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I. Marriage:
А. Marriage being ordained by God.
B. The matter of keeping one’s virginity.
C. Concerning choosing a proper mate.
D. Concerning those who are married.
E. Concerning remarriage.
F. Concerning divorce.
G. Marriage being a symbol of the union between Christ and the church.
II. Family:
А. Husband and wife:
1. A Husband and a wife being a symbol of Christ and the church.
B. Children and parents:
1. A father and children being a symbol of God the Father and His children.
C. Servants and masters:
1. Masters and slaves being a symbol of the Lord and His slaves.
D. Concerning relatives.
III. Occupations:
А. The principle of work.
B. Occupations.
C. The matter of partnerships.
D. What to do with profit.
IV. Making friends:
А. The principle of making friends.
B. The kind of friends that we should make.
C. Patterns of friendship.
V. Food and drink:
А. Before the fall.
B. After the fall.
C. In the dispensation of law.
D. In the dispensation of grace:
1. Food and drink being a symbol of Christ and the word of God as the food and drink of life.
VI. Clothing:
А. Before the fall.
B. After the fall.
C. In the dispensation of law.
D. In the dispensation of grace:
1. Clothing being a symbol of Christ as the believers’ righteousness and the righteousnesses of the believers.
VII. Concerning money:
А. The position of money.
B. The nature of money.
C. The curse of money.
D. The vanity of money.
E. The believers and money.
VIII. Concerning authority over us:
А. The origin of authority over us.
B. The believers and the authorities over us.
IX. Four principles concerning the living of the believers:
А. Profitable to yourself.
B. Being free from all things.
C. Building up others.
D. Glorifying God.
In this chapter we will briefly cover eight matters and four principles concerning the living of the believers.
1. “Jehovah God said, It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper as his counterpart” (Gen. 2:18).
When God created man, He saw that it was not good for man to be alone, so He determined to make a helper for man as his counterpart. This shows that marriage is according to God’s divine and holy ordination. Marriage was ordained by God when God first created man. Marriage did not come in after the fall of man, nor is it based on the lusts of man. Marriage was ordained by God for man in creation, and it is a primary matter in our human living. In our living, only creation is higher than marriage, and all other matters are headed up by marriage. The origin of man was through creation; the continuation of man is through marriage. In the beginning God created man, but the continuation and propagation of man is through marriage. Therefore, marriage is important to God, and He ordains that man marry.
God ordained man to have a helper as his counterpart because it was not good for the man to be alone. Being alone is not good for several reasons. It is not good in regard to reaching God’s goal, and even more, it is not good in regard to man himself. Both physically and emotionally, in human living and human affairs, it is not good for man to be alone. Therefore, God determined to make a helper as a counterpart for man.
2. “He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this cause shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall be joined to his wife; and the two shall be one flesh’” (Matt. 19:4-5).
In the beginning God not only ordained that man have a helper as his counterpart in marriage, He also created them male and female and ordained that the two should be one flesh. Man has an inward need for marriage, which comes from God’s creation. God created this need in human nature. The Bible reveals that God’s goal in the universe is with man. In order for God to accomplish His goal in the universe, He must gain man, and in order to gain man, He must ensure that the man He created for His purpose continues and propagates through marriage. Therefore, God not only ordained marriage; He also created a need for marriage within man.
God’s creation of man was very special. He created man so that a male and a female would need each other in order to be a complete person by becoming one flesh. According to the teaching of the Bible, neither a female nor a male is a complete person. In order to be complete, a male and a female must join together as one. Just as two halves of a watermelon are needed in order to be a complete watermelon, only a man and a wife are a complete person from God’s point of view. A brother once invited a couple over for dinner, but the husband came without his wife. The brother mentioned to his guest that only half of a person came. According to the Bible and God’s original ordination, I felt that this word was correct. God wants male and female to become one flesh; therefore, He wants man to marry. Marriage is God’s original ordination.
The Scripture quoted by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 19:5 was in response to a question concerning divorce. In His word the Lord acknowledged God’s original ordination concerning marriage. Furthermore, the Lord indicated that man should honor God’s original ordination concerning marriage. In the New Testament the Lord’s consideration of the importance of human marriage matched God’s consideration in creation.
3. “Let marriage be held in honor among all” (Heb. 13:4).
This word was spoken by the Holy Spirit in the New Testament through the apostle. It shows that the Holy Spirit, just as God in creation and the Lord Jesus in the New Testament, considers marriage to be an important human matter. The apostle said that marriage should be held in honor among all. Another translation of this word is “let marriage be held in all honor.” No one should despise marriage, and nothing related to marriage should be despised, because the Holy Spirit says that marriage should be held in all honor among all. This is the first relationship in human relationships. It comes out of God’s holy ordination. We absolutely must not consider marriage as being something unholy.
4. “Teachings of demons...who forbid marriage” (1 Tim. 4:1-3).
Marriage was ordained by God for man so that man could accomplish His goal. In contrast, the forbidding of marriage comes from demons. Demons have a desire to destroy the accomplishment of God’s goal, which depends upon human marriage, so they forbid people to marry. They not only forbid people to marry but also teach the forbidding of human marriage as a doctrine. People practice this doctrine in Buddhism, Catholicism, and other religions. Attacks on this divine matter of God’s ordination come from enemies who have an intention to destroy God’s goal by causing people to marry loosely or by forbidding them to marry. We should be aware that an ideology not to marry comes from demons, God’s enemies.
5. “If you do marry, you have not sinned; and if the virgin marries, she has not sinned” (1 Cor. 7:28).
Since marriage is according to God’s ordination and should be honored by man, no one should consider a proper marriage as sinful. Only a filthy or unstable mind will consider a proper marriage of a man and a woman as a sinful thing.
We should not have the thought that those who love God should not marry. This is not God’s thought. If we follow this thought back to its root, it comes from demons. Without marriage, there would be no propagation, and without propagation, the human race would end, and there would be no one through whom God could accomplish His goal in the universe. Therefore, the matter of marriage is not only right but also necessary in God’s eyes.
1. “His disciples said to Him, If the case of the man with his wife is like this, it is not profitable to marry. And He said to them, Not all men can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given...There are eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs because of the kingdom of the heavens. He who can accept it, let him accept it” (Matt. 19:10-12 see also 1 Cor. 7:7-9).
Although God ordained marriage for His common goal in creation, He gives some people the gift not to marry for the sake of His goal in His redemption. Those who have been given this gift spontaneously receive it. They can willingly not marry for the sake of God and the kingdom of the heavens. A person who does not have a willingness to not marry or who feels forced in the matter of not marrying has not received this gift from God. In such a case, not only is he permitted to marry, but he should marry. It is better for one to follow God’s ordination and his natural need to be married than to be forced to not marry.
2. “Both the unmarried woman and the virgin care for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit...may be comely and may wait on the Lord without distraction. But if anyone thinks that he is behaving unbecomingly to his virgin daughter, if she is past the bloom of youth and thus it must be so, let him do what he wishes, he does not sin; let them marry. But he who stands firm in his heart, being under no constraint, and has authority with respect to his own will and has decided this in his own heart, to keep his own virgin daughter, he will do well. So then both he who gives his own virgin daughter in marriage does well, and he who does not give her in marriage will do better” (1 Cor. 7:34-38).
The apostle’s word in these verses refers to the matter of some believers keeping their virginity, and it is very clear and definite. If one stands firm in his heart and feels no need to marry, this is a matter of his own will. It is possible for one to decide to keep his virginity and not marry in order to please the Lord by waiting upon the Lord without distraction. However, if one feels that dealing with himself in this way is incompatible with his human circumstances, he can freely marry without any consideration of sin. Furthermore, in such a situation it is better for him to marry. The Bible does not have a hard rule concerning this matter; instead, it gives us the authority to choose freely. Consequently, the Catholic Church’s rule against marriage for monks, nuns, priests, and popes contradicts the teaching of the Bible to the uttermost.
3. “These are they who have not been defiled with women, for they are virgins” (Rev. 14:4).
There are some saved ones who definitely receive a special gift from God to keep their virginity in order to become a special group of overcomers to Him. They become firstfruits to God and to the Lord Christ, receiving God’s reward.
