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In Revelation 3:15 and 18 the Lord said to the church in Laodicea, “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot...I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire that you may be rich, and white garments that you may be clothed and that the shame of your nakedness may not be manifested, and eyesalve to anoint your eyes that you may see.” Here the Lord mentions the phrase to buy. We all know that to buy something means to pay a price for it.
In the parable of the virgins in Matthew 25 we clearly see that we who are Christians should have the status of a pure and simple virgin. In our condition we should be holding forth our lamps, which shine in and illuminate the darkness. The way that we take should lead us out of the world, which does not want the Lord. And the purpose of our living should be to await and meet the Lord. Since our Lord is not in the world and the world does not want Him, we should not have a lingering love for the world. Our heart should not be occupied with this world. We have to leave this world. We must come out of the world in order to receive our Lord, the unique Bridegroom.
What grieves our heart today is that many Christians do not know what their status and condition should be. If we would consider our condition, we would realize that we not only are not up to where we should be but are far from it. We are not like virgins. In our condition we are not holding our lamps and shining forth. Neither are we leaving the world, which does not want the Lord, nor are we receiving and waiting for the Lord. In the Gospel of Matthew the Lord pointed out four aspects of the proper situation of a Christian—his status, condition, way, and living. However, these aspects are merely the beginning, or starting point, for the kind of living that a Christian must have.
If we do not have these four aspects, we should bow our heads, saying, “Lord, forgive me. I have not begun my Christian life. Although I have become a Christian, have the name of a Christian, and have been baptized to enter into the church, I am not like a virgin. I do not have the light of a lamp shining in me. My steps have not led me out of this world, and I have not been waiting for You and preparing myself to meet You.” Many of us must admit that we have not begun our Christian life. We are Christians in name but not in reality. We do not stand in our position as Christians. We do not have the proper condition of a Christian. We do not walk the way of a Christian, nor do we live the life of a Christian. However, even if we do have these four aspects, we should not assume that we are qualified and mature enough to see the Lord. Please remember that these aspects are only the starting point, not the end. We have only started to grow and have not yet reached maturity.
Every saved person should have these four aspects and should continue to grow in them. In the parable of the virgins the Lord deliberately said, “Five of them were foolish and five were prudent. For the foolish, when they took their lamps, did not take oil with them; but the prudent took oil in their vessels with their lamps” (Matt. 25:2-4). The Lord pointed out that these ten virgins were different and that the difference was not whether they were genuine or false but whether they were prudent or foolish. The Lord divided them into two groups—five were foolish and five were prudent. It was not that one group was genuinely saved and the other group was falsely saved, as some Bible expositors say. The ten virgins were all genuinely saved. The Lord pointed out that what He was concerned about was not the matter of genuineness versus falseness but prudence versus foolishness. His concern was whether they were foolish or prudent.
Whether the virgins were genuine or false is a matter related to their nature. Whether they were foolish or prudent is a matter related to their condition. In their nature they were genuine and proper because they were all virgins and were all saved. However, in their conditions they were different, not the same. One group was foolish, and the other group was prudent. All saved ones are not necessarily the same. There may be a difference. You may be a saved person belonging to the Lord, but you may be either prudent or foolish. Therefore, we all have to see that it is not enough to be saved. We also have to consider whether we are foolish or prudent. This means that a person who is saved, a Christian, has to take a further step to determine what kind of Christian he will be. Will he be foolish or prudent? Here the Lord first mentioned the foolish, showing that He was primarily warning the foolish ones. Of course, the prudent ones do not need this teaching. Only those who are foolish need this teaching. The Lord reminded the foolish ones so that they would be watchful and prepared.
In the Bible the number twelve indicates eternal perfection, whereas the number ten indicates human perfection. Everyone has ten fingers and ten toes. The Chinese speak of perfection, but the perfection that they refer to is human perfection. The Lord divided the ten virgins into two groups of five. The number five in the Bible is the number of responsibility. For example, each of our hands has five fingers. Our fingers do not consist of three fingers plus two fingers but four fingers plus one thumb. This is very meaningful. If we took away our thumb, it would be difficult for us to do things with only our four fingers. Whatever we do requires that we use our thumb along with our other four fingers. The four fingers plus the one thumb enable us to work. Hence, we can bear responsibility.
