Search
Ephesians 4:13 says, “Until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Galatians 4:19b says, “Until Christ is formed in you.” God shows us clearly in His Word that all spiritual matters related to a Christian depend on Christ. Whether it is our believing in the Lord, our baptism, or our breaking bread in remembrance of the Lord, everything in our Christian life depends on Christ. All spiritual matters depend on whether or not we have Christ. Any experience in which we do not experience Christ cannot be counted as a spiritual experience in God’s eyes.
Many of us still do not have a real seeing or feeling regarding this matter. We know that the Lord Jesus is God, that He has the eternal life, that the Lord Jesus is the Savior, and that we have received His salvation and have His life. Yet in our feeling, we are still not very clear that God’s purpose is for Christ to be our life and everything. Even though we have believed in the Lord and now belong to the Lord, there is one thing that we have not seen accurately. God wants Christ to be everything to us. This is not something outward but inward. Christ is in us as our life. Life is intimately related to us. To say that we do not have life would be to say that we do not have ourselves. God’s purpose is for Christ to be our life, yet we who are saved do not have much realization that Christ is our life.
Very often we are able to live and walk as if everything is normal, even though we have put Christ aside. Often at these times we are even pleased with ourselves, thinking that we have done well. This shows that although we are saved, we still have not clearly seen that Christ is our life and that we have to live by Him. If we see this clearly, we will have a deep sense that apart from Him we can do nothing and that apart from Him we cannot live. Deep within us we must see this revelation and vision so that our living will be in Christ and by Christ.
Today we still do not have an adequate understanding of the fact that Christ is our life and that, as the Bible says, apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). We have not seen that God rejects and refuses all that comes out of us. Anything that comes out of us, no matter how good it may be, is not acceptable to God. Only Christ counts; only Christ is valuable. Our hatred is definitely not acceptable to God, but our love is also not acceptable to Him. Only that which comes out of Christ is acceptable to God. God’s ordination concerning His Son is that we would love His Son and live by the life of His Son, so that His Son would be able to pass through us to be our life within and our living without. This is God’s intention, God’s purpose.
Many of God’s children have not seen God’s intention. Rather, they think that God wants them to improve themselves. Hence, their deepest pursuit is focused on improving themselves. Every time they pursue the Lord, they want to change themselves. When a person does not care for spiritual matters, he is indifferent to everything. He does not like to preach the gospel, to attend meetings, or to fellowship with the saints. However, at a certain time, perhaps when he is touched in a meeting, or if he suffers a blow and is disciplined, his heart is awakened, and he begins to have a heart to pursue spiritual things. At this time he has the strong thought that he will change his condition. In the past he was slothful, but now he will be diligent. In the past he did not read the Bible, but now he will read the Bible. In the past he did not pray, but now he will pray. In the past he was not zealous, but now he will be zealous. In the past he did not attend meetings, but now he will attend meetings. Of course, all these things are right and good, but they are not God’s purpose. God’s purpose is His Son, Christ.
God does not require that His children have a change in behavior or a desire to do good. If God’s children change themselves from being indifferent to being zealous, from not reading the Bible to reading the Bible, from not praying to praying, from not attending meetings to attending meetings, God’s heart still will not be satisfied. If we had the right understanding, we would know that our seeking God and our slothfulness in not seeking God are actually the same. From the spiritual perspective, reading the Bible and not reading the Bible are the same. This does not mean that it is not necessary for us to be zealous, to pursue the Lord, to pray, to read the Bible, or to meet. This is not what we mean. We should regularly read the Bible, pray, and meet. However, merely reading the Bible, praying, and meeting does not mean that we are spiritual, for these things cannot satisfy God. What counts and what can satisfy God’s heart is that Christ is in our reading of the Bible, in our praying, and in our attending meetings. Only Christ can satisfy God.