1. “Do not become dissimilarly yoked with unbelievers” (2 Cor. 6:14).
In the Old Testament God did not allow oxen and donkeys to be yoked together (Deut. 22:10). Similarly, in the New Testament He does not allow believers to be yoked together with unbelievers in marriage. Since oxen and donkeys have different dispositions and inclinations, they have difficulty walking together on the same road. Believers and unbelievers also have different dispositions, views, inclinations, and goals, so it is difficult for a believer who is dissimilarly yoked to walk on a road that follows the Lord and lives to the Lord. We have the Lord’s life within, but unbelievers do not have His life. We are light, but they are darkness. We love the Lord, but they love the world. How can we be yoked together and joined in marriage with them? Therefore, when believers choose a spouse, they must choose a believer. This keeps the Lord’s commandment. This will not only please the Lord but also help keep us from going astray.
2. “Take along a sister as a wife”; “She is free to be married to whom she wishes, only to one in the Lord” (1 Cor. 9:5; 7:39).
Believers can marry only believers. If we are brothers, we can marry only believing sisters. If we are sisters, we can marry only brothers in the Lord.
In the Old Testament God did not allow His people to marry Gentiles lest their holiness be mixed with the unholiness of the Gentiles and they be tempted to leave Him to follow other gods (Deut. 7:3-4; Exo. 34:16; Ezra 9:2; Neh. 10:30). King Solomon was misled because he did not keep God’s commandment and married Gentile women. This caused him to sin and leave God (1 Kings 11:1-8; Neh. 13:23-27). This should be a warning to us.
When choosing a mate, the most important thing is to seek and follow the Lord’s leading. According to the pattern in Genesis 24, if older ones like Abraham can oversee and confirm our choice, our choice will be more solid. A good wife and an appropriate spouse is a gift from God (Prov. 19:14); consequently, we may not be able to choose well by ourselves. We also should not pay more attention to outward beauty than to inward virtues and capabilities (11:22; 12:4; 31:10, 30). However, we must love the other person. Love must be the basis of choosing a mate (Gen. 29:18, 20). If there is no love, we should not base our choice on other conditions. Of course, in choosing a mate, our love must be strictly controlled and directed by the Lord so that it may be appropriate and beneficial, rather than harmful.
1. “To the married...a wife must not be separated from her husband (but if indeed she is separated, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband), and a husband must not leave his wife...But if the unbelieving one separates, let him separate” (1 Cor. 7:10-11, 15).
Those who are married may not be separated. Furthermore, a believing spouse may not be separated from an unbelieving spouse. If they are separated, they should be reconciled if possible. However, if an unbelieving spouse separates, the believing spouse should let the unbelieving spouse separate. There should be no legal action, because God desires reconciliation.
Those who are no longer married because of separation should not marry again. If believers remarry when adultery is not involved (see points 2 and 3 below in the section “Concerning Divorce”), the oneness of a marriage between one man and one woman is destroyed, and they become adulterers.
2. “Have you been bound to a wife? Do not seek a release” (1 Cor. 7:27).
A brother who is bound to a wife should not and may not seek a release. This is not the Lord’s will. The Lord wants him to learn some lessons through his wife.
3. “A wife is bound for so long a time as her husband lives” (1 Cor. 7:39).
While her husband is alive, a sister is bound and cannot remarry; otherwise, she will destroy the oneness between a husband and wife, and she will be committing adultery.
1. “Should the husband fall asleep, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only to one in the Lord” (1 Cor. 7:39).
If a sister’s husband dies, the bond of oneness between husband and wife is broken. Then she is free to remarry as long as she keeps one condition: she must marry a brother in the Lord.
2. “Widows, It is good for them if they remain even as I am. But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with desire” (1 Cor. 7:8-9).
When the apostle Paul spoke this word, he must have been single. (We do not know if he ever married.) At this time he thought it best if widows do not remarry but remain single as he was in order to concentrate on serving the Lord. If they could not, they could remarry. It is better to remarry than to force oneself to remain single.
3. “I will therefore that younger widows marry, bear children, keep house” (1 Tim. 5:14, see also vv. 9-13, 15).
In 1 Corinthians 7 Paul clearly says that at that time he wanted widows to be as he was and remain single. He did not have a command from the Lord, but this was his hope and opinion. First Corinthians was written early in his ministry. When he wrote 1 Timothy in his later years, his manner of speaking about this matter changed. He must have observed that it was difficult for young widows, who could be easily tempted by Satan, to remain single. Therefore, at that time he wanted younger widows to marry, bear children, and keep house in order to give no opportunity for Satan to tempt them. Furthermore, he also commanded that widows be sixty years old before the church enrolled them for assistance. Younger widows were to be refused because the church could not know whether she would remain single as a widow in need of assistance.
1. “They are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has yoked together, let man not separate” (Matt. 19:6).
When a husband and wife are married, they become one flesh and are no longer two. We must pay particular attention to the Lord’s word no longer two. This corresponds to a man and a woman being joined together to be a complete person. Since two are joined as one, they should not be separated. According to the Lord’s word, this yoking is God’s work; it is of God. Therefore, man may not separate them. People today have no problem with divorce, but the Lord says, “No!” Marriage is God’s yoking, but divorce is man’s action. God only agrees with marriage; He never agrees with divorce.
2. “Whoever divorces his wife, except for fornication, and marries another, commits adultery” (Matt. 19:9).
Marriage is one; if it becomes two through divorce, there is confusion. Therefore, unless a man’s wife commits adultery, he may not divorce her and marry another. If he divorces his wife and marries another for any matter other than adultery, he breaks the oneness of marriage and commits adultery.
3. “Everyone who divorces his wife, except for the cause of fornication, causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries her who has been divorced commits adultery” (Matt. 5:32).
If a wife commits adultery, she is an adulteress. If she does not commit adultery but her husband divorces her, forcing her to marry another, he causes her to commit adultery since she may not marry again while he is living. If she marries again, she breaks the oneness of marriage, commits adultery, and becomes an adulteress. Whoever marries her also breaks the oneness of marriage and therefore commits adultery. This is something that must not be done. In conclusion, as long as a husband or wife are living, neither party can remarry unless adultery is involved. If they do, they break the oneness of marriage and commit adultery. This breaks God’s ordination and destroys what God has yoked. God does not approve of this.
1. “I betrothed you to one husband...as a pure virgin to Christ” (2 Cor. 11:2).
The marriage of a man and a woman is a symbol of the joining of Christ and the church. The apostle considers Christ as the Husband and the believers as His betrothed. Furthermore, he betrothed us as a pure virgin to Christ. Therefore, whenever we see a marriage, we should be reminded of our relationship to Christ and of Christ’s relationship to us.
2. “He who has the bride is the bridegroom” (John 3:29 see also Matt. 9:15).
When John the Baptist introduced the Lord Jesus, he said that the Lord was not only the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world but also the Bridegroom who would marry the bride. The Lord Himself also said that He came to earth as the Bridegroom. The bride whom He desires to marry is His redeemed ones, the believers. He is the unique, true Bridegroom in the universe. Human bridegrooms are a symbol of Him as the true Bridegroom. His relationship with us and our relationship with Him are the relationships of the Bridegroom with the bride. We should be reminded of this whenever we see a bridegroom and a bride.
1. “For this cause shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall be joined to his wife; and the two shall be one flesh” (Matt. 19:5 see also Eph. 5:31).
The family is built upon the union of a husband and a wife. The condition of the producing and building up of the family primarily depends on the condition of the union between a husband and his wife. The union of husband and wife involves two becoming one flesh, one person, according to God’s ordination. In order to have a healthy family, a husband and wife must be one to the extent that they are one person. God wants a husband and wife to become one person and one flesh. Therefore, He wants a man to leave his parents and be joined to his wife. This is different from the ancient Chinese tradition. In China, when a father and mother find a wife for their son, the daughter-in-law serves them. Consequently, the family often has difficulties and is not very healthy. According to God’s ordination, parents should not expect their son’s wife to serve them. No one should stand between them, making it difficult for them to become one. They should be given complete freedom so that they can truly become one. Thus, they will be able to produce and build up a healthy family.
