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Scripture Reading: Col. 3:11; 1:18; 2:2; 2 Cor. 4:5
Why are there all things? Why are there angels? Why are there human beings? Has God created these things without a purpose, or are they a part of God's plan?
Why did God choose man, commission the prophets, send the Savior, give us the Holy Spirit, set up the church, and establish the kingdom? Why would God want to spread the gospel to the uttermost part of the earth and save sinners? Why do we have to save sinners and edify the believers?
Some have considered baptism, speaking in tongues, forsaking the denominations, holiness, the keeping of the Sabbath, or other things as the center. But what is God's center?
God's work is with a goal. What is the goal of our work? We must first have a goal in our vision and then have a goal in our work. If we do not see God's center, our work will not have any goal.
God's truths are all systematic and interrelated. There is a center to God's truths, and everything else is auxiliary.
Some have determined the center of their work by basing it on their own inclinations and the need around them. But our center should be according to God's predestination and His need.
What is God's center? What is God's consistent truth? What is the one line in God's truth?
Who is the Lord Jesus? We all say that He is our Savior, but very few people can say as Peter did, that He is the Christ of God.
The center of God's truths is Christ. God's center is Christ. "The mystery of God, Christ" (Col. 2:2). A mystery is something hidden in God's heart. God never told anyone why He created all things and why He created man. Hence, it was a mystery. Later He revealed this mystery to Paul and charged him to speak it out. This mystery is Christ.
The Lord Jesus is the Son of God; He is also the Christ of God. When the Lord was born, an angel told Mary that He is the Son of God (Luke 1:35), but the angels told the shepherds that He is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11). Peter acknowledged Him both as the Christ and as the Son of God (Matt. 16:16). When the Lord resurrected, He was designated the Son of God (Rom. 1:4). Through His resurrection, God also made Him both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). A man receives life by believing that He is the Christ and the Son of God (John 20:31). In Himself, as far as His person is concerned, the Lord is the Son of God. In God's plan, according to His work, He was anointed by God and is, therefore, the Christ of God. He is the Son of God from eternity to eternity. He is the Christ since the beginning of God's plan. God's goal is for His Son to have "the first place in all things" (Col. 1:18). God's plan is focused on Christ. "Christ is all and in all" (Col. 3:11).
God created all things, and He created man for the purpose of expressing Christ's glory. Today believers express only a little of Christ. In the future all things will express Christ; the whole universe will be filled with Christ. God created all things so that all things will express Christ. God created man in order that man would be like His Son, having the life of His Son and the glory of His Son, so that the only begotten Son can become the firstborn Son among many sons. God created man and redeemed him for Christ. Redemption is for the purpose of reaching the goal of creation. Christ is the Bridegroom, and we are the friends of the Groom. He is the chief cornerstone, and each one of us is one of the millions of stones. God created us for the satisfaction of Christ's heart. We are thankful that we have seen the relationship between Christ and us. We praise Him because we have seen the relationship between God and Christ. God's center is Christ. God's goal is centered upon Christ. God's goal has two aspects: (1) that all things would express the glory of Christ and (2) that man would be like Christ, having the life of Christ and the glory of Christ.
(Morning, January 24)
Scripture Reading:
The First Group: Concerning God's Plan: Eph. 3:9-11 ("purpose" can be translated as "plan"); 1:8-11 ("will" can be translated as "plan"); Rev. 4:11 ("will" can be translated as "pleasure"); 1 Cor. 8:6; Rom. 11:36
The Second Group: Concerning God's Plan to Hand Over All Things to Christ: Eph. 4:10; John 3:35; 13:3; 16:15; 17:7; Heb. 1:2
The Third Group: Concerning Christ Creating All Things:
Heb. 1:2b, 3b; John 1:1-3, 10; Col. 1:16-17; 1 Cor. 8:6b
The Fourth Group: Concerning Christ Creating Man: 1 Cor. 11:3; Gal. 4:4-7; Rom. 8:28b-30 ("purpose" can be translated as "plan"); 1 Pet. 1:2a; 1 Cor. 1:9; Heb. 2:5-10; 1 Cor. 3:21-23
The Fifth Group: Concerning the Condition in Eternity after Redemption: Phil. 2:9-11; Rev. 4:11; 5:12-14; 1 John 3:2
The Sixth Group: Concerning God's Ordination before the Foundation of the World: John 17:24; Eph. 1:4-5; Titus 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:9-10; 1 Pet. 1:20
The Seventh Group: Concerning God's Ordination since the Foundation of the World: Matt. 25:34; Heb. 4:3; 9:26; Rev. 13:8; 17:8
Before the foundation of the world, God had a plan. This plan was to head up all things in heaven and on earth, under Christ and in Christ. This plan is based on His pleasure. God is the First Cause; everything is of Him and out of Him. This is the meaning of the first group of verses.
