IT'S A PARTNERSHIP
There are many partnerships in life: business partners, marriage partners, law partners, etc. People who decide to come together under a specific cause and work toward a mutual goal. Speaking of marriage, Christians are called the bride of Christ-that makes us partners with him. We are connected and in agreement with Christ. We have chosen to take on the work of the kingdom. Today I'll be talking about the value of our partnership with Jesus and with each other.
1) Salvation is a partnership.
Before we became Christians we were partners with Satan. I know it sounds weird to think of it that way, since we didn't live in a willing partnership with the devil. But our nature was a sinful one; we didn't have the Holy Spirit living in us before salvation. That doesn't mean we sinned 24/7, but our mode of operation was not to serve God.
We weren't interested in finding out what God's will was, we did our will; we served self. So, since we weren't serving God that means we were serving Satan. There's only two choices-God or Satan. In Rom. 5 and Col. 1, Paul describes us as enemies of God before we were saved. An enemy is not a partner; we were not on God's team.
But then we came to the Lord; we got a new partner. Our salvation is not all God's doing. There was a partnership there. God does his part and we do our part. But what about
Eph. 2:8-9, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast."
See, Derrick, it says salvation is not from ourselves, it is the gift of God. If we have any part in it then we can have a reason to boast. Here's the thing-grace is totally a God thing. And faith is too-in that the ability to have faith comes from God. I will not have faith apart from God giving me the ability to.
However, having the ability to believe doesn't mean that I will choose to believe. Rom. 6:23 says eternal life is a gift of God through Christ. But, when someone offers a gift, what do we need to do to benefit from it? We need to receive it; we need to open it. We have the choice to open the gift or reject the gift. Therefore, my salvation took place because God did his part and I did mine; I responded in faith.
But if I play a part, isn't that a work? No. When Paul said, "not by works" he means man's effort alone. I can't do anything to earn God's favor. My good deeds will not pay for my ticket to heaven. In Acts 2, when Peter's audience asked him what they needed to do, he told them to repent and be baptized.
He wasn't telling them something contrary to Eph. 2:8-9; he wasn't preaching salvation by works. In repenting and being baptized, I'm not trying to earn my salvation, I'm responding to what God said for me to do to receive it.
Therefore, in order for me to be saved, there needed to be a partnership. God provided the grace and the ability to have faith, Jesus supplied the sacrifice to pay for my sins, but I needed to respond to what was done for me in order to receive that precious gift.
There are those who believe that we really had nothing to do with our salvation; that it was inevitable that we were going to be saved because we were predestined to respond to the gospel; we were chosen. While the bible does use words like chosen and predestined, it's not meant to imply that certain people were predetermined to be saved and some weren't.
Like God just picked at random who was going to heaven and who wasn't. God isn't up there going eeny-meeny-minee-mo. God is a just God so he's not going to allow someone to go to hell who never had an opportunity to repent. That would go against his nature of love.
John 3:16 says that God so loved the world that he sent Jesus. And 2 Pet. 3:9 says that God wishes that no one would perish. Plus, it goes against free will. There has to be choice. God doesn't want robots, he wants people who choose to love and serve him.
So, God provides the means for salvation, but we have to decide if we want to be.
2) Sanctification is a partnership.
So now that we've come to the Lord we need to continue in our partnership with him. We need to grow. 1 Pet. 2:2-3, "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good."
Being born-again means we are spiritual babies. And like a baby we need to feed so we can grow. We need to learn so we can become mature. We learn what to do and what not to do. This process is a partnership. God provides the milk but we need to take it in.
A mother provides the milk but the baby needs to suckle. Mom provides the spoonful of food but the baby needs to open its mouth. Mom teaches but the child needs to listen and put it into practice. The process of becoming more like Jesus is not something God does for us.
