Message One—The Cross of Christ as the Unique Way in God’s Economy

THE THIRD PART: 24 CRUCIAL LINES IN THE BIBLE

The Cross of Christ

Message One—The Cross of Christ as the Unique Way in God’s Economy

Scripture Reading: Col. 1:20-22; 2:11-15; 3:5a; Phil. 2:5-11; Gal. 6:14; 1 Cor. 2:2

I. In His economy God gives us one person and one way; the one person is the all-inclusive, extensive, preeminent Christ, and the one way is the cross—1 Cor. 2:2; Phil. 2:5-11; Gal. 6:14:

A. We not only have Christ, the unique person, who is versus all things; we also have the cross, the unique way, which is versus all ways—Col. 1:20.

B. The way God has ordained, uplifted, and honored is the cross of Christ—Gal. 6:14.

C. The one person—Christ—is the center of the universe, and the one way—the cross—is the center of God’s government—1 Cor. 2:2; 1:17-18, 23; Gal. 6:14:

1. God governs everything by the cross and deals with everything by the cross—Col. 1:20; 2:14-15.

2. By the cross God has dealt with all the negative things in the universe, and He is still governing everything through the cross—Eph. 2:14-16.

3. In order to progress spiritually, we need to pass through the cross; until we come to the New Jerusalem, we need to pass through the cross day by day in our walk with the Lord—Matt. 10:38; 16:24; Luke 14:27.

4. In order to have the proper church life, we need to experience the cross; if we have a daily life of passing through the cross, there will be oneness and harmony both in the church life and in the family life—Col. 3:12-15.

II. If we have a clear understanding of the fact that the enemy of God, in a subtle way, utilizes culture to replace Christ, we will realize that the only way for us to take is the way of the cross—Gal. 6:14; 1 Cor. 2:2:

A. The book of Colossians teaches us that in the church life Christ must be all in all; everything that is not Christ must go to the cross—1:18; 3:10-11.

B. Through the cross we need to become nothing, to have nothing, and to be able to do nothing; otherwise, what we are, what we have, and what we can do will become a substitute for Christ—1 Cor. 1:17-18, 23.

C. For those who are willing to take the cross, the cross is not a narrow way but a highway—Luke 9:23.

III. In the book of Colossians we see a clear vision of the cross as God’s way in His administration—1:20-22; 2:11-15:

A. “Through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross—through Him, whether the things on the earth or the things in the heavens”—1:20:

1. Through Him means through Christ as the active instrument through which the reconciliation was accomplished—v. 20a.

2. All things refers not only to human beings but to all creatures, which were created in Christ and now subsist in Him and are reconciled to God through Him.—vv. 16-17.

3. To reconcile all things to Himself is to make peace for Himself for all things; this was accomplished through the blood of the cross of Christ.

4. Because of the rebellion of Satan, the archangel, and the angels who followed, the heavens were contaminated; therefore, not only things on the earth but also things in the heavens needed to be reconciled to God—v. 20b.

5. Because we were sinners, we needed redemption, and because we were enemies, we needed reconciliation—vv. 14, 21-22.

B. “Wiping out the handwriting in ordinances, which was against us, which was contrary to us; and He has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross”—2:14:

1. Ordinances refers to the ordinances of the ceremonial law with its rituals, which are the forms or ways of living and worship—Eph. 2:15.

2. Nailing it to the cross means to abolish the law of commandments in ordinances.

C. “Stripping off the rulers and the authorities, He made a display of them openly, triumphing over them in it”—Col. 2:15:

1. This verse portrays the fighting that took place at the time of Christ’s crucifixion.

2. Activities involving Christ, God, and the evil angelic rulers and authorities were brought to a focus on the cross; thus, the cross became God’s eternal, central, and unique way—vv. 14-15.

3. By His crucifixion Christ labored to accomplish redemption, and God the Father was working to judge sin and nail the law to the cross—v. 14.

