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Scripture Reading: 1 Pet. 5:1a, 2a; 1:23; 2:2, 5a; Eph. 5:18b-22; 6:17-18; 2 Tim. 1:7; 2:1, 22; 3:16; 4:22; Gal. 6:18
We have seen the matter of eating from the Gospels and from the Epistles. What we have seen was written mostly either by John or by Paul. Now we want to see something written by Peter to show how consistent the New Testament is in the concept of eating the Lord.
When Peter was young, he was charged by the Lord to feed the Lord’s lambs and sheep (John 21:15, 17). When Peter became old, he did not forget this. Thus, in his first Epistle, he charged the elders to shepherd, or to feed, the flock of God (5:2). Peter, just as John and Paul, realized that for the building up of the church there is the need of the growth in life. For the growth in life, there is the need of feeding and eating.
In 1 Peter 1, Peter says that we were born again by the word as the seed (v. 23). Many consider the word in the Bible as doctrines. But here Peter says that the living word of God should be considered as a seed. This seed does not convey knowledge but imparts life into you. The word of God is not mere doctrines. When the word of God, not the word in letters, the dead words, but the living word with the Spirit, gets into you, it imparts life into you, so you are born again.
As one who is born again, you need to grow. For the growth you surely need to eat something. You need the nourishment. If there is no nutrition, there is no growth. Thus, Peter says in 1 Peter 2 that as newborn babes, we need to long for the milk of the word in order that we may grow (v. 2). From God’s word there is the nourishment. As newborn babes you have to take in this nourishing milk in order that you may grow. Our growth is not to be big spiritual giants but to be living stones, and the living stones are for the building up of the spiritual house of God (v. 5).
I hope we all can see that there is such a consistent concept about God’s building, and this concept is that for God’s building we all need to eat. We need to receive the nourishment, not the knowledge. We all have to remember the words spoken by Paul. Knowledge does not build up (1 Cor. 8:1), but nourishment from eating builds up (3:2, 6, 9). Never forget this. There is a wrong concept among Christians today. They either consider teaching as the building element, or they pay much attention to the gifts. But if you have a clear vision of God’s divine concept, you can see that the real building of God’s house is not by teaching or by gifts but by nourishment. The only way to get the Lord as your spiritual nourishment is by eating and drinking the Lord, and by this nourishment you grow to be living stones.
Peter was a simple fisherman. His level of education, no doubt, was not high. But God frequently chooses simple persons. D. L. Moody was a shoe salesman when he was saved, yet he became a great evangelist. God uses such persons, who give you the important points without any kind of knowledge. Peter was so simple, telling us to be as newborn babes who long for the milk of the word, that by it we may grow to be the living stones for God’s spiritual house.
Nothing is so simple as eating. The mothers know that there is nearly no need for them to teach their children to eat. Every little babe, after being delivered, starts to eat. Without any teaching, the little babe knows how to eat. The eating function is from birth. There is no need for you to grow up in order to have the function of eating. Other functions, such as seeing and hearing, require growth. Only the eating function does not need the growth. After you were born, you immediately started to eat. This is something of God.
For the Lord’s recovery of the building up of the church, we have to be rescued from our old concept. Satan is subtle to such an extent that he uses the good things, even the best things, to systematize us. Ephesians 4:14 says, “That we may be no longer little children tossed by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching in the sleight of men, in craftiness with a view to a system of error.” Some errors, some mistakes, are systematized. This means that Satan uses the doctrines to form a system. Every good doctrine eventually becomes a part of Satan’s system. Satan systematizes people. In other words, Satan puts them into a system.
This may be likened to a big university that has many schools. If your interest is in mathematics, the university puts you into the school of mathematics. If your interest is in psychology, the university puts you into the major of psychology. If your interest is in social things, the university puts you into the major of sociology. A university systematizes thousands of young people. This is a picture of the way Satan systematizes people. He surely systematizes people by worldly things. If you like movies, Satan puts you into the movie system. If you like dancing, Satan systematizes you with dancing. If you like gambling, surely Satan will send you to Las Vegas. He puts you into that part of his system.
