THE THIRD PART: 24 CRUCIAL LINES IN THE BIBLE
Truth
Message Two—The Truth Being the Shining of the Light
Scripture Reading: John 8:12, 32; 14:17; Acts 26:16-19; Col. 2:2; 1:28-29; 1 Cor. 6:17; Eph. 3:20; 1 Cor. 4:9; Heb. 10:33
I. Truth is the realization and expression of light; light is the source, and truth is the expression; when light shines upon us, it becomes truth—John 1:4-5, 9; 8:12, 32: (Truth Messages, msg. 2)
A. The Lord is the light, the truth, and the Word; the Word, which is also the truth, gives light, for in the Word there is light—John 8:12; 14:6; 17:17; Psa. 119:105. (Truth Messages, msg. 2)
B. Truth is the shining of the light, the expression of the light; in other words, truth is light expressed—John 8:12, 32. (Truth Messages, msg. 2)
II. Truth is the divine light shining on the facts of the Bible and televising a heavenly, spiritual vision of these facts into our being; in the New Testament, truth denotes this kind of “heavenly television”—John 8:32; Acts 26:16-19: (2011 ITEROF, msg. 2)
A. Truth is not merely a report, not simply words written in the Bible; it is a heavenly, spiritual vision televised into our being—Acts 26:16-19: (2011 TEROF, msg. 2)
1. To know the truth we first need the divine facts in the Bible and then the light that televises the vision of the facts into our being. (2011 TEROF, msg. 2)
2. All the divine facts are contained in the Word and conveyed to us through the Word; when the Spirit shines upon the facts in the Word, we have “the heavenly television”; the light shines upon the facts in the Word and conveys a heavenly vision of these facts into our being, and we know the truth—cf. Eph. 1:17-18. (2011 TEROF, msg. 2)
B. The all-inclusive Spirit is the current, transmitting the things in the heavens into us; in our spirit there is a heavenly “television”—Heb. 4:12, 16: (General Sketch of the New Testament in the Light of Christ and the Church, A-Part 3 Hebrews through Jude, ch. 26)
1. The Spirit is called the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of reality (John 14:17); the Spirit of reality is the heavenly electricity by which spiritual things are televised into our being. (2011 TEROF, msg. 2)
2. In spirit we can touch the throne of grace in the heavens; day by day in my spirit I have a wonderful scenery; Christ is living, acting, and doing His job as the High Priest, and this scenery is being transmitted into our spirit—Heb. 4:12, 16. (General Sketch of the New Testament in the Light of Christ and the Church, A-Part 3: Hebrews through Jude, ch. 26)
3. The redemption that the Lord accomplished on the cross is made effective to us through the life-giving Spirit, when we call upon the name of the Lord, the life-giving Spirit transmits into us what the Lord accomplished two thousand years ago; in this way the cross of Christ becomes subjective to us. (CWWL, 1970, vol. 1, “The Spirit and the Church”, ch. 2)
C. Acts 9:9 says that Saul “was three days without seeing, and neither ate nor drank;” in the Lord’s word to Ananias recorded in verse 11: “Rise up and go to the lane called Straight, and seek in the house of Judas a man from Tarsus named Saul; for behold, he is praying.” Here we see that in those three days Saul was praying: (Life-Study of Acts, msg. 26)
1. It is likely that as Saul was praying, vision after vision and revelation after revelation came to him concerning Christ and the church; his experience during those days may have been one of watching a heavenly television in which he saw many things concerning the Lord Jesus. (Life-Study of Acts, msg. 26)
2. We need to be impressed with the fact that for three days Saul did not eat or drink; all he did was pray; while he was praying, the revelation concerning Christ was “televised” into his being; Saul beheld a wonderful view of the Lord on this heavenly television. (Life-Study of Acts, msg. 26)
3. Ananias must have been praying, when a vision came to him from the heavens; the Lord spoke to him via heavenly television and directed him to Saul! Saul was also praying, when the heavenly television transmission came to him, and he saw Ananias coming! (The Heavenly Ministry of Christ, ch. 5)
4. In Acts 10 a Roman centurion named Cornelius was praying, when an angel came and told him to send for Peter; Peter, just before the men arrived, was also praying when the heavenly television transmission came to him! A vessel like a sheet descended from heaven, full of unclean animals; Peter was told, “Rise, kill and eat!” His reply was, “Not so, Lord!” This wonderful television program was repeated three times! (The Heavenly Ministry of Christ, ch. 5)
D. In the meetings of the church and of the ministry, it is as if we are all watching a heavenly television to see more of God’s economy; the more we see this heavenly television, the more we believe; when the heavenly view is conveyed into us, transmitted into us, we have the ability to believe. (Life-Study of 1 Thessalonians, msg. 14)
E. We have the Spirit as the heavenly electricity and the Word as the divine cord; if we would enjoy the practical application of God, that is, if we would experience the transmission of the Spirit as the heavenly electricity, we need to read the Word of God prayerfully by exercising our spirit. (CWWL, 1970, vol. 1, “The Spirit and the Church”, ch. 2)