Some may ask what the addition of four plus one means. In the Bible the number four is the number related to created beings. There are four living creatures in the book of Revelation. These four living creatures signify the created beings. The number one signifies the unique God as the Creator. The addition of four plus one signifies the created beings plus God the Creator. Those who have not believed into the Lord and are not saved are merely creatures, created people. Spiritually speaking, they are “four” but not “four plus one.” They do not have God and, thus, cannot work or bear responsibility. Today we who have believed in the Lord Jesus and are saved have had a “one” added to us. The Spirit of God has entered into us, God Himself has entered into us, and His life has entered into us. Hence, we the created people have had God added to us. Since we have the life of God, we have become “five.” We have become useful and can work and bear responsibility.
The Lord divided up the ten virgins into two groups of five, indicating that they had been created and had God added to them. They were saved and had God in them. Thus, they had to assume some responsibility. None of those who have been saved should receive grace in vain. Since we have received the grace to have God, and since God is now living inside of us, we should bear some responsibility before God. It is all right for the unbelievers, who do not have God, to live their lives in a loose and sloppy way. But it is not acceptable at all for us Christians who have gained God and have God inside of us to live loosely and sloppily. If a person is not saved and does not have God inside of him, although he may not be watchful, God may leave him alone. But if you are saved and have God in you as your life and strength, and yet you still live a sloppy life as the unbelievers do, then the Lord will come to warn you.
The Lord requires all of us who have been saved to bear a certain responsibility before God. What is this responsibility? It is to be a prudent virgin. Since we have been saved, we must bear the responsibility to choose whether we will be prudent believers or foolish believers. Whether we are foolish or prudent is under our control. God will not decide for us.
Some may ask what it means to be prudent. The Lord said, “The foolish, when they took their lamps, did not take oil with them; but the prudent took oil in their vessels with their lamps” (Matt. 25:3-4). The Chinese Union Version uses the phrase prepare oil in its translation of this verse—“The foolish, when they took their lamps did not prepare oil with them; but the prudent prepared oil in their vessels with their lamps.” The foolish did not prepare, but the prudent did. Those who prepared were the prudent ones, and those who did not prepare were the foolish ones. What did the prudent ones prepare? They prepared the oil. Both the foolish and the prudent virgins took their lamps. The difference was that the foolish ones did not prepare oil in their vessels, whereas the prudent ones did. The prudent ones prepared oil not only in their lamps but also in their vessels. The lamp is one thing, and the vessel is another thing. This parable tells us that every virgin should have two portions of oil—one portion burning in the lamp and a second portion prepared in the vessel in addition to the portion in the lamp. This is similar to a car, which normally has a spare tire besides the four tires. The prudent virgins were truly prudent because they prepared oil in their vessels besides the oil in their lamps.
What do the oil in the lamp and the oil in the vessel refer to? The oil in the lamp signifies the regenerating Spirit. Therefore, the oil in the lamp does not need to be prepared. All ten virgins, both the foolish and the prudent, had oil in their lamps, which were all shining. What they still needed to prepare, in addition to the oil in their lamps, was oil in their vessels. Most people who know the Bible acknowledge that oil signifies the Spirit. When we are saved, the Spirit enters into us. This is the oil in the lamp. The oil in the lamp signifies the regenerating Spirit. When we are saved and receive the Lord as our Savior, we are regenerated, and the Spirit begins to live inside of us. From that time onward, the Spirit wants to shine forth from within us. This is the experience of every saved person. If someone does not have the regenerating Spirit in him, then he has not been saved yet. Every saved Christian has the Spirit of the Lord and the life of the Lord inside of him and thus is a genuine virgin with oil in his lamp.
It is not enough to have oil merely in our lamps. It is not enough to have merely the regenerating Spirit. Besides this portion of the Spirit, we need to have another portion of the Spirit. The second portion of oil is not the oil in the lamp but the oil in the vessel. The Lord said this to show that there are two different portions of the Spirit. The first portion is the regenerating Spirit that all believers gain when they are saved. However, after they are saved, they have to prepare themselves with the second portion of the Spirit, the infilling Spirit. We have the regenerating Spirit, but we may not necessarily have the filling Spirit. Although we are saved, we may not be filled with the Spirit. We have the first portion of the Spirit, but we may not necessarily have the second portion of the Spirit. Although the Spirit is in us, it may not fill our entire being. Thus, although we are Christians, our condition may not be very vital because we may not have enough of the infilling Spirit. We may not have enough oil prepared in our vessels.
We have all believed into the Lord, are saved, and have the life of the Lord. However, I must ask you all whether you have the Spirit of the Lord. Perhaps some of you may say, “Thank the Lord, we all have the Spirit of the Lord.” This is good. You have believed into the Lord and are saved, and you have the life of the Lord and the Spirit of the Lord. However, I want to ask whether or not you are fervent deep within. Some may say, “Although I am saved, inwardly I am lukewarm. I go to the movies, but I am not thrilled. I go to the meetings, but I am dispirited and discouraged. I am truly lukewarm.” This is exactly the situation that the church in Laodicea was in.