4. God openly made a display of the evil angelic rulers and authorities on the cross and triumphed over them in it, putting them to shame—v. 15.

D. “In Him also you were circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ”—v. 11:

1. This is spiritual circumcision, the circumcision of Christ, referring to the proper baptism, which puts off the body of the flesh by the effectual virtue of the death of Christ—Phil. 3:3.

2. The circumcision that is the putting off of the body of the flesh was not made with hands; it was accomplished by the death of Christ, and it is applied, executed, and carried out by the powerful Spirit—Rom. 8:13.

E. “Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth”—Col. 3:5a:

1. This is based on the fact that we have been crucified with Christ and baptized into His death—Gal. 2:20; Rom. 6:3, 6.

2. Christ accomplished the all-inclusive crucifixion; now we apply it to our lustful flesh.

3. We execute Christ’s death upon our sinful members by crucifying them, by faith, through the power of the Spirit; this corresponds with Galatians 5:24 —Rom. 8:13.

IV. Only the cross can enable us to live out Christ and to live out the reality of the church—Gal. 2:20:

A. The subtraction of the adamic life in our being opens the way for the addition of the reality of Christ; the more Christ’s death on the cross is applied to our adamic life, the more Christ will be lived out in the church—v. 15.

B. We must deny the self, condemn the old creation, and reject everything of Adam so that the reality of the church will be manifested among us; this reality is just Christ Himself—Matt. 16:24:

1. Zeal, love, and other good traits are not the reality of the church; only Christ is the reality of the church—v. 24.

2. If we learn to reject the self and the old creation and allow the cross to terminate everything of the old man, the reality of the church will surely be manifested among us; then, when we gather together and people come into our midst, they will touch Christ, the reality of the church—v. 24.

Ministry Excerpts:

ONE PERSON AND ONE WAY

In His economy God gives us one Person and one way. The one Person is the preeminent, all-inclusive Christ, and the one way is the cross. As the all-inclusive One, Christ is everything to us. He is God, man, and the reality of every positive thing in the universe. God has given us this marvelous Person to be our salvation.

The One Person, Christ, Being the Center of the Universe;
the One Way, the Cross, Being the Center of God’s Government

The one Person, Christ, is the center of the universe; and the one way, the cross, is the center of God’s government. God governs everything by the cross and deals with everything by the cross. Therefore, just as Christ is the focal point of the universe, so the cross is the center of God’s government.

In this book Paul points out to the Colossians that nothing should become a substitute for Christ. Christ should not be replaced by ordinances, observances, mysticism, or philosophy. Christ is everything and must not be replaced by anything. In the previous message we covered the matter of Christ versus mysticism. In Colossians mysticism includes Gnosticism and asceticism. Christ is versus all manner of isms. He is versus every kind of replacement and substitute.

We have pointed out that all the positive things in the universe are shadows of Christ. For example, our houses are a shadow of Christ as the real dwelling place. Since Christ is the substance of all the shadows, we should not allow the shadows to be a substitute for the One who is the body, the reality. How foolish to take shadows in place of the reality! The book of Colossians makes it clear that the all-inclusive Christ is everything to us. God’s intention is not to give us thousands of items; it is simply to give us one Person, the all-inclusive Christ.

God Dealing with All Negative Things in the Universe by the Cross and Governing Everything through the Cross

Midway through chapter two, Paul begins to show us that the cross is God’s unique way. God’s way is not asceticism. It is not to humble ourselves, to abase ourselves, or to treat ourselves severely. The one way is the way of the cross. By the cross God has dealt with all the negative things in the universe. Furthermore, God is still governing everything through the cross. Therefore, we have one Person and one way; that is, we have Christ and the cross.