In eternity past, God ordained that there be a house and that the second person of the Godhead, the Son, rule over this house. God committed all things to the Son, and the Son inherits all things. Everything is of the Son, through the Son, and unto the Son. The Father plans, the Son inherits what the Father planned, and the Spirit accomplishes what the Father planned. The Father is the planning One, the Son is the inheriting One, and the Spirit is the accomplishing One. From eternity past, the Father has loved the Son; He is the "Beloved of the Father." God has loved Him from eternity past. When the Son came to earth, the Father still declared, "My Son, the Beloved" (Matt. 3:17). The Father loves the Son and has given Him all things. Before the Lord died, He knew "that the Father had given all into His hands" (John 13:3). When He resurrected and ascended, it was so that "He might fill all things" (Eph. 4:10). This is the meaning of the second group of verses.
After the Father made a plan, the Son came to create. The Father planned creation according to His own will. The Son agreed with this and created, while the Spirit's power accomplished it. The Son is the One who created all things. In creation the Son is the Firstborn of all creation (Col. 1:15), and the beginning of the creation of God (Rev. 3:14). According to His eternal plan and before the foundation of the world, God ordained that the Son become flesh and accomplish redemption (1 Pet. 1:20). In God's plan the Son was the first in creation. Therefore, He is the Head of all creation. God planned, and the Son created. Creation was completed for the Son. God created all things in order to satisfy the Son's heart. Oh! the Lord is so great! He is the Alpha and the Omega! He is the Alpha because all things are of Him. He is the Omega because all things are unto Him. This is the meaning of the third group of verses.
God created man in order that man would be like Christ, having His life and His glory. God expresses Himself through Christ, while Christ expresses Himself through man. God called us to partake of His Son that we would become like His Son and that His Son would be the Firstborn among many brothers. From eternity past until the resurrection, the Lord was the only Begotten. When the Lord was resurrected from the dead, He became the Firstborn. This is why after His resurrection, He said, "Go to My brothers and say to them, I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God" (John 20:17). The many sons became sons in the only begotten Son. God caused the only begotten Son to die in order that many sons could be produced. God has made us not only the sons but the heirs as well. God has not only given us the life of the Son but has also caused us to inherit the inheritance with the Son. The Son was made a man, a little lower than the angels for a while. After that He received honor and glory as His crown and will lead many sons into glory. The reason God created man was that man would have the life of His Son and enter into glory with His Son, thus satisfying His Son's heart. Thank God that He created and redeemed us for the satisfaction of Christ's heart.
(Morning, January 25)
God predestinated man to be conformed to the image of His Son. (God's predestination is according to His foreknowledge. His predestination concerns our destiny. His selection concerns us as men. His predestination concerns us in eternity. His calling concerns us in this age.) God wants us to be conformed to the image of His Son, which means that He uses His Son as the mold. From this mold He reproduces us as the many sons, making his Son the Firstborn among many sons. God wants us not only to have His Son's life, but His Son's glory as well (Rom. 8:29-30). God wants His Son to lead many sons into glory. God's Son is "He who sanctifies," and we are "those who are being sanctified." Both are of One, and both are from the same Father. Therefore, He is not ashamed to call us brothers (Heb. 2:11). Christ in us is making us the sons of God. In the future He will lead us into glory. Therefore, Christ in us becomes the hope of glory (Col. 1:27). Today we are God's sons; one day we will be glorified with Christ (Rom. 8:16-17). God wants to dispense His Son's life to many people, making them God's many sons so that His Son may become the Firstborn among many sons, having the first place in all things.
The individual Christ is different from the corporate Christ. First Corinthians 12:12 speaks of the corporate Christ who is composed of the individual Christ and the church. The Christ here means the church. When we were born, we were all Adam. Today because of Christ's life in us, we are all Christ. Adam was the first man; Christ is the second Man and also the last Man (45, 1 Cor. 15:47). Before Christ's death and resurrection, there was only one individual Christ. After His death and resurrection, He imparted His life to many and became the corporate Christ. The above plus yesterday's closing words are the meaning of the fourth group of verses.