Are you strong in your spirit? Do you have power in your gospel preaching? Are you released in the meetings? As a Christian, are you full of joy and free? Many of you may answer, “I do not know why I am so weak. When I do not attend the meetings, I do not feel right inside. But when I go to the meetings, I feel bored and very depressed. I can neither open my mouth nor pray. I know that it is my duty to preach the gospel, but I do not want to do it. When I preach the gospel, I cannot speak much and I feel exhausted. I do not have any power. Originally, I thought it was a joyful thing to be a Christian, but I have been sad for a long time. I want to give up the Lord and stop being a Christian, but deep within I cannot get through. I want to be a good Christian, but I cannot make it.” What kind of condition is this? This kind of condition indicates that “our lamps are going out” (Matt. 25:8). This means that there is a little bit of oil in our lamps, but there is no oil prepared in our vessels. In other words, we have been regenerated, and we have the regenerating Spirit, but we are not filled with the Spirit. We have the regenerating Spirit but not the filling Spirit.
When the Spirit fills our entire being, that is, when we gain the infilling Spirit, we cannot help but become hot. We cannot be cold anymore. Once the Spirit fills us, our inner being will be burning, and we will become hot. When we come to the meetings, we will be released. We will open our mouth to pray, praise, and testify. We will have power inwardly. When we preach the gospel and speak about the Lord Jesus to people, we will touch their feelings and will have the presence of the Spirit. Moreover, we will be filled with joy and peace deep within. We will be free from bondage and oppression.
For example, suppose there is a dear brother sitting in the meeting whose spiritual condition is like a lamp that is going out. He is weak, his spirit is depressed, and his inner being cannot be lifted up. When he talks about worldly matters, he is interested, excited, and has much to say. But when it comes to spiritual matters, he is uninterested and has nothing to say. If we are those who are full of the Spirit, then we will open our mouth to pray, sing, and praise. The burning fire in us will not allow us to be silent. In this way the majority of the saints in the meeting may be depressed, yet even though we are the minority, we can still make the meeting living and burning because we are filled with the Spirit. This will deliver us from the pitiful situation of being lukewarm, naked, poor, blind, and self-contented.
At the beginning of our salvation we have the regenerating Spirit and God’s life and nature in us, but we do not have the filling of the Spirit in us. We have oil in our lamps, but we do not have oil prepared in our vessels. We are shining, but the light in us may be going out. We are not mature in life.
What is the way to mature in life? The way to mature in life is to prepare oil in our vessels, that is, to pursue the filling of the Spirit. How do we pursue the filling of the Spirit? First, we must realize that the Spirit is the realization of Christ and that Christ is the embodiment of God (2 Cor. 3:17; Col. 2:9). The Spirit in us is actually Christ in us and God in us. Therefore, the maturity in life is the growth of Christ in us, that is, our being occupied by Christ and filled with God. Hence, to be filled with the Spirit means that our entire being is occupied by Christ and filled with God. Our thoughts, preferences, views, insight, inclinations, choices, and everything are occupied by Christ and filled with God.
Before we are completely filled, our views are our own views, our thoughts are our own thoughts, our preferences are our own preferences, and our choices are our own choices. In other words, everything comes out of us. Christ does not have any ground in us. We love whatever we like, and we reject whatever we do not like. There is nothing of Christ’s element in us, nor is there any ground for the Spirit. Our person remains intact. Although the Spirit is in us, He may be suffering and may not have any ground in us. Can we grow in this way? Can we mature, be made ready, and see the Lord? No, we cannot mature unless we are willing to pursue the filling of the Spirit, allowing Christ to occupy every part of us and allowing God to fill our entire being. If we do so, then our whole being will be filled with Christ, and we will be mature and full-grown in life. We will be the same as Christ and will have His glorious image. Then we can meet the Lord.
How can we experience the filling of the Spirit? In the parable of the ten virgins the Lord Jesus used a very good word—buy (Matt. 25:9). In order to have oil in our vessels, we must buy, and to prepare oil in our vessels, we must buy. This means that we have to buy in order to have the filling Spirit. We all understand that to buy something means to pay a price. No matter what we buy, we must spend money, that is, pay a price. To buy clothes, food, groceries, or anything else, we have to pay a price. Moreover, how much we pay determines what kinds of things we can buy. Ten dollars can buy you something valued at ten dollars, whereas ten thousand dollars can buy you something valued at ten thousand dollars. Likewise, we can never gain the filling of the Spirit without a cost. The filling of the Spirit requires the paying of a price.