According to the economy of God’s salvation, the cross is God’s central way in the universe. However, most Christians see little of the cross in relation to the spiritual world. For the most part, Christians appreciate the physical aspect of the cross, the aspect that can be observed with human eyes. But in verses 14 and 15 there is a window through which we can see into the spiritual side of the cross of Christ. When Christ was on the cross, He was not only suffering; He was working to accomplish redemption by bearing our sins and by doing the Father’s will. God was also working, wiping out the handwriting in ordinances by nailing it to the cross. As we have pointed out, the evil angelic rulers and authorities were busy also, having come to interfere with what God and Christ were doing. But God stripped them off, triumphed over them in the cross, and put them to an open shame. Of course, on the physical side, the Roman soldiers and the Jewish religionists were also very active. Because all this activity was brought to a focus on the cross, the cross became God’s eternal, central, and unique way.

Our Way, the Unique Way, Being the Cross

I wish to emphasize the fact that God’s way is not asceticism. No Christian should practice asceticism. As believers in Christ, we are not a joyless people. On the contrary, we are a joyful people, those who constantly rejoice in the Lord. Why then should we inflict pain on our bodies or mistreat ourselves? How foolish! Our way, the unique way, is the cross. Therefore, the experience of the cross is versus asceticism.

Having Died with Christ from the Elements of the World

In 2:20 Paul points out that we have died with Christ from the elements of the world. These elements include Jewish observances, heathen ordinances, and philosophy. They also include mysticism and asceticism. The elements of the world are the elementary principles of worldly society, the rudimentary principles invented by mankind and practiced in society. With Christ we have died to these elements of the world. When Christ was crucified, we were crucified also. In His crucifixion we were released from the elementary principles of the world.

Since we have died with Christ from the elements of the world, Paul asks us why as living in the world we subject ourselves to ordinances. In a rebuking tone, Paul asked the believers in Colosse why they continued to subject themselves to ordinances, referring to the very elementary principles from which they had died in Christ. The world in this verse refers not to the physical earth, but to human society, to mankind. Therefore, Paul was asking the believers why they still subjected themselves to ordinances as if they were still living in human society.

In verse 21 Paul lists some of these ordinances: “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch.” These are rules and regulations in material things. These rules refer respectively to things that move, to things that are edible, and to things that are tangible. Handling, tasting, and touching include virtually every kind of action. Because these regulations are related to the practice of asceticism, to submit to ordinances concerning handling, tasting, and touching is to practice asceticism.

Many years ago I met a brother who had been an orthodox Jew before becoming a Christian. In our fellowship together, he related many stories about various Jewish practices. He told me that some orthodox Jews place their shoes in a certain direction when they retire for the night, a practice supposedly based on a verse in the Old Testament. They believe that if they do not place their shoes in the proper direction, they will lose God’s blessing. What superstition! I am amazed that the Jews, an intelligent people who value education, could be so superstitious. Those who do not have Christ and the cross are often superstitious and also given to the practice of asceticism.

As those who have the one Person and the one way, we do not need regulations about where to place our shoes. When we go to bed at night, however, we should pass through the cross. This means that no matter what we have done during the day or what has happened to us, the cross takes care of everything. Suppose in the afternoon you are made unhappy in some way by your wife or husband. At bedtime you need to apply the cross to your feeling of unhappiness. If you do this, the feeling of unhappiness will disappear. This indicates that our way is the cross, not asceticism or any severe treatment of the self. Realizing that we have already died in Christ, we should go to bed at night with a consciousness of the cross. If we practice going to bed through the cross, lying down with the realization that we have died in Christ, the next morning we shall wake up in resurrection as a new person. We not only have Christ, the unique Person who is versus all things; we also have the cross, the unique way, which is versus all other ways.

Because we have Christ and the cross, there is no place for self-imposed humility. There is no need for us to train ourselves to be humble. I have observed, both in the Orient and in the West, that the most proud people are those who have learned to practice a form of humility. We need not learn such practices. Rather, we should simply take the unique way of the cross.

