Partners — T. Austin-Sparks

Partakers of a Heavenly Calling

In the letter to the Hebrews, the letter to the Hebrews chapter 3 and the first verse, wherefore holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the apostle and high priest of our confession, even Jesus.

The Heavenly Calling as the Focus of the Meditation

I want to put a ring around that fourth word, partakers of a heavenly calling. That is for the moment the purpose of this brief meditation, the focal point. As you see, it is the course of a process suggested by the first word of the sentence, wherefore.

The Two Houses in Hebrews

It is a matter of common knowledge that this letter to the Hebrews is one of comparison and contrast, very many. At this point, they relate to two houses, people responsible for and in two houses. As you notice in the immediately following words, on the one side, in the first place, that of Moses, in which he was faithful as a servant.

On the other side, the house of Jesus, in which he is and over which he is head. The word house, of course, is more literally an economy, an order of God in this dispensation. On the one side, there is the earthly house, on the other side, the heavenly, in contrast.

One side, the temporal, on the other side, the spiritual. On the one side, as it says, that which came, on the other side, that which has come through God's soul. The letter has as its object superiority, greatness of the letter over the former.

Holy Brethren and the Constitution of God's House

These words with which this chapter begins tell us something or indicate something as to the constitution of this heavenly, spiritual, so much superior house. When it uses these words, wherefore, holy are takers of a heavenly calling.

Holy brethren, they constitute this house. The house then is comprised and composed of those who are separated from one whole nature unto God, unto another order. Separated from the world, sin, that is the meaning of the word holy, beautiful title for the house of God, of holy ones, the superior nature of this house.

Christ Among His Brethren

We would like to stay much with that because there is much said about it earlier, about Christ singing in the midst of his brethren, and not ashamed to call them brethren, saying I and the children which God has given me, and so on.

All leading up to this holy brethren. The heavenly, spiritual house is a house of sanctified, it's a holy, but then we come to the special point for the moment, the particular designation and conception of those who are of this house.

Partakers as Partners in the House

Wherefore, holy brethren are takers, an unfortunate translation it is, same word occurs in Luke 5, 7, about the disciples and the fishes, they beckoned unto their partners, it is exactly the same word here, why did they want to change it into partakers, instead of saying, wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling.

There are many designations in the word of God, of the Lord's servants, we are familiar with bond slaves of Jesus Christ, ministers of Christ, of the mystery, fellow walkers, and so we could go on, a great number and conceptions of the Lord's servants, in the Lord's house.

But here is one by itself, and if we could really just catch its peculiar and particular meaning, see that it goes a little further than many of the others. Practically all of those other titles, carry the idea of delegated responsibility.

A servant, trusted as a servant, with responsibility, a steward, he is entrusted with resources, it's something delegated to him, and so all the other titles have that idea, but here is something which goes beyond, partners, into partners, with Christ and with one another concerning this house.

The Difference Between Employees and Partners

This house is a partnership, I'm quite sure, dear friends, that you are impressed, almost every day that you live, with the difference between an employee, it shouts at us, during this week while the work has been going on, the employees have been at work, they think nothing of working, and then going off to their meal and leaving all the electric light on.

I saw a young fellow with a large light on, working, putting on his coat, making for the door, I said, where are you going, you're going home to dinner, why leave the light on? Oh, I never thought about that.

The employees, that's one thing, help the hurt, I got the meat, the liabilities, all that. If he had been a partner, a partner, a co, he'd been very, very careful about that house, about all sorts of little details, because as a partner, he is involved in all the liabilities.

Joint Responsibility in the House of God

There's all that difference, it may seem very simple, but there's all that difference in the house of God, between employees, servants, and seeing that the partnership here spoken of is a family affair, partnership over the house, over the economy, over the order.

A joint family responsibility, that's what's here, responsibility for this house. It brings the house very near to the heart, doesn't it? To real concern, real watchfulness, real generosity. We're involved as partners, you see, the losses are going to be our losses, they're not the losses of the boss, the owner, someone for whom we're working and he's got to bear that, they're our losses.

The gains are our gains, we are so deeply in this house matter that what touches it touches us. The losses and the gains, everything to do with it is a matter of our very life, our very life. Joint responsibility, because, and it's a tremendous thing when we hear it said here, God's house, God's house, yes, it's the house of God, and yet it's our house, it's our house.

Joint Heirs with Jesus Christ

Whose house are we, and it is said we are heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. This is our house, it's a joint ownership, it belongs to us in a spiritual sense, it's a part of us, and we are joint sharers in all the interests of this house.

The Meaning of Partnership

I've put my ring round the word, I want to say, you think about it, it conveys a lot, I think it goes to the heart of everything, it really does, it's a beautiful idea. We are no longer just employees of the Lord, servants in that official, or professionals.

Sharing the Losses and Gains Together

Think about those disciples in partnership on the lake. I'm quite sure that what affected one boat affected all the partners. What affected one partner affected all the others. It was a joint, and the loss of any part was the loss to the whole.

The gain to any part was the gain to the whole. And when one boat was nigh unto sinking by reason of the greatness of the drought of the fishes, they didn't keep it all to themselves, their blessing, they beckoned unto their partners, they shared.

Partners in the Heavenly House

May he just convey to us his own meaning in this, holy, reverend, partners.