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Scripture Reading: Rom. 9:5; Exo. 3:14-16; John 1:1, 4; Heb. 1:10; John 1:18; 3:16; 6:46; 16:27; 17:8; 5:43; 10:25; Isa. 9:6; John 10:30; 14:10-11, 14:26, 14:32; 8:16, 29; 3:3-4; 5:26; 1 Cor. 15:45b; 2 Cor. 3:17; Rev. 22:13; 1 John 1:1-2; Col. 2:2, 9
In this book we will see the secret of experiencing Christ. Christ is the focus, the center, of the entire Bible. The Bible unveils Him to us that we may experience Him. God’s eternal plan depends upon Him. He is the central person, the central figure, in the Bible. As Christians, we must experience Him day by day. If in a particular day we do not experience Christ, that day is in vain. The Christian life is one of experiencing Christ at all times. If we would experience Christ, we need to see what is the secret of experiencing Him.
In order to experience Christ, we first need to receive the revelation concerning His person. Both the Bible and the entire history of mankind tell us that Christ is a wonderful person. In the six-thousand-year history of mankind there has never been a person as wonderful as Christ. He is not only wonderful but also mysterious. No historian can deny that in human history there was such a mysterious person as Jesus Christ. Christ is mysterious because no one can tell where He came from and where He went. No historian can tell us where Jesus Christ is today. Yet He is believed in, exalted, worshipped, and praised by millions of His believers on this earth. Although none of them have ever seen Him with their eyes, all His believers love Him, and many would even die for Him (1 Pet. 1:8). Many have given their lives for this Christ. He is a mystery that no human words can explain.
To receive the revelation concerning Christ, we must come to the Bible. In the Bible human language is used to describe Christ. Although He is mysterious, divine, and spiritual, the Bible uses human words to tell us who He is.
First, the Bible tells us that Christ is the complete God. Romans 9:5 says that “Christ...is God over all, blessed forever.” In the entire universe there is only one God (Isa. 45:5; 1 Cor. 8:4; 1 Tim. 2:5). This unique God is real, true, and living. Christ Himself is this very God. Christ is the complete God, not merely a part of God.
The Bible shows us that this Christ, who is God, is self-existing and ever-existing (Exo. 3:14). He has no beginning and no ending. In the Old Testament His name is Jehovah (Exo. 3:15). The divine title Jehovah actually means “to exist.” It is similar in meaning to the English verb to be. Jesus Christ is Jehovah, the great I Am, the great To Be (John 8:24, 28, 58). In the past He was, in the present He is, and in the future He will be. Every visible thing will pass away, but Christ remains forever (Heb. 1:10-12). He is the unique To Be.
Exodus 3:15-16 reveals that, as Jehovah, Christ is the Triune God. The term Triune God does not mean that there are three Gods. It means that the one unique God is triune; He is the three-one God. He is one, yet three, and three, yet one. He is one God as the Father, the Son, and the Spirit (Matt. 28:19). This is a mystery that we cannot explain. We cannot explain how one can be three and three can be one. Christ is the unique God, yet He is the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.
John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” In this verse Christ is revealed as the eternal Word, who is God Himself.
The Bible also reveals that Christ is the Creator (v. 3; Heb. 1:10). The universe is His creation (Col. 1:16). He created the heavens and the earth. He created billions of items in the universe, and He created mankind, including you and me.
Christ is God, and He is also the Son of God (John 1:18; 3:16). In the Bible the Son of God signifies God’s expression. Even in a human sense, the son is always the father’s expression. When you see a son, you realize the face of the father. Christ as the Son of God is the expression of God.
In John 6:46 and 16:27 the Lord Jesus said that He was “from God,” and in John 17:8 He prayed to the Father, “I came forth from You, and...You sent Me.” The Greek word translated “from” in these verses is para, meaning “by the side of.” The sense of this Greek word is not only “from” but “from with.” The Lord is not only from God but also with God. While He is from God, He is still with God (cf. 8:16, 29; 16:32).
The New Testament tells us that the Son was sent by the Father and also from with the Father. This means that when the Father sent Him, He sent Him with the Father Himself. For example, I may send someone to you and come with him. When he is coming to you, I am coming to you with him. This illustrates the mysterious fact that when the Father sent the Son, He also came with the Son.
The New Testament also tells us that the Son came in the Father’s name (John 5:43). When the Son comes, He comes with the Father and in the Father’s name. Eventually, when the Son comes, the Father comes. When we have the Son, we have both the Son and the Father. We have the Son with the Father.
Furthermore, after coming, the Son worked in the Father’s name (10:25). He not only came in the Father’s name but also did all His work in the Father’s name. For this reason Isaiah 9:6 tells us that His name is called Eternal Father. Because the Son came in the name of the Father and worked in the name of the Father, He is called the Father.