God's plan originated before the foundation of the world. At that time God loved the Son (John 17:24) and predestinated Him to be Christ (1 Pet. 1:19-20). God then chose us unto sonship (Eph. 1:4-5). (Selection is to select us as men, while predestination is to call us unto sonship.) In eternity past God gave us grace (2 Tim. 1:9-11) and predestinated us to share in His life, not in His Person (Titus 1:2). God foreknew that Satan would rebel, breaking the harmony between God and all things. God foreknew that man would fall and become sinful. Consequently, before the foundation of the world, God conferred with His Son and sent Him to the cross to reconcile all things to His Son, redeem fallen man, and deal with the rebellious Satan. This is the meaning of the sixth group of verses.
God accomplished His plan since the foundation of the world. The Lord was slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8). Our names have been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8). (Our selection was made before the foundation of the world.) God's works of creation were completed from the foundation of the world (Heb. 4:3). His eternal kingdom has been prepared from the foundation of the world (Matt. 25:34). This is the meaning of the seventh group of verses.
After the Lord's death and resurrection, "God highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should openly confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:9-11). God has made Him both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36) and has put all things under His feet (Eph. 1:20-22). Revelation 4 and 5 show the scene of the Lord's ascension into the heavens after His resurrection, in which He receives glory and praise. Chapter four shows the praise of all the creatures for creation. Chapter five reveals their praises for redemption. God wants to put the enemy underneath the Lord's feet (Matt. 22:44). Concerning this matter, the church today bears a great responsibility. God is waiting for the church to fulfill this work.
Since Satan's rebellion and the fall of man, all things have been subjected to vanity. This means that their former goal has been lost and that they have no definite direction. Today all things are subject to vanity and are waiting for God's sons to be manifested. In this waiting period, all creation is under the slavery of corruption. We see this in the decreasing intensity of sunlight and in the withering of plant life. However, all things have a hope that one day they will be freed from the slavery of corruption. While having this hope, all things groan and travail in pain. When God's children enter the freedom of the glory, all things will be freed. In the day of the redemption of our bodies, all creation will be set free. But today we can have a foretaste of the power of the coming age. (The church is a foretaste of the power of the coming age, while the kingdom is a foretaste of the power of eternity.) One day our bodies will be redeemed; we will receive full sonship and will enter into the freedom of the glory (Rom. 8:19-23).
When the Lord appears we shall be like Him (1 John 3:2). On the one hand, we are His sons and have His life and nature. On the other hand, we are His heirs, inheriting God's inheritance in glory (1 Pet. 1:3-4).
Revelation 21 and 22 show us a picture of eternity, not of the millennium. These two chapters speak of four crucial points: (1) God; (2) the Lamb; (3) the city, the physical city with its citizens, the ones God had predestinated before the foundation of the world and whom He gained; these are also the thirsty ones mentioned in Revelation 7; and (4) the nations. God and the Lamb are the center of the city. Revelation 21:9-22 speaks about the city. Verse 23 speaks about the center of the city. God's glory is the light, and the Lamb is the lamp. Light comes through the lamp, signifying God being revealed through the Lamb. The center of the new creation is the New Jerusalem which is composed of God's sons. The center of this city is God and the Lamb. The glorious light of God is in the Lamb. The Lamb lights the city, and the bright city shines on the nations. In the city there is only one street and one river. There is only one street, so no man will become lost. This street must be shaped like a spiral. The river is in the middle of the street and flows along with the street. Both the street and the river proceed out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. Thus God and the Lamb are the center.
After all things have been subjected to the Lord, He Himself will willingly be subjected to God (1 Cor. 15:28). This is the meaning of the fifth group of verses.
Therefore, we see that from eternity to eternity, all the things God has done are for His Son to have the first place in all things. God's goal is to make His Son the King over all things.
(Morning, January 26)
A few days ago we saw that "Christ is all and in all." What God planned before the foundation of the world is "that He Himself might have the first place in all things." Today we want to see how Christ's redemption accomplishes God's plan.
God's plan has one goal with two aspects: (1) to have all things expressing Christ's glory, so that Christ may have the first place in all things, and (2) to have man conformed to Christ, having His life and His glory.
