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Scripture Reading: Eph. 4; Col. 2
In the Body life, because we walk according to the spirit and drink of the Spirit, the natural life is terminated, the natural strength is not used, and the natural way is altogether put aside (Rom. 8:4; 1 Cor. 12:13). Until we reach the stage of the Body life, we still live in the natural life and use our natural strength, way, and wisdom quite often. Within the realm of our natural wisdom, we have many schemes. It is even possible to have schemes and bad intentions in the church life. For instance, some brothers may intend that others would stop serving. This is a bad intention and a scheme. We thank the Lord that the church is different from society, but we have to admit that sometimes we are not pure in our motive, intention, and action. When we live in the natural life and do things with the natural strength, by the natural way, and with the natural wisdom, we cannot be pure. Even if we think that we have a pure motive and do not want to damage others, we are still not pure if we take the natural way. We need to realize that anything natural comes from an unclean, evil source. However, it is difficult for us not to be natural until we reach the stage of the Body life by walking according to the spirit and drinking of the Spirit.
Walking according to the spirit is a great matter. It is the conclusion of the first seven chapters of Romans. However, if we consider our experience, we have to admit that most of our walk is not according to the spirit but according to the flesh. We need to see that our living is still mostly natural. This is very serious because if we would walk according to the spirit, all the problems spontaneously would be solved, for the natural life, strength, way, and wisdom would be terminated. We should not think that we do not scheme. Only a person who continually walks according to the spirit does not scheme. Such a one has no intention to gain anything, be somebody, or have any success. Instead, he only lives the Lord. If we do not continually walk according to the spirit, we all have schemes. Scheme is a negative word, and we have to realize that all our natural intentions are schemes. As long as our intention is natural, even if it is a seemingly good intention to help the church or the saints or to do something for the Lord’s recovery, we plan to have a success. Such natural planning is scheming for success and is impure. Perhaps we do not do outwardly sinful things, but if we scheme to be successful, even if we say that it is for the Lord, it is actually for our self and is natural. When we reach the stage of the Body life, we will be pure. We will not have any intention, and we will know only to live Christ and minister Christ as life to others. We may think that such a living is not easy to attain, but when we reach the stage of the Body life, it will be spontaneous and easy.
Around 1946 Brother Watchman Nee and I were fellowshipping one day in Shanghai. I had recently visited the churches in a certain region. Brother Nee asked me, “Why did you visit the churches there?” I answered, “I had a burden to help the saints.” I thought that this was pure and right, but Brother Nee replied that my going was a matter of politics. I was shocked and thought, “Then we cannot work. Whatever we do in the work is politics.” I asked Brother Nee to explain, but he only repeated, “That was politics.” I could not understand and was greatly troubled. However, after some days passed, I received light. When Brother Nee asked me why I went to visit the churches, the proper answer was, “The Lord led me to go.” The source of our activity in the work should be the Lord’s leading and not our intention. Acts 8:26-27 says, “An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Rise up and go south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is the desert route. And he rose up and went.” Verses 29 and 30 say, “The Spirit said to Philip, Approach and join this chariot. And when Philip ran up, he heard him reading Isaiah the prophet.” Philip had no intention but only the Lord’s leading. We may say that we have a burden when we actually have an intention to have some success or accomplish something. Thus, I eventually was convinced that my going to visit the churches had been a matter of politics. Because some there did not see the light concerning the church adequately, I had a burden to go in order to correct the wrong ones, to help the disappointed ones, and to strengthen the leading ones. Although this seemed to be good, it was not the Spirit’s leading but my doing.
There is a great difference between our intentions and the Spirit’s leading. When we reach the stage of the Body life, we will not care for our own intentions but only for the Spirit’s leading. If the Spirit leads us to go somewhere, we will go regardless of whether we think that anything will come of our going. Likewise, if the Lord does not lead us to go, we will not go. If we visit a locality because we have a burden to go, but we do not have the Lord’s leading, we may have outward success. However, that church may begin to follow us personally. This is subtle politics. Without the Spirit’s leading, we must question the real motive of our so-called burdens in the work. Most Christian works today come from political intentions and schemes. As a result, these works are not in the Body but in division. Everyone has their own individual work, and every work is a division. When we are in the Body, all our individual intentions, burdens, and desires are swallowed up. We only live and function in order to minister Christ as life to the saints. We have no intention to accomplish anything outward. This is the difference. With our individual intentions, the natural life, strength, way, and schemes are always involved. Furthermore, there are always divisions, with each one having a separate work. There is no Body life among most Christians today because most live the natural man with the natural life, strength, way, wisdom, intentions, desires, and burdens.
Ephesians 4:15-16 says, “Holding to truth in love, we may grow up into Him in all things, who is the Head, Christ, out from whom all the Body, being joined together and being knit together through every joint of the rich supply and through the operation in the measure of each one part, causes the growth of the Body unto the building up of itself in love.” Thus, as we walk according to the spirit and drink of the Spirit, we grow up into Christ the Head. Then out from the Head every member of the Body ministers something to the Body, which builds up the Body. A supply comes out from the Head to the Body through the members for the building up of the Body.