Hence, God’s heart is not satisfied if now we are reading the Bible when formerly we did not. God’s desire is not fulfilled if now we pray when formerly we did not. God’s purpose is not accomplished if now we attend meetings when formerly we did not. This is not the way God’s purpose is fulfilled. God’s purpose is not in our attending meetings, in our being zealous, in our reading the Bible, or in our praying. God’s purpose is in Christ. If we are zealous merely for the sake of being zealous, if we meet merely for the sake of meeting, if we read the Bible merely for the sake of reading the Bible, and if we pray merely for the sake of praying, then in God’s eyes all these things are nothing but religious activities, which can never satisfy Him.
I hope that we can see that all spiritual matters depend on Christ, not on spiritual activities. The reason why all these activities have some value is that they help us to touch Christ. The reason why reading the Bible and praying have some value is that they help us to touch Christ. The reason why seeking God zealously has some value is that it helps us to touch Christ. However, if we merely have a kind of seeking, zeal, Bible reading, prayer, or meeting — all without touching Christ — these things are merely activities and are merely a religion. What is a religion? When we have a certain kind of action and a certain kind of living in which we seek and worship God without touching Christ, that is called a religion. It is neither spiritual nor pleasing to God because in it we do not touch Christ Himself.
For instance, there may be a person who prays every day. To do this is right and correct. The question, however, is whether there has been an increase in his inner knowledge and experience of Christ after he has prayed for a period of time. After this kind of prayer if his inner knowledge and experience of Christ have not increased and are exactly the same as before, then his prayer is nothing but a religious ritual. However, after half a year of prayer, if his knowledge of Christ and the element of Christ have increased within him, and he has deeply experienced Christ, then in God’s view his prayer is not something religious but is something pleasing to Him. It is pleasing because he has touched Christ, gained Christ, and experienced Christ.
God’s only heart’s desire is that Christ would be in us as our life. If we do not live in this life or by this life — if what we live out is not of this life — then no matter what we do, whether good or bad, it will not be acceptable to God. Even if it is something good, in God’s view it will be merely something religious because it is not out of God or out of revelation, and it is not Christ Himself. Only what belongs to Christ and comes out of Christ is worthwhile and acceptable to God.
We all must know this principle to the extent that we abhor ourselves and all our living that comes out of ourselves. In the past we abhorred only our negative aspects, such as our pride, jealousy, and vainglory. We thought that if we were humble, meek, not making a show, and not boasting, we would be right and good. However, this is not so. Many times, even though a person may be meek, humble, and hidden, he is still himself. His meekness and humility, his being hidden, and his not boasting are all of himself and by himself. Never forget that in the self, there are good things as well as bad things. A Christian may live out love, meekness, and goodness, but if these things are without Christ, they are still of himself. Thus, these things may win the praise of man, but they are not pleasing to God. God’s purpose is that, in Christ, we would deny ourselves and live by Christ.
Therefore, God asks us one thing: Are we living by our own life or by Christ’s life? God’s concern is different from our concern. We are concerned about good and evil, but God’s concern is beyond this and deeper than this. He cares about whether we do something by ourselves or by Christ. We are concerned about what we do, but God is concerned about who is doing it. Even if we do something good and right, it will not necessarily be counted, accepted, and treasured by God. God will still ask us if we did it by ourselves or by Christ. If we do something by ourselves, even though it may be good, meek, and humble, it will not win God’s praise and acceptance. We may be able to gain the praises of men, but we deviate from the way of God.
God’s way is in Christ, whereas our way is in ourselves. Although sometimes we pray that we would truly be willing to rely on Him and to look to Him, the fact is that we are still living by ourselves. We have never denied our goodness, our meekness, or our merits. We have never denied, depreciated, and trampled under our feet the things in us that are appreciated by others. On the contrary, we treasure all these things. We confess the name of the Lord, we serve the Lord, and we come near to the Lord, yet we still have the basic problem of not denying ourselves. We still think that what we do for Christ by ourselves and in ourselves is well pleasing to God.
The subjective problem that God encounters in us is our self. It seems that although both sins and the world may no longer have much ground in us, Christ does not have much ground in us either. We may forsake sins and the world, but it seems that we also forsake Christ. We may think that we are for Christ and live by Christ, but in fact, we still live in ourselves and by ourselves. We may have had a change in name but still may not have changed much in reality.