Colossians 1 tells us these two things: (1) Christ has the first place in all things, and (2) Christ is the Head of the church.
Ephesians 1 also tells us these two things: (1) Christ is heading up all things in the heavens and on earth, and (2) the church becomes His inheritance.
Revelation 4 and 5 also tell us these two things: (1) chapter four speaks of creation, and (2) chapter five speaks of redemption.
God's creation is for the carrying out of His plan. God's goal in creating all things and man, is to have all things express Christ and to have man conformed to Christ, having His life and glory. However, Satan rebelled and came in to interrupt, causing all things to become disjointed and causing man to fall. Therefore, God had to use redemption to achieve the goal of His creation. As a result, Christ's redemption must (1) reconcile all things to God, and (2) redeem fallen mankind and impart His life to them. To solve God's problems, Christ's redemption must also (3) deal with the rebellious Satan, and (4) take care of man's sin.
Christ's redemption indeed solved these four matters. It accomplished God's goals: (1) by reconciling all things to God, and (2) by dispensing His life to man. It also solved God's problems: (3) by dealing with the rebellious Satan, and (4) by taking care of man's sin. Two are positive and two are negative.
Before the foundation of the world, the Father had a conference with His Son, in which He asked His Son to come as a man to accomplish redemption. Redemption is not a temporary remedy that God made in time, but a plan according to His predestination. Christ did not come to the world to become a man according to Adam's image; rather, Adam was created according to Christ's image. Genesis 1:26 is God's plan, while 1:27 is God's execution of His plan. Verse 26 says that it is "Us" that plan, while verse 27 says God created according to "His" image. Verse 26 tells of the plan in the conference of the Godhead, while verse 27 tells of the creation of man according to the Son's image. Within the Godhead, only the Son has an image. Adam was created according to Christ's image. That is why Adam is a type of Christ (Rom. 5:14). Christ's coming to the world was not a temporary remedy; it was out of God's plan. Christ was anointed before the foundation of the world. He is the universal Man. He is not limited by time and space. He is the anointed One from before the foundation of the world. He is also the Christ who fills the universe. Bethlehem and Judea are both universal. Not only was Christ born in Bethlehem and baptized in the Jordan River; the universe was also born and baptized there. The Christ in the Gospels should be considered as the universal Christ.
The first thing in Christ's redemption is His incarnation. Christ was incarnated to be a man in order to come from the position of the Creator to the position of the creature. He had to take on a created body before He could die for man and for all things. There must first be Bethlehem before there can be Golgotha. There must first be the manger before there can be the cross.
(1)Christ's redemption reconciled all things to God. All things were created in Christ (Col. 1:16). When God deals with Christ, He deals with all things. All things are dealt with by God in Christ, just as Levi had offered up tithes in Abraham's loins (Heb. 7:9-10). Christ tasted death on behalf of everything (Heb. 2:9). On the cross He reconciled all things to God (Col. 1:20). The extent of Christ's redemption covers not only man but all things as well. All things have not sinned; therefore, redemption is not needed for them. The problem between all things and God is that they are not reconciled. Therefore, they need only reconciliation.
(2)Christ's redemption gives man His life. Christ's redemption not only reconciles all things to God, but also causes man to have life and to be like Him. Redemption releases His life. When Christ was on the earth, His divine life was restricted and confined to His flesh. When He was in Jerusalem, He could not be in Galilee. Christ's death enabled this confined life to be released.
"The grain of wheat" in John 12:24 is God's only begotten Son. The life of this grain of wheat is confined to its shell. If it does not fall into the ground and die, it will forever be one grain. If it dies, and its flesh is broken, the life within will be released, thus producing many grains. All these grains will be identical to that one grain. We can also say that every grain is in that one grain. Christ died to reproduce us. Before His death He was the only begotten Son. After His resurrection He became the Firstborn among many sons. Christ's resurrection regenerates us so that we can obtain His life.
"Fire" in Luke 12:49 refers to Christ's life. When Christ was on earth, His life was confined to His outer shell. Through His baptism — His death on the cross — this confined life was released. Christ's life was released and was cast on the earth. After being cast on the earth, it was kindled. This caused division on the earth. Christ's death is a great release of His life! As a result of His death, His life was imparted to us.
The above shows Christ's redemption accomplishing God's two goals. Let us go on to see how Christ's redemption solves God's two problems.