Needing to Pass through the Cross Day by Day in Our Walk with the Lord

Driving down the street can be a reminder of the way of the cross. As we drive, we come to many intersections. Have you realized that every intersection is a cross? Some of these crosses may be large and others may be small, but they are all crosses. Only by passing through many crosses can we get to our destination. Speaking of spiritual experience, we also must pass through many crosses before we can reach the New Jerusalem. Just as we cannot travel very far geographically without crossing an intersection, so we cannot progress spiritually without passing through the cross. Only when we arrive at the New Jerusalem shall we cease to pass through the cross, for by that time all the negative things will have been eliminated. Until we come to the New Jerusalem, we need to pass through the cross day by day in our walk with the Lord.

I can testify that it is a healthy spiritual practice to pass through the cross every night when we go to bed. By applying the cross at the end of each day, I rest very well during the night. At bedtime we need to apply the cross to every problem and to every negative, natural, or sinful thing. We may pray, “Lord, I want all these things to pass through the cross. I do not want to go to sleep with any natural, sinful, negative, or worldly element that has not been dealt with. When I go to bed, Lord, I want to be a person who has been crossed out.” We need to be those who pass through one cross after another. I encourage you to daily pass through the intersection of the cross.

The Way God Has Ordained, Uplifted, and Honored Being the Cross of Christ

Apart from God’s one way, we should have no ordinances and no particular ways or practices. The way God has ordained, uplifted, and honored is the cross of Christ. The cross is our only way. Do you know what can solve the problem of quarreling between husband and wife? It can be solved only by the cross. In the same principle, only the cross can enable the leading ones in a locality to be one and in perfect harmony. We all need to pass through the cross. If we do not experience the cross, we cannot have the proper church life. All the saints must learn to daily pass through the cross. By passing through all manner of crosses, large and small, we shall have oneness and harmony in the church life.

In the church life it is possible to have oneness without harmony. In order to have a sweet harmonious oneness, we all must daily pass through the cross. Do not argue that you are right and that others are wrong. The more you dispute in this way, the less you pass through the cross. To repeat, the way to our destination is through the intersection of the cross. Do not avoid any cross. On the contrary, pass through all the crosses you encounter in the Christian life, in the family life, and in the church life. In married life and in the church life in particular, you need to pass through the cross daily, even hourly. In Ephesians 4 Paul exhorts us not to allow the sun to go down on our anger. This means that we should let go of our anger by passing through the cross. If we have a daily life of passing through the cross, there will be harmony both in the family life and in the church life. Praise the Lord for Christ and the cross! God has given us one Person — the all-inclusive Christ and one way — the cross. (Life-study of Colossians, msg. 26)

NOTHING BEING ALLOWED TO BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR CHRIST
IN THE CHURCH

When Paul wrote the Epistle to the Colossians, a number of isms were exerting their influence: Judaism, asceticism, mysticism, Gnosticism. These isms were among the highest products of both Jewish and Gentile cultures. Being good things, they spontaneously became replacements for Christ. Therefore, Paul’s purpose in the book of Colossians is to show that in the church nothing should be allowed to be a substitute for Christ. The church life must be constituted uniquely of Christ. He should be our only constituent and our very constitution. This is the reason that in this short Epistle a number of elevated expressions are used to describe Christ. For example, He is called the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, the firstborn from among the dead, and the body of all the shadows. In 3:10 and 11, Paul says that in the new man there is no possibility of having Greek or Jew, circumcision or uncircumcision, barbarian or Scythian, slave or freeman. Rather, in the new man Christ is all and in all. This means that Christ must be everyone and in everyone. In the new man there is no room for Chinese, Japanese, American, British, French, or Germans. Christ must be every one of us. In the new man Christ must be you and me. Not only must culture go, but even we have to go. It is crucial that we see this revelation.