2. “Wives, be subject to your own husbands as to the Lord” (Eph. 5:22 see also Col. 3:18; 1 Pet. 3:1-6).
The responsibility between a husband and wife falls first on the wife. Every time the Bible speaks of the relationship between a husband and wife, it speaks first of the wife. A wife should be subject to her husband. Her subjection should be as to the Lord. In matters between a husband and wife, God established the husband to represent His authority and the wife to represent the church’s subjection to His authority. Therefore, the wife should consider her husband as the Lord. She should take her husband as her authority and be subject to her husband as to the Lord.
Be subject to emphasizes authority. Sometimes the husband is wrong in a certain matter, and the wife cannot and should not obey; nevertheless, the husband is still the authority, and the wife must still be subject to him and not overthrow him. Sometimes a wife should not obey her husband, but she should still be subject to him. If she does not obey him because he is wrong, she should still be subject because he is the authority. Obedience is related to an order; subjection is related to position and authority. For example, Daniel’s three friends remained in subjection to the king’s authority even though they did not obey his order to worship an idol (Dan. 3).
Wives also should be subject to their own husbands. Ephesians 5:22 speaks of this matter, because a wife often agrees with another sister’s husband but is not subject to her own husband. Sisters should remember the person whom God has ordained as their authority and be subject to their own husband, not another sister’s husband. Agreeing with and admiring another person’s husband, while not being subject to and not admiring one’s own husband, kills the harmony between a husband and wife and causes the family to suffer loss.
3. “The wife should fear her husband” (Eph. 5:33).
Since the husband represents the Lord, the wife should not only honor her husband but also fear her husband. The wife should have fear toward her husband. It is beautiful when a wife has a proper fear of her husband. This will protect her and enable her to avoid many errors. However, if a husband fears his wife, this becomes a very ugly situation and causes many problems.
4. “Young women to love their husbands” (Titus 2:4).
It is not enough for wives to be subject to and fear their husbands; they must love them. Wives are best at loving their husbands, and this is also the sweetest thing. The love of a wife for her husband is the soul of her treatment of her husband. If the wife lacks love for her husband, it is as if a person has lost his soul or as if a lamp is out of oil.
5. “I do not permit a woman...to assert authority over a man” (1 Tim. 2:12).
A wife may not become the head and assert authority over a man. This is not allowed by God. When a wife becomes the head and asserts authority over a man, it is as if heaven and earth have been turned upside down. This is a confusing and disgraceful situation. The most dangerous situation, one which invariably creates many problems, occurs when a woman is the head in every matter, controlling and asserting authority over a man. It is a protection and a blessing for a woman to maintain her position of subjection with a man’s authority covering her head. This is well pleasing to God.
6. “Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter against them” (Col. 3:19 see also Eph. 5:23-29, 33).
God’s command to husbands is marvelous. The opposite of subjection is the assertion of authority, and since God tells wives to be subject to their husbands, logically speaking, He should tell husbands to assert authority over their wives. Instead, He commands husbands to love their wives. Although the husband is the head, God does not command him to assert authority over his wife; rather, He wants him to love his wife. A husband’s authority as head must be exercised through love. If he does not love his wife, it will be difficult for him to assert authority over his wife. If he does not love his wife, it also will be difficult for his wife to be subject to him. A husband who considers himself as the head but lacks love toward his wife or, as in the case of some brothers, does not love his wife enough should not expect his wife to be subject to him.
7. “Husbands...dwell together with them according to knowledge...assigning honor to them” (1 Pet. 3:7).
Husbands must deal with their wives with love and according to knowledge. A husband must deal with his wife according to knowledge because his wife is weaker. According to knowledge means according to reason, according to facts and principles, not according to emotions and reactions. If a husband is sympathetic to his wife’s weaknesses and cares for and reasonably deals with her according to the facts of each matter, he truly loves his wife. However, when some brothers deal with their wives, they are completely unreasonable; that is, they consider only their own preferences. They give free rein to their emotions and are confused to the extent that they are not a proper head. This creates problems for their wives who seemingly are without a husband or a head. We should not be like this.
Although the husband should be sympathetic with his wife according to knowledge because she is weaker, he should not despise her for her weakness. On the contrary, he should assign honor to her because she is one flesh with him and a fellow heir of the grace of life. A husband is the authority in God’s ordination, and a wife must submit to this authority; in the old creation God made the husband stronger and the wife weaker. Nevertheless, in God’s eyes a husband and wife are one person, and in His salvation a husband and wife are heirs together of the grace of life. Therefore, husbands should be sympathetic to their wives’ weaknesses on the one hand and assign honor to their wives on the other hand.
Husbands often love their wives and are sympathetic to them, but they do not honor them. Honor must be added to a husband’s love and sympathy in order for him to properly treat his wife. Only love and sympathy combined with honor can be considered as true love and reliable sympathy.
8. “Do not deprive each other, except by agreement for a time that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and then be together again” (1 Cor. 7:5 see also 9:5).
Unless they want to devote themselves to prayer, a husband and wife should not sleep separately so that Satan does not have an opportunity to tempt them. According to this principle, husbands and wives also should not be separated for long periods of time. A husband should take his wife with him wherever he goes.
1. “The two shall be one flesh. This mystery is great, but I speak with regard to Christ and the church” (Eph. 5:31-32).
A husband and a wife, being one flesh, are a symbol of a great mystery, Christ and the church, and of the oneness between Christ and the church. Whenever we consider a husband and wife being one flesh, we should see the mystery of the oneness of Christ and the church.
2. “A husband is head of the wife as also Christ is Head of the church...But as the church is subject to Christ, so also let the wives be subject to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (Eph. 5:23-25).
A husband, as the head of the wife, is a symbol of Christ as the Head of the church. Therefore, a wife being subject to her husband is a symbol of the church being subject to Christ, and a husband loving his wife is a symbol of Christ loving the church. Every proper relationship between husband and wife is a manifestation of the story of Christ and the church. Therefore, as husbands and wives, we should be careful to be proper husbands and wives in order to properly manifest the relationship between Christ and the church.
1. “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother...that it may be well with you and that you may live long on the earth’” (Eph. 6:1-3 see also Col. 3:20; Prov. 30:17).
The second human relationship in the Bible is between children and parents. Just as the Bible speaks first of wives and then of husbands when referring to matters concerning husbands and wives, it speaks first of children and then of parents when referring to matters concerning parents and children. Obeying and honoring are the most important matters of a child’s behavior toward his parents. This is fitting and pleasing to the Lord. When God first commanded man to honor his father and mother, He added a promise. The apostle says that this is the first commandment with a promise: If we honor our parents, it will be well with us, and we will live long. The earthly blessings of prosperity and longevity are gained by honoring one’s parents. Conversely, Proverbs 30:17 says that those who do not honor their parents will lose the sight of their eyes, which means they will not receive light. Children, may this be a warning!
2. “Let them first learn to show respect toward their own household and to render a return to their parents” (1 Tim. 5:4).
Children should learn to show respect toward their own household and to render a return to their parents. The gift that parents give their children in raising them should not be despised or forgotten by the children. The children should respect and render a return to their parents. This is pleasing in the sight of God.
3. “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but nurture them in the discipline and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4 see also Col. 3:21).
Typically, fathers are strict with their children to the extent that the children are provoked to anger. Therefore, the Bible teaches that the most important matter for fathers in dealing with their children is not to provoke them to anger. A good father will not make his children angry or cause them to feel wronged. He will make his children happy and nurture them in the discipline and admonition of the Lord. However, it is not right for him to care merely for his children’s happiness, neglecting the discipline and admonition of the Lord. Nevertheless, if he uses only the discipline of the Lord to teach them and ignores their feelings, he will be too dry. The secret of being a father is for him to care for his children’s happiness and to nurture them in the discipline and admonition of the Lord.
4. “Train the young women...to love their children” (Titus 2:4 see also Prov. 13:24; 19:18; 22:6, 15; 29:15, 17).
In a father’s treatment of his children, the Bible emphasizes not provoking them to anger and nurturing them in the discipline and admonition of the Lord. In a mother’s treatment, however, the emphasis is on love. Mothers can never be successful if they do not love their children. If a family does not have a mother’s love, it can never be a good family. Without a mother’s love, a family is crippled. Therefore, the young sisters who are mothers must learn to love their children.