But when you see a verse like Phil. 1:6, it might make you wonder. Phil. 1:3-6, "I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
This makes it appear as if God does do all the work. He began it, he's going to finish it, regardless of what I do. But that's not the case. This is really a declaration of God's faithfulness and commitment to continue what he started. In regards to the gospel (vs. 5), that will continue to be spread until Christ comes back.
But in talking about the good work that God has started in us and will carry on to completion, it doesn't remove the necessity of us doing our part. It's presumptuous to think that just because we're Christians it doesn't matter how we operate because in the end everything will work out just fine. That mindset can lead to an apathetic approach to our Christian walk. I'm saved now, so whether I progress or not, whether I serve or not, it doesn't really matter.
Wrong; it does matter. We needed to respond to the gospel and now that we're in Christ we need to continue to respond. The Holy Spirit may be living in us but that doesn't mean he's going to take over. We have to allow the Holy Spirit to have his way in us. We have to partner with him to accomplish his work.
Gal. 5:25, "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." Have you ever been in a three legged race? When both contestants are working together, their strides are in unison and they make it to the finish line. But, when you have two people who can't get in sync with one another, is isn't long before they're tasting grass.
Jonah was someone who wasn't doing a good job being God's partner. God wanted him to go and preach to the Ninevites but Jonah wasn't having any of it. He was not keeping in step with the Spirit, he was stepping away from the Spirit; as fast as he could. It wasn't long before Jonah was tasting fish, from the inside. After that he got in line and in step with the Spirit and went and did as God had instructed.
So it will be with us. When we come to Christ we become partners with Christ. When we're not keeping in step with the Spirit (because we're lagging behind due to apathy or sin, or we're trying to run ahead because we're impatient), we'll end up tasting grass...or fish. But when we do keep in step with the Spirit we'll see the amazing results of being in partnership with Jesus.
But sometimes we get overwhelmed by all that God requires of us. He wants us to resist temptation, love everyone, put up with persecution, get out of our comfort zone, endure hardship and persevere. Sanctification and doing God's will is hard. How can God expect us to do all that? God will never command us to do something unless he gives us the power to do it.
2 Cor. 9:8, "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." Did you see how many times the word all was used in this one verse? All grace, all things, all times, all that you need; I think that pretty much covers it all, right?
And what results from having all this? We will abound in every good work. To abound means to thrive; to flourish. What a wonderful result of our partnership with God. God provides all that we need to do all the work he asks us to do and we provide the willingness to act in accordance with what we've been given. When we do this, we succeed. We succeed in our sanctification process and we succeed in accomplishing the work of the kingdom. Partnership with Jesus.
3) Church is a partnership.
We were meant to partner with God and we were meant to partner with each other. When Jesus sent out the disciples to do his work how did he send them out? In pairs; two by two. Why? So there would be a partnership. They would be able to fellowship along the way. They would be able to discuss strategies and relive the events of the day with each other.
Having two would provide a witness if something needed to be verified. Having two would provide better security. Many logical reasons why Jesus sent them out two-by-two. Two are better than one.
Ecc. 4:9-12, "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."
Just looking at it from a logical standpoint, we can think of the ways having a partner lightens the load. Although there are some projects that require just one person, I'm sure there are many times you were doing something by yourself and you wished there was someone there to help you. We are wired for partnership. We need each other-for fellowship, companionship, for accountability, for work purposes, for counsel, the list goes on and on.
Think about the partnership of the church. Paul described the church as a body. He talked about each part needing to do its work. He mentioned that every part needs each other to function correctly. That's a partnership-coming together under a common purpose to accomplish a common goal. It's not about us as individuals, it's about us as a whole, working together in humility.
Paul talked about that in 1Cor. 3. There was an issue going on with some people saying, 'I follow Paul' and others saying, 'I follow Apollos'. Paul set the record straight to end all of that nonsense.
1st Cor. 3:5-9, "What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building."
