THE THIRD PART: 24 CRUCIAL LINES IN THE BIBLE
The Divine and Eternal Life
Message Nine—Taking Christ as Our Person for the Church Life
Scripture Reading: Eph. 1:23; 2:15-16, 18, 21-22; 3:2, 8-11, 16-17a, 19b; 4:3-4a, 11-16, 23-24
I. The church is not only the Body but also the new man— Eph. 1:23; 2:15-16: (The Meaning of Human Life and a Proper Consecration, msg. 9)
A. Ephesians 2:15 says that Christ abolished“in His flesh the law of the commandments in ordinances, that He might create the two in Himself into one new man，so making peace.”(The Meaning of Human Life and a Proper Consecration, msg. 9)
B. Verse 16 continues, “And might reconcile both in one Body to God.”(The Meaning of Human Life and a Proper Consecration, msg. 9)
C. This indicates that the Body is the new man; moreover, in chapter 1 the Body is the church; hence, the church is not only the Body but also the new man. (The Meaning of Human Life and a Proper Consecration, msg. 9)
II. The focal point of the Bible is not practices, doctrines, or ordinances—it is the living person of the Son of God, who is the embodiment of the Triune God realized as the all-inclusive Spirit in our spirit for us to enjoy Him, partake of His riches and live Him—1 Cor. 15:45b; 2 Cor. 3:17; Phil. 1:19; Gal. 6:18: (2003 WT, msg. 2)
A. In the eyes of God, there is no place for religion or tradition—only the living person of His Son has a place; God’s cares only for this living person, not for anything else—Col. 1:18b; 2:16; 3:10b-11; Mark 9:7-8. (2003 WT, msg. 2)
B. Without this living person as the reality and content of the church life, even the church life will become a tradition; the church is the Body of this person, His fullness, His practical and living expression—Eph. 1:22-23; 3:8-11, 16-19. (2003 WT, msg. 2)
III. Christ is the life and person of the church—1 Cor. 15:45b; Col. 3:4; Phil. 1:19: (The Greatest Prophecy in the Bible and Its Fulfillment, ch, 3)
A. The church is the Body of Christ and the new man in God’s new creation—Eph. 1:22-23; 2:15. (The Greatest Prophecy in the Bible and Its Fulfillment, ch, 3)
B. As the Body, the church needs life; as the new man the church needs not only the life but also a person. (The Greatest Prophecy in the Bible and Its Fulfillment, ch, 3)
C. The church as the Body of Christ has Christ as its life, and the church as the new man has Christ as its person. (The Greatest Prophecy in the Bible and Its Fulfillment, ch, 3)
D. We all have to take Christ as our life and as our person—Col. 3:4; Phil. 1:19: (The Greatest Prophecy in the Bible and Its Fulfillment, ch, 3)
1. In order for Him to be our person, He needs to make His home in our hearts; for this reason, we need to make room in our being and allow Christ to occupy us and be our person. (The Meaning of Human Life and a Proper Consecration, msg. 9)
2. Enjoying the riches of Christ to be filled unto all the fullness of God—Eph. 3:19: (The Greatest Prophecy in the Bible and Its Fulfillment, ch, 3)
a. Today He is the all-inclusive life-giving Spirit, and He is in our spirit; when we switch on by touching our spirit, He will get into us and be assimilated by us to become us. (The Greatest Prophecy in the Bible and Its Fulfillment, ch, 3)
b. By eating Jesus, all His riches become ours, and we are filled unto all the fullness of God. (The Greatest Prophecy in the Bible and Its Fulfillment, ch, 3)
3. Perfecting the saints by feeding them for their growth and function—Eph. 4:12. (The Greatest Prophecy in the Bible and Its Fulfillment, ch, 3)
IV. Taking Christ as our person is the sweetest experience—Gal. 2:20; Phil. 1:21: (Taking Christ as Our Person for the Church Life, msg. 7)
A. The Lord as the life-giving Spirit indwells us, the Spirit is not merely a power or an attribute; neither is He merely holiness and life; rather, He lives in us as a person—1 Cor. 15:45b. (Taking Christ as Our Person for the Church Life, msg. 7)
B. A sweet experience of taking the Lord as our person involves experiencing Him as the One living in us—Gal. 2:20: (Taking Christ as Our Person for the Church Life, msg. 7)
1. When a sister has to discipline a disobedient child, she should open to the Lord and learn to take the Lord as her person. (Taking Christ as Our Person for the Church Life, msg. 7)