We need to heed Paul’s warning to beware of anything that will carry us away from Christ. Sisters, beware of your kindness, gentleness, and sympathy. Beware of any human virtues that replace Christ. Brothers, beware of your sound mind, strong will, boldness, and any other virtues that are substitutes for Christ. What subtlety of the enemy to tempt us into trying to be nice, gentle, mild, or attractive! Nevertheless, many preachers and ministers teach and practice this very thing. It seems that such kind, humble, cultivated people attract others to the Lord. Actually, they succeed only in attracting people to themselves. No one drawn to them is truly gained by the Lord. I am concerned that even in the churches in the Lord’s recovery some may be attracted to the church life not by Christ, but by the character or behavior of certain brothers or sisters.

Nothing Counting except Christ in the Eyes of God

The main point in the Epistle of Colossians is the fact that in the eyes of God nothing counts except Christ. This fact excludes both good things and bad things, both sinful things and cultured things. In particular, it eliminates all the good aspects of culture. We have pointed out again and again that the enemy of God utilizes culture to replace Christ. This is offensive to God. If Satan cannot corrupt us with evil things, God knows that he will try to use the good aspects of culture to replace Christ. Among today’s Christians, where can you find a group of believers with whom you can sense nothing but Christ? Among the various Christian groups we see many good points. However, these good things are not the Person of Christ Himself, but something that has replaced Him in a subtle way. For this reason, in many groups of Christians it is difficult to meet Christ. Some may preach Christ or teach the doctrines regarding Christ, but even this preaching and teaching becomes a substitute for Christ Himself. If we have a clear view of the situation among Christians today, we shall realize that the background of the book of Colossians exactly corresponds to today’s situation. This book was written for us, not only for the saints at Colossae.

The Only Way for Us to Take Being the Way of the Cross

If we have a clear understanding of the background of this Epistle, we shall realize that the only way for us to take is the way of the cross. The cross is both a narrow way and a highway. For those not willing to take the cross, the cross is a narrow way. But for those who are willing to take this way, the cross becomes a highway. In the church we all should be nothing and nobody. This was Paul’s attitude when he said that we have died and have been buried. To lay hold of this, we need revelation. Whatever we are, whatever we have, and whatever we do can become a substitute for Christ. The better we are or the more capable we are of doing things, the more Christ may be replaced in our experience. Through the cross, we need to become nothing, to have nothing, and to be able to do nothing. Otherwise, what we are, what we have, or what we can do will become a substitute for Christ. Then in our Christian life Christ will not be all in all. The book of Colossians teaches us that in the church life Christ must be all and in all. Everything that is not Christ must go. (Life-study of Colossians, msg. 1)

THE CROSS BEING THE ONE WAY IN GOD’S ADMINISTRATION

Paul could write such a word because he had seen a clear vision of the all-inclusive Christ as the one Person and of the cross as the one way in God’s administration. Therefore, he did not care for regulations about handling, tasting, or touching. He would not be occupied with ordinances. He knew that all material things perish with the using and eventually come to nothing. Paul realized that the believers in Colossae needed to see a great vision of the all-inclusive Christ and of the cross as God’s way in His administration. We also need a clear view of Christ and the cross. (Life-study of Colossians, msg. 26)

Having Made Peace through the Blood of His Cross, Reconciling All Things
to Himself Through Him

In verse 20 Paul goes on to say, “Through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross—through Him, whether the things on the earth or the things in the heavens.” The expression through Him means through Christ as the active instrument through which the reconciliation was accomplished. Verse 20 speaks not of “all people” but of “all things,” referring not only to human beings but also to all creatures, which were created in Christ and now subsist, cohere, in Him (vv. 16-17) and are reconciled to God through Him. To reconcile all things to Himself is to make peace with Himself for all things. This was accomplished through the blood of the cross of Christ. This indicates that Christ is the Redeemer not only of mankind but of all things. Consider the picture of the ark built by Noah. The ark saved not only the eight members of Noah’s family but also saved animals of every kind (Gen. 7:1-9; 8:1). What an extensive Redeemer Christ is, and what an extensive reconciliation He has accomplished!