We do good by ourselves, yet we claim that our goodness comes out of Christ. In man’s eyes this seems to be very spiritual, but in God’s eyes this does not mean anything. Humanly speaking, many saints have improved and changed, but spiritually speaking, they are still the same. In the past they had a bad temper, but now they have improved and have a milder temper. Humanly speaking, they really have improved, but spiritually, there is no change or advancement in their knowledge of Christ.
Let me illustrate this. Suppose we have a cup that contains some water yet the cup is covered with a handkerchief. Some may say that the cup is for containing water and should not be covered with a handkerchief because it does not look nice. However, if the handkerchief is taken away, does the water in the cup increase? The removing of the handkerchief may be a change or an improvement to the look of the cup, but the water inside the cup does not increase when the handkerchief is taken away. The change in many Christians is similar to this. It is the change of “taking away the handkerchief.” There is a brother who used to be very rude to his wife, but now that he has begun serving as an usher in the church, he feels that he should not lose his temper with his wife anymore. Although this kind of change is good, it is something outward. Spiritually speaking, before God he is actually still the same because the amount of Christ that was within him when he had a bad temper is the same as the amount of Christ that is within him now that he has a good temper.
I hope we can see that our spiritual life is Christ, our spiritual living is Christ, and our spiritual progress is also Christ. Do not think that spiritual progress is merely a change in our outward expression. Genuine spiritual progress is the increase of the element of Christ within us. We all agree that we should take away the handkerchief, but the water inside the cup must also increase. The worst case is that neither the water increases nor is the handkerchief removed. Some had a bad temper a few years ago and still have a bad temper today. Others have changed their bad temper to a good one, have gotten rid of their bad habits, and have become well behaved; however, the Christ in them has still not increased. A Christian’s progress should not be only outward improvement but should be an inward increase of Christ. A Christian’s progress should not be only an outward deliverance from bad habits and bad behavior but should also be an inward increase of the element of Christ.
Some people improve their outward behavior but do not have more of Christ in them. This is not spiritual progress but religious progress. This is not the growth of Christ but the growth of morality. Today very few Christians are able to discern between morality and Christ. They often regard a certain Christian’s morality to have its source in Christ and are not able to discern whether the change in a Christian is merely an ethical change or a change due to the increase of Christ. Ephesians 4:13 and Galatians 4:19 clearly show us what Christian progress is. When Christ grows and is formed in a Christian so that there is the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ within him, this is Christian progress. When Christ is formed in a Christian, and the measure of his stature is increased within him, this is Christian progress.
The revelation in the Bible is very clear concerning Christian progress. Unfortunately, however, it is difficult for us to change our concept. When we notice that someone has an improvement in his behavior, we say that he has made some spiritual progress. For instance, a person used to quarrel with his wife, but now he no longer quarrels with his wife. He becomes diligent instead of slothful, and he no longer has any opinions or things to say but works quietly instead of being talkative and opinionated. We may praise him, saying that he has made spiritual progress. This shows that we are still too natural and that we do not know what spirituality and spiritual progress are.
What is real spirituality? Spirituality is Christ Himself. What is spiritual progress? Spiritual progress is the increase of Christ. Whenever Christ increases in the saints, their speaking will be reduced; whenever Christ increases in them, their bad temper will diminish. This is a sure thing. However, if a person’s bad temper is reduced, yet there is no increase of Christ, then his change is merely something ethical. The improvement of his temper and behavior is the result of his own effort, his own cultivation. It is something moral but does not come from the increase of Christ in him. He may have entirely changed his living by his own effort, but he has not touched Christ, contacted Christ, or had any inward increase of Christ. He has changed outwardly but not inwardly because Christ has not increased in him.
If we want to have spiritual progress and spiritual growth, we must turn our mind to God to see the light and the revelation that this is not a matter of morality but of Christ. The point is not that since we used to be unethical, we should now be ethical; rather, though formerly we did many things by our own life, now we should do everything by Christ’s life. God wants us to deny our life and live by Christ’s life. Hence, we have to see clearly that Christ is our life and our living. Once we have seen this clearly, we will spontaneously have a change in our mind to turn from ethics, good deeds, and proper behavior to Christ Himself.
