"Imitate VS Partake"

Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place
Pulpit Series Volume 17 Issue 11 03/25/2007

I have been for 34 years a missionary of the Cross, and have no thought of deserting the ranks. I have great faith in God and I believe that we as His children are just moments away from great victory.

My purpose this morning is to call attention to our failures as Christians, in order to point the way to victorious life in Christ.

We are to hunger and thirst after righteousness Matthew 5:6 I believe that although most of us really do long to faithfully reflect our Master' image, we fall very, very short. Before your defense lawyer jumps up with your objections listen to the following verses:

We are to walk as Jesus walked I John 2:6
We are to love our enemies Matthew 5. 44
We are to forgive as Jesus forgave. Colossians 3:13
We are to be aggressively kind towards those who hate us, we are actually to pray for those who despitefully use us Matthew 5:44
We are to be victors, more than conquerors Romans 8:37
We are to give thanks in all things believing that all things, even those which blast our fondest hopes, work together for our good Romans 8:28; Ephesians 5:20
We are to be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving to let our requests be made known to God, so that the peace of God which passes all understanding may guard our hearts and minds Philippians 4:6
We are to rejoice in the Lord always Philippians 4:4
We are to think on whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report..... Philippians 4:8
We are to be holy, for God is holy I Peter 1:16
Rivers of living waters are flow from our innermost being John 7:38
We are to stand out in bold, unmistakable contrast from the crooked, perverse world, blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, shining as lights Philippians 2:15
We are positively to hate ourselves not to pamper, nor to caress, nor to seek, nor to love ourselves, but literally to hate and to renounce our own selves, daily Matthew 16:24
We are to renounce ourselves utterly and absolutely in all things, and at all times Luke 14:26
our affections are to be set on things above Colossians 3:1

Enough, already dare we go further. It would only increase Our shame, and our pain.

We are not What Christ would have us to be.
If the scriptures I just read are a measure of the Christian life, if they form the basis upon which we are to be judged, if this is what God requires of us, like Isaiah we cry: "Woe is me, for I am undone."

Why doesn’t Jesus, so tender, so understanding, so loving and wise, not make requirements more in keeping with our human nature? Why does He seem to be so unreasonable?
He demands we soar, yet we have no wings.

Why does Jesus go so far beyond the merely natural?
It is not natural to love our enemies; it is not natural to rejoice always; it is not natural to be thankful for the things that hurt; it is not natural to hate ourselves; it is not natural to walk as Jesus walked….. Honestly folks this is a dilemma!

Romans 7 talks of this The good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do... I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but, I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. Oh wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Paul struggles. He agonizes. He weeps. He strives all to no avail. Now Paul doesn’t go into smoke and mirrors mode, he states very plainly that in himself (that is, in his flesh, he can find no good thing.

Yes, he loved Jesus. Yes he was a soldier of the Cross. Yes, he was a consecrated Christian. It was just that he now saw himself in a new light, the blinding light of the Cross.

What before would have been excusable, now overwhelms him. Innocent little things, harmless attitudes, insignificant little sins which before would pass unnoticed, now break his heart.
They are repulsive. They are unbearable. They seem to burn with the fire of hell. They sting like the bite of a scorpion. They stink like a rotting carcass.

Paul wants to be like Jesus.

It is no longer a question of mere ethics.

It is no longer a question of right or wrong.

Is it Christ-like? That is the burning question.

Paul wants to be free. Self-love even in its secret forms, its harmless gestures, nauseates him. He would be like Jesus.

I am going to take a chance and speak plainly to you:

We are not what Christ would have us to be; sin is still rampant in our lives; we are not free from envy, pride, self-love, and lust of pleasure; the mountain of secret selfishness still crushes us and in spite of all our efforts remains immovable; there is so little joy, so little freedom of spirit, we agonize, and struggle,-but failure dogs our footsteps.

So what is the problem? I believe it is that we are attempting to do what the Savior Himself never expected us to do. We are trying to live a Christian lifestyle, rather than allowing Him to live through us! The Christian life is not Imitation, it is Participation.

For we are made partakers of Christ Hebrews 3:14

II Peter 1:3-4 According as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that has called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given to us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature...

Not! "... that by these ye might undertake the divine nature!
UNDERTAKE: to take upon oneself, agree or attempt to do..

"... that by these ye might imitate the divine nature!
IMITATE: to behave or attempt to behave in the same way as; to mimic or impersonate, to have or take on the appearance of

“... that by these ye might be a spectator of the divine nature!
SPECTATOR: One who veiws a show or game, an on looker

It says that we are to be Partakers of the divine nature!
To PARTAKE means: to take part ,have a share in, to recieve

What is impossible to me as an imitator of Christ, is perfectly natural as a participant of Christ.
Friends our Christian walk is not to be like straining over a role like some actor agonizing over poorly learned lines .

The Christian life is possible only when we become partakers of Christ Hebrews 3:14

Exceeding great and precious promises are given us, that by these we might be partakers of the Divine Nature II Peter 1:4

This Jesus whom you serve has by His divine power given you all things that pertain to life and godliness. It is His disire that you be partakers of His very own divine nature!

In Jesus and by Jesus Spiritual reality can be experienced!
You dare not settle for anything less.

Next week we will attempt to show you the way this is done!
In the mean time ask God to show you the way!