Search
Scripture Reading: Eph. 5:23; Col. 3:4a, 11b; 1 Cor. 12:12; Eph. 1:23; Phil. 3:14; Eph. 4:4a; 1 John 5:6; Phil. 4:12b; Rom. 15:13; 6:6; 8:13b; Gal. 5:24; Eph. 2:6a; Phil. 3:10a; 1 John 5:11-12; Rom. 9:11b; Gal. 2:16a; Phil. 1:19-21a; Rom. 12:5
In the previous chapter we saw the elements, essence, and reality of the Body of Christ. Now based on that, we are going to speak about the living of the Body of Christ. We all know that the living of human beings, birds, beasts, or cattle is according to the element and essence of its life. Birds fly in the air because they have the essence and capacity of flying. Cats catch mice and dogs bark because they each have their respective essence and capacity.
Ephesians 4:4 through 6 may be considered the most profound verses in the entire Bible. They say, “One Body and one Spirit, even as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Here there are seven “ones,” which are divided into three groups. The first three items, one Body, one Spirit, and one hope, form the first group. The second three items, one Lord, one faith, and one baptism, form the second group. Finally, one God and Father of all is the third group. Although these three verses are short, they are very mysterious, revealing to us that the Triune God—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit—is related to the Body of Christ.
These verses first mention “one Body”; this is then followed by the “one Spirit.” This Spirit is the essence and reality of the Body of Christ. The essence is contained within, and the reality is expressed without. The Spirit of the Triune God is the essence within the Body of Christ and the reality manifested without. This causes the Body to have a hope, which is regeneration and saturation by the Spirit unto the manifestation of the glory of God. This glory is our hope in the future (Col. 1:27). Every saved person has been born of the Spirit and has obtained the Spirit, who is the essence and reality of the Body of Christ. This Spirit wants to saturate us within continuously, to completely saturate our tripartite being so that we would eventually manifest the glory of divinity.
The worldly people live in this world without hope and without God. When they are young, they desire to get into good schools; after graduation, they desire to go abroad to study and then get a good job, find a good mate, have a family and business, and raise children. But eventually they still cannot escape becoming old, suffering illnesses, and finally dying. Then all their hopes are over. However, we are not like this. We have a glorious hope because within us we have the Spirit, who is the essence and reality of the Triune God, saturating us continuously. When the Lord comes back, He will be manifested from within us to bring us together with Him into glory.
Besides this, there is also one Lord, that is, the Son in the Divine Trinity. He came to be our life. This life became our element within, that is, the element of the Body of Christ. The Spirit is the essence of this Body as something within; He is also the reality of this Body as something without. The Lord is the element of this Body. Furthermore, there are also “one faith, one baptism.” Originally, we were all in Adam; our element was the element of Adam, the element of death, not the element of life. We were all dead in Adam. Strictly speaking, in Adam people are not living daily but dying daily. A man’s age is like savings in the bank. In the beginning you make a deposit, and then you continue to write checks. Your savings gradually decrease, and there is eventually nothing left, and it is finished. When human beings live one day, they lose one day; when they live one year, they lose one year. This is the situation in Adam, where Adam is taken as the element. But when we believed into the Lord and were baptized into water, our old man was buried, and the element which came from Adam was terminated. The Israelites crossing the Red Sea is a type of baptism. Once they crossed the Red Sea, their relationship with Egypt was severed. Similarly, through baptism we were severed from the element of Adam. Therefore, baptism is a termination, a severance; believing is an entering into and a joining. When we believed and were baptized, we came out of Adam; at the same time, we entered into Christ and were united to Christ. Hence, within us we have another life, which is a new life, a new element. The old life is the life of Adam, the element of Adam; the new one is Christ as life, Christ as the element. From this element of Christ comes the essence and reality of the Spirit. This implies that from Christ as the element of the Body of Christ comes the Spirit as the essence and reality of the Body of Christ.