III. As the mystery of God, the all-inclusive Christ is the history of God; the whole “story” of God is in Christ; the word mystery in Colossians 2:2 may be interpreted as meaning “story”—John 1: 14; 1 Cor. 15:45b: (The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 354)
A. Christ is not only God Himself—He is also God’s history; God’s history refers to the process through which He has passed so that He may dispense Himself into His chosen people—John 1:14; 1 Cor. 15:45b; Eph. 3:16-17a. (Life-Study of Colossians, msg. 47)
B. As the embodiment of God, the effulgence of God’s glory, and the impress of God’s substance, Christ, the mystery of God, His story, defines, explains, and expresses God—Heb. 1:1-3; Col. 2:2. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 21)
C. The birth, living, and work of Christ is a Story of the Spirit; the story of Jesus is an extremely mysterious story—Matt. 1:20; 4:1; 12:28: (Being Delivered from Religious Rituals and Walking according to the Spirit, ch. 1)
1. The story within the story of Jesus is of the Spirit; the Gospel of Matthew shows not only how Jesus lived, worked, and acted on the earth; it also shows the Spirit within His living, work, and actions. (Being Delivered from Religious Rituals and Walking according to the Spirit, ch. 1)
2. There is not much value in knowing only the stories on the surface; we must see that within the stories there is another story—spirit and life; only then is the Bible of value. (Being Delivered from Religious Rituals and Walking according to the Spirit, ch. 1)
D. The wind, the cloud, the fire, and the electrum should be a Christian’s spiritual life story; throughout our whole Christian life, our spiritual experiences should be a continual cycle involving these four matters—Ezek. 1:4. (Life-Study of Ezekiel, msg. 4)
IV. The three sections of the holy scriptures are like an interlude in a play, within which are many plots and events, twists and turns, ups and downs, and touching stories—Gen. 2:7-9, 21-25; 3:1; Rev. 22:2, 17: (The Vision of the Building of the Church, msg. 1)
A. The content of the Bible is wonderful; the first two chapters are one section, the last two chapters are a section, and the chapters from Genesis 3 through Revelation 20 are another large section. (The Blueprint and the Ground for the Building Up of the Church, ch. 1)
B. God’s intention was beginning to be carried out in Genesis 1 and 2 when the serpent, God’s adversary, came in chapter 3; after the serpent came in, there were many efforts to undermine God’s intention: (The Blueprint and the Ground for the Building Up of the Church, ch. 1)
1. This serpent seduced man and injected sin into man; consequently, death was brought in; from this point forward, the serpent, sin, and death continue until Revelation 20. (The Blueprint and the Ground for the Building Up of the Church, ch. 1)
2. However, during this period God has His work of grace; God sent His Son Jesus Christ to deal with the serpent and work righteousness into man so that, through faith in the Son of God, man can be justified by God and thereby have life and live.
3. We can say that this major section of the Bible speaks of the serpent, sin, and death in contrast to Christ the Son of God, righteousness, and life. (The Blueprint and the Ground for the Building Up of the Church, ch. 1)
4. The Son of God is versus the serpent, for the Son of God was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8); the Son of God brought in righteousness to deal with sin, which was brought in by the serpent; moreover, the righteousness brought in by the Son of God gives man life, and this life deals with death, which was brought in by sin. (The Blueprint and the Ground for the Building Up of the Church, ch. 1)
C. Genesis 1—2 and Revelation 21—22, the beginning and ending of the Bible, present a picture of God’s intention—God wants to gain a builded corporate man—Gen. 1:26; Rev. 21:2a: (The Blueprint and the Ground for the Building Up of the Church, ch. 1)
1. God intends to accomplish His desire; ultimately, the problems related to Satan, sin, and death will be resolved, and the Son of God and the righteousness and life that He brings will gain the full victory; now God has entered into men of clay with His nature of gold so that they can be transformed into pearls and precious stones. (The Blueprint and the Ground for the Building Up of the Church, ch. 1)
2. At the end of Genesis 2, God built one woman; at the end of the whole Bible, the issue of God’s work throughout the ages is one city, and this city is also one woman. (The Blueprint and the Ground for the Building Up of the Church, ch. 1)
D. The history of the whole universe is like a play; a good play always involves changes in the plot to demonstrate the wisdom of the playwright; the plot of the play of the universe has numerous rich and epic developments that express God’s wisdom—1 Cor. 4:9; Heb. 10:33; Eph. 2:10; 3:10: (God’s Plan concerning the Church, ch. 2)
1. There are two forces existing in the universe; one force is God, and the other is Satan; God allows such a situation for the expression of His wisdom; He is like a great playwright who incorporates many plotlines and episodes in a play; to us the entirety of God’s plan seems to be beyond our understanding. (CWWL, 1966, vol. 3, “The Revelation of Christ as the Reality of the Church”, msg. 14)