The dividing teachings are also organized and systematized by Satan to cause serious error and thus damage the practical oneness of the Body life. The sleight is of men, but the system of error is of Satan and is related to the deceitful teachings that are designed by the evil one to distract the saints from Christ and the church life. Many fallen human beings are very religious. They like religion. Satan puts them into the system of religion. He uses religion to systematize people just like he uses dancing, movies, and gambling. In the big university of religion there are different departments. There are the department of foot-washing and the department of head covering. Even Bible study can be a part of the satanic system. Some Christians naturally prefer to go to the mission field, so Satan puts them into the system of the mission field.
Before his death Dr. A. W. Tozer pointed out how Christ’s real authority is absent in Christendom. He said that there may be a conference of Christian workers talking about how to serve Christ or go to the mission field to work for Christ, to preach the gospel for Christ. Then he said that if Christ came into their meeting, they would ask Him, “Who are You?” This shows that they are for their mission work; they are not for Christ.
We all have some fallen human desire. With some people their fallen desire is to dance. With others the fallen desire is to be quiet, doing nothing, giving up the world. Even to give up the world may be a desire of the fallen nature. Some unsaved people may give up the world to be in some pagan religion. They are put into that part of the satanic system.
Everything in today’s Christianity has been utilized by Satan to systematize people. There are only three things that Satan would not utilize. (1) The Bible tells us that God is the unique God and the jealous God. We should not worship anything other than God. That means we should not have any kind of idol (Exo. 20:3-5; 1 John 5:21). Satan would never utilize this point. (2) The Bible also tells us that God created the human race for His purpose. God has to keep the human race in a healthy, sound, good, and pure situation for His use. So the Bible is strong against any kind of immorality, because this damages man’s humanity (1 Thes. 4:3-4; 1 Cor. 6:18). Idols damage God’s person. Immorality damages humanity. Satan would never utilize these two points. (3) The Bible tells us that the Lord is greatly concerned for His Body, that is, the church. So for the Body of Christ, for the church, there should be absolutely no division (1 Cor. 1:10; Eph. 4:3). Idols are a damage as an insult to the person of God, immorality is a damage to humanity, and divisions are a damage to the Body of Christ. It is only these three things that Satan would never use. In other words, as long as you stay away from idols, immorality, and division, you stay away from Satan’s system. Do not trust in any doctrines, not even the good ones. Satan can utilize even the best doctrine to systematize you. It is only the three things mentioned above that Satan can never utilize.
Even the scriptural teachings can be used by Satan to distract us from the Body of Christ. We have to be so clear. A doctrine may be good, scriptural, pure, and sound, yet utilized by the enemy to distract us from Christ and the church life. In the universal university of Satan, there are some bad departments and some good departments. Even there are the best schools of the best things. Satan will use whatever he can to distract us from the Body. This is why I say that we all need to be rescued, to be snatched out of the system of Satan.
For the long run for the Lord’s recovery, I am burdened to uproot all our old concepts. This may be illustrated by uprooting the weeds from a field. It is not enough just to cut them. If you just cut them, the root is still there. After a while, they will grow up again. They must be uprooted. My burden is to uproot all the devilish factors that were sown deeply into our being in the past. Our religious concepts may be good, but they are used by Satan.
Paul desired that we might be no more children tossed by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching, or doctrine, not heresies. This is in the sleight of men, in craftiness with a view to a system of error. This word shows that all the doctrines are utilized by Satan to form his satanic system and to put you into a particular part of his system according to your fallen desire, according to your human tendency. The purpose of this is to keep you away from the building up of the Body. Even your zealousness for the gospel can be a system. Satan can systematize you according to your zealousness. A young man came to one of our meetings and told the brothers, “You shouldn’t have this kind of meeting. You all have to go out to preach the gospel.” No doubt, he was systematized in the satanic system, being distracted from the Body of Christ.
The best way to get out of the satanic system is to be altogether no more religious. We have to jump out of religion. Do not be afraid that we will be loose people. As long as we do not have idols, as long as we stay away from immorality, and as long as we stay away from any division, we can never be loose people. We have three safeguards: (1) no idols, (2) no immorality, and (3) no division. As long as we take care of these three things, we are fully safeguarded. We all were put into Satan’s system, and we have been staying in the departments of the satanic system for a long time. Now the Lord is coming to snatch us out of religion. We all need to be snatched out. We need to hate religion, doctrines, forms, and regulations. We need to see the subtlety of the enemy.