Both the things in the heavens and things on the earth needed to be reconciled to God because of Satan’s rebellion and man’s fall. God created the universe and committed the universe to His archangel. Yet he with other angels rebelled against God and became God’s enemy, thus polluting the entire universe and particularly contaminating the heavens. God then restored the polluted universe, created man, and gave man dominion over the universe, making man the head of the creation. However, man followed Satan and fell, thus polluting the earth. For this reason, both the things in the heavens and the things on the earth need to be reconciled to God. The blood of the cross of Christ was for not only man but also all the creatures in the heavens and the earth. Through the blood of Christ’s cross, that is, through His death on the cross, God has reconciled to Himself all things both on the earth and in the heavens. (Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 353)

Wiping out the Handwriting in Ordinances,
which was against and Contrary to Us, and Nailing it to the Cross

In the crucifixion of Christ, God wiped out the handwriting in ordinances, which was against us, which was contrary to us, and nailed it to the cross (Col. 2:14). While the Roman soldiers were nailing Christ on the cross, God was also nailing something there. Christ suffered the nailing, and God did the nailing. God nailed to the cross the law given through Moses.

At the time that Paul wrote his Epistle to the Colossians, all the Jewish people, all the Judaizers, and all the Colossian believers influenced by the Judaizers respected Moses and the angels to the uttermost because the law was ordained through angels and given through Moses (Gal. 3:19; Acts 7:38, 53). The Colossians even fell into the heresy of worshipping the angels (Col. 2:18). But while the Roman soldiers were nailing Christ on the cross, God was nailing the law on the cross. While the Lord Jesus was crucified on the cross, many women who had followed Him were looking on from a distance (Matt. 27:55-56). They saw only the Roman soldiers’ nailing Him on the cross, but they did not see that God was also nailing the law there. The Bible tells us this.

Stripping off the Rulers and the Authorities, Making a Display of Them Openly, and Triumphing over Them in it

While God was doing His work to accomplish Christ’s wonderful crucifixion, the evil angelic rulers and authorities in the air were making trouble. They came in to frustrate the crucifixion. But God stripped them off as someone would strip off a garment. God made a public show of them in the sense of an open shame and triumphed over them in the cross (Col. 2:15).

I hope that we can see how much God was doing on the cross. Christ was nailed on the cross for six hours. In these six hours God did two things outside of Christ. First, He nailed the law on the cross. The soldiers were busy nailing Christ on the cross, and God was also busy nailing the law there. Second, He stripped off all the bothering evil angels to clear up the atmosphere around the cross. On the cross God was stripping off all the evil angelic rulers and authorities so that the way and the atmosphere might be cleared for us to enter into the participation in Christ. That was God’s move on the earth. That was God’s move in man in the death of Christ. Thus, Christ’s crucifixion is a part of God’s history in man.

God’s working during Christ’s crucifixion to nail the law on the cross and to strip off the evil angelic rulers and authorities is revealed in Colossians 2 through the apostle Paul. Paul somehow knew these things, and we do not know how he came to know them. Paul did tell us that he had received a great and mysterious revelation (Eph. 3:4; 5:32). In 2 Corinthians 12 Paul says that he was caught away into Paradise and heard unspeakable words, which were not allowed for a man to speak (v. 4).

This universe is not just a universe of the physical history. Behind the physical history there is the spiritual history. Behind the visible scene there is an invisible scene. The people of this world know only the visible, not the invisible scene. But the Bible shows us both. Through the reading of the Bible we can see the visible scene in this universe, and we can also see the invisible scene behind the visible scene. In the invisible scene we see God’s move, God’s history, in man. (CWWL, 1993, vol. 1, “The Move of God in Man”, msg. 4)

Being Circumcised with a Circumcision not Made with Hands

In verse 11 Paul says, “In Whom also you were circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ.” Here Paul speaks of a circumcision not made with hands. This certainly is different from that practiced by the Jews, which was carried out with a knife. In addition to that physical circumcision, there is another kind of circumcision, the circumcision in Christ, which is not made with hands. This is spiritual circumcision and refers to the proper baptism, which puts off the body of the flesh by the effectual virtue of the death of Christ. As we shall see, this is versus asceticism.

