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Scripture Reading: Rom. 8:29-30; 9:20-21, 23-24 Eph 1:5; 4:13; 1 John 3:1-3
We need to learn to have a simple heart to receive the truth in the Bible. In my contact with God’s children, I have a deep feeling that many Christians do not have a clear, accurate knowledge of the truth concerning the plan of God’s salvation and the economy of God’s grace. The terms economy, or plan, and stewardship were used by Paul in Ephesians 1:10 and 3:2, 9. Regrettably, they are not properly translated in the Chinese Union Version.
Ephesians 1:10 says, “Unto the economy of the fullness of the times.” The Greek word for economy also means “dispensation,” “plan,” or “management.” Just as a businessman knows how to manage his wealth, so also God has His management, His economy, in the universe. However, what God manages in His economy in the universe is His grace.
We have already seen that God has a plan for saving us and an economy for dispensing grace to us. Just as a businessman has a plan for the management of his business, so the great God has His plan for distributing grace among the human race. Ephesians 1 and 3 speak about the plan, the economy, of God’s mystery. If we read the book of Ephesians carefully, we will see that it is quite complicated and not as simple as we think.
In many people’s concepts salvation means merely that God loved us and sent His Son to accomplish redemption for our sins so that as long as we believe in Him, our sins will be forgiven, and we will go to heaven to enjoy eternal blessings. If this is indeed the salvation of the God whom we serve, then it is admittedly too simple. If we study the entire Bible in a detailed way, we will see that God’s salvation is not so simple. Therefore, we need to meditate on the Word of God carefully in order that we may enter deeply into the thought of the Scriptures.
In reading the Word we must not take any chapter or any verse out of context. We cannot grasp one or two sentences in the Bible and then assert that God’s salvation is such and such. To do so would be very dangerous. If we would meditate on the New Testament as a whole, we would realize that the common concept in Christianity is much different from God’s revelation through the Holy Scriptures. Today the Lord has opened the truths to the churches in His recovery, so we should not hide them. Nevertheless, we also do not want these truths to become material for argument. If this happens, not only would it deprive people of the supply of life, but it will also become a hindrance to them. Whatever we do must be for others to get help and be established.
In order to adjust the inaccurate concepts of the past, we must first point out what they are. Catholicism and Protestantism have done much to harm people’s spiritual lives, the Lord’s work, and God’s economy. The reason many have been damaged by Catholicism and Protestantism is that they do not have an accurate, thorough knowledge of the truth. One example is the matter of purgatory. Catholicism teaches that after a person dies, he has to be disciplined in purgatory for the sins he committed in the past. Therefore, before he dies, he should try his best to do penance, and even after his death his relatives can also do penance on his behalf so that he can be raised out of purgatory. This is a damaging doctrine taught in Catholicism.
Many in Catholicism have the thought that while a person is alive, he does not need to apply the effectiveness of the Lord’s precious blood. If he sins, he only has to confess his sin to the Catholic priests to be forgiven. While a person is alive, he does not need to fear God or live a holy life to please God, because before he dies, he can simply give some money and do some good deeds for the atonement of his sins. Even if he himself cannot do this, his family members can make up for him by holding mass on his behalf to raise his soul out of the sufferings of purgatory. It is surprising that such a thought, such a concept, can exist in Catholicism and that it is believed and accepted by almost all Catholics. If you tell them that this is heresy, they would say that it is ordained by the pope. If you say that this is not scriptural, they would say that it was decreed by the pope. In the eyes of many Catholics, they only have the pope.
Revelation 12 speaks about the man-child who, because he overcame, was caught up to God and to His throne before the great tribulation of three and a half years (v. 5). Then in chapter 14 we see the hundred and forty-four thousand who, because they followed the Lamb, were raptured to Mount Zion in the heavens while the Antichrist was acting lawlessly on the earth (vv. 1-5). The words in the Holy Scriptures are so clear that they allow no room for human doubt. Furthermore, 1 Thessalonians 4 says also that when the Lord descends from heaven, the dead believers who will be resurrected and the living believers who will be transfigured will be brought together to meet Him in the air (vv. 15-17).