God’s eternal purpose is to build up a Body for Christ today, not tomorrow. God’s eternal purpose is to build up a spiritual house for Himself on this earth, not in the heavens. But millions of Christians today will not care for this. They care for thousands of other things. Some care only for Bible studies. They say that as long as we have people read and study the Bible, we will do a good work. They do not care for the church, the Body, the building. Others care only for missionary work. Some care just for a good service. They spend millions of dollars to build up a physical sanctuary in a modern design. Satan uses many things, including the best knowledge, doctrine, forms, and regulations. He uses whatever he can to distract every Christian from God’s eternal purpose. Now the Lord has enlightened our eyes, and He has burdened us to say that we have to come back to God’s eternal purpose.
The best way for you to be snatched out of any part of this satanic system is to put everything you received from the past under your feet. We should care only for eating Jesus so that we may grow and be transformed for God’s building. Many people read the Bible and do religious things, but they have never really eaten Jesus as their spiritual food. Instead, they just pick up the knowledge, the doctrine. Today our eyes have to be opened. The Christian life and the church life are altogether a matter of eating Jesus. When we call on the Lord — “O Lord Jesus” — we take the Lord Jesus in. To be religious and to take the mere knowledge of the Bible fit in with our fallen human, religious nature. We need a vision and a revelation of God’s eternal purpose.
All the points we have covered in our fellowship are in the Bible, but many people do not see them, because they do not fit their natural, fallen concept. Christians easily pick up the verses in Ephesians 5 concerning wives submitting to their husbands and husbands loving their wives (vv. 22, 25), because these kinds of verses do not need any revelation. Anyone can understand them. But Paul also said in the same chapter that we are to be filled in spirit (v. 18b). In order to understand this verse, we need revelation. We need to be renewed and enlightened with the divine revelation from the holy Word.
Peter said that as newborn babes we should desire the pure milk of the word so that we can be the living stones for God’s building. Who pays attention to this? Instead, many pay attention to the mere ethical teachings in the Bible. The Chinese already have the ethical teachings of Confucius. The Bible only teaches wives to submit to their husbands, but Confucius teaches a threefold submission. He says an unmarried daughter has to submit herself to her father. When she gets married, she has to submit herself to her husband. If her husband dies, she has to submit herself to her son. This is a submission to three generations. Many Chinese who learned the Confucian teachings feel that they do not need the Bible since they already have high ethical teachings. When I was a young person in China, I was bothered by this. Even the Western missionaries said that the Bible teaches the same thing as Confucius. When we heard this, we wondered why they needed to come there, since we already had Confucius. But eventually I was saved, and my eyes were opened to see that there is no comparison between the Bible and the teachings of Confucius. People said that the Bible and Confucian teachings were the same because they did not see God’s eternal purpose. They saw only the outward things in the Bible. Outwardly, a wax figure looks like a real person, but within it there is no life. Today many Christians take just the superficial things. They do not see the deep things.
Actually, the virtues of submission, love, obedience, care, and all the other virtues of a proper Christian life, church life, family life, and community life come out by our being filled inwardly in our spirit. When we are filled in spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, spontaneously something comes out of us to submit to one another (Eph. 5:18-21). When we are filled in spirit, we will spontaneously and even unconsciously be submissive.
The Christian life is not a matter of outward behavior, outward conduct. It is altogether a matter that flows out of the infilling of God Himself. I am filled in my spirit with my Lord, so there is the fruit. John 7 says that when we drink of the Lord, the rivers of living water will flow out of us (vv. 37-39). This is not one river but many rivers. A river of submission, a river of love, a river of power, a river of wisdom, a river of patience, and many other kinds of rivers are flowing out of us. But the source is the infilling of Christ. When we are filled in our spirit with Christ, we have the flowing of many rivers out of our innermost being.
How can we have this infilling? How can we get the pure milk of the word? In Paul’s second Epistle to Timothy, he charged him to be empowered in the grace (2:1). Grace is the enjoyment of Christ, but how can we be in that enjoyment? In the same book Paul told Timothy to flee youthful lusts and to pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart (v. 22). The way to drink the pure milk is to call on the Lord. The way to take the Lord in, to get the infilling of the Lord, is to call on Him. The way to be strong in grace is to call on the Lord.
