possess the same spiritually with nothing preventing physical manifestation except our beliefs. In spite of the spiritual reality into which we are born (at salvation) five and ten years later the poor remain poor and the sick remain sick. Why do we choose and insist on having such hardness of heart and stiffness of neck?
Like the children of Israel who hardened their hearts and provoked God we can remain children of God never maturing to be sons, not full participants or partakers of Christ. A person with a hard or hardened heart is a person who is stubborn and unwilling to change their mind. A stiff-necked person is one who is arrogant and self-willed. To not be a partaker with Christ requires an active decision on our part. This rebellion is generally facilitated by our own previously established lusts, others in our lives including Church leadership, and of course the evil forces marshaled against us all. Ungodly, non-Biblical ideas, and the traditions of men devoid of the power of God are self-promoted, promoted by others, and certainly the forces of evil. Now let’s review our primary text and remember God is good, He is nothing but good, if it is not good, it is not God.
Hebrews 3:12-15 (KJV)
12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
As we continue our focus on Hebrews 3:14 let’s center up on what it means to be a participant, a partaker, a partner with Christ. Let me remind us all once again that the word ‘Christ’ is not Jesus’ last name, He did not come from the Christ family. Christ can mean Messiah, Anointed One, and/or the Anointing. The context will generally define which is operative in any given passage and perhaps all as in this passage. Jesus, the Messiah, paid the price of His own and our salvation.
When we receive Jesus as Lord we are translated from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of God. Instantly our spirit man is quickened by the Holy Spirit (Grace), and we receive the gift of eternal life (born from death to life). Scripture tells us that our physical body groans for its redemption when mortality shall put on immortality. Jesus reclaimed the authority (dominion) of Adam and delegated it back to His body (you and me). Jesus got the Blessing back and now with the baptism of the Holy Spirit that supernatural empowerment is ours. We are in Christ Jesus therefore if and when we sin we do not instantly die spiritually as Adam (law of sin and death). We are empowered to gain great wealth, it is part of the Covenant. Our benefits package also includes health and healing. Health is maintained by the Word of God and healing is obtained through repentance and the exercise of dominion over the illness or oppression. No sin, no curse. That is a very inconvenient Truth.
Another part of our benefits package is the salvation of our families, even our whole house. Another very important part is protection which is total, a mature son of God should never be in a position where the devil can take his or her life, whether that be through violence or disease. There are many other aspects of our benefits package when we are engaged with the Lord’s agenda and not our own. Just remember, no sin, no curse.
Following the new birth and the baptism of the Holy Spirit we are fully capable by faith in love led of the Holy Spirit to operate in the earth as Jesus operated in the earth. In addition, Jesus said that we were to go beyond what He did and do the greater things. The greater things are those things He could not legally do before the Cross and He could not legally do after the Cross because He was restored as God and authority in the earth is delegated to men and women.
As I close for today let’s turn our attention for a moment to Hebrews 3:15. Notice the phrasing “if ye will hear his voice”. The question is not whether or not we can or will hear Him. We all hear Him; the question is will we chose to harden our hearts and stiffen our neck or will we receive the Word and change. A hardened heart is not a heart that has not heard the voice of God but a heart that is stubborn and refuses to change giving something else the highest place. Jesus tells us in John chapter three that we hear His voice so to say we don’t is to call Him a liar. We think we don’t hear because we have been freezing Him out and it is only background noise to us now. Consider the following verses.
Revelation 3:19-22 (KJV)
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Full partakers of Christ are doing it from His Throne.
Until our next publication, I speak blessing into your life right now, receive it in the name of Jesus, confess it, and walk it out with thanksgiving.
Numbers 6:24-26 (KJV)
24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
CONTACT E-MAIL: pastordavidwood@gmail.com
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