The New Testament tells us that the Son and the Father are one (John 10:30). Yes, the Son is the Son, and the Father is the Father. The two are distinct, but They are not separate. In one sense, the Son and the Father are two, but in another sense, the Son and the Father are one. We cannot understand this, but it is nevertheless a fact. We can never separate Christ from the Father, for He and the Father are one.
In John 14:10 and 11 the Lord told us that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him. In theological terms, this is referred to as coinherence. Coinherence means that two persons exist, or abide, in one another. The Son declared that He was in the Father and the Father was in Him. The two coinhere; They abide in one another. This is beyond our understanding, but still it is a fact.
The Bible tells us that the Father was always with the Son. While Christ was on this earth, He told people that the Father was always with Him and never left Him alone (John 8:16, 29; 16:32). In John 16:32 the Lord Jesus told His disciples that when the persecution came, they all would leave Him alone. However, although they would leave Him, He was not alone, because the Father was with Him. He was always in the Father, and the Father was in Him. Therefore, He was always with the Father, and the Father was with Him.
This knowledge helps us to experience Christ. When we experience Christ, we do not experience Him alone, but we experience Him with the Father. We experience Him with the Father in Him and with Him in the Father. This makes our experience of Christ very rich.
First John 2:23 tells us that when we confess the Son, we have the Father also. Therefore, when we have the Son, we have the Father also. To have the Father means that we possess Him and are now participating in Him. We are now enjoying not the Son alone but the Son with the Father.
In the Godhead there are the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Thus far, based on the Bible, we have seen that the Son and the Father are one. When we have Him, we enjoy Him with the Father. At this point we need to see further that Christ is the Giver of the Spirit (John 3:34) and also the Sender of the Spirit (15:26).
John 15:26 says, “When the Comforter comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of reality, who proceeds from the Father, He will testify concerning Me.” According to this verse, Christ sends the Spirit from the Father. However, we must point out again that the Greek preposition para, translated “from” twice in this verse, carries the sense of both “from” and “with.” Actually, the basic thought of this Greek preposition is “with.” Therefore, it is correct to translate para in this verse as “with,” indicating clearly that the Son will send the Spirit with the Father. The Lord’s word in 15:26 does not mean that He will send the Spirit and the Father, but it means that He will send the Spirit with the Father. The Father always comes with the Spirit.
How wonderful that when Christ sent the Spirit, the Spirit proceeded from the Father and came with the Father. When Christ gives the Spirit and sends the Spirit to us, the Spirit comes with the Father. If we read only John 15:26, it may seem that the Spirit comes with the Father but not with the Son. But if we read John 15:26 carefully with 14:26, we can see not only that Christ sends the Spirit and the Spirit comes to us with the Father but also that the Father sends the Spirit in the name of the Son. According to John 15:26, Christ sends the Spirit, and the Spirit comes with the Father, and according to 14:26, the Father sends the Spirit in the name of the Son. When the Spirit is given, He is given with the Father, and the Father also gives the Spirit in the name of the Son.
After reading these two verses, you might ask, “Who sent the Spirit, the Son or the Father?” One verse, 15:26, says that the Son sent the Spirit, and the other, 14:26, that the Father sent the Spirit in the Son’s name. Both the Son and the Father are the Sender. The two send the same Spirit. The Son sent the Spirit with the Father, and the Father sent the Spirit in the Son’s name. Eventually, when the Spirit comes, the three all come, because the Spirit sent by the Son comes with the Father, and the Spirit sent by the Father comes in the name of the Son. Hence, when the Spirit is given, when the Spirit enters into us, we have not only the Spirit but the Spirit with the Father in the Son’s name.
Many have believed in the Lord Jesus and have received Him as their Savior. They realize that the Lord Jesus is in them, but because they may not be so zealous for the Lord, they feel that they do not have the Spirit. To them the Lord in whom they have believed and whom they have received is only the Savior but not the Spirit. The Lord is only qualified to die for them on the cross, to redeem them, and to save them, but He cannot inspire them and make them zealous for Him. In their concept they have Christ, but they do not have the Spirit. According to their thinking, the Spirit is outside of them, and they still need to receive the Spirit apart from Christ.
Actually, Christ is always with the Father, and the Father is always with the Spirit. The three are distinct, but They are not separate. The Bible does not convey the thought that the Son is on the earth, the Father is in the heavens, and the Spirit is like a dove in the air. It does not teach us that when we receive Christ into us, the Father remains on the throne in the heavens, and the Spirit is still waiting for us to open up to Him. On the contrary, especially in the Gospel of John we are told clearly that the Father is always with the Son, and the Spirit is always with the Father. When we have the Son, we have the Spirit with the Father. When we have one, we have all three.