1. “The Father has given...that we should be called children of God; and we are” (1 John 3:1, see also v. 2).
A father and his children symbolize God the Father and His children. God the Father loves us and gave us to be called children of God, and we are. He is a Father to us, and we are His children. This relationship is manifested by the mutual relationship and treatment of a father and his children. When we see a proper condition between a father and his children, we should be reminded of our mutual relationship with God the Father as His children.
2. “If you...know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in the heavens give good things” (Matt. 7:11).
The Lord’s word in this verse clearly shows that fathers should be the symbol of God the Father. Human fathers know how to give good gifts to their children just as God the Father gives good gifts to us His children.
1. “Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as to Christ” (Eph. 6:5 see also Col. 3:22-25).
In our households there might be a relationship between master and servants, so the Bible has a specific teaching regarding this matter. When the Bible speaks of the matter of servants and masters, it begins from the bottom and goes up. It speaks of servants first and then masters. Brothers and sisters who are servants should be obedient to their masters with fear and trembling. Their obedience should be in singleness of heart, as to Christ. They should not only serve and honor their master before his face but do everything for their master as to the Lord, as if they are serving the Lord, not man. In this way they will receive a reward from the Lord.
2. “Slaves under the yoke should regard their own masters as worthy of all honor...Those who have believing masters should not despise them, because they are brothers; but rather they should serve them” (1 Tim. 6:1-2 see also Titus 2:9-10; 1 Pet. 2:18).
A servant should give all honor to his master. If the master is a believer, the servant should not despise him, because he is a brother or a sister. They should not leave the position of a servant but rather should serve them. Servants certainly should not be rude to their masters but be loyal and obedient. They should obey not only kind and gentle masters but even crooked ones.
3. “Masters, do the same things toward them, giving up your threatening” (Eph. 6:9).
When masters deal with their servants, they should not threaten them. We must remember that both masters and servants are slaves of the Lord in the heavens.
4. “Masters, grant to your slaves that which is just and equal” (Col. 4:1).
In their dealings with their servants, masters may not cheat or oppress them. They must be just and equal as the Lord is to us.
1. “Masters, grant to your slaves that which is just and equal, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven” (Col. 4:1).
The relationship between a master and a servant manifests the relationship between the Lord and His slaves. When we deal with servants, we should remember that we have a Master in heaven. We symbolize Him as the Master, so we cannot make mistakes with regard to our servants lest we symbolize, or manifest, Him incorrectly.
2. “Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters...as to Christ...as slaves of Christ” (Eph. 6:5-6 see also Col. 3:22-24).
Just as masters symbolize Christ as our Master, servants symbolize the believers as the Lord’s slaves. Therefore, brothers and sisters who are servants should serve their masters well, as if they are serving the Lord, lest they improperly symbolize, or represent, a slave of the Lord.
1. “If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Tim. 5:8, see also v. 16).
Believers should do their best to care for their relatives. They should care for their relatives’ lack, especially in the matter of money. We should especially do so for those in our own household. If someone in our household has a lack, we should do our best to attend to it. It is reasonable that we should not burden the church or others.
1. “If anyone does not want to work, neither should he eat” (2 Thes. 3:10, see also vv. 12, 8; 1 Thes. 4:11; Acts 20:34).
A Christian must work, and each must work for himself. He cannot be idle, expecting to eat while being a burden to others. If a Christian does not want to work, neither should he eat. If his hands do not want to move, neither should his mouth.
2. “But rather should labor” (Eph. 4:28 see also 8, Titus 3:14).
When Christians work, they must have a proper job. According to the standard of a saint, Christians should not have any job that is dark, immoral, ill-famed, improper, untrue, unclean, illegal, or harmful.
1. “Work the ground” (Gen. 3:23 see also 9:20).
It is best if Christians work in nature, producing what is necessary for human living. The first recorded occupation in the Bible that God wants for man is to work the ground. Working the ground is to farm to produce fruit from the earth. It is most beneficial to us and to others.
2. “A tender of sheep” (Gen. 4:2 see also 30:31; Exo. 3:1; Amos 1:1).
The second recorded occupation that is pleasing to God in the Bible is the keeping of sheep. Shepherding involves cooperating with nature to produce things from animals that are beneficial to us and others.
3. “Fishermen” (Matt. 4:18).
A third occupation recorded in the Bible is fishing. Fishing involves the taking of natural produce from the sea. It also is beneficial to human living.
4. “Tentmakers” (Acts 18:3).
A fourth kind of occupation recorded in the Bible is tentmaking. This handcraft combines natural products with labor to produce things that people need.
5. “Physician” (Col. 4:14).
According to the Bible, Christians can have additional skills other than producing necessities for human living. The first skilled occupation spoken of in the Bible is that of a physician. Although physicians do not produce necessities for human living, they provide a necessary skill to benefit humans.
6. “Slaves” (Eph. 6:5).
Even being a slave is considered as a kind of occupation for Christians in the Bible. It is a kind of skill, and it is beneficial to people.
According to the principle of a skill, occupations involving teaching, nursing, or laboring are beneficial to man. A Christian’s job or occupation must be necessary or beneficial to man.
1. “Do not become dissimilarly yoked with unbelievers” (2 Cor. 6:14 see also Deut. 22:10; 2 Chron. 20:35-37).
Believers may not form business partnerships with unbelievers, because God’s Word says that believers should not be dissimilarly yoked. Just as God does not allow an ox and a donkey to be yoked together to plow the field, He does not allow a believer to form business partnerships with unbelievers. Since the dispositions, interests, and human goals of a believer and an unbeliever are completely different, it is difficult for a believer to practice the will of God and avoid being contaminated and affected by such a dissimilar relationship, causing him to offend God and withdraw from God. God cannot bless such a partnership. For the benefit of the believer, He will usually destroy it in His discipline. A good example of this kind of discipling can be seen in the case of Jehoshaphat, who formed a partnership to build ships with Ahaziah, who did not want God. Even though Jehoshaphat was a God-seeker, God destroyed the ships that were built.
1. “Have something to share with him who has need” (Eph. 4:28).
When believers have a job or a business, they should not hoard their money but should share with brothers and sisters who have need. Hoarding causes us to suffer loss; sharing causes us to have a reward and brings in more of God’s blessing.
2. “These hands have ministered to my needs and to those who are with me” (Acts 20:34).
Paul worked to supply not only his own needs but also the needs of his co-workers. This shows that when a believer works, his work is not only for his own living but also for God’s work. Thus, when he makes a profit, he should supply God’s work and God’s workers. Every believer who loves the Lord and lives to the Lord loves to do this and should do this. If a believer keeps his profit and allows the work of God to suffer loss and difficulty, he is wrong. May the Lord have mercy on us and save us.
1. “Do not become dissimilarly yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?...Or what part does a believer have with an unbeliever?” (2 Cor. 6:14-15).
The first principle in the matter of making friends is that believers may not make friends with unbelievers. We are righteousness, light, of Christ, and the temple of God; unbelievers are lawlessness, darkness, of Satan, and idol-worshippers. The nature, use, and owner of a believer and unbeliever are completely opposite. Therefore, we must be separated from them. We should not have fellowship with them so that we can have fellowship with God and become sons and daughters who are pleasing to God.
2. “Evil companionships corrupt good morals”; “Evil pursues sinners” (1 Cor. 15:33; Prov. 13:21 see also 18:24).
The second principle related to believers’ making of friends is not to have evil companionships. While we cannot be friends with unbelievers, we must be careful and not make friends loosely even with a believer. If we make friends loosely without discernment, it will be difficult to avoid evil influences; thus, we can corrupt ourselves and suffer loss.
1. “There is a true friend that sticks closer than a brother” (Prov. 18:24 see also John 11:11; 15:13-15).
Our first friend should be the Lord Himself. He is closer to us than a brother. We should fellowship with Him and be His close friend.
2. “With those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Tim. 2:22 see also 3 John 14).
Our second friend should be one who loves the Lord with a pure heart. We should fellowship much with him and pursue the Lord together.