(1) Christ's redemption has dealt with the rebellious Satan. What overcomes Satan is not the cross but the blood. Satan knew that if his poison were injected into the first couple, this poison would spread to all their descendants. Satan committed spiritual fornication with our forefather and put this sinful poison of lying into his soul. The life of the soul is in the blood. Man's life is passed on through the blood (Acts 17:26). Consequently, the sinful poison of this first couple has passed on to us through the blood.
Christ's blood has no poison; it is precious and incorruptible. He bore the sins of many on the cross and died, emptying all of His blood. When He resurrected from the dead, He was without blood. After His resurrection He had bones and flesh, but no blood. "He poured out His soul unto death" (Isa. 53:12). In Christ, our blood has been poured out. Satan has no ground to work in us. Christ's blood has destroyed and dealt with Satan and all he has.
(2) Christ's redemption has dealt with man's sins. Our sins need Christ's death. The substitutionary death of Christ abolished all the records of our sins before God. The representative death of Christ, the Head, has delivered us from our sins.
Christ's death accomplishes God's two goals and solves God's two problems. This is Christ's victory. This victory has already been accomplished. God keeps us on the earth to maintain this victory and to preach it to every creature (Col. 1:23). Our baptism and the breaking of bread are to display the victory of Christ's death to the angels, the devil, the nations, and all things.
The goals of Christ's redemption are that we be His particular people (Titus 2:14) and living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1), that we would live to Him and die to Him (Rom. 14:7-9), that we would be the temple of the Holy Spirit glorifying God (1 Cor. 6:19-20), that we would live to Him (2 Cor. 5:15), and that whether through life or through death, Christ would be magnified in our body, so that for us to live is Christ (Phil. 1:20-21).
The goal of redemption is to give Christ the first place in all things. In order that Christ may have the first place in all things, He must first have the preeminence in us. We are the firstfruit among all things. First we must be subjected to Christ, then all things can be subjected to Christ. The cross enables God to reach this goal in us. The cross makes us decrease and makes Christ increase. The cross will find room for Christ and will ensure that Christ has the first place. God works through the cross, which in turn works through the environment to dig into us deeply, causing us to know Christ and be filled with Him, so that Christ may have the first place in us. Christ's redemption has accomplished God's plan before the foundation of the world. This plan is to give Him the first place in all things. We should forget about our personal interests and care only for the accomplishment of God's eternal destiny which is to have Christ gain the first place in all things. When we see the Messiah, we will cast away our waterpot! When we see God's Christ, we will cast away everything!
(Morning, January 27)
Scripture Reading: 2 Cor. 5:14-15; Gal. 2:20
The life of a Christian is Christ (Col. 3:4). Christ being our life and Christ being our power are two different things. How can we be holy? How can we be victorious?
(1) Many think that holiness and victory mean being delivered from the little sins and dealing with the temper.
(2) Some think that holiness and victory mean being patient, humble, and meek.
(3) Some think that holiness and victory mean putting the self and the flesh to death.
(4) Some think that holiness and victory mean studying the Bible more, praying more, being careful, and trusting in the Lord for one's strength.
(5) Some know that power is with the Lord, that our flesh has been crucified on the cross, and that by faith, we should claim the Lord's power to overcome and be holy.
None of the above five cases is right. The fifth case may seem to be right, but actually it is not for the following reason:
Christ is our life. This is victory! This is holiness! The victorious life, the holy life, the perfect life, are all Christ. From beginning to end, everything is Christ. Outside of Christ, we have nothing. Christ must have the first place in all things. The victorious life God has given us is not a thing, such as patience or meekness, but the living Christ. Christ never mends our wrongs. What we lack is not patience but a living Christ. God will never tear a piece of cloth from Christ to mend our hole. To be short of patience is to be short of Christ, because God wants Christ to have the first place in all things. Therefore, to put the self to death is not holiness. Holiness is Christ. Christ must have the first place in all things.
If God were to cause us to have power, it would only make us powerful persons; Christ would not have the first place in us. Christ is my power; it is Christ who holds the first place in me. We do not have power because we are not weak enough. The power of Christ "is made perfect in weakness." It is not that the Lord makes me powerful; but it is the Lord who is the power in my stead.
