Scripture Reading: 1 Cor. 1:2, 9; 6:17; 10:16-17
Our Christ is the all-inclusive One. He is the Triune God, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. As God incarnate, He lived as a man on earth for thirty-three and a half years. Through His death on the cross, He crucified the old creation. In so doing, He brought creation back to God. Now that Christ has terminated us on the cross, what He has terminated He is replacing with Himself in resurrection. In resurrection Christ became a life-giving Spirit. Actually, the life-giving Spirit is resurrection. Thus, resurrection is not merely a thing or a matter — it is a living Person. In John 11:25 the Lord Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.”
Today the wonderful Person of Christ, the One through whom all things were created, the One who has passed through incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection, is the all-inclusive, life-giving Spirit. This Spirit is the ultimate and consummate expression of the Triune God.
If someone asks us where we are today, we should say that we are in resurrection. Resurrection is the life-giving Spirit, the life-giving Spirit is Christ, and Christ is the processed Triune God.
In the book of 1 Corinthians Paul deals with eleven problems. Six of these problems are covered in the first ten chapters, and five are covered in the last six chapters. The first six problems are division, lawsuits, incest, the abuse of freedom in eating and in marriage, the question of marriage itself, and the eating of sacrifices to idols. All these problems are related to humanity, to human life. The second group of problems involves the realm of God’s administration. These five problems involve headship, the Lord’s table, spiritual gifts, resurrection, and the gift of material things. In dealing with the problem of resurrection Paul utters a wonderful word. In 15:45 he says that the last Adam became a life-giving Spirit. This is resurrection. When Christ was simply the last Adam, He was not yet in resurrection. Rather, He was in the flesh, in humanity. But through death He entered into resurrection. Now in resurrection He is no longer in the flesh, for He is the life-giving Spirit. This life-giving Spirit is the reality of resurrection.
When we are in the spirit, we are in resurrection. Resurrection is life which overcomes death. If we are truly in resurrection experientially, we are fresh and living, with life bubbling up from within. In such a case, we can be compared to a green plant. A living plant may be used as an illustration of resurrection. If a plant is flourishing and blossoming, we may say that it is in resurrection. But if the plant is withering and dying, we cannot say that it is in resurrection. Likewise, if we are living and fresh, we are truly in resurrection. But if we sit in the meetings in a formal, religious way, we certainly are not in resurrection. On the contrary, for the most part, we are still in the tomb.
We have pointed out that the first six problems covered in 1 Corinthians are related to human living. Paul’s way of dealing with these problems is very different from the way practiced by today’s ministers and pastors. For example, if a married couple has a problem and consults their pastor, he will deal with their problem either in a religious way or in a natural way. Paul’s way is profound and very difficult to describe. His way of dealing with problems is gradually revealed in the first ten chapters. Paul’s way is spiritual and uplifted. We may liken his way to a chain which has many parts linked together. The first chapter of this Epistle begins with one part of the chain, and the last chapter ends with another part. Paul begins with the word in 1:2 concerning Christ being theirs and ours. The problems among the believers at Corinth were all due to the fact that they were neglecting Christ as their unique portion. Their portion was not Greek philosophy or worldly wisdom; it was the all-inclusive Christ ministered by Paul. This all-inclusive Christ is both theirs and ours. This means that He is our unique portion.
If a couple having problems in married life were to contact Paul, he would not help them in a religious way. He would not charge the husband to love his wife or the wife to submit to her husband. This, however, is the way practiced by pastors today. Paul’s way of dealing with human problems is very different. Even his word in 1:2 concerning the called saints, those sanctified in Christ Jesus, and those who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, both theirs and ours, is a word related to the problems covered in this Epistle. Although this verse does not appear to be part of Paul’s way of approaching human problems, it actually contains the spiritual riches used by Paul to solve the problems. According to this verse, we Christians must realize that the all-inclusive Christ is ours. Furthermore, we are called saints, those who have been called by God to call upon the dear and precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ. If a married sister calls on the name of the all-inclusive Christ, she will be truly submissive to her husband. The reason wives are not submissive is that they are short of the enjoyment of the all-inclusive Christ. Sisters, when you have trouble being submissive to your husbands, simply call on the name of the Lord. I assure you that after calling a few times, the Lord will touch you and supply you. Spontaneously you will become a very submissive wife. This is the result of enjoying Christ as your portion.
Over the years sisters have often come to me with problems concerning married life. In many cases I not only sympathized with the sisters, but also agreed with them. In the early years of my ministry I behaved in the same way many pastors do. I encouraged the sisters to read Ephesians 5 and also to pray, even with fasting if necessary. Many times a sister would return to say that what I had suggested did not work. All I could do then was tell the sister to be comforted and that I would try to help her. Actually, I was not any help whatever. Gradually I learned that problems in married life are not solved simply by praying and reading the Bible. Nourishment and life supply are necessary. We cannot receive the nourishment we need simply from the Bible in black and white letters, for what we need is the living Christ Himself. By pray-reading the Word and by calling on the name of the Lord, we receive the needed nourishment and supply. When a sister is supplied in this way, she can find the solution to the problem she faces with her husband.