2. In 1 Corinthians 4:9 the believers are symbolized by the unusual figure of a spectacle, a public gazingstock: “God has set forth us the apostles last of all, as doomed to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men.” (The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 110)
3. In the New Testament all the overcoming believers, not only the apostles, are likened to such a spectacle, such a gazing stock for the public—1 Cor. 4:9; Heb. 10:33. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 110)
4. On the one hand, we are made a spectacle; on the other hand, we become partakers with those who have experienced the same thing; many of the overcoming ones in the Old Testament had the experience of being a spectacle; now the apostles and the overcoming believers are partakers with them, being the continuation of such a gazing stock; therefore, we are a spectacle to the world. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 110)
5. We in the Lord’s recovery should be like the apostles—criminals doomed to death and a spectacle both to angels and to men; we should give others the impression that we are as criminals condemned to death and a spectacle to the whole universe. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 110)
V. The history of God revealed through human story; the Bible is a history of God in union with man; we can know God in His history only through man’s stories—1 Cor. 6:17; Eph. 3:20; Col. 1:28-29: (The History of God in His Union with Man, ch. 2)
A. The bible is not a record of God in creation; rather, it is a history of God in His dealing with man, who is on His heart; in His dealings with man we can know Him, and we can see what kind of God He is. (The History of God in His Union with Man, ch. 2)
B. Only three pages of Genesis are about God’s creation, while many pages are about this one man Joseph; of the fifty chapters of Genesis, thirteen are about Joseph; Joseph occupies such a long portion of the record, we see that our God in His history is very much related to humanity. (The History of God in His Union with Man, ch. 2)
C. Chapters thirty-seven through fifty of Genesis are a man’s story, but that story comprises God’s history. (The History of God in His Union with Man, ch. 2)
D. After we are saved, we have the Lord’s life; from that time onward, our relationship with the Lord is altogether a matter of union in spirit—1 Cor. 6:17: (Leading the Young People with the Word and the Spirit, ch. 8)
1. The Triune God is great and infinite, but He desires to dwell in our human spirit; He also wants all that He is to be in us as our life. (Knowing and Experiencing God as Life, ch. 6)
2. Our being a Christian depends on our having a normal relationship with the indwelling God. (Knowing and Experiencing God as Life, ch. 6)
3. All that the Lord is doing in us is related to our being joined to Him; our spiritual life is the issue of being joined to the Lord—1 Cor. 6:17. (Leading the Young People with the Word and the Spirit, ch. 8)
VI. Ephesians 3 tells us that Paul was sent to announce to us the unsearchable riches of Christ; we need someone to open our eyes, to show us the vision of the riches of Christ, scene after scene—Eph. 3:8: (Living in the Spirit, ch. 4)
A. In the latter part of chapter three Paul prayed for us, asking the Father to grant us, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit into the inner man—vv. 16-17. (Living in the Spirit, ch. 4)
B. The universe is a play with many scenes, and the Lord Jesus is not only the Director but also the Producer; the purpose of His forming the universe is to afford God the opportunity to obtain what He wants: (The Revelation and Vision of God, ch. 7)
1. The universe includes not only time and space but also all the stories that happened in time and space; this is just like the scenes in a movie; in every scene the characters do not just stand still; rather, they are acting out the story according to the script. (The Revelation and Vision of God, ch. 7)
2. Every scene is an age; the Lord Jesus not only created the roles for us but also established the content of each scene; thus, the universe came into existence; this is the entire history of the human race. (The Revelation and Vision of God, ch. 7)
C. “Convict the world concerning sin and concerning righteousness and concerning judgment”—John 16:7-11: (Crucial Truths in the Holy Scriptures, vol. 1, ch. 4)
1. In order to regenerate man, the Holy Spirit first convicts man; He convicts man first concerning sin, then concerning righteousness, and then concerning judgment. (Crucial Truths in the Holy Scriptures, vol. 1, ch. 4)
2. The Holy Spirit convicts man concerning sin because he does not believe in the Lord Jesus; the Holy Spirit uncovers man’s iniquities, unveiling them in man’s inner consciousness scene by scene, as in a movie; thus, man sees that he is sinful, that he was born in sin, and that he will die in his sins unless he believes in the Lord Jesus (John 8:24). (Crucial Truths in the Holy Scriptures, vol. 1, ch. 4)
3. When he speaks concerning the precious blood of the Lord Jesus, his speaking will portray in a living way how the precious blood of Christ flowed out for sinners; when he speaks concerning sins, his speaking will touch the inward feeling of sinfulness in his listeners and cause them to feel as if they were presently sinning; It will touch their conscience so deeply that they will not be able to help but condemn themselves before God. (Christ Being the Burden of the Gospel, ch. 1)