2. When a sister wants to go shopping, she should not say, “Lord, is it Your will that I go shopping? Do You want me to go to the store?”This kind of prayer shows that she does not know the Lord as her person; rather, she should take the Lord as her person and do what the Lord is doing—15:4, 7. (Taking Christ as Our Person for the Church Life, msg. 7)
C. Paul is one who took the Lord as his person—Phil. 1:21. (Taking Christ as Our Person for the Church Life, msg. 7)
D. John 14:15 says, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments”; verse 23 says, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make an abode with him”; a person who loves the Lord and keeps His word will take the Lord as his person; then the Father and the Son will come to him and make an abode with him; when the Lord comes with the Father in this way, He is able to make His home in us rather than merely visit with us for a moment of enjoyment—John 14:15, 23. (Taking Christ as Our Person for the Church Life, msg. 7)
V. Life is a person, and there is no other way to apply and enjoy this person but by love—S.S. 1:2-4; Phil. 1:21; John 14:15: (Life and Building as Portrayed in the Song of Songs, ch. 2)
A. Once we see the love of Jesus, we will be so constrained, so captured, and so attracted; we will spontaneously love Him; then by loving Him, we will enjoy Him. (Life and Building as Portrayed in the Song of Songs, ch. 2)
B. The Lord Jesus is not a doctrine; He is not a set of gifts or a power; He is a person who needs our love, our appreciation, and our affection; how we need the sweet affection and love toward the Lord Jesus. (Life and Building as Portrayed in the Song of Songs, ch. 2)
C. We can say a thousand times, “Lord Jesus, You are altogether lovely! O Lord Jesus, You are altogether lovely!” (Life and Building as Portrayed in the Song of Songs, ch. 2)
D. We will not know a doctrine, but we will enjoy Jesus, a living person, as our very life. (Life and Building as Portrayed in the Song of Songs, ch. 2)
VI. The word of Christ is actually the person of Christ—Col. 3:16; John 15:4, 7: (2011 ICSC, msg. 3)
A. Paul almost personifies the word of Christ; he tells us to let this word dwell in us, as if it were a living person—Col. 3:16; cf. Eph. 3:17. (2011 ICSC, msg. 3)
B. First we have Christ as our life; then we have His living word personified as His person dwelling in us—Col. 3:4, 16. (2011 ICSC, msg. 3)
C. Since the word of Christ can dwell in us, it must be a living person; therefore, to let the word of Christ dwell in us indicates that we allow a living person—Christ Himself—to dwell in us—v. 16; 1:27. (2011 ICSC, msg. 3)
D. If we would allow Christ to make His home in our hearts, we must be filled with the word of Christ—Eph. 3:17; John 14:23: (2011 ICSC, msg. 3)
1. For the Lord’s word to abide in us means that the Lord Himself abides in us—15:4, 7. (2011 ICSC, msg. 3)
2. If Christ is to abide in us in a practical way, His words must abide in us; we cannot have Christ in us experientially unless we have His words in us also—Col. 1:27; 3:16; Eph. 3:17; John 14:23; 15:4, 7. (2011 ICSC, msg. 3)
VII. For the church as the one new man, we all need to take Christ as our person in the matter of speaking—Matt. 12:34-37; Eph.3:17a; John 7:16-18; 8:28, 38a; 12:49-50; 14:10: (2011 ITERO-S, Second Morning Sessions, msg. 2)
A. The entire Bible has one mouth and speaks the same thing—Heb. 1:1-2a. (2011 ITERO-S, Second Morning Sessions, msg. 2)
B. We need to consider one new man in Ephesians 2:15 together with one mouth in Romans 15:6 and speak the same thing in 1 Corinthians 1:10: (2011 ITERO-S, Second Morning Sessions, msg. 2)
1. In the one new man there is one mouth to speak the same thing—Rom. 15:6; 1 Cor. 1:10. (2011 ITERO-S, Second Morning Sessions, msg. 2)
2. There is only one new man, and the one new man has only one person, so the one new man speaks with one mouth and says the same thing. (2011 ITERO-S, Second Morning Sessions, msg. 2)
3. In the one new man there is only one person, and only this person has the freedom to speak—Matt. 17:5. (2011 ITERO-S, Second Morning Sessions, msg. 2)
4. Although we are many and come from many places, we all have one mouth and we all speak the same thing; this is because we all are the one new man having only one person—Eph. 2:15; 4:22-24; 3:17a; Rom. 15:6; 1 Cor. 1:10. (2011 ITERO-S, Second Morning Sessions, msg. 2)