Mr. Hudson Taylor saw that "You are the branches." The author of The Victorious Life saw that victory is just Christ. It is not that I draw power from Christ to help me be a man; rather, it is Christ who is the man in my place. It is not that Christ gives me the power to be patient; rather, it is Christ who lives the patience out from me. "Lord, I allow You to live out from me!" We do not overcome by the Lord; rather, it is the Lord who overcomes through us! It is not us overcoming through Him; rather, it is Him overcoming through us. By faith I commit myself to the Lord and allow the Lord to live Himself out of me. I do not live by Christ; rather, "it is Christ who lives in me" (Gal. 2:20). I live because of the life of Christ and also because of "the faith in the Son of God" (v. 20b). When we believed and received the Son of God, not only did His life enter into us, but His faith also entered into us. Therefore, we can live because of His faith.
Victory is Christ! Patience is Christ! What we need is not patience, meekness, or love, but Christ. Christ must have the first place in all things. From within us, Christ lives out patience, meekness, and love. Man deserves only to die. There is nothing else that he deserves. After God created Adam, He had a will, and Adam had to obey this will. But when God re-created us, it was not like this. He put us in death, and God Himself lives out His will from within us. We should not only see a substitutionary Savior on Mount Golgotha, we should also see a Lord within us who lives in our stead. Christ is our wisdom. In the past He was our righteousness for our salvation. In the present He is our sanctification for us to live a holy life. In the future He will be our redemption that our body may be redeemed (1 Cor. 1:30). He holds the first place in all things!
How can we enter into this victorious life? We must do the following things:
We must know the self thoroughly. We must see that the self deserves only to die; any hope in the self must come to an end. Our end is God's beginning. We cannot receive the victory of Christ if we still have hope in our self. Christ is living in us, but we have not given Him the ground to rule over us and reign within us.
We must consecrate wholeheartedly. If we do not see our utter weakness, we cannot accept the cross and fully consecrate ourselves, nor hand over all our rights to the Lord's hand to allow Him to be the Lord.
After consecration we have to believe that Christ is being lived out in us and that He has taken over our rights.
Christ is to be lived out in our flesh in the same way that He was lived out of the flesh given Him through Mary. Christ today wants to live Himself out on the earth through our flesh as He did in His own flesh while on earth. Christ has to be lived out in our lives. Our victory is based on our yielding to Christ the first place in all things and allowing Him to be the Lord in all of our living.
The Old Testament tells us how God's chosen people lived on the earth. There was first the tabernacle as the center of the twelve tribes. Later the temple was their center. The center of the temple was the ark. The tabernacle, the temple, and the ark all typify Christ. When the relationship between the Israelites and the tabernacle or the temple was proper, they were victorious; no nation could overcome them. Although their enemies had learned warfare and they had not, they still overcame all their enemies. When something was wrong between them and the temple, they were carried away. It did not depend on whether or not they had a competent king; neither did it depend on whether or not they were clever and able. It depended only on whether or not something was wrong between them and the ark in the temple. We must allow the Lord to have the first place. Only then will we be victorious. We must be concerned about the Lord's victory before we can have the victory. Once the hair of separation is shaven, there can be no victory. The same is true with us today. If we do not give Christ the highest place, we cannot be victorious. If Christ does not have the first place in our heart, we cannot be victorious.
(Morning, January 29)
Scripture Reading: John 3:30
The experience of a Christian has two sides: one is sweet, the other, painful. God causes us to experience a sweet and suffering life in order that Christ may have the first place in all things.
The goal of prayer to let Christ have the first place in all things must be reached, before it will be answered. Seek first God's kingdom and God's righteousness, then God will add to us all that we need. (To add is not to give but to add to something that is already there; while to give is to give something that is not there.) To ask in the Lord's name is to ask the Father on behalf of the Lord that the Lord may gain something. According to this principle, those who care for the flesh have nothing to pray. They must let the cross cut away the flesh before they can become the Lord's intercessors, praying in His will rather than praying for their own purpose. Only those who let Christ have the first place in all things can enter into the Holy of Holies. We should turn the time we pray for our own need into the time we pray for God's business. God will listen both to the prayers that we utter (the prayers we pray that are for God's business) as well as the prayers that we do not utter (the prayers we pray that are for our own affairs). We should let the Lord gain something first. Afterward, the Lord will let us gain something. The sweetest part of the Christian life is to receive answers to prayer continually. But God's purpose in answering our prayers is that Christ may have the first place in all things.