It is very serious and very crucial to our spiritual progress to have such a turn. Therefore, I hope that these words will shine on us so that we may be enlightened to see that what God wants is just Christ Himself. Being a Christian is not a matter of morality, for the goal of a Christian is something higher than morality. Being a Christian is a matter of Christ. Living morally does not make us Christians who are up to standard. Only when we live out Christ are we “standard” Christians. Christ is the reason a Christian can be a Christian. A genuine Christian does not only have Christ within, but he also lives Christ without.
When a Christian lives out Christ, he lives out the highest morality. However, strictly speaking, the power of a Christian does not depend on living morally but on living Christ. Even if we reach a certain standard of morality, this does not make us Christians who are up to standard. When Christ is continually increasing in us, we will be Christians who are up to standard. Everything related to a Christian is a matter of Christ. If we see this, we will turn our concept from morality to Christ, and we will treasure Christ more than morality. This seeing is very powerful. In fact, this seeing will change our Christian life. Without seeing this, our reading of the Bible will be merely a mental comprehension, our prayer will be in our mind, our decisions will be according to our mind, and everything we do will be done in our mind. However, from the day that we have this seeing, we will no longer use our mind to contact Christ, read the Bible, or pray; rather, we will use our spirit in doing everything.
It is not a question of whether or not we have doctrines but whether or not we have Christ. The focus is not on seeking doctrines but on seeking Christ. When we are seriously seeking Christ, He will have the ground in us and will move in us, speak to us, and touch us. In other words, inwardly we will have nothing other than the living Christ. Because we treasure Him, seek Him, and touch Him, He will have the opportunity in us, and His Spirit will be able to move in us and touch us. As a result, Christ will increase in us. Once Christ increases in us, when we are about to lose our temper, Christ will touch our temper. As a result, there will be some conflict with Him, and some friction between the two of us. At this time, if we love Him, treasure Him, and allow Him to gain the victory, He will have the opportunity and ground in us to get rid of our temper by His resurrection power, and in the end our temper will be gone. This will be a genuine change; this is what God desires.
On the one hand, we will have the increase of Christ inwardly, and on the other hand, we will have a change of expression outwardly. The inward increase of Christ will get rid of our outward temper, pride, and rudeness. Hence, the improvement of our temper will not be due to an uplifting of our morality but to an increase of Christ. Christ will increase in us to the point where everything that is incompatible with Him will be discharged.
We treasure Christ instead of morality, but this does not mean that we do not need morality. There are many Christians who do not treasure morality, but in the end their morality is higher than that of others. Some Christians esteem Christ more than they esteem their parents, but in the end they honor their parents more than others, because Christ in them gets rid of everything in them that is against honoring their parents. Their living comes out of Christ and expresses Christ, and this expression is an honoring to their parents. Although they highly regard Christ and do not highly regard the matter of honoring their parents, when they live out Christ, they do have a living that honors their parents. This is a real spiritual living. The more there is of this kind of spiritual living, the more Christians will make progress.
A Christian’s progress is nothing but Christ living out through him. When Christ is lived out through him, Christ not only increases in him but also grows in him into a full-grown man and is formed in him. At this time, not only will a Christian have the life of Christ, but he will also have the stature of Christ. Then, because Christ is filling him to be his everything, Christ’s view will become his view, and Christ’s thought will become his thought. He will have the revelation and the light to realize that everything that comes out of man — even though it may be supreme and appear to be the best — cannot please God. Thus, he will reject all that comes out of himself. He will despise his own goodness and morality and will put aside everything that comes out of himself. He will treasure Christ inwardly and give Christ the opportunity to move in him and touch him in every way. Eventually, the element of Christ will increase in him. This increase will dismiss everything that is not of Christ. In this way the Christ in him will increase unto full stature and unto a full-grown man. His whole being will be filled with Christ. His thoughts will be Christ, his concepts will be Christ, his inclinations will be Christ, and his judgments will also be Christ. He will be filled with the element of Christ in every single matter. Christ will then be formed in him. This is the purpose of God’s work in us.
