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Scripture Reading: Gal. 3:23-29; 4:4-10, 19, 21-31
God’s purpose is to work Christ into us. The entire Bible reveals that this Christ is all-inclusive. As God, Christ is the eternal Father. Isaiah 9:6 says, “A child is born to us, / A Son is given to us; / And the government / Is upon His shoulder; / And His name will be called / Wonderful Counselor, / Mighty God, / Eternal Father, / Prince of Peace.” The Son given to us is called Eternal Father. As God, Christ is also the Creator (Col. 1:16; John 1:3). In time He was incarnated to be a man (v. 14), who was crucified on the cross as the Lamb of God to be our Redeemer (v. 29). Following this, He rose from the dead, and as the resurrected One He is our living Savior (Acts 5:31; 13:23). He died on the cross to redeem us from our sins, and now He lives as the Savior to deliver us from every sinful thing. Moreover, in resurrection, through resurrection, and by resurrection this wonderful Jesus became the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45b; 2 Cor. 3:17). Now as the ascended One, the One who was raised to the third heaven and seated on the throne of God, He is the Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36), the One appointed and anointed by God to execute all that God planned to do for the accomplishment of His purpose. (The Greek name Christos means “the anointed One.”)
God was incarnated to be a man by the name of Jesus, which means “Jehovah the Savior” (Matt. 1:21). Since Jesus is not only Jehovah but also Jehovah becoming our salvation, we may say that He is Jehovah-plus. Furthermore, Jesus is also called Emmanuel, which means “God with us” (v. 23). Again we may say that Jesus is God-plus. The Jews have Jehovah, and they have God, but we have Jehovah-plus and God-plus, that is, Jehovah the Savior and God with us. All the foregoing items are related to Christ as a person. In addition, Christ is light, life, power, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption, our spiritual food, our spiritual drink, and our spiritual breath, as well as our practical virtues, such as kindness, humility, and patience (John 8:12; 1:4; 1 Cor. 1:24, 30; 10:3-4; John 20:22). Jesus Christ is all-inclusive.
Some who are shortsighted claim that Christ is only the Son, not the Father or the Spirit. If Christ were not the Father and the Spirit, He would not be all-inclusive. Only by being the Son, the Father, the Spirit, man, the Lamb of God, the Redeemer, the Savior, the Lord, the Master, and so many items can He be all in all. The holy Word tells us that Jesus is even signified by the earth. Like plants, we are living organisms as God’s farm (1 Cor. 3:9); as such, we have been rooted in Christ (Col. 2:7), our soil, our earth, so that we may absorb all His riches as our nourishment. Similarly, Christ is also signified by heaven. In Luke 15:21 the prodigal son confessed to his father, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.” To sin against heaven is to sin against God. Heaven represents God, and God is Christ. Our real heaven is Christ. If our real heaven were not Christ, we would not care to go there. We may compare this to a small babe, who does not care where he is; he cares only that his mother is there. Likewise, we do not care to go anywhere, even to heaven, apart from Jesus. Rather, wherever Jesus is, that is heaven to us. When Jesus was laid in a manger, even that small place became heaven. If Jesus had not been there, that manger would have meant nothing to the magi from the east or to the shepherds (Matt. 2:9-11; Luke 2:8-12).
We should not listen to the traditional teaching that the three persons of the Godhead revealed in Matthew 28:19 are three separate Gods. According to the wrong concept conveyed by the traditional teaching in Christianity, many believe that the Father is one God, the Son is another God, and the Spirit is yet another God. We receive the pure Word, which says, “Baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (v. 19), and thus we believe that God is triune, but we do not believe that there are three Gods. Rather, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are three in one and one in three. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Are God and the Word one or two? This is wonderful but too difficult for our natural mentality to fully comprehend.
When possible, we prefer not even to use the word persons when referring to the three of the Godhead, because the Bible does not use this word when speaking of God. God is a mystery. Even we ourselves are a mystery, and we cannot understand ourselves adequately. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, / And it is incurable; / Who can know it?” According to the Bible and according to our experiences, we have two hearts; one is our physical heart, and the other is our psychological heart. We know where our physical heart is, but no one can say where our psychological heart is. Moreover, we have a soul and a spirit, and we have a mind and a will, yet we do not know where they are within us. All this proves that we do not understand ourselves. Therefore, we should not try to understand the mysterious God. Nevertheless, we know that God is real. We cannot fully understand Him, but we can receive Him according to His pure Word.
In the King James Version, Romans 8:16 renders the pronoun for the Spirit as “itself,” leaving the impression that the translators of that version did not realize that the Holy Spirit is a person, considering Him simply as a kind of power or instrument. From the time of the American Standard Version of 1901, people began to see more clearly that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, so that at least since then, translations refer to the Spirit as “He” or “Himself.” However, some of the Brethren continued to teach that we should not pray to the Holy Spirit but only to the Father and sometimes to the Lord. I myself was taught in this way, because I was under the teaching of the Brethren for seven years. I adopted their teaching, and I tried to practice it. Many times I began my prayer by saying, “O Father in heaven.” Then after a few minutes I realized that the One to whom I was praying is not only in heaven but also within me. At this point I might pray, “O Lord, O Father, my Lord.” I was very bothered when this happened, wondering whether He is the Father or the Lord. After this, I was more cautious when I prayed, carefully considering whether I should pray to the Father or to the Lord. This demonstrates that we have been too influenced by the traditional teaching of Christianity.