We often see saints praying in pursuit of the filling of the Spirit. This is right. We need to ask the Lord for this. However, please remember that we not only need to ask but also to buy. It is useless to merely ask for the filling of the Spirit before God and not buy. We definitely need to pay a price. What is the price? Paul says in Philippians 3, “What things were gains to me, these I have counted as loss on account of Christ. But moreover I also count all things to be loss on account of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, on account of whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as refuse that I may gain Christ...Brothers, I do not account of myself to have laid hold; but one thing I do: Forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before, I pursue toward the goal” (vv. 7-8, 13-14). Essentially, what Paul was saying was, “I, Paul, am saved, and I am old now. Furthermore, I am imprisoned in Rome. I have followed the Lord for many decades, yet I am still forgetting the things that are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before. I am counting all things as refuse that I may gain Christ.” The price that Paul paid was the price of all things. In return, what Paul received was Christ.
We are saved and Christ is now living in us. However, we must ask ourselves how much of Christ we have enjoyed. I am afraid that we have not enjoyed Christ that much, because what is in us is not Christ but many other things that in comparison are like refuse. What we are filled with is our reputation, our prospects, the world, position, power, and wealth. We are not filled with the Spirit and do not have much Christ in us. According to the speaking of Paul, everything that is in us or in our heart that is other than Christ is the price that we must pay. Whatever is in us, in our hands, or in our heart that is not of Christ is the price.
For example, suppose a brother has a beautiful tie that he loves very much. When he is loving his tie, his love toward the Lord decreases, and there is less ground in him for Christ. At this moment his tie is the price. We love many things, such as our wife, husband, children, houses, and cars. When we love these things, there is less ground, or perhaps no ground at all, in us for Christ. At this moment all these things are the price we must pay. Some saints may say, “I certainly love Christ, but I cannot put aside my career and my job.” What we cannot put aside is the price. Whatever replaces Christ is a substitute for Christ or is even against Christ—whether it is our reputation, position, knowledge, wealth, desires, or thoughts—is the price. Paul says that he forsook all things and counted them as refuse in order to gain Christ. Christ is the treasure, and Christ was what Paul treasured. We have to be like Paul to pay every price to gain Christ.
The problem today is not that we do not know our condition but that we are unwilling to pay the price. When we look at our knowledge, prospects, material possessions, and family, we treasure them and hold on to them. In this way Christ is left out, the filling of the Spirit departs, and our light begins to go out. Time is not in our hands. May the Lord have mercy on us to grant us the light and the power of life so that we may pay the price to buy. The Lord told the Laodiceans, “I counsel you to buy” (Rev. 3:18). To the lukewarm Laodiceans, the Lord spoke of buying three items—gold refined by fire, white garments, and eyesalve to anoint their eyes. Can you see the light? Do you know the things of the Lord? Are you clear about spiritual matters? If you are not, it is because your eyes have not been opened. If you want your eyes to be opened to see the light, you must pay the price to buy. If you are willing to pay the price, you will see.
Salvation does not require the paying of a price, but maturity does. To obtain the oil in the lamp does not require one to pay a price, but to obtain the oil in the vessel does. The regenerating Spirit is given for free, but to obtain the filling Spirit requires that we pay a price. If we are even a little willing for the sake of the Lord to put aside some of our desires, prospects, knowledge, position, family, material possessions, career, views, perceptions, and all the other things related to us, then the Spirit will fill us up. The more we forsake, the more the Spirit will fill us. How much we forsake is how much the Spirit will fill us. We may use a glass of grape juice as an example. When you empty a little of the juice, the air will fill up the glass a little more. When you empty more juice, more air will fill the glass. When the glass is fully emptied, the air will fill up the entire glass.
Only when we pay the price can we then “buy” the filling of the Spirit. How much of a price we pay determines how much of the infilling we will gain. As human beings, we need to believe in Jesus, and once we have believed in Jesus, we need to mature in life. Therefore, no matter what condition we are in—strong or weak, uplifted or depressed—we do not have a choice. Because we are not only human beings but also are those who have believed in Jesus, we must reach maturity and have the filling of the Spirit. If you are strong, you need the filling. If you are weak, you need the filling even more. If you are uplifted, you need to be filled. If you are depressed, you need to be filled even more. May the Lord have mercy on us that He would enable us to pay the price and to get ready by buying the oil so that we may be mature to meet the Lord.