While the Lord Jesus was on the cross, the repentant robber asked a favor of Him, saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). If the Lord had answered the robber according to his request, He would have had to wait for a long, long time — the time that would pass before He came into His kingdom — before He could remember the robber. Yet He answered, “Today you shall be with Me in Paradise” (v. 43). Where is the Paradise mentioned by the Lord? Is it in heaven? It is not, because we know that the Lord went to Hades as soon as He expired. This was the fulfillment of what He had said concerning the Son of Man being in the heart of the earth three days and three nights (Matt. 12:40). From this we can see that the Paradise that the Lord mentioned to the robber is in Hades. The Lord’s speaking is clear and accurate, and it leaves no room for doubt and conjecture. Hence, we must examine this matter according to the revelation of the Bible, rather than follow the mistaken concept of “going to heaven” generally accepted in Protestantism.
The Bible never says that the soul of a person who has believed in Jesus and has been saved will go to a heavenly mansion when he dies. It is true that the Chinese Union Version has the term heavenly mansion, but this is because of the way this word was translated. The Greek word should be properly translated as “heavens.” This is the same word as the word that is translated “heavens” in the phrase the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near (Matt. 3:2; 4:17; 10:7). According to the biblical record, heavens refers to the third heaven, the habitation of God. In the Chinese Union Version this word was translated as “heavenly mansion” in only two places in the entire New Testament — Hebrews 9:24 and 1 Peter 3:22. Heavenly mansion is a term used in Chinese Buddhism to refer to nirvana, a place of perfect bliss. However, heavens in these two portions of the Word refers to the third heaven where God dwells.
The Bible says that at the final age, at the coming of the new heavens and the new earth, the holy city, New Jerusalem, the habitation of God, will come down out of heaven from God (Rev. 21:2, 10). At that time all the saved ones will undoubtedly be there enjoying eternal blessings with God. Not only their souls will be there, but their entire being — spirit, soul, and body — will also be filled with the divine element, and they will be in the habitation of the God of glory, mingled with Him and living with Him eternally.
I hope we all can see that God’s salvation comes out of His plan and that God’s giving of grace to us comes out of His economy. Some English versions of the Bible use the word economy or dispensation, which means “arrangement” or “distribution.” These expressions show that God’s giving of grace involves His economy, administration, and dispensation. The Bible says that the God who works all things dispenses grace to us according to the eternal purpose which He made in Christ (Eph. 1:11; 3:8-11). This God who has an expectation, a purpose, a plan, and an economy, does not give grace to us according to His whim. Rather, His giving of grace is His distribution of grace according to His economy, His dispensation.
If we carefully read through the Bible, we can find God’s thought concerning salvation. Every person who manages a business has a thought concerning his management, and the administration and arrangement of his business is based upon this thought. Likewise, God also has a thought concerning the economy and dispensation of giving grace to us. Today in Christianity the prevailing concept is that we were once sinful but that after we believed in the Lord and received God’s forgiveness, we were saved. Thus, after we die, our souls will go to heaven to enjoy eternal blessings. Remember, however, that this is man’s concept, not God’s concept.
Romans 8:29 says that “those whom He [God] foreknew, He also predestinated.” For what did God predestinate them? Was it for them to go to heaven? It was not. Verse 30 goes on to say, “And those whom He predestinated, these He also called.” Did He call them so that they could go to heaven? No, He did not. The verse continues, “And those whom He called, these He also justified.” Did He justify them so that they could go to heaven? No, He did not. The Word says that these “He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son.” God saves us not for us to go to heaven but for us to be conformed to the image of His Son.