In 1933 I gave up my job and went to Shanghai, China, to visit Brother Watchman Nee. He received me as his guest and also as his trainee for four months. One day Brother Nee invited a traveling preacher from the China Inland Mission churches to give a message in our meeting. At a certain point in his message, the preacher said, “Please, do not think that Jesus is one and the Holy Spirit is another. You must all realize that the Lord Jesus and the Spirit are one. Today Jesus the Lord is the Holy Spirit.” Brother Nee, who was sitting in the back of the meeting, boldly said Amen! That surprised us all very much. After that meeting, while dinner was being prepared, Brother Nee took me on a little walk. I took the opportunity to ask him why he had so boldly said Amen. He told me, “This message is what we need. It is right to say that the Lord Jesus is the Holy Spirit.”
Because there were not many saints in the Lord’s recovery at that time, the work among us was not great. This gave Brother Nee the time to sit with the eight or ten trainees living there and have some free talk. This went on for a long period of time. These were wonderful times, and I can never forget them. At a certain point he was burdened to expound John 14 to us. Formerly, the Brethren had taught me mostly concerning types and prophecies, such as the seventy weeks and the ten toes, the four beasts, the seven heads, and the ten horns (Dan. 9:24; 2:34; 7:2-3; Rev. 13:1; 17:3). At this time, however, Brother Nee sat down to speak something more profound from John 14. He pointed out how Philip foolishly asked Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father and it is sufficient for us” (v. 8). Jesus answered, “Have I been so long a time with you, and you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how is it that you say, Show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me?” (vv. 9-10a). The Lord seemed to be saying, “Don’t you know by now that if you see Me, you see the Father? You have seen the Father every day for several years. The Father is in Me, and I am in the Father. We are one.” Verse 16 continues, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, that He may be with you forever.” Then in verse 18 the pronoun changes from He to I: “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.” He (the Comforter) in verse 16 is I (Jesus) in verse 18. Therefore, the Lord Jesus is not only the Father but also the Spirit. We must receive this word, because it is the word of the Bible in John 14. When Brother Nee shared this with us, my eyes became open. This was truly new to me.
We do not teach in a light way that Christ is the Son, the Father, and also the Spirit. We have spent many years studying this matter in the Bible and in our experience. The New Testament tells us that the Father is in us (Eph. 4:6), the Son is in us (2 Cor. 13:5; Col. 1:27), and the Spirit is in us (John 14:17). According to our experience, do we have three or one in us? In John 14:23 Jesus said, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make an abode with him.” Here the Lord said that “We,” the Father and the Son, will abide in the disciples. However, it is not accurate to say that two or three dwell in us, because the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are one.
Shortly before Brother Nee was imprisoned, he wrote a hymn that says,
Later, after we came to Taiwan, we further saw the truth in 1 Corinthians 15:45b, which says, “The last Adam became a life-giving Spirit.” At that time the light shined brightly from this verse. About the same time we also saw 2 Corinthians 3:17: “The Lord is the Spirit.” We looked into many different translations to find the correct rendering of this verse. We found that John N. Darby, in his New Translation, places verses 7 through 16 in parentheses, meaning that in Darby’s realization, verse 17 directly continues verse 6. Verse 6 says, “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life,” and verse 17 continues, “The Lord is the Spirit.” The Lord in verse 17 is the Spirit who gives life in verse 6.
The traditional theology of today’s fundamental Christianity is not altogether accurate. Therefore, we should not remain in it but should return to the pure Word of God to see that our Jesus, whom God is working into us, is all-inclusive. This means that all that Christ is in many items and aspects is being wrought into us. This is God’s purpose. God does not intend that we keep the Sabbath, the law, the ordinances, or many other items of practice. Neither is it that we hold to a religion with its teachings and traditions. God’s intention is to work Christ as the all-inclusive Spirit into us. We may compare Christ as the Spirit to an all-inclusive drink with many healthy ingredients combined together. We have all been given to drink one Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13). In this all-inclusive Spirit whom we drink is God, the Father, the Creator, the man Jesus, the Lamb of God, the Redeemer, the Savior, life, love, light, wisdom, power, sanctification, holiness, and patience. When we drink of Him by calling, “O Lord Jesus,” we take in every positive item (v. 3b).
Holiness is not a kind of sinless perfection, as John Wesley taught. Rather, holiness is Christ, who is our life (Col. 3:4). Life, holiness, comfort, and consolation are all Christ, who is the all-inclusive Spirit today. When we are troubled, tested, and suffering, we need consolation. At these times we need to call, “O Lord Jesus.” Then we will experience true consolation and refreshment. Jesus is so many items to us. When a mother is troubled by her children, or a wife by her husband, she simply needs to take Jesus as her all-inclusive drink. No one but Jesus can truly solve our problems, answer our questions, or be our true consolation. We all need to take a drink of the all-inclusive Christ by calling, “O Lord Jesus, O Lord Jesus.” I am frequently asked by the churches to give a conference, and very often I am not clear as to what I should minister. At these times I do not merely consult with certain books. Rather, I take a few “cups” of Jesus as the all-inclusive drink by calling on Him. Then I become clear, and I receive something to minister to people. God’s purpose is to work the all-inclusive Christ as the all-inclusive Spirit into us.