We need to realize that when we have the Lord Jesus within us, we have the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Our God is triune. He is not three separate persons but one Triune God. The English word triune is composed of two Latin words, tri, meaning “three,” and une, meaning “one.” Our God is one, yet He is three; He is three, yet still one. When we have one, we have all three.
When we have the Son, we have the Father, for the Father is with the Son. We also have the Spirit, for the Spirit comes with the Father. There is no need for us to attempt to receive the Spirit apart from the Father and the Son. We only need to pray, “Lord Jesus, thank You that You are in me. I do realize that the Spirit is with You, and the Father is also with You. When I have You, I have the Father, and I also have the Spirit.”
If we check with our own experiences, we will realize that when we call on the name of the Lord Jesus, we have the Lord Jesus, we have the Spirit, and we also have the Father with the Son. This kind of experience may have caused us to wonder who was in us, the Father, the Son, or the Spirit. While we are praying, we may feel that the Son is within us. Then, in the next moment we may sense that the Father is within us, and then after another moment, that the Spirit is within us.
When I was young, my spiritual vision was not so clear. While praying I often became bothered and stopped to think, “On whom should I call? Should I call on the Lord Jesus, or should I call Abba, Father, or should I call on the Holy Spirit?” According to my feeling, all three were there with me. Three were there, yet these three were one. When I called, “O Lord Jesus,” the Father was there. When I called, “O Father,” the Lord Jesus was there. At times, because I did not have a clear vision, I called on all three at the same time.
We should not be bothered, but feel free to pray, “Lord Jesus, I thank You. O Father, I worship You. O Holy Spirit, thank You that You are with me.” There is nothing wrong with such a prayer, because the three of the Trinity are not separate. They are three-one. Therefore, in Matthew 28:19 the Lord told the disciples to go and disciple the nations, baptizing them into the one name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
If we have a clear vision, we will be able to avoid many complications. For example, some Christian groups feel that they should baptize people three times—once in the name of the Father, once in the name of the Son, and once in the name of the Holy Spirit. I would not criticize this practice or say that it is wrong. However, I do feel that it is somewhat complicating and bothering. We do not have three Gods but one unique God. We do not worship three Gods but one God who is triune—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Strictly speaking, therefore, there is no need to baptize people three times. One time is good enough. I say this to illustrate how we need a clear vision concerning the person of Christ.
Our Christ is all-inclusive. He is the complete God, and our God is triune—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. We do not have three Gods; we have only one God, who is the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Hallelujah, this unique God is Christ! We need to realize that when we experience Him, we experience the Triune God. We not only experience Jesus Christ, but we experience the complete Triune God.
The Bible reveals that Christ went to the cross, died, was buried, and rose from the dead. In resurrection He became a life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45). He is not only the Giver and Sender of the Spirit, but in resurrection He became the life-giving Spirit. Hence, 2 Corinthians 3:17 tells us that He is the Spirit.
In Revelation, the last book of the Bible, the Lord declared that He is the Alpha and the Omega (22:13). Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. To say that Christ is the Alpha and the Omega means that He is every letter in the alphabet. He is not only the first letter and the last, but He is every letter. Therefore, in Revelation 22:13 the Lord continued to declare that He is the First and the Last and that He is the Beginning and the End. This means that He is all-inclusive. He is all twenty-four letters of the Greek alphabet, and He is every word composed with this alphabet. Furthermore, He is every sentence composed with all the words, and, moreover, He is the entire composition composed with all the sentences. Eventually, the entire composition is just Christ. Christ is all-inclusive.
Such an all-inclusive Christ is the eternal life (1 John 1:2). He is the eternal life for us and to us that we may experience Him.
Colossians 2:2 tells us that Christ is the mystery of God. God is mysterious. God Himself is a mystery, and this mystery is fully revealed by Christ and in Christ. That Christ is God’s mystery indicates that if we desire to know God, we must know Christ. Christ is the definition and explanation of God. Christ is also the expression of God. Everything concerning God is in Christ.
Christ is the very embodiment of the Triune God. Colossians 2:9 tells us that in Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. All the fullness of the Godhead refers to the Trinity—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. The Divine Trinity is the fullness of the Godhead, and this fullness of the Godhead dwells in Christ. Therefore, Christ is the embodiment of the Triune God. The Father, the Son, and the Spirit are all embodied in Christ.
Christ, our Redeemer and our Savior, is all-inclusive. As such an all-inclusive One, He is the complete God. We need to spend much time to enter into the significance of all the foregoing details regarding Christ’s person until we are fully saturated and immersed in these things. Then we will realize that the Triune God—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit—is one God who is embodied in the person of Christ. When we receive Christ, we receive the Triune God. When we enjoy Christ, we enjoy the Triune God. When we experience Him, we experience the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. How wonderful this is!