1. “The friend of God” (James 2:23 see also 2 Chron. 20:7; Isa. 41:8; Gen. 18).
Abraham is the best pattern in the matter of making friends. He fellowshipped with God and was the friend of God. God also considered him as a friend, so he was called the friend of God. In Genesis 18 Abraham entertained God just as a friend would receive another friend, especially when he walked with God to send Him away.
2. “Intimate counsel with God” (Job 29:4).
Job is also a good pattern in making friends. He was an intimate friend of God from the days of his prime.
3. “Feared God and turned away from evil” (Job 1:1 see also 2:11-13; 42:7-10).
Job’s three friends made friends with Job, who feared God and turned away from evil. As a result, they gained a deeper knowledge of God because of Job. This should be a pattern to us in making friends.
4. “Fully followed Jehovah” (Num. 32:12 see also 14:6-10).
Caleb and Joshua were friends who both fully followed Jehovah. Young believers should especially follow their example in making friends.
5. “A man according to My heart” (Acts 13:22 see also 1 Sam. 18:1-3; 19:1-7; 20:12-17; 2 Sam. 1:26).
Jonathan did not care for his relationship with his father or for his father’s fleshly will. He made friends with David, a man according to God’s heart. As a result, he and his descendants were not affected by his father; rather, they were blessed. This is a pattern that we should follow in making friends.
6. Making friends with overcomers in a wasteland, like Daniel and his three friends (see Dan. 1:6-17; 3:8-30).
Daniel’s three friends made friends with Daniel, who was an overcomer in a wasteland. As a result, they were a shining testimony and spoke for the Lord in the wasteland, and their testimony and words continue to shine throughout the ages. This is a good pattern for making friends in the wasteland in which the church exists today.
1. “Every herb that produces seed...and every tree which has fruit that produces seed” (Gen. 1:29).
Before the fall God ordained that man eat herbs and the fruit of trees. Man ate vegetables and could not eat meat.
1. “Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; just as I gave you the green herb” (Gen. 9:3).
After the fall of man, God ordained that animals as well as vegetables could be food for man. In other words, after the fall both meat and vegetables could be eaten. The purpose of eating is to maintain life. The meat that we eat as food comes from the killing of animals, and in the Bible this symbolizes Christ being killed that we might obtain life and live. Therefore, in brief, meat symbolizes redemption through the shedding of blood. While meat symbolizes redemption through the shedding of blood, vegetables symbolize works without the shedding of blood. Before man fell, man could eat only vegetables to maintain his life, symbolizing that man was without sin and could live before God without the shedding of blood. But after the fall and the entrance of sin (Rom. 5:12), man needs the shedding of blood for redemption in order to live before God. This need is symbolized by God telling man to eat meat after the fall.
In contrast, Satan tells people to eat only vegetables. Satan’s hidden and crafty intention in telling people to eat only vegetables is to cause them to reject the requirement of the shedding of blood for redemption and to instead rely on their works in order to live. (Alas, vegetarians do not have this realization!) Satan influences what people eat by promoting self-denial. Those who are tricked by Satan into being vegetarians not only practice self-denial but also rely on self-denial. For example, Buddhism emphasizes self-denial and relies on self-denial. Consequently, Buddhism also emphasizes and promotes vegetarianism. Once we see Satan’s intention in this matter, we should not be influenced by the thought or practice of vegetarianism; instead, as those who eat meat, we should declare that we are sinners in need of the blood that Christ shed for our redemption.
2. “Its blood, you shall not eat” (Gen. 9:4).
Although God ordained that man could eat meat after the fall, He did not allow man to eat blood. Blood is needed for the redemption of human life because life is in the blood (Lev. 17:10-11). When the Lord Jesus came, He told us to drink His blood because only His blood redeems us and enables us to obtain His life (John 6:53-56; Matt. 26:27-28). According to typology, blood redeems man, but in reality only the blood of Jesus can take away the sin of man (Heb. 9:12; 10:4). Therefore, we can eat only the blood of the Lord Jesus. God commands man not to eat blood in order to show that the shedding of blood is for the redemption of sin and to show that only the blood of the Lord Jesus can take away man’s sin.
1. Man could eat both vegetables and meat (Lev. 10:12-14; Deut. 12:17-18, 20-22).
In the dispensation of the law, man’s failure to keep God’s requirements exposed his weakness, sin, and inability to be justified by works of law, showing that, in reality, man could be redeemed and live before God only through the shedding of blood. This is signified by God telling people to eat meat.
2. Animals were divided into clean and unclean, edible and inedible.
Even though God told His people to eat the meat of animals in the dispensation of the law, He also told them to discern between clean animals that could be eaten and unclean animals that could not be eaten. According to Acts 11:5-12, this signifies that God wants His people to discern between clean and unclean people in their relationships and dealings with others. Clean animals represent people with whom His people can deal. These include animals that have divided hooves and that chew the cud (Lev. 11:2-8, 26-28), fish that have fins and scales (vv. 9-12), birds that eat vegetables rather than meat (vv. 13-19), and insects with wings that leap up and fly (vv. 20-25, 29-38, 41-44). All of these clean animals also had to be living (vv. 39-40).
According to typology, animals with divided hooves represent people who have discernment in their walk (cf. 2 Cor. 6:17; Eph. 5:11), and animals that chew the cud represent people who continuously consider the Word of God (cf. Luke 1:29). Fish that move through the water with fins and that are protected from the water with scales signify people who live in and move through the world without being penetrated by the world (cf. John 17:15-17; Rom. 12:2). Birds that do not eat dead meat but rather seeds of life represent people who touch matters of life rather than matters of death. Insects that have wings to fly above the earth and legs that can leap above the earth signify people who can transcend the elements of the world. A living animal represents a person who has life before God. Only people represented by these types of clean animals are considered clean before God. The people of God should deal only with such people.
3. Blood still not being eaten (Lev. 17:10-15; Deut. 12:16, 23-25).
In the dispensation of the law God did not allow man to eat blood, signifying that even in the dispensation of the law, God still required the shedding of blood for redemption in type.
1. “Teachings of demons...abstaining from foods, which God has created to be partaken of with thanksgiving by those who believe and have full knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 4:1-3).
In the dispensation of grace we can eat meat and vegetables. Abstaining from meat is a teaching of demons. Everything created by God is good and can be partaken of with thanksgiving by those who believe and have full knowledge of the truth. If we partake with thanksgiving, nothing need be refused, because it is sanctified through the Word of God and intercession.
Sanctified in 1 Timothy 4:5 means that something is separated to be holy to God for His use. Everything that God originally created lost its position of belonging to God and being for His use because of the fall. The Word of God, however, tells us that these things have been recovered in God’s eyes through the redemption of Christ and that He has given them to us. Since we believe and understand the Word of God, we can receive these things with thanksgiving and petitions. Thus, they are sanctified through the Word of God by our thanksgiving and intercession, and they have been brought back to God for His use. He uses them to feed those who belong to Him and who live to Him. Since we are sanctified and live to God, these things are also sanctified and brought back to God for His use. For example, bread in the bakery is common. If we take it and give thanks for it according to God’s Word, it is sanctified. This sanctification is not natural; it occurs through the Word of God and intercession. Through the fall of man, the rightful position of things for God’s use was lost. Through the redemption of Christ, however, they can be sanctified and recovered for God’s use through the Word, which speaks of this recovery and of His promises to give us these things, and intercession, which is petition based on the Word that we believe. These things can be sanctified for God’s use because of Christ’s redemption and recovery of them, because of God’s promises related to them, and because of our prayer and intercession for them. Thus, we can eat and enjoy them unto God.
2. The ordinances in Leviticus 11 being abolished in the New Testament (Acts 10:9-16).
The ordinances in Leviticus 11 are related to the law of the old covenant. They were for the Israelites under the law. They were abolished in the dispensation of grace of the new covenant. Christians under grace today do not need to keep these ordinances. Even though spiritually, according to law, we do not need to keep those ordinances, physically, for the sake of health, there is some benefit in limiting our eating of foods that are considered unclean.
3. “Abstain from...what is strangled and blood” (Acts 15:20, see also v. 29).