Sometimes when I call on the name of the Lord Jesus, I am deeply touched by Him and even weep. This touch then becomes my nourishment, supply, and strength. Moreover, I have realized that by calling on the name of the Lord, I can do things which I am not able to do in my own strength. This is the enjoyment of Christ according to 1:2. If we call on the name of the Lord Jesus in every place, we shall know that Christ is ours, and we shall enjoy Him.
First Corinthians 1:9 says, “God is faithful, through Whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” We have been called into the fellowship of the all-inclusive Christ as our portion. This fellowship is nothing less than the living Person of the all-inclusive Christ. This means that we have been called into this Person and into His fellowship. God has called us into Christ for our co-participation and enjoyment.
We have seen that the all-inclusive Christ is our portion and that we have been called into the fellowship of this Christ. But how can the incarnated, crucified, and resurrected Christ become our portion for our enjoyment? To understand this we need to consider 6:17. In this verse Paul declares, “He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.” The fellowship into which we have been called is Christ as the life-giving Spirit. To experience this fellowship we must be one spirit with Him. In our spirit we are one with the life-giving Spirit.
When I began the ministry in this country many years ago, I emphasized the fact that we who believe in Christ have a regenerated human spirit, a human spirit indwelt by the divine Spirit, and that we are one spirit with the Lord. Many were surprised to learn that they have a spirit. Of course, they knew that they had a soul and a heart, but they did not know the human spirit. All Christians know of the Holy Spirit, but not all realize that they have a human spirit. It is important that all those who have recently come into the church life realize that they have a human spirit regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, in our daily living we must exercise the spirit.
When we face problems in our daily living, we may react with our soul, our body, or our spirit. Suppose a brother comes home from work exhausted by the day’s labor. He finds his wife full of complaints and unhappy with him. The brother can respond in one of three ways. The first way, universally common, is for him to react in the soul, especially from the mind or the emotion. A second possibility is for him to react in a physical way out of anger. The third alternative is for this brother to respond by exercising his regenerated spirit. It is vital for all believers to realize that our spirit has been regenerated and is indwelt by the all-inclusive, life-giving Spirit. The brother facing difficulty with his wife should exercise his spirit and allow the life-giving Spirit to guide him. Then he will know what to say to his wife and how to behave. Anyone observing a brother living in such a way will realize that he is different from ordinary husbands. Instead of exercising his body to react physically or exercising his soul, he exercises his spirit. We all need to exercise our spirit in our daily living, especially in our married life and family life.
Because we have a regenerated spirit, we can experience Christ as our portion and also experience the fellowship of this Christ. If our spirit were not regenerated by the Spirit and indwelt by the Spirit, Christ could not be our portion, and we could not be in the fellowship of Christ. Just as electrical appliances must have the flow of electricity if they are to function, so we must be in the spirit if we are to experience Christ as our portion and enjoy His fellowship. Only when the electrical current flows into the appliances can we actually have light, heat, or cool air. Likewise, only by being one spirit with the Lord can we experience Him as the all-inclusive One. For this reason, Paul tells us that he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. All those who believe in the Lord Jesus and who love Him have been joined to Him. In spirit we are truly one with Him. We have a regenerated spirit, and Christ is now the life-giving Spirit dwelling in our spirit. As a result, we are one spirit with Him. How marvelous! Oh, we all must realize that we are one spirit with the Lord. If we see this, we shall say, “Praise the Lord that I am one spirit with Him! God created me with a human spirit, and my spirit has been regenerated by Him. Today the all-inclusive Christ is the life-giving Spirit dwelling in my spirit. He is one with my spirit, and I am one with Him.”
Often brothers have told me that they cannot understand how I am able to give so many messages in conferences and trainings year after year. Some have asked me where these hundreds and even thousands of messages come from. I can testify that these messages come from Christ, the all-inclusive One, who is the life-giving Spirit mingled with my spirit. Whenever I call on the name of the Lord Jesus, He supplies me. This is the reason I am able to give message upon message. The only limitations are time and physical strength. There is no limitation to the Lord’s supply. Actually, the more I speak, the more I am able to speak. The spiritual reservoir is inexhaustible. The more water flows out, the more there is to flow out. For anyone who is one spirit with the Lord the supply is inexhaustible.
Suppose a brother comes to you with complaints about his wife. The brother may say, “The Lord has given you a wife who is kind, gentle, patient, and loving. But my wife is extremely difficult to live with. If your wife were like mine, you would probably be in a worse situation than I am concerning married life. I simply have no way to go on with my wife. What shall I do?” The best way to help such a brother is not to explain matters to him or argue with him. Neither is the proper way to teach him, to give him more doctrinal concepts. His urgent need is to realize that he is one spirit with the Lord. However, it is difficult to help a brother in such a situation to see that he is one spirit with the Lord and that he should call on the name of the Lord. But if you can help this brother understand that he is one spirit with the life-giving Spirit, and if you can help him call on the Lord, that brother’s living will be revolutionized.