Growth is also a sweet side of the Christian life. We should be like children but not be childish. Growth is not having biblical knowledge but having more of Christ, to be filled with Christ. Growth is less of self, even none of self. It is to think less of self, even to think nothing of the self. Humility is to not look at the self. To see oneself is to be relatively humble; not to see oneself is to be absolutely humble. To grow is to let Christ have the first place in us. "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). It is not how much biblical knowledge we have, but how much consecration we have, how much we have put in God's hand, and how much we have allowed Christ to have the first place. The real growth is to let Christ be magnified.
There is also the receiving of light from God — spiritual vision — which is another sweet side of the Christian life. Revelation is something given to us by God objectively. Light is the revelation God shows to us subjectively. Vision is what we see when we are enlightened by God's light; it includes light and revelation. First there is the enlightening, then the faith. To be continually under the enlightening we must allow Christ to have the first place in all things continually. "If therefore your eye is single, your whole body will be full of light" (Matt. 6:22). It is not that we do not understand, but that we cannot understand, because the eye is not single. "The pure in heart...shall see God" (Matt. 5:8). The heart must be pure. "If anyone resolves to do His will, he will know" (John 7:17). Only those who let Christ have the first place can have light.
Power is also a sweet side of the Christian life. In order to have power, we must let Christ be enthroned. When He increases, we have the power. Without separation, there can be no power. To be separated is not only to come out, but to come in — to be in Christ. We are different from others because we are in Christ and have put on Christ. Christ is our power.
In general all believers have financial difficulties. Perhaps this is because the things they formerly did were improper, things they now can no longer do. Or perhaps it is because of spiritual reasons, where God is behind the scene directing matters with some specific goal. God takes away our material possessions so that we will seek Christ that He may have the first place in all things. It is not impossible for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God, but it is difficult. It is not impossible for him to serve the Lord, but it is difficult. Cast your treasure in the dust, and Jehovah will be your treasure (Job 22:24-25). In the wilderness God dealt with the children of Israel by stripping them of all the earthly supply of food and clothing in order that they might know God's riches. When the earthly supply stops, the heavenly supply comes. Difficulty in material supplies comes for the purpose that we may seek to have Christ take the first place in all things and learn the lessons of faith. When difficulty comes, we should believe that it is from God and rejoice. But we should not hope for difficulties to come. If we do, Satan also can cause difficulties to be added to us.
The reason we lose our parents, husband, wife, children, and relatives is that God wants us to take Christ as our satisfaction. God takes these away from us in order that we would take Christ as Lord and allow Him to have the first place in us. God has no intention to deal with us severely; His intention is only for us to take Christ as Lord. To weep before the Lord is more precious than to be happy before men. What we find in the Lord is what cannot be found in our parents, wife, and children. Both in creation and in His dealing with the believers, God wants His Son to have the first place. If we offer up Isaac, we will receive back Isaac. God does not let us have anything outside of His Son.
God allows sickness and weakness to come to our body in order that we may learn to (1) pray at night, (2) be watchful as sparrows on the rooftop, (3) know that the Lord makes our bed for us, (4) deal with sin, (5) wait quietly, (6) touch the hem of the Lord's garment, (7) know that the Lord sent His word to heal us, (8) know that through sickness God causes us to become useful persons, (9) know that holiness is healing, and (10) know that the Lord's resurrection power removes our weakness, sickness, and death. Through sicknesses, God causes us to learn to trust, rely, and obey, so that Christ may have the first place in us.
After a person is saved, he always exercises his natural virtues. But after some time, perhaps a few years, the Lord will remove his natural virtues. This will make him suffer. The Lord deprives us of our virtues in Adam that we may see our own corruption. God takes away our goodness that we may be filled with Christ.
God deprives us of our possessions, relatives, health, and goodness in order that we would take Christ as our satisfaction, be filled with Christ, and allow Him to have the first place in all things.
Whatever God gives to us, whether it be a sweet life or a suffering life, is for the purpose of making Christ the One who occupies the first place in us.
(Morning, January 30)
Scripture Reading: Eph. 2:10; 1 Cor. 2:2; 2 Cor. 4:5
Life and experience are inward matters, while the work and messages are outward matters. Whether it be inward matters or outward matters, we should allow Christ to have the first place in all things.