Ephesians 1 says that God “chose us in Him [Christ] before the foundation of the world...unto sonship through Jesus Christ” (vv. 4-5). God’s intention is that we become sons of God. Then chapter 4 says that His desire is that we, the saved ones, arrive at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (v. 13). First John 3 says that undoubtedly “now we are children of God,” yet “it has not yet been manifested what we will be.” John also says that, nevertheless, at the Lord’s return “we will be like Him.” Furthermore, he says, “Everyone who has this hope set on Him purifies himself, even as He is pure” (vv. 2-3).
In view of this, what is God’s thought? God’s thought is not as simplistic as our thought. The Bible tells us that God has a pleasure in His heart, and according to His pleasure, He intends to gain a group of people to be vessels of His glory in the future. Like a potter, God made us with clay. We were just lumps of clay, yet we were created by God to be vessels, even vessels that He had prepared beforehand unto glory. God’s intention is to put Himself as glory into us that we may become vessels of glory (Rom. 9:20-24). What grace this is! Just as a glass can contain grape juice, so we also can contain God. However, because the glass is a dead vessel, the grape juice cannot change the glass or be mingled with the glass. However, as living vessels of God, we contain the living God with the living Spirit and life. Thus, we can be mingled with God.
Thank God that on the day we were saved, God came into us, and as soon as He entered into us, a fellowship was brought in between Him and us, us and Him (1 John 1:3). Once fellowship is brought in, transformation begins (2 Cor. 3:18). I believe that we all have this kind of experience. At the time we were saved, God came into us, and from then on, He has been interfering with everything in our daily life — our speaking, our doing, our intentions, our thoughts, and our motives. This One who is in us is living. As He lives in us, He bothers us and fellowships with us all the time, producing an effect within us. The more intense this effect is, the more we are transformed inwardly.
This transformation takes place first in our spirit and then gradually reaches our mind (Rom. 12:2; Eph. 4:23). When this happens, our mind has the element of God. Gradually, this transformation reaches our emotion, and as a result, we can no longer be as free as we were before in expressing our joy, anger, sorrow, and delight. We can no longer be free to love what we want to love. When we want to love someone or something with our love, the One in us holds us back and does not let us love. Formerly, we loved as we pleased and lost our temper as we desired, but now it is not so convenient for us to do these things anymore. When we are about to love someone or to lose our temper, the One who is in us holds us back and bothers us, causing us to have no peace. Formerly, our ideas, decisions, choices, and preferences were all of ourselves. However, after God is mingled with us, everything is different, and we are no longer so free. This is because God’s element has been added into us.
In the past, once we had a certain idea or a definite opinion, no one could change us. Now it is different. When we are about to express our idea, God tugs on us from within. When we have a definite opinion, He mingles Himself with us. As we are praying, in our inner feeling we ask, “Does God want me to do this? Will He be happy if I do this?” In this way we have God’s element and God’s flavor in our ideas because God has been mingled with us. This mingling is conformation. The more mingling we have, the more we have the image of God’s Son. Many brothers and sisters among us have some amount of the flavor of God’s Son in their experience. This is because God is continually mingling Himself with them to conform them to the image of His Son.
The more God mingles Himself with us, the more we have His element. The more God mingles Himself with us, the more Christ spreads in us. Thus, Christ will gradually grow in us until He is formed and matured in us. Christ’s being formed and matured in us causes us to become full-grown (Eph. 4:13). When we reach the stage of a full-grown man, Christ will be fully expressed through us. Christ will spread from our spirit to fully occupy our soul, and then He will permeate our body, and glory will be expressed. At that time we will be matured and ready to be raptured because Christ will have fully grown and been fully formed in us.