Colossians 2:19 indicates that the Body holds the Head, which means that the Body exalts the Head. The ultimate issue of the Body life is the Body exalting the Head as everything. Colossians reveals Christ as the all-inclusive One. Thus, the all-inclusive Christ, who is the Head, is exalted by His Body. Because Christ is everything, in the Body life there is nothing natural — no natural life, strength, gimmicks, ways, skills, schemes, intentions, or desires.
The Body life is a high goal that requires many experiences to attain. However, we should not think that when we reach such a high stage of the Body life, there will be no weak or troublesome ones in the churches. There will always be such ones to test whether we are inclusive. In a proper family there are mature ones to maintain a proper family life, but there are also weak and troublesome ones. Whether a family is proper or not depends on whether there are mature ones to maintain a proper family life. In a large family only a few may be the mature ones who maintain good order in the family; the rest may be weak, sick, dissenting, and rebellious. The church should be such a normal, proper family.
An army has age limits and physical requirements and does not accept those who are not qualified. However, the church is not an army but a family, which has no such requirements. The members of a family may be of many different ages, sizes, and conditions. We should not expect that every member of a local church will be at the same stage in spiritual growth. Neither should we expect that there will not be weak and troublesome ones. Such a church does not exist. In the New Jerusalem we will all be fully transformed, but we cannot expect that today. In 1 Thessalonians 3:12 Paul writes, “The Lord cause you to increase and abound in love to one another and to all.” We should love everyone.
Question: To what extent has the Body life existed on the earth?
Answer: Strictly speaking, the proper Body life has never existed, but I believe that it will exist. I do not think it existed at Paul’s time. I even doubt that the original recipients of Paul’s Epistles understood as much as we do today. The seven epistles in Revelation depict a messy situation in many of the churches. However, they were still genuine churches, and there were overcomers in each church. This indicates that in a certain church some saints may be in the reality of the Body life, but others in the same church may not. Again, this is like a family in which only a few members are mature and keep the family normal.
Question: Is there an outward difference in the experience and expression of believers who walk according to the spirit, drink of the Spirit, and live the Body life and of those who do not?
Answer: There is a visible difference. Every kind of life has an expression. If a brother walks according to the spirit, there will be a corresponding expression, or manifestation, in his living that others can see. A brother who may genuinely love the Lord but walks according to the flesh will be opinionated and quarrelsome. Such a one is fleshly and natural, and the more he tries to do for the Lord, the more he damages the church. However, if we cast out such ones, we are no longer the church but only a sect. This is the practice in today’s Christianity. Thus, we have a great responsibility to tolerate and embrace every believer, and we also have to walk according to the spirit, drink the Spirit, and live the Body life. Otherwise, the Lord will have no way. All these points are in Paul’s fourteen Epistles. This was his spirit; he was such a person. To be in the Lord’s recovery is not a matter of degree. However, we may be in the recovery only to a certain extent. This is a serious matter, and we need to be open to the Lord to see where we are.
From the late 1820s the Brethren had a good start for about twenty-five years. Then they gradually veered off, and today they are no longer part of the Lord’s up-to-date recovery. Because their habit and tradition were to have strict requirements, they were divided again and again. Now there are thousands of divisions among the Brethren. They emphasize biblical knowledge and doctrinal accuracy, but they have failed. It is possible for the churches in the Lord’s recovery today to similarly err. The way to be saved from such failure is to walk according to the spirit, drink of the Spirit, and embrace all believers. We need to be inclusive, not exclusive, and an inclusive church is a messy church. Most Christians today are accustomed to frequently leaving the group they meet with when they no longer like the meetings. For believers or local churches to be exclusive is the same in principle. We should not try to exclude all the things that we do not like or agree with. The Lord allows many things that He does not like or agree with. The church is inclusive. If we are not inclusive, we are sectarian. Paul was inclusive. In 1 and 2 Corinthians he was severe and strict in dealing with some of the Corinthians, but he forgave everyone. However, some of the Corinthian believers who were so “holy” would not forgive. Therefore, Paul had to charge them to forgive (2 Cor. 6:11, 13; 2:7, 10).
Question: I see now that I should not do anything for the Lord according to my intentions, but I fear that if I wait to be led by the Spirit, nothing will happen. What should I do?
Answer: The definition, or analysis, of spiritual things may differ from the practice of such things, just as what is taught in a classroom may differ from what works in a laboratory. When we practice to walk according to the spirit, there will be a spontaneous issue, just as a tree that is living will spontaneously produce leaves, blossoms, and fruit. Daniel 11:32 says, “The people who know their God will show strength and take action.” Knowing God issues in our taking action. If we do not take action, this indicates that we do not have a living knowledge of God. If we walk according to the spirit, it will not be in vain. As we walk according to the spirit, we should show strength and take action but without politics or the intention to gain a personal kingdom. This is not easy.