Christ should have the first place in our work. "Good works,...that we would walk in them" (Eph. 2:10). "Good works" are just Christ. The goal of God's work is Christ, and we should walk in this work. All believers, no matter what profession they hold, are doing the work of God and should walk in God's good works. To serve God and to work for God are two vastly different matters. Many work for God but do not serve God. Whether or not a work is of faithfulness depends upon the intent, motive, and purpose and if the goal is for Christ. In doing God's work, although there is suffering, there is also joy; although there is difficulty, there is also comfort. There is also the attraction to God's work. We often work because of our interest, not because of Christ. Many times men run to and fro to work for a name for themselves. They have worked, but they have not served God. God's work from eternity to eternity has always been with the view that His Son would have the first place in all things. Therefore, our work should also be for Christ. If God does not purify our intent and motive, we cannot receive God's blessing. We work not for sinners but for Christ. How successful our work is depends on how much Christ is in it. We should allow the Holy Spirit to discern our intention right from the beginning, to see if it belongs to the spirit or to the soul, and to see if it belongs to this side or to that side. Our work should not be for our own increase, our own group, or our own message; rather, we should work for Christ. As long as God gains something, we should rejoice. When we see God gaining something, even if it is not through our hands, we should be happy for it. We are not saving our message but saving sinners; we are not here to gain our own heart but Christ's heart. When things go our way and we gain something, it means that the Lord gains nothing and nothing goes His way. If we would take God's gain as our satisfaction, we would not be proud or jealous. Many times we seek God's glory as well as our own glory. God saves men for Christ, not for us. Paul planted, and Apollos watered. It was not accomplished by one person, lest anyone would say, "I am of Paul," or "I am of Apollos." All the things concerning the work are for Christ, not for the worker. We are the loaves in the Lord's hand. When people eat the loaves, they thank the one who gives them the loaves; they do not thank the loaves, which are we. The work from its beginning to its end is all for Christ, not for us. We should be satisfied with the work allotted to us by the Lord and with the position the Lord arranged for us. We should not be "in another man's rule" (2 Cor. 10:16). We like very much to leave our own lot to tread on another's lot. The question is not whether we can do it or know how to do it, but whether God has commanded it. Sisters should stand in the sisters' position (1 Cor. 14:34-35). Sisters should not be teachers, making judgments concerning God's word (1 Tim. 2:12). In all the work, we should let Christ have the first place.
Christ should also have the first place in our messages. We "preach...Christ Jesus as Lord" (2 Cor. 4:5). "For I did not determine to know anything among you except Jesus Christ, and this One crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2). Christ is the center of God's plan and the center of God's goal. The cross is the center of God's work. The work of the cross is to accomplish God's goal. The cross works to eliminate all that issues from the flesh in order that Christ may have the first place. Our central message should not be the dispensations, the prophecies, the types, the kingdom, baptism, forsaking denominations, speaking in tongues, keeping the Sabbath, or holiness, etc. Our central message should be Christ. The centrality of God is Christ. Therefore, we should take Him as the center.
After a person is saved, we should help him to consecrate himself to be a slave of Christ, so that he receives Christ as his Lord in all things.
All the truths in the Bible are related like a wheel with spokes and a hub, having Christ as the center. We are not neglecting the truths outside the center; rather, we need to link these truths with the center. Concerning any truth we should know two things: (1) we should know about this truth, and (2) we should know how this truth relates to the center. We should pay attention to the center. Of course, this does not mean we do not speak of other truths. Paul said, "I did not determine to know anything among you except Jesus Christ, and this One crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2). Later he also said, "But we do speak wisdom among those who are full-grown" (2:6). It is only after a person has consecrated himself and received Christ as his Lord that we can speak to him the truths concerning his building up. In our work we should continually draw people back to the center and let them see that "Christ is Lord." We cannot do this work in an objective way. We ourselves must be the first to be broken by God and allow Christ to have the first place in us, before we can lead others to receive Christ as Lord and allow Christ to have the first place in them. We must live out a life of giving Christ the first place before we can spread this message. Our message is just our person. We should allow Christ to have the first place in the small things in our daily life before we can preach the message of the centrality of Christ. I only wish that every one of us would give the Lord Jesus His place on the throne! If the will of God is to be accomplished, what does it matter if I am put in the dust? The Lord's "well done" surpasses all the praises of the world. The smiling face of heaven surpasses all the angry faces of the earth. The comfort of heaven surpasses the tears of the earth. The hidden manna is enjoyed in eternity. May the Lord bless His word that He would gain us and others also.
(Morning, January 31)