First John 3:2 says, “If He is manifested, we will be like Him.” Are we like Him now? How much is Christ expressed through us? Since the time we were saved, has there been more mingling of God in us? Whenever God moves in us, are we touched but not moved? Do we let Him prevail? Is God’s element in our opinions and preferences? Perhaps to this day some among us may still have the concept that it is sufficient to be saved and “go to heaven” and that it is not necessary to be concerned about the matter of overcoming. Even some have said, “We do not expect to receive a reward. We are satisfied to serve as guards at the gates of the heavenly mansions.” Furthermore, they say, “All the messages concerning the truth are very good, but we cannot measure up to them. They are too difficult, so let us forget about them. Our God is a God of compassion. He predestinated us not to be judged but to be saved. Therefore, it is all right just to be saved. We should try not to commit big sins, but if once in a while we commit small sins, we don’t have to think too much about it. We believers should not be over zealous. Why should we go to meetings and pray every day? It is enough just to be saved.” However, if one day such a one became seriously ill and was about to die, he would not say this anymore. Instead, he would regret his former attitude about grace. He would say to the Lord, “Lord, You have saved me, and I truly know that You have forgiven me of my sins and have given me the eternal life, so I do not have any worries if You would take me today to be with You. However, when I consider that in my whole life I have been walking according to the flesh and caring only for myself, when I consider that I have never thought about Your interests nor ever lived a single day for the gospel, how can I go to see You peacefully? O Lord, have pity on me! If You would give me a few more years, I would live them wholly for You.” If he would expire before finishing his words, would he then go to a “heavenly mansion”? If he were to, would he not feel ashamed when he saw the Lord at that “heavenly mansion”? A person cannot go in a casual manner even to meet the president of a nation, not to mention going to meet the Lord. At the very least, he has to comb his hair, clean his face, and change his clothes. Many people have been saved, but afterward they still live by their flesh and natural life, love the world, indulge in lusts, practice deceit, and do evil things, yet they still believe that when they die, their souls will immediately go to a heavenly mansion. If this were the case, what kind of a place would that heavenly mansion be? Would it not be a robbers’ den?
This is not God’s thought concerning salvation. God’s intention is that all the saved ones would be conformed to the image of His Son. Now consider yourself. Are your thoughts filthy? Have they been purified by the Holy Spirit? Is your natural being strong? Has it been dealt with by the Holy Spirit? It is true that the Lord has bought and redeemed you by His precious blood. Nevertheless, God will ask you how much you have been transformed in His life. Have you been conformed to the image of His Son? Do you look like Him? God’s salvation is not according to the doctrine taught in degraded Christianity but according to His purpose of grace. I am not asking whether you have been saved. I know that you already have been washed by the precious blood and that you also have received God’s life, but do you live in Him? Are you under the ruling of the Spirit? Do you subject yourself to the heavenly authority? Are you being dealt with by the heavens?
I know some will say, “I absolutely cannot make it.” However, as long as you have the heart, the strength of God will come to you. “With men it is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27). He is our strength. The question is not whether we are able but whether we are willing. Are we willing to hate the world? Are we willing to hate the flesh? Are we willing to hate our natural being? It is regrettable that there are many who are simply not willing. They still continue to walk according to their flesh and still indulge in their lusts. I hope that we all would ask ourselves according to our conscience and our feeling, “Since we walk according to the flesh, indulge in lusts, and live altogether for ourselves, if we were to die today, would our souls immediately go to a ‘heavenly mansion’?” There is no such logic even on earth, not to mention in the heavens. How can the harvest be gathered into the barn before it has ripened? The harvest must be ripened. The saved ones must grow unto maturity, and then they can be raptured and brought to God.
God has His economy, His administration, and His dispensation. God’s salvation is not what many people imagine it to be — a matter of heaven and hell, of going to either heaven or hell. God has His plan, His arrangement, and in His grace He has His economy.
May the Lord have mercy on us that we may not be those who are disapproved (2 Cor. 13:6). We all should pray for the church and for the Lord to give grace to His church so that the church may go on in the way of His recovery. It has been more than four hundred years since the Reformation at the time of Martin Luther, and God is still recovering His truths. May we who live in these last days not allow the traditional errors to hinder the way of God’s recovery. We all have the responsibility to carry out this commission.