The proper church life comes not out of religion, ordinances, and the law but from the very Christ whom we experience. In the book of Galatians, church and churches are mentioned only in chapter 1 (vv. 2, 13, 22). Practically speaking, however, this book uses a number of synonyms for the church. Verse 28 of chapter 3 says, “You are all one in Christ Jesus.” This oneness is the church. As the church, we are all one by being baptized into Christ and putting on Christ (v. 27). However, today’s Christianity is fully divided by ordinances, doctrinal teachings, and gifts. In ordinances we are different and divided. Some hold to the practice of foot-washing, head covering, and certain forms of baptism, whereas others do not. Similarly, some hold to particular teachings concerning many matters, and others do not hold the same teachings; moreover, some practice certain gifts, but others do not. Differing ordinances, opinions, teachings, and gifts are all causes of division. In His recovery the Lord will deliver many people from their divisions in differing ordinances, doctrines, traditions, practices, and gifts to practice the oneness in Christ. We all need to remain in Christ and care only for Christ and the church.
Verse 14 says that we have received the promise of the Spirit through faith. This Spirit is Christ, into whom we have been baptized and whom we have put on (v. 27). We can be baptized into Christ because, as the Spirit, He is the living water into whom we are immersed. Now we all are in Christ. The Judaizers might have asked, “What then is the purpose of the law, and why did God give it to us?” The law was given before Christ came, in order to guard His chosen people, just as a sheepfold keeps the flock safe at night, during storms, and in the winter (John 10:1, 9). Eventually, when Christ came, the law functioned as a child-conductor to bring people to Him (Gal. 3:23-24). In the ancient days a guardian cared for a child who was underage and conducted him to the schoolmaster. The law kept God’s people before Christ came and conducted them to Him after His coming. At this point the law was finished and had no further position. Accordingly, there is no further need for religion. Therefore, we should no longer hold to the law, ordinances, and traditions. Today we have only Christ as our living Teacher. We are in Him, and He is in us.
When the law was rightly used, it served as a guardian and a child-conductor, as revealed in Galatians 3. In the negative sense, however, the law was a concubine, illustrated by Hagar in chapter 4. Both the position and the function of a concubine are wrong. The law should be only a guardian and a child-conductor; it should never bring forth children. Once the law produces children, it becomes a concubine, and what she produces are not children of promise but children unto slavery (vv. 24, 28). Verse 30 says, “Cast out the maidservant and her son.” This is to cast out the law with all that the law produces. Paul tells us that the allegory of the two women portrays two covenants, the covenant of grace and the covenant of law. The first covenant, that of grace and portrayed by Sarah, was given to Abraham, to whom God preached the gospel (3:8). Then after more than four hundred years, the second covenant, that of the law and portrayed by Hagar, was given at Mount Sinai. God did not acknowledge Ishmael, the son produced by Hagar, and He did not recognize him as a proper heir. Rather, He told Abraham to cast out the maidservant and her son. God acknowledged only Isaac, the one who was begotten of Sarah according to the promise, as the one who would inherit the promised blessing of the Spirit.
We may illustrate the principle of the two covenants as follows. Ephesians 5:22 says, “Wives, be subject to your own husbands as to the Lord,” and verse 25 continues, “Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.” After reading this, a husband may make up his mind to endeavor to love his wife, and to some extent he may be able to do it. Similarly, after reading verse 22 a sister may endeavor to submit to her husband. She may tell her husband, “Whatever you say, I will do it, and if you don’t agree, I will not do it.” For a certain period of time she too may be successful. However, the husband’s love and his wife’s submission are “Ishmael,” not “Isaac,” because they are produced according to the principle of law. Such love and submission may be real, just as Ishmael was a real child, but God will say, “Cast them out.” If our eyes are opened to see this, we will realize that God rejects not only hatred and rebellion but also the love and submission that come out of the self trying to keep the law.
We should not think that there are only ten commandments in the Bible. Many Christians have converted almost the entire New Testament into commandments. Where then is the real experience of Isaac? A certain brother may not know how to interpret Ephesians 5:25, but he realizes that Jesus is in him, and he knows how to drink the living Spirit by calling, “O Lord Jesus.” In this way, Christ as love spontaneously flows out of him to his wife. This is the genuine experience of Isaac, symbolizing the children of promise born out of grace. The law was not intended to be kept. If we try to keep the law, we misuse it and make it a concubine to produce an Ishmael. The law was simply meant to be a guardian and a child-conductor to keep us and to bring us to Christ. Once this is accomplished, we can say goodbye to the law, because it has no further position and function. We are dead to law, and we are living to God (Gal. 2:19).