In the dispensation of grace we still cannot eat blood. Since the blood of a strangled animal has not flowed out, it remains within the animal. Consequently, it is forbidden. God does not allow us to eat blood in the dispensation of grace so that we can manifest to the universe that only the blood of the Lord Jesus can take away our sin. Spiritually speaking, we should eat only His blood, which is symbolized by not eating things that are strangled and blood.
4. “The things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become those who have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the Lord’s cup and the demons’ cup; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the demons’ table” (1 Cor. 10:20-21 see also Acts 15:20, 29).
Idol sacrifices touch demons, and as those who belong to God, we should not eat food sacrificed to idols. We cannot drink the Lord’s cup and eat the Lord’s table, breaking bread and fellowshipping with the Lord, and at the same time drink the demons’ cup and eat the demons’ table, eating idol sacrifices and fellowshipping with demons.
5. “It is not that which enters into the mouth that defiles the man” (Matt. 15:11 see also Rom. 14:2, 14, 23).
In God’s eyes nothing is unclean; therefore, what enters a person’s mouth cannot defile him. Everything can be eaten. If some are weak in the faith and think that something is unclean, it is unclean to them, and they should not eat it. If one has doubts and eats without faith, he will be condemned because everything not done in faith is sin. However, if we are strong and have faith, we can eat anything. Nothing will be unclean to us.
6. “Food will not commend us to God; neither if we do not eat are we lacking, nor if we eat do we abound” (1 Cor. 8:8).
In the dispensation of grace food is not a requirement for being commended to God; therefore, eating or not eating a certain item is not important.
7. “The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17).
We should not be too particular in our eating, because the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Those who live in the kingdom of God today should not emphasize the matter of eating but should emphasize the matter of spiritual life. This is pleasing to God.
8. “Whether you eat or drink...do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31).
Although there is no law today concerning what we can eat, our eating and drinking should be to the glory of God. Our eating and drinking should glorify God. If it does not glorify God, our eating and drinking can cause problems.
9. “Do not break down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but it is evil for a man to eat while stumbling others. It is good not to eat meat nor drink wine nor to do anything by which your brother stumbles” (Rom. 14:20-21, see also v. 15; 1 Cor. 8:9-13).
Our eating and drinking must not wound others or cause God’s work to be hindered or destroyed. We should not eat or drink anything that stumbles the brothers or harms the work of God.
10. “Do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissoluteness” (Eph. 5:18 see also 1 Tim. 5:23).
Although the Bible does not prohibit us from drinking wine, it does prohibit us from being drunk with wine. It is difficult not to become drunk with wine when we drink it. If we do not want to be drunk with wine, it is better not to drink wine. If we do not want to fall into a pit, the safest thing is to not go near its edge. When we are near the edge, it is easy to fall into a pit. Likewise, when we contact wine, it is easy to become drunk. Being drunk with wine causes dissoluteness, so we should avoid it.
1. “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall by no means hunger, and he who believes into Me shall by no means ever thirst”; “The bread which I will give is My flesh, given for the life of the world”; “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life”; “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink”; “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall by no means thirst forever” (John 6:35, 51, 54; 7:37; 4:14).
Everything in the universe has a symbolic meaning. Most things symbolize God’s salvation in Christ. This is not a coincidence; it is God’s arrangement. God arranged for the visible things in the universe to be symbols of spiritual things. Different human relationships are such symbols, and even items like food and clothing are symbols. Food and drink symbolize Christ as our food and drink of life. Christ said that He is the bread of life who satisfies man’s hunger. His living water also causes man to by no means thirst forever. Through His death on the cross, He gave Himself and flowed out His life as living water to man. If a person is willing to come to Him, believe into Him, and receive Him, which is to eat and drink Him, he will be given the satisfaction of life so that he will by no means hunger or thirst forever. Every time we eat or drink, we should realize that the Lord is the bread of life for us to eat and the living water for us to drink and enjoy, causing us to be full and satisfied.
2. “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out through the mouth of God”; “Your words were found and I ate them” (Matt. 4:4; Jer. 15:16).
Food symbolizes the word of God as the food of our spiritual life. We must learn to live not on bread alone but on God’s word. We should eat the word of God as food. Every time we eat physical food and our body gains nourishment, we should be reminded of how our spirit needs the word of God to nourish it.
1. “Both the man and his wife were naked and were not ashamed” (Gen. 2:25).
Before the fall man did not wear clothing, but he was not ashamed. Although he was naked, he was without sin; therefore, he did not need clothing to cover any shame.
1. “The eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves” (Gen. 3:7).
After he sinned, man was ashamed of his nakedness. Therefore, he felt a need for clothing to cover his shame. Although he used leaves of a tree to make loincloths to cover his shame, these leaves could not cover the shame. Sinful man always tries to cover his shame with his own actions and behavior, but such a covering is not possible through human actions.
2. “Jehovah God made coats of skin for Adam and for his wife and clothed them” (Gen. 3:21).
The loincloths of leaves made by fallen man could not cover them, so God came and covered their shame with the skins of killed animals — sacrifices — as clothes. This signifies that even though fallen man cannot cover his shame through his own actions and behavior, God can cover our shame with the killed Lamb — Christ — as righteousness.
3. “Covered the nakedness” (Gen. 9:23).
In principle, after the fall God wants man to wear clothing to cover the shame of his nakedness. Therefore, any clothing or style that covers the body well is proper. Clothes that expose the chest, shoulders, feet, and legs do not correspond to God’s desire for man to be covered.
1. “Neither shall you go up by steps to My altar, so that your nakedness may not be uncovered on it” (Exo. 20:26).
In the dispensation of the law God continued to tell man to wear clothing in order to cover his shame and to not expose his body. God did not allow the Israelites to use steps to go up to His altar so that the nakedness of their lower body would not be exposed. As sinners, we need to wear clothes to cover ourselves at all times.
2. “A woman shall not put on a man’s clothing, nor shall a man wear a woman’s garment; for everyone who does these things is an abomination to Jehovah your God” (Deut. 22:5).
God did not allow the women among His people, the Israelites, to wear men’s clothing or the men to wear women’s clothing. Great confusion occurs when the protection of the difference between men’s and women’s clothing is eliminated. This encourages adultery, so it is an abomination to God. Today most women dress like men. In principle, this is not pleasing to God.
3. “You shall not wear clothing of mixed materials, of wool and linen together” (Deut. 22:11).
In the dispensation of the law God did not allow the children of Israel to wear clothing made of different materials, such as wool and linen. Wool comes from the animal life, and linen comes from the plant life. This signifies that God does not want our acts of righteousness, which are symbolized by clothing, to be something from Christ and something from Adam, that is, a mixture of a spiritual and fleshly living. God does not want us to live by such a mixture.
4. “Make for themselves fringes on the borders of their garments...and to put on the fringe of each border a cord of blue...so that when you see it you will remember all the commandments of Jehovah and do them, so that you do not seek after your own heart and your own eyes, according to which you committed fornication; that you shall...be holy to your God” (Num. 15:38-40).
In the Old Testament God told the Israelites to attach a fringe to the borders of their clothing and to put a cord of blue on the fringe. Blue is the color of the heavens. A cord of blue on the fringe of their garment surrounded their legs and signified that their steps were under the heavenly limitation. When they saw the cord of blue, they remembered the commandments of God, and they also remembered to not follow their own heart and their own eyes to commit fornication, causing them to be holy to God.
5. The garments of the priests (Exo. 28:1-43).
The garments that God ordered the priests to wear in Exodus 28 were completely different from the clothing of the people of Israel. Every item of the priestly clothing has spiritual significance.
1. “Women adorn themselves in proper clothing with modesty and sobriety, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly clothing”; “Let your adorning not be the outward plaiting of hair and putting on of gold or clothing with garments, but the hidden man of the heart in the incorruptible adornment of a meek and quiet spirit” (1 Tim. 2:9; 1 Pet. 3:3-4, see also v. 5; Gen. 35:4; Exo. 33:5-6; Isa. 3:16-25).
The verses from 1 Timothy and 1 Peter clearly show that in the dispensation of grace, God wants us to pay attention to inward spiritual virtues rather than outward beauty and costly ornamentation. These verses are specifically directed toward the sisters because they pay more attention to matters of adornment.