We have said that the church is different from any human association. The church has God; an association does not have God. Hence, this church that has God becomes a Body, an organism, of Christ. Because a human association does not have life as the element, it will never become an organism. However, if there is no element of Christ in the church but only the element of Adam, it is still not the organic Body of Christ. Although we have already been baptized, there is still the possibility that we remain in Adam and have Adam as the element instead of the element of Christ. This then is not the church. Therefore, we must accept the dealing of the cross to deal with our old man and naturalness; we should let Adam go and let Christ come out. We are living a human life, yet we speak by Christ and even speak the word of Christ. When everyone is like this, we are the genuine church because it is Christ who is the life and element here.
We have already been baptized, have come out of Adam and believed into Christ, and have been joined to Christ; hence, Christ is our life, our element; He is our Lord. Our Lord is our life. Therefore, these verses speak of one Body, one Spirit, and also one Lord. Finally, in addition, there is the one God and Father of all. Everything has its source. The source of the Body of Christ is the Father. Ephesians 4 does not only say one God but one God and Father. This Father is the source, the source of the Body of Christ. The Lord is the element of the Body of Christ; the Spirit is the essence and reality of the Body of Christ; and the Father is the source of the Body of Christ. This Father is not only over all, through all, but also in all. He is one, yet He can be in three places at the same time—above, in the midst, and within. This is mingling. He is not only above us but also through us and even within us. This is the Triune God—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.
Now we need to see the living in the Body of Christ. This living has four aspects in its relationship. The first aspect is the relationship with Christ. The living in the Body of Christ has Christ as the Head, life, content, principal object, center, and goal, because Christ is the element of this Body. The second aspect is the relationship with the Spirit. The living in the Body of Christ has the Spirit as the essence, reality, secret, and effectiveness, because the Spirit is the inward essence and the expressed reality of this Body. The third aspect is the relationship with the death and resurrection of Christ. The living in the Body of Christ takes the death and resurrection of Christ as the regulation. Every organism has its regulation, which cannot be violated. If we would live the life of the Body of Christ, we need to be in resurrection by the Spirit and through the cross. The fourth aspect is the relationship with life and the Body. Life and the Body are taken as the principle. The principle of the living in the Body of Christ is life, not behavior; and it is corporate, not individualistic. The combination of all these four aspects of relationship is the living in the Body of Christ, the Christian life, and also the church life.
Therefore, we see here that the living in the Body of Christ has four aspects to its relationship: Christ as the element, the Spirit as the essence, the death and resurrection as the regulation, and life and the Body as the principle. I can testify to you that I am alive until today because of the grace of God and also because I kept the regulation and principle of the body; hence, my body is still healthy. There is a lot to this matter. The living in the Body of Christ has its basic element, intrinsic essence, extrinsic reality, and also its regulation and principle. We live not only by the element, essence, and reality in this Body but also within the regulation and principle of this living, being ruled and controlled by it.
The first aspect in the relationship of the Body of Christ is its relationship with Christ. Christ is the center of the Triune God. Among the persons of the Triune God—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit—He is also the center. The Body of this Christ, who is the center of the Triune God, surely takes Him as its Head. We are all under the authority of Christ as the Head; He is our Head, our life. The living of the Body of Christ takes Christ as the Head, life, and content (Eph. 5:23; Col. 3:4a, 11b); this concerns Christ as the source and element of His Body and refers to the origin and being of the Body of Christ. Moreover, this living takes Christ as the principal object, the center, and the goal (1 Cor. 12:12; Eph. 1:23; Phil. 3:14). This concerns Christ as the meaning and expression of His Body and refers to the capacity and function of the Body of Christ. This shows that the Body of Christ is meaningful and active.
