The Greatness of our Calling: God's Partners
God’s Partners
In chapter three, we see how we enter into a spiritual partnership with the Lord Jesus Christ by receiving His salvation. Not only our sins are forgiven and we receive a place in heaven, but we also become spiritual partners with Him in all things. This partnership is a unique partnership. In other places in the Bible we are called God’s co-workers, and partners (1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor. 6:1). That privilege is not given to the angels, even though they are mighty, shining and many in number. Nowhere in the Scriptures are the angels called God’s co-workers and partners. But we believers who are purchased by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ have become His partners, so that we may build for Him, His everlasting habitation. This is a great mystery. God is So great that even the heaven and its fulness cannot contain Him. And yet He wants us, human beings, to build a sanctuary or a dwelling place for Him. With that purpose He brought His people from Egypt to Canaan. He sent ten plagues upon Egypt and Pharaoh and by His mighty hand brought the Israelites out of Egypt. He sent His pillar -to go before them, and to lead them. At night they were led by the pillar of fire, and during the day, by the pillar of cloud. The pillar of fire gave light to the Israelites and darkness to the Egyptians. They saw how the Red Sea was divided. He performed many miracles for them. But with all that he was not living among them.He is a mighty God. He said, “Let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them” (Exo. 25:8).
A house is different from a home. A house means a building with furniture but a home is a place where people live. We say, “Lam going home.” We do not call a hospital or a college, or a workshop or a university a home. A home is where our mother, father, husband or wife and children five. Love makes a home. It is not a building or furniture that makes a home. God is love. His love is everlasting. His love is very great. In Jer. 31:3, He says, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love.” God’s love is poured into us. Just as a loving father wants to pour his love on his children, God’s love is shed abroad in our hearts. The love of God cannot be poured on the mountains or on the trees, on the sun or on the moon. Similarly, His love ts not given to the angels. A servant may be good and faithful. But the love which is shown to the wife and children is not shown towards the servants. However hard you may try, that love which a man has for his wife and children cannot be given to a servant. So God’s love is for those who are bought by the Lord Jesus Christ. Angels will be God’s ministering spirits for those who are born again. God wants an everlasting dwelling place for Him. The apostle calls us God’s dwelling place or God’s habitation. We are built up to be God’s habitation, “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” ( 1 Pet. 2:5).; The Holy Spirit has given different names to the House of God like sanctuary, God’s dwelling place,God’s temple, and spiritual house. The mystery is, for such an everlasting habitation, God needs you and me. However weak and foolish we may be. God wants us for such a house. When a wealthy man builds a house, he uses very costly material. When a king builds his palace, he uses the best material gathered from different parts of the world. But the Lord Jesus Christ chooses a filthy rag, an unclean thing and a faded leaf to build God’s house, That was our condition when we came to Him. But because we were purchased by Him, we became so precious to Him. And the mystery is that everyone of us however foolish and weak, can become a part of His everlasting habitation.
The house built by Moses was according to the pattern shown by God. That house was only a shadow of the house which is now being built by the Lord Jesus Christ. God kept Moses in the wilderness for forty years and then on the mountain for 40 days to empty him of his own wisdom. There, on the mountain, God gave him the heavenly pattern of the house to be built and also warned him to take heed and build after the pattern which was shown (Exo, 25:40). Every detail of the construction of the Tabernacle was shown to Moses. Neither Moses nor anyone else could change the pattern. The words “as the Lord commanded Moses” are repeated eight times in Exodus chapter 40. In building the Tabernacle, Moses followed every detail given by God. Only then God's glory could fill the Tabernacle. Now the Lord Jesus Christ is building the spiritual house with our partnership. None of us can make any change in that plan. If Moses could not make any alteration in building the material house, how can we make any alteration for the spiritual house? But many of God’s servants make some changes, and do God’s work with human wisdom. That is why we see defeat, failure, barrenness and darkness in their midst. We are warned from God's Word ta take heed in building His House. These days Christians are divided into many denominations, such as Baptist, Methodist, Mennonite, Anglican and Presbyterian. In the name of a constitution, people have brought in many changes. Also darkness and wrong teaching have crept into the Church.
similarly, if we want to take any share in the building of God’s House, first of all, we must keep ourselves under the Headship, Lordship and Kingship of the Lord Jesus Christ. To build a large building, the chief engineer will have a plan. Masons and other workers will be under him. Whatever he says they must do. In the same way, when our personal life, family life and the church life are brought under the complete Lordship, Headship. and Kingship of the Lord Jesus Christ, we can hear God’s voice day by day for our guidance. But if we are defiled by any sin, we become deaf spiritually and cannot hear God's voice. Phat is why many people are deaf spiritually and their ears are hardened so that they cannot understand what God wants to say. Also they become blind spiritually. They do not know God's plan, Only by keeping ourselves under the Headship of the Lord Jesus Christ in our personal life, family life, and church life. we can know God's will. Then we will become partners in building God’s everlasting habitation. At the same time we can enjoy God’s fullness in His House. God's love is fully expressed at home. Everyone of us has a Heavenly calling to be true co-workers of the Lord Jesus Christ, to build His everlasting habitation under His Headship. We — can take our share in the building of that glorious sanctuary, provided we are willing to come under His Headship and Lordship.