While God does not give specific instructions on how to dress, two principles are presented: our clothing must be proper, and our clothing must not be extravagant. I dare not say that there is a specific standard for what is proper, but I believe that we each have a sense of whether or not our clothing is proper. This is marvelous! Regardless of where we are or what we are doing, we have an inward sense of whether or not our clothing is proper. With regard to the matter of extravagance, God is a little more specific. He counts gold, jewelry, and costly items as extravagant and does not allow us to wear them. While it may be more difficult in determining whether or not a particular garment is extravagant, we each have an inward sense of what is extravagant and what is not. Under the new covenant God does not give us dead ordinance after dead ordinance concerning every matter. Instead, He imparts His living law of life inside of us so that we know what to do with respect to every matter (Heb. 8:10). May we be willing to follow His inward leading in the matter of clothing and adornment.
The clothing that we wear is very much related to our coming before God. When Jacob and his family were going to Bethel to worship God, they took off their earrings and put away their idols. This shows that jewelry, like idols, can hinder us from approaching God. Adornment truly is an idol worn on our body. If we want to approach God, we must take off the idol of adornment — jewelry — just as we remove other idols.
The golden calf that the children of Israel worshipped in the wilderness was made from their jewelry. Therefore, God told them to take their ornaments off so that He would know what to do to the children of Israel. The ornaments we wear often become the idols we worship. This makes it difficult for God to know how to deal with us. If we want the Lord’s leading, we must take all the ornaments off of our body just as the children of Israel did.
Isaiah 3 says that the city of Zion was punished because the daughters of Zion were haughty in their adornment. This shows that haughty, elegant adornment causes God to punish us. This should be a warning to those who are haughty in their elegant adornment.
2. “When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face” (Matt. 6:17 see also Eccl. 9:8).
Although we should not be extravagant in our adornment, we should be clean and neat in our clothing. Even when we fast, the Lord wants us to brush our hair and wash our face. Even Ecclesiastes, which mainly speaks of vanity, says that our clothes must be clean and our hair combed. Rumpled clothes and messy hair are not spiritual. We should not dress in rumpled clothing or neglect to brush our hair in order to obtain spiritual praise by appearing to be fasting. This is false spirituality. This should be condemned. If we are truly spiritual, we will be very normal in our adornment. We will be neat and clean, not extravagant or messy.
3. “Every man praying or prophesying with his head covered disgraces his head. But every woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered disgraces her head” (1 Cor. 11:4-5).
According to the Lord’s word through the apostle, a brother should not cover his head when he prays or speaks; that is, he should not wear a hat. However, if a sister prays or speaks a word, she should cover her head. This matter is covered in chapter 19, “Head Covering.”
4. “If a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her, because her long hair has been given to her for a covering”; “It is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut off or to be shaved” (6, 1 Cor. 11:15).
According to God’s ordination, sisters should have long hair. Long hair is the sisters’ glory. Therefore, the sisters should not cut or shave off their hair. On the contrary, they should be ashamed of cutting or shaving off their hair. Today’s fashion, however, surprisingly considers short hair beautiful. This is the opposite of what the Bible says. Sisters should not follow today’s fashion. Of course, the styling and perming of hair definitely should not be done. A sister who fears and loves the Lord is not without a sense that these things offend the Lord. No sister who pursues the Lord with a pure heart can style and perm her hair with a peaceful heart. These things are not pleasing to the Lord and are not a sign of fearing the Lord. May the Lord save the sisters from fashions that are contrary to His will, and may their hair grow according to His will.
5. “If a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him” (1 Cor. 11:14).
It is a glory for sisters to have long hair, but it is a shame for brothers to have long hair. Sisters have long hair because their head should be covered. Brothers should not have long hair because they are the head. This is God’s ordination, and the sense from our human nature also confirms this. When we see a man with long hair, we feel uncomfortable, and when we see a woman with very short hair, we feel equally uncomfortable. These feelings are spontaneous reactions, and we should give heed to them.
1. “He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, / He has wrapped me with the robe of righteousness” (Isa. 61:10 see also Luke 15:22; 1 Cor. 1:30).
God has clothed us with the garments of salvation and wrapped us with the robe of righteousness. Clothing us with salvation and wrapping us with righteousness refer to the same thing. The garment of salvation is the robe of righteousness, and the robe of righteousness is the garment of salvation. God’s righteousness as salvation has been put on us like a garment. Consequently, clothing in the Bible symbolizes righteousness. It symbolizes Christ as our righteousness, and it also symbolizes our righteous deeds. Food symbolizes Christ as our inward supply for our life, and clothing symbolizes Christ as our outward righteousness to cover our shame. Christ inwardly satisfies us and outwardly makes us pleasing to God. God gave Christ to us to eat as the bread of life for our satisfaction, just as the loving father killed the fattened calf to feed the prodigal son for his happiness. He also gave Christ to us as the robe of righteousness to put on so that we could be acceptable to Him, just as the loving father put the best robe on the prodigal son so that he could be beautiful before his father. The loving father prepared the fattened calf for his son inwardly and the best robe for his son outwardly, and God prepared Christ as life for us inwardly and Christ as righteousness for us outwardly.
Because God tells man to eat meat in order to manifest his need for the redemption of Christ, Satan causes man to abstain from eating meat to express his refusal of the need for the redemption of Christ. In the same way, because God wants man to wear clothes to manifest his need for Christ as righteousness, Satan causes man to be naked to express his rejection of Christ as righteousness. Demons who possess people often cause them to be naked (cf. Mark 5:15), and Satan also operates in people’s hearts and creates a desire within them to bare their chests and shoulders. All the fashions that expose the body come from Satan’s operation. His hidden intent is to cause man to reject Christ as his righteousness. Alas, many brothers and sisters who have received Christ as their righteousness follow the fashions of Satan that expose much of their body. In the matter of their clothing, they do not properly manifest their need for and their gaining of Christ as their righteousness. May the Lord show us that both food and clothing can be positive symbols of Christ. May He also show us that Satan can use both food and clothing to manifest contrary, hidden, and negative symbols. May the Lord save us from Satan’s hidden, contrary, and negative purposes so that we may match His positive intentions.
2. “The fine linen is the righteousnesses of the saints” (Rev. 19:8 see also Matt. 22:11; Rev. 7:14; Isa. 64:6).
Revelation 19:8 clearly associates clothing with righteousness. The fine linen garment that the bride of Christ will wear is the righteousnesses of the saints. This fine linen is not the righteousness of Christ but our righteous acts through the Holy Spirit. The righteousness of Christ causes us to be saved, but our righteousnesses cause us to overcome. Every saint should have two kinds of righteousness and wear two kinds of clothing. The first kind of righteousness is Christ as our righteousness, which justifies us before God. Christ Himself is a robe of righteousness that makes us worthy to be God’s children. This righteousness is related to our salvation. The second kind is the righteousness that relates to our acts through the Holy Spirit, which makes us acceptable before Christ. Our righteousnesses in the Holy Spirit become a garment that makes us worthy of being the bride of Christ. This righteousness is related to our overcoming. Christ as our righteousness makes us worthy of coming before God. Our righteousnesses by the Holy Spirit make us worthy of being presented to Christ. The righteousnesses of the Holy Spirit are a fine linen garment that we can wear before Christ; this is the wedding garment that we need in order to attend Christ’s wedding feast. If we have Christ only as our righteousness but not the righteousnesses through the Holy Spirit, we will be saved, but we will not overcome. While we will be worthy of being the children of God and of enjoying the blessing of His house, we will not be worthy of being the bride of Christ and of enjoying the blessing of His wedding feast. If we want to be worthy of being the bride of Christ and of enjoying the blessing of His wedding feast, we must have the righteousnesses that come through the Holy Spirit. These righteousnesses are not something that we have in ourselves. Our own righteousness is like a filthy garment and cannot be brought before God and Christ. These righteousnesses come out of our living in the Holy Spirit by the life of Christ, that is, by Christ Himself. Such a wedding garment is bright and clean because of the blood of the Lamb. When we have such a garment, we are worthy of being the bride of Christ and of being presented to Christ.