The circumcision in Christ involves the death of Christ and the power of the Spirit. When Christ was crucified on the cross, His crucifixion was the genuine, practical, and universal circumcision. His crucifixion cut off all the negative things. These negative things include our flesh, our natural man, and the self. However, along with the death of Christ we need the Spirit as the power. If we have Christ’s crucifixion without the Spirit as the power, we shall have no means to apply Christ’s crucifixion to us and to execute its effect upon us. The crucifixion of Christ becomes practical and effective by means of the Spirit. By the Spirit as the power, Christ’s crucifixion is applied to us. Then under the power of the Spirit, we are circumcised in an actual and practical way. This is the circumcision in Christ, a circumcision not made with hands. It is a circumcision not made with hands because it was accomplished by the death of Christ, and it is applied, executed, and carried out by the powerful Spirit. This is the circumcision we have all received.

In Christ, on the one hand, we have been made full, and, on the other hand, we have been circumcised. Because we have been made full in Him, we are short of nothing. Because we have been circumcised in Him, all the negative things have been removed. Regarding the positive things, we are complete. Regarding the negative things, everything has been cleared up, and we have no problems. Therefore, regarding the positive things, we are not short of anything, and regarding the negative things, we are no longer troubled by anything.

However, we need to exercise faith and not look at ourselves. We must turn our eyes away from our feelings and from our apparent situation. According to our apparent situation, we are short of everything positive and are troubled by everything negative. But according to the facts, we are not in ourselves — we are in Christ. Because we are in Him, we have been made full positively, and we have been circumcised to clear away the negative things.

The Putting off of the Body of the Flesh

In verse 11 Paul speaks of “the putting off of the body of the flesh.” This means to strip off something, as to strip off clothing. The circumcision that took place by the death of Christ and is applied by the powerful Spirit accomplishes the putting off of the body of the flesh. Our body of flesh was crucified on the cross with Christ and has been put off. Regarding this, we must again exercise our faith and not consider our self and our apparent situation. Let us exercise faith and say, “Amen! The body of the flesh has been put off on the cross and by the powerful Spirit.” (Life-study of Colossians, msg. 22)

Putting to Death Our Members of Passion and Evil Desire

In 3:5 Paul says, “Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and unbridled greedy lust, which is idolatry.” In our sinful members is the law of sin, which makes us captives of sin and causes our corrupted body to become the body of death (Rom. 7:23-24). Hence, our members, which are sinful, are identified with sinful things, such as fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and unbridled greedy lust. In 3:6 Paul points out that because of these things “the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience.” In verse 7 he goes on to say that the believers once walked in these things when they lived in them.

In verse 5 Paul charges us to put to death our members which are on the earth. This charge is based upon the fact that we have been crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:20a) and that we have been baptized into His death (Rom. 6:3). We execute Christ’s death upon our sinful members by crucifying them, by faith, through the power of the Spirit (Rom. 8:13). This corresponds to Galatians 5:24. Christ has accomplished the all-inclusive crucifixion. Now we apply it to our lustful flesh. This is absolutely different from asceticism.

Christ’s all-inclusive death on the cross is applied to us at the time of baptism. All those who believe in the Lord Jesus should be baptized. In baptism we not only recognize Christ’s death, but we also apply it to ourselves. Therefore, in baptism we are placed into the death of Christ and buried.