If you are to convince another saint that he is one spirit with the Lord, you yourself must have adequate experience of being one spirit with Him. When you have become such a person, you will testify that even when your wife offends you, you are able to exercise your spirit, call on the name of the Lord Jesus, and receive His supply.
Apart from Christ, it is not possible for any brother to be an adequate husband or for any sister to be a proper wife. There are no exceptions. Apart from Christ, we are all the same. It is extremely difficult for a sister to be a good wife or for a brother to be a good husband. Nevertheless, marriage is ordained by God. Therefore, since marriage is God’s ordination and since it is so difficult to be a proper husband or wife, we have no choice except to experience Christ.
As many of us can testify, when we exercise our spirit and call on the name of the Lord, we enjoy His sweetness. At times we may weep because the Lord touches us in a very tender way. At other times praises may burst forth, and we may thank the Lord for giving us the best and most suitable wife or husband. If we call on the name of the Lord by exercising our spirit, we shall immediately realize that God has given us the best mate. May more and more among us have this kind of experience.
Christ is both theirs and ours, and we have been called into the fellowship of this Christ. This fellowship takes place only in the spirit. Praise the Lord that he who is joined to Him is one spirit! Therefore, we have a source, a fountain, and an inexhaustible reservoir. This source is Christ, the processed Triune God, the all-inclusive life-giving Spirit.
In 10:16 Paul comes to another important point: “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a fellowship of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a fellowship of the body of Christ?” First Corinthians 1:9 speaks of the fellowship of the Son, but 10:16 speaks of the fellowship of the body and blood of Christ. The fellowship in 10:16 is more practical than that in 1:9, for in 10:16 Christ’s blood is separate from His body, indicating that it is possible for us to feast on Him. However, in 1:9 Christ as the Son of God is not yet ready for us to partake of by eating Him.
The practicality of the fellowship in 10:16 may be illustrated by the way a chicken is processed for eating. Years ago in China sisters in the church often gave my family a chicken. Their intention was that this chicken be used for our nourishment. A chicken was a genuine gift. However, it was not yet practical for eating. Before a chicken can nourish us, it must be killed, cooked, and then served on the dining table. In like manner, in order to become our feast, Christ, the Son of God, had to be processed. In 10:16 we see that His blood and His body are now on the table, a place of feasting. This points to the fact that Christ has been incarnated and crucified. The blood separate from the body indicates crucifixion. Nevertheless, the fact that Christ is on the table points to His resurrection. Therefore, on the table we see Christ’s incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection.
If Christ had not been incarnated, He could not have blood and a body. If He had not been crucified, His blood could not be separated from His body. If He had not been resurrected, He could not be on the table as our food. Whenever we come to the Lord’s table and see the bread and cup, we should say, “Lord, how I worship You! You are the incarnated One, the crucified One, and the resurrected One. I thank You, Lord, that through incarnation You put on a human body with blood and flesh. I also thank You that through crucifixion Your blood was separated from Your body. Now, in resurrection, You are served to us on the table. O Lord, I praise You!”
In chapter ten the wonderful One into whose fellowship we have been called becomes very practical to us. Now we can take Him into us by eating Him. As we shall see in a later message, the table with the body and blood of Christ is the reality of Christ as the good land. Christ not only has blood and a body, but He is also the table, and this table is the good land.
In 1 Corinthians Paul does not deal with the problems among the believers in a religious way or in a natural, human way. On the contrary, his way of dealing with problems is altogether related to the enjoyment of Christ. Paul knew that problems among Christians are caused by a shortage of the enjoyment of Christ. If a brother and his wife are having problems, this proves that they are short of Christ. They lack the proper enjoyment of Christ. Likewise, if there are problems among the elders, or in a local church, or among the saints, this also is a sign of the shortage of the enjoyment of Christ.
Because Paul realized that the problems among the Corinthians were due to the lack of the enjoyment of Christ, he dealt with their problems by pointing to Christ as their portion for their enjoyment. In this Epistle it seems as if Paul is telling the Corinthians, “You need to realize that Christ alone is your portion. You should not find your portion in wisdom or philosophy. God has called you into the fellowship of Christ as your portion. Today this portion is the Spirit, and you are one spirit with Him. Furthermore, Christ, the incarnated, crucified, and resurrected One, is now presented to you on the table as a feast for your nourishment and enjoyment. You are invited to enjoy this One served to you on the table. If you enjoy Him as the table and also as the good land, you will be nourished. Then there will be no problems in the church.”
The reason we have problems in certain matters is that we are short of the enjoyment of Christ. If we have problems in the church life or in our family life, it is because we lack the adequate enjoyment of Christ. What we need is not a doctrinal Christ in our mentality, but a Christ in our spirit whom we can enjoy and experience in a practical way. If we see that the all-inclusive Christ who indwells our spirit as the life-giving Spirit is our unique portion for our enjoyment, and if we exercise our spirit to call on Him day by day, our married life and church life will be filled with Christ. As a result, we shall not be disturbed by anything in our married life or church life. We shall care only for Christ, and we shall not have the taste or the appetite for anything other than Christ. We shall desire Christ and Christ alone, and we shall feast on Him at the Lord’s table. This is the revelation found in the book of 1 Corinthians.