I can never forget a message I heard in 1935 telling us that the grace of Christ is sufficient. I was very much helped and motivated by that message. But eventually I wondered how I could enjoy the grace. How could I and the grace become one? Today I can tell you that the way for you to get into the grace is by calling, “O Lord Jesus, O Lord Jesus.” Suppose a sister’s husband is giving her a hard time. She may pray, “Lord, be merciful to me. Change the attitude of my husband.” But the more she prays like this, the worse her husband may become. That is not the way. The way is seen with the apostle Paul. He had a thorn in his flesh, some kind of suffering, and he asked the Lord three times to remove this thorn (2 Cor. 12:7-8). But the Lord said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you” (v. 9). The Lord allowed the thorn to remain, and this created an opportunity for Paul to enjoy Christ as his all-sufficient grace. God would not remove the thorn, but He would supply the grace in Paul. We can get the grace by calling on the name of the Lord — “O Lord Jesus!” If a sister is having a difficult time with her husband, she needs to call, “O Lord Jesus, O Lord Jesus.” Eventually, the more difficult her husband becomes, the more she will enjoy Christ as grace. We get into the enjoyment of Christ by calling on the Lord.
Second Timothy 1:7 says that God has given us a strong spirit. Verse 22 of chapter 4 tells us that the Lord is with our spirit. We have a strong spirit, and the Lord is with our spirit. Verse 22 of chapter 2 says that we have to pursue the Lord with the calling ones. This means that we have to exercise our spirit to call on the Lord. Then verse 1 of chapter 2 says that we should be empowered in the grace. This means that we enjoy the Lord Himself as our grace.
In 3:16 Paul says that every word of the Scriptures is breathed by God. This means that we can get into the enjoyment of the Lord not only by calling on the Lord but also by breathing the word of the Bible into us. We all have to come back to these two things: calling on the Lord and pray-reading the Word. These are the ways, the means, for us to take the Lord into us.
The New Testament also tells us that we have to walk by and according to the spirit (Gal. 5:16, 25; Rom. 8:4). We have a strong spirit, and Christ as the life-giving Spirit is with our spirit. So we have to exercise our spirit to call on the Lord and to pray-read His Word. By this He will get into us more and more. Then our spirit will be more mingled with Him as one spirit (1 Cor. 6:17).
We have to walk according to this spirit all the time; then Christ will have a free course within our being. This is like the food having a free course within our stomach so that we have a good digestion. Then the nourishment of the food we take into our stomach is assimilated into all the parts of our being. We have to give the Lord a free course from our spirit to get into every part of our being.
Do not ever say no to the Lord. Whenever you have an inner sensation that the Lord is moving in you toward a certain direction with certain things, you have to say, “Yes, Lord.” Do not say no. Always say, “Yes, Amen.” Then you give Him the free course to get Himself into your whole being to saturate and permeate every part of your being. This is the way for you to grow. It is by this that the functions will come out, the transformation will be afforded, and spontaneously there will be the building up.
Galatians 6:18 says, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.” Not only is the Lord with your spirit, but also the grace of the Lord is with your spirit. The Lord is with your spirit, and the enjoyment of the Lord should also be with your spirit. This tells us that we have to enjoy the Lord in our spirit all the time. Ephesians 6 tells us that we have to take the word of God, which is the Spirit, by means of all prayer, and whenever we pray, we have to do it in our spirit (vv. 17-18).
By putting all these verses together, we can see that the Lord’s building is through the exercise of our spirit to eat the Lord, to enjoy the Lord. This has been veiled, covered, and even buried in the Bible for centuries. Christians in the past centuries did not see this. This is something hidden, something deeper, something invisible. This is like the inner life in my body being invisible. My body is visible, but my life is invisible. Yet the life is vital and real. In the Bible there is the vital part, which is hard for people to see. It is easy to see the superficial, shallow part. But we need the Lord’s mercy to get into the deeper part, that is, to see something deeper, something invisible. This is Christ as the life-giving Spirit for our enjoyment. We eat Him, drink Him, and breathe Him so that we may have the growth for the building up of the church.