According to Romans 8:11 and 13, the putting to death of the practices of the body is an action carried out in the power of the Spirit. It is not accomplished by self-effort. Our attempts to put to death the practices of the body are nothing more than asceticism. Although we are not to practice asceticism, we are to put to death the negative things in us by the power of the Holy Spirit. In order to do this, we need to open to the Spirit and allow the Spirit to flow within us. Through the Spirit’s flowing, we shall experience the effectiveness of Christ’s death. This is not asceticism; it is the operation of the Spirit within us.

A number of saints have read the autobiography of Madame Guyon. This book contains definite traces of asceticism and mysticism, the very things that damaged the church in Colossae. Those who read books written by the mystics must do so with discernment. Although some things in these books are helpful, others are poisonous. Many years ago, we were helped by some of these books. However, we eventually learned that reading such books without discernment can lead seeking Christians into the error of asceticism. Therefore I do not recommend that you read these books without the help of some saints who are more experienced. Even recently, some, especially sisters, have been damaged by them.

We need to be warned concerning asceticism. We should not impose anything on ourselves in an attempt to deal with the lust of the flesh. On the contrary, our practice should be to open ourselves in fellowship with the Lord and allow the Spirit to have a free way to flow within us, and to apply the effectiveness of Christ’s all-inclusive death to the negative things in our being. Asceticism is spiritual suicide; in contrast, what we are speaking of is the application of Christ’s death through the flowing of the Spirit. (Life-study of Colossians, msg. 28)

THE EXPERIENCE OF THE CROSS
BEING THE PRACTICAL LIVING OF THE CHURCH

The reality of the church is Christ. The practical living of the church is the living out of Christ. If we want to live out Christ, we must be broken and dealt with by the cross. Only the breaking and dealing of the cross can cause us to live out Christ, and only the breaking and dealing of the cross can cause us to live out the reality of the church. The breaking and dealing of the cross bring in Christ and the reality of the church. Christ lives out from those who have been broken and dealt with by the cross, and only such ones have the practical living of the church.

May the Lord show us that Christ is the reality of the church. To live out the reality of the church, we must live out Christ. To live out Christ, we must experience the cross. The cross terminates everything that is of us and imparts everything that is of Christ into us, thereby producing the church. From the time that we were saved and received Christ, God has been doing a breaking and terminating work in us through the cross so that Christ can grow and be formed in us and so that the church can be built up. When we were saved, the cross added Christ into us, but after we were saved, the cross has also been doing a subtracting work in us. The cross subtracts our flesh, our temper, our sins, the world, wisdom, power, human abilities, human methods, the old creation, our natural being, and everything of Adam. Although the cross has been doing a work of subtraction in us, the final issue will be a display of the life and riches of Christ as the reality and stature of the church. The cross subtracts everything that we are so that we can receive everything that Christ is. Only by our experiencing the cross can Christ increase in the church and cause the growth of the church practically.

ONLY THE CROSS ENABLING US TO LIVE OUT CHRIST
AND TO LIVE OUT THE REALITY OF THE CHURCH

For this reason, only the cross can enable us to live out Christ and to live out the reality of the church. The subtraction of the adamic life in our being opens the way for the addition of the reality of Christ. The more Christ’s death on the cross is applied to our adamic life, the more Christ will be lived out in the church. When we allow the cross to kill everything of Adam in us, Christ will become the reality of the church. However, if we continue to live in Adam, the self, and the old creation, the reality of the church—Christ—will be nullified by us, and the church will not be manifested. We must deny the self, condemn the old creation, and reject everything of Adam so that the reality of the church will be manifested among us. This reality is just Christ Himself. Zeal, love, and other good traits are not the reality of the church. Only Christ is the reality of the church. If we learn to reject the self and the old creation and allow the cross to terminate everything of the old man, the reality of the church will surely be manifested among us. Then, when we gather together and people come into our midst, they will touch Christ, the reality of the church. (CWWL, 1952, vol. 1, “Christ and the Cross”, msg. 17)