Before God we should have one garment, and before Christ we should have another. The garment that we should have before God is Christ Himself as our righteousness. We receive this garment when we believe. This garment is objective. The garment that we should have before Christ is the righteousnesses that come out of our living the life of Christ through the Holy Spirit. We live out this garment after we believe. This garment is subjective. Since these two garments are related to salvation and overcoming, we cannot ignore them. Therefore, when we pay attention to the matter of clothing, we should consider the significance of these two garments.
1. “Cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt. 6:24).
The Lord Jesus said that we cannot serve God and mammon, which is money. The Lord’s word shows that money stands in a position that is against God. Satan is God’s enemy; he is against God. Money is in the same position as Satan in its opposition to God. Often money is the incarnation of Satan. It works for Satan, causing people to leave God, reject God, and oppose God. It even usurps God’s position in man. There are many who treasure money as if it were a god. Money is truly God’s enemy; it is a source of opposition to God. It is no wonder that the Lord Jesus said that we cannot serve God and money.
1. “Mammon of unrighteousness” (Luke 16:9).
The Lord calls money the mammon of unrighteousness. The unrighteousness of money is not related to its being obtained unrighteously through unrighteous means; rather, its unrighteousness is related to its very nature. There was no money in the garden of Eden, and there will be no money in the New Jerusalem. Therefore, money is not of God but of Satan. It was invented by Satan, and it is promoted among fallen mankind. Its nature before God is completely incompatible with every aspect of God, so in God’s eyes its very nature is unrighteousness.
1. “Deceitfulness of riches” (Matt. 13:22).
While money itself is unrighteousness, it also is a curse to man because of its deceitfulness. It is difficult to find anything in the world more deceitful than money. The deceitfulness of money is powerful. We should be warned.
1. “It is gone...like an eagle that flies”; “The uncertainty of riches”; “It fails” (Prov. 23:5; 1 Tim. 6:17; Luke 16:9).
God says that money is vain and uncertain. It can grow wings and fly away. Money is uncertain, and it will fail. These verses should remind us not to be cheated by money or consider it as being reliable. If we consider it as being something that is reliable, we will be cheated pitifully with vanity.
1. “Let your way of life be without the love of money” (Heb. 13:5).
Money bewitches people, causing them to love it. Believers, however, must be without the love of money. Money bewitches people because it cheats people. But if we have seen through its deception, how can it bewitch us into loving it? Knowing that it is in a position that is opposed to God, that its nature is unrighteousness, and that it cheats men with empty results, how can we still love and long for money?
2. “Watch and guard yourself from all covetousness” (Luke 12:15, see also vv. 16-34).
Believers should also watch and guard themselves with regard to money lest they be covetous. If we want to guard ourselves from covetousness, we should not be like the foolish rich man who depended on money, not on God. God, who feeds the birds of the air and arrays the lilies in the field, regards us as more important than these birds and flowers. If we, therefore believe that He will care for all our needs in our daily living, we will not worry about clothing and food, and we will be free from all covetousness.
3. “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven...For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also...No one can serve two masters...You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt. 6:20-21, 24).
The basic attitude of every believer should be not to love money. If this is our basic attitude, we will not covet when we do not have money, and we will not hold on to money when we have it. Thus, we will store up treasures in heaven. Every believer should store up treasures in heaven because where our treasure is, there our heart will be. If we want our heart to be in heaven, we must store up treasures in heaven. In addition, no one can serve two masters. We cannot serve God and serve money. We must not keep our money in our hands but instead send it to heaven.
4. “Nor to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches...Be ready to distribute, to be ones willing to share; laying away for themselves a good foundation as a treasure for the future” (1 Tim. 6:17-19 see also 2 Cor. 8:9, 14-15; Eph. 4:28; Acts 20:35).
As believers, we must learn to not set our hope on money but to be ready to distribute, be willing to share, and lay away a good foundation as a treasure for the future. We should use money not only for today but also for the future. This requires that we distribute and share with others. When we use money for ourselves, it is for today. When we use money for others, it is for the future. We should consider how the Lord Jesus became poor for us and be willing to become poor for others so that those among us with much would have nothing over, and those with little would have no lack. We should give our extra money to those with little. We should always remember the Lord’s word: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (v. 35).
5. “Make friends for yourselves by means of the mammon of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal tabernacles” (Luke 16:9, see also vv. 1-13).
We should take advantage of today, while money is still useful, to do our best to make friends by means of our money. This is to use our money to help others, supply others, or promote the gospel to save others. In the future, when money fails, those whom we have helped with our money will welcome us into the eternal tabernacles. I am afraid that many brothers and sisters are not as prudent as the unrighteous steward in Luke 16. They do not take advantage of today while they have the opportunity to use their money to help others. Consequently, no one will welcome them into the eternal tabernacles. What a joyful matter it will be if others are able to welcome us into the eternal tabernacles. This, however, requires that we use our money to prepare such welcomers. When we are saved and return to God’s house, the Father will welcome us according to the Lord’s word in Luke 15. However, whether or not others will welcome us into the eternal tabernacles depends on how we use our money today to make friends according to the Lord’s word in Luke 16. May we be faithful in this matter.
In the Lord’s eyes our faithfulness in the matter of making friends with the mammon of unrighteousness is the least of things (v. 10). This is because the earthly mammon of unrighteousness is an empty thing; it does not represent that which is true (v. 11). Rather, it “belongs to another,” to fallen, earthly men; it is not what is our “own” (v. 12). If we are faithful in this matter today, the Lord will give us great matters related to the kingdom, entrusting us with the heavenly, true matters. He will give us our own things, which are the things of the kingdom.
1. “There is no authority except from God, and those which exist are ordained by God” (Rom. 13:1).
All authority is from God, and those that exist are ordained by God. God gave man authority to rule other men after the flood (Gen. 9:6). However, men who receive authority often abuse it and force people to do things that offend God. In such cases those who fear God cannot obey their command and offend God, even though they should be subject to the authority from God. The record in Daniel 1:8-16; 3:8-27; and 6:4-23 is an example of ones who were subject to authority while not obeying commands that were offensive to God.
1. “Let every person be subject to the authorities over him, for there is no authority except from God...Render...fear to whom fear is due, honor to whom honor is due”; “Be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient...to slander no one” (Rom. 13:1, 7; Titus 3:1-2 see also 1 Pet. 2:13-14).
All the authorities over us are ordained by God; therefore, believers should be subject to them, rendering fear and honor. Believers should obey and not slander.
2. “Honor the king” (1 Pet. 2:17).
Believers should honor the king or leader of a country.
3. “Render to all the things due: tax to whom tax is due, custom to whom custom is due” (Rom. 13:7 see also Matt. 22:21).
The believers should also do their part to pay taxes properly.
4. “Petitions, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made...on behalf of kings and all who are in high position” (1 Tim. 2:1-2 see also Dan. 1:8-16; 3:8-27; 6:4-23).
Believers need to pray for all those who are in high position. We need to petition the Lord to give them wisdom, peace, and salvation. This is very important.
1. “All things are lawful to me, but not all things are profitable” (1 Cor. 6:12 see also 10:23).
All things are lawful to the believers, but they must also be profitable. Believers certainly should not do anything that is not profitable or is harmful to themselves.
1. “All things are lawful to me, but I will not be brought under the power of anything” (1 Cor. 6:12).
Believers must not be controlled by what they do. Anything addictive, anything that controls people or causes them not to be free, should not be done.
1. “All things are lawful, but not all things build up” (1 Cor. 10:23).
Whatever the believers do should also build up others. Anything that corrupts or stumbles others should not be done.
1. “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31).
Whatever the believers do must be done to the glory of God. Anything that is a shame to God’s name or that damages the testimony of God should not be done.
Doing what is profitable to oneself, being free from all things, building up others, and glorifying God are four great principles for the daily living of the believers. In the living of the believers, both big and small matters can be tested and decided by these four principles, especially when the Bible does not give a clear teaching on the matter. If something is according to all of these principles, it is permissible. If a matter violates even one of these principles, we should not do it. Matters such as smoking and going to movies are not expressly forbidden in the Bible, but these four principles can help us determine whether or not we may do them.