Paul saw divisions taking place. Pride was at work too. And pride could've seeped into Paul and Apollos if they allowed it to. There was an opportunity to think of oneself more highly than one ought to, as Paul taught in Rom. 12. Which, ironically, he talked about the church body there too.
Paul wanted to make it clear that the focus needed to be on the head over everything-God. Paul wasn't about to allow anyone to put the focus on him, Apollos or anyone else. He knew divisions were starting and it would've only gotten worse. It's not Paul's church, Apollo's church; it was Jesus' church. We' re all just workers; and unworthy ones at that.
What will help the partnership called the church succeed and grow is humility and remembering who's church it is. Church partnership works when God comes first and love is the driving force behind it.
4) Stay with your partner!
When we get married we make a commitment to stay together. We love one another and we're determined to keep that partnership going no matter what. But, unfortunately, affairs sometimes happen. Spiritual infidelity was something Israel was guilty of against God. They had broken their marriage covenant by chasing after foreign gods. They had disconnected from their partnership and partnered up with another. We have to make sure we don't fall into that trap.
Eph. 5:5-8, "For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light."
We are not to be partners with those who are still doing evil. The partnership we are in now is one of virtue and morality. We have partnered with honesty and integrity. We need to evaluate who our partners are.
2 Cor. 6:14-7:1, "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?
For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” “Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."
To be yoked means to be connected to; be partners with. We're not to be partners with those who still live according to the flesh, like we once did. Now we're to be about our new purpose as partners with Christ. "Let us purify ourselves". Instead of going back to being a partner with wickedness, we need to continue in our partnership with Christ and do what leads to purification.
God's not going to force you to purify; we have to make the choice to. God's not going to keep us from partnering with an unbeliever if that's what we want. He sets the standard and he gives us the power to operate in that standard, but he also gives us the freedom to chose what we're going to do with it.
When we came to Christ we chose to leave darkness and come into the light but that doesn't mean we won't choose to go back to the are darkness again. Otherwise, why would we be warned not to go back if there wasn't a possibility that we could? God won't force his will on us; we have to choose it. God won't force a partnership with us; we have to want it, pursue it and continue in it.
Heb. 6:11-12, "We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised."
We need to continue to work hard in our partnership with Jesus. We need to keep in step with the Spirit. We need to continue to grow; continue to feed. We need to keep from becoming lazy in our commitment to our partner-Jesus. Partnership is a good thing.
Think about it-what would happen if only one of the partners did all the work? The other person would become lazy, expectant and they wouldn't grow. How will I learn if I don't put forth any effort. How will I grow if I don't experience things? What kind of life do I lead if I don't have a purpose?
That's the problem with those who just sit around doing nothing worthwhile all day. The life is sapped right out of them. They lose their drive, their sense of purpose. They become lethargic and depressed. The energetic ones are those who have a purpose in life. Granted, they might not love the job they have to get out of bed for each day but given the choice they would rather work than not work. Even when we reach retirement age we don't stop doing. We retire from our present work but then we find something else to do to keep busy.
But that doesn't mean that's all we should do is work. All work and no play will make us miserable. There needs to be balance; even in the kingdom of God. Yes, God has work for me to do but that doesn't mean he expects me to be at it 24/7. He wants me to have a balance. There's my job, my kingdom work, my family time, my alone time, my friends time; all of that works to creating a healthy balance in my life.
God not doing everything for us is a blessing. Although sometimes it's nice to be able to relax and let someone else do the work, we know that it's not right, or good, to let it stay that way. It's a comfortable thought to think there's nothing expected of us, that God is going to take care of everything. It's scary to think that any of this spiritual stuff is on us. But we don't have to fret about it.
In fact, we should embrace it because it gives us the opportunity to grow and accomplish things for Jesus. There's no victory in letting someone else do everything. We stand to gain so much satisfaction from being allowed to work with Jesus. And knowing he will provide everything we need and having him as our guide, our protector and sustainer should help us to feel more secure and confident about this partnership journey we're on.