If an endeavoring person takes himself as the principal object and center, eventually he will hurt others. But if one is endeavoring yet does not center on himself but on the goal of his endeavoring, he will benefit society and the country. All of us were made for God. If we, after getting saved, are not for God but for ourselves, we are really pitiful and without hope. Therefore, for us Christians, our Head is Christ, our content is Christ, our principal object and center are also Christ, and even our goal is Christ. Because the nature of the Body of Christ is Christ, this causes its capacity also to be Christ. Today in the church, all of us are members of the Body of Christ. This Body of Christ has a principal object, a center, and a goal, which is Christ Himself. Because Christ is the principal object, the center, and the goal of the Body of Christ, we the members should also take Christ as our principal object, our center, and our goal. In this way we can give Him the opportunity to manifest the capacity and function within His nature. This is the church life that we have.
The second aspect in the relationship of the Body of Christ is its relationship with the Spirit as its essence, reality, secret, and effectiveness. The essence and the reality (Eph. 4:4a; 1 John 5:6) are related to the intrinsic nature and the outward condition of the Body of Christ. They refer to the intrinsic being and the outward manifestation of the Body of Christ. Every matter has an intrinsic nature and an outward reality. There is an essence within us Christians, and the reality we manifest without should be the living out of this essence. Our essence is the Spirit, and the reality we live out should also be the Spirit. If we are not like this, we are “low-grade” Christians, lacking the intrinsic essence and the outward condition.
Since our intrinsic essence and outward reality are the Spirit, who is the pneumatic Christ, we should have fellowship with Him, allowing Him to fill us and saturate us. He is within us as our essence, saturating us so that there is the manifestation without as the reality of our Christian life. This then is the intrinsic being and the outward manifestation of the Body of Christ, the church. In this age today what human society needs is a lamp that shines brightly. The Body of Christ, the church, filled with the Spirit within and manifesting the reality of Christ without, can shine this light to illuminate this dark age. The Lord Jesus said that we who belong to Him are the light of the world (Matt. 5:14). We are able to illuminate those who are in darkness. We cannot be like general Christianity, having just a name yet not the substance. We need to be filled with the Spirit within so that we can live Christ out.
The living of the Body of Christ also takes the Spirit as its secret and its effectiveness (Phil. 4:12b; Rom. 15:13). The Spirit, who is our inward essence and outward reality, is also the secret and effectiveness of our practice of the Body life. This concerns the skill and ability of the Body of Christ and refers to the skillfulness and achievements of the Body of Christ. We should not think that it is merely in our work that we need superior skill and capabilities; even in living the life of the Body of Christ, we also need technique and skills. Sometimes due to our lack of skill in speaking, we offend a lot of people and ruin matters. This is due to our lack of technique and skill in speaking. It is not simple to be a Christian. Before we were saved, we took our own way; after we are saved, we are bound together with Christ. Our living is like a three-legged race. We are regulated and restricted by Him in every aspect. If we are not wise and are short of technique and skill in our living, we will feel awkward and clumsy. But if we have the Spirit as the secret, knowing how to follow Christ, we will become happy and comfortable.
Immediately after some couples get married, during their honeymoon, they are sweet to one another. But after a few days the real situation is exposed, and they get into an argument. At that time they need to learn about each other and pick up some skill in conversing with each other in their daily living so that they may know how to speak, how to express themselves, and even how to be upset. Some get divorced simply because they do not have the skill to conduct themselves, and they do not know the technique of being a human being. We who have God have the Spirit within us, who is our technique. Sometimes situations may arise in a home. If we are in our spirit, we would know how to speak and how to handle the situations, and in most cases this could calm the wind and the waves. It is the same in the church life. Many times some things are not necessary. The unnecessary arguments and friction are due to our lack of the Spirit as the secret; there is no tactfulness nor refined skill in our living. This phrase refined skill implies beauty. Our living needs refined skill in order to be beautiful. If our behavior has this refined skill, our living will be full of merit.
If we can take the Spirit as the secret of our living, our behavior will be skillful, and we will not have arguments or discord. Our living will surely be full of merit. Therefore, in the living in the Body of Christ, in our speaking and in coping with situations, we need to have much prayer, receive more of the Spirit, allow more of the cross of Christ to break us, and live more by the resurrection of Christ. By doing this, our living in the Body of Christ will be full of skill and merit.
For this reason, in the living of the Body of Christ we need to take the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ as the regulation. On the negative side, we take the crucifixion of Christ as the regulation; on the positive side, we take the resurrection of Christ as the regulation. When we speak, we need to accept the dealing and regulation of the cross of Christ. Through this regulation we will know how we should speak and what should be spoken or not spoken. Besides accepting the regulation of the crucifixion of Christ, we still need to know the resurrection of Christ and take the resurrection of Christ as the positive regulation. Christ who lives within us is not quiet and inactive; He is active and purposeful within us. He is not acting within us in a vigorous way but is operating quietly yet powerfully within us. His operation is the power of His resurrection. If we go along with His operation, His resurrection power will come and cause us to be transcendent and victorious.
Today people are in a situation of bondage, living a life of oppression every day. Hence, we need the resurrection power, and Christ within us is this resurrection power. If we go along with Him, we can transcend all the circumstances and will not be under any oppression. On the one hand, through the crucifixion of the cross, we filter out everything that the Lord is not pleased with; on the other hand, we enjoy the transcendence of the resurrection of Christ. In Philippians 3:10 Paul says, “To know Him and the power of His resurrection...being conformed to His death.” Paul was asking and praying in this way, so we should also ask and pray in this way so that we will not be under the oppression of any of our circumstances; rather, we can transcend and carry out the living of the Body of Christ.
Our co-crucifixion with Christ is an accomplished fact; this is realized through divine revelation (Rom. 6:6). Our co-crucifixion with Christ should also be our moment-by-moment experience; this is enjoyed through the effectiveness of the Spirit (8:13b; Gal. 5:24). Hymns, #631 says, “If I’d know Christ’s risen power, / I must ever love the Cross; / Life from death alone arises; / There’s no gain except by loss.” We should have this prayer daily so that we may have this experience every moment. On the other hand, according to the New Testament revelation, our co-resurrection with Christ is also an accomplished fact (Eph. 2:6a). We were crucified together with Christ, and we were also resurrected together with Christ. Hence, to be resurrected together with Christ should also be our experience every moment (Phil. 3:10a). It is through this experience of resurrection that we can be conformed to His death.
The fourth aspect of the living of the Body of Christ is that of taking life and the Body as the principle. We have already mentioned that in the living of every kind of life, there is its definite regulation and principle. The principle of the living of the Body of Christ is nothing other than life and the Body. To take life as the principle is to take the intrinsic life of God, which is Christ as the embodiment of God (1 John 5:11-12), and not man’s outward conduct and morality (Rom. 9:11b; Gal. 2:16a), as the principle. You should never have the thought that since now you are saved and are a Christian, you should take good conduct and a good moral standard as your principle. It should not be like that. That is not the living that the Body of Christ should have; that is just a living according to human goodness. We Christians are regenerated in our spirit; thus, we have life, not morality, as the principle. We have to live Christ out, not morality. Our taking Christ as life as the principle of our living should be with gentleness, politeness, honor to our parents, humility, and patience, yet all these should be the living out of Christ from within us by the Spirit and not something worked out by our own striving and effort. Therefore, we love Christ and draw near to Christ. The Spirit of Christ fills us within so that from within us Christ may be lived out as all these virtues. Honoring others is Christ; love is Christ; forbearing is Christ; humility and patience are also Christ. All our virtues are the living out of Christ from our spirit.
Furthermore, our living also takes the Body as its principle. We all are the members of the Body of Christ. Each member lives Christ out by the Spirit of life (Phil. 1:19-21a). At the same time we live corporately, not individualistically. Whether the living of an individual member is good or bad relates just to that member himself, not the Body. Only by a corporate living and a living out of Christ in coordination will we have the living of the Body of Christ, which will be the fullness of Christ for expressing Him (Rom. 12:5; Eph. 1:23). Therefore, our normal living should have the consciousness of the Body of Christ. Any living that is not joined to the Body of Christ does not have the consciousness of the Body of Christ. We should accept the regulation of the Body of Christ in order to live out the life that has the Body of Christ as the principle.
