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Scripture Reading: 2 Cor. 3:8-9, 18; 5:21; Col. 3:10; 1 Cor. 1:30; Rom. 8:2, 4; 14:17; Phil. 1:19; 3:9; Rev. 19:7-8; Eph. 4:24; Matt. 5:6, 10, 20
For a better understanding of the ministry of the Spirit in 2 Corinthians 3, we need to consider some key verses in Romans 8.
In Romans 8:2 Paul says that the law of the Spirit of life frees us from the law of sin and death. The key phrase in this verse is “the Spirit of life.” In Romans 8:4 Paul goes on to speak concerning walking according to the spirit. This involves walking according to the Spirit of life mentioned in verse 2. We must walk according to the Spirit of life so that the righteous requirements of the law may be fulfilled in us. This does not mean that we endeavor to keep the law; it means that the law is spontaneously and unconsciously fulfilled in us when we walk according to the Spirit.
If we do not live in the Spirit of life and do not walk according to this Spirit and yet try to keep the law, we shall not succeed. Even if we are successful in keeping the law in an outward way, we still shall not have righteousness. But when we live in the Spirit of life and walk according to the Spirit of life, we shall keep the law automatically, even though we may not have the intention to do so. Spontaneously, all the requirements of the law will be fulfilled in us.
Let us now consider in more detail how the law of God, the Ten Commandments, is fulfilled in us when we walk according to the Spirit of life. When we live and walk in the Spirit, we certainly will have only one God. We shall never have any other God than our God. This means that we spontaneously fulfill the first commandment.
Furthermore, we would never make an image to worship as an idol. We would make neither visible images nor invisible ones. Sometimes we make invisible images in our imagination or in our daydreams. For example, someone may think that in the future he will become a very wealthy doctor, a millionaire who owns vast properties. This daydreaming causes him to make an invisible idol, an invisible image. Then he may try his best to fulfill this dream. This is the worshipping of an invisible image.
It is easy for young people especially to make idols in their imagination. A brother may dream about the wonderful young woman he will marry someday. Then he may search for someone to be the fulfillment of his dream. When he comes to the church meetings, he may be seeking the perfect wife he has in mind. This dream is this brother’s invisible idol. If we walk according to the Spirit, we shall condemn any such dreams. However, those who do not walk according to the Spirit may spend much time lingering in their dreams and enjoying them. By walking according to the Spirit, we spontaneously fulfill the second commandment.
The same is true regarding the third commandment, the commandment about not taking the name of the Lord in vain. If we live and walk in the Spirit of life, we would never mention the divine name, the holy name, in vain. On the contrary, we would always name the Lord in reality and with a definite purpose. Also we would spontaneously keep the memorial day of the Lord and thereby fulfill the fourth commandment. Thus, when we walk according to the Spirit of life, the first four commandments are fulfilled in us.
What is true of the first four commandments is also true of the last six commandments. When we live and walk according to the Spirit, the last six commandments, which concern our relationships with others, are fulfilled spontaneously. The fifth commandment requires that we honor our parents. If we walk according to the Spirit, we shall honor our parents automatically. There will be no need for us to make up our minds to honor them or to endeavor to do this. There will be no need for a young person to say to himself, “In the past I did not have a proper attitude toward my mother and father. Now that I am a Christian I shall have the right attitude, I shall behave properly, and I shall become a good example for my younger brothers and sisters.” Anyone who makes up his mind to honor his parents in this way will not be successful. This can be compared to a cat trying to fly in the air like a bird. A cat is a cat, and it cannot fly. It simply does not have the capacity, the ability, to fly. The same is true of anyone who tries in his natural life to fulfill the fifth commandment. But if we live Christ, if we live and walk in the Spirit of life, spontaneously and unconsciously we shall honor our parents. When our parents see this, they may be greatly surprised and wonder what has happened to us.
In 2 Corinthians 3:3 Paul says that the Corinthians were a letter of Christ ministered by the apostles. By having Christ inscribed into us, we also become living letters of Christ which can be read by others. I know of many cases of young people who have been read by their parents. At first, their parents opposed them because they had turned to the Lord or had come into the church life. But even while the parents were opposing them, they were reading what had been inscribed of Christ into them. As a result, after a period of time, many of these opposing parents turned to the Lord’s way. I have heard many wonderful testimonies concerning this.
Even if your parents are opposing you, they are still watching you, reading you as a letter of Christ. Eventually, if you live and walk in the Spirit of life in your relationship with your parents, they will be convinced. Although you may not intentionally try to honor your parents, spontaneously you render them the most excellent and wonderful respect because you walk according to the Spirit. Your parents will notice this, appreciate it, and eventually may be convinced and subdued by it.
During more than fifty years in the church life, I have seen many cases like this. At first, certain saints were opposed by their parents. In some cases the parents were Buddhists; in other cases, they were Christians. Because the way of the Lord’s recovery was new to them and strange to their understanding, they opposed their children. Some said, “Other Christians attend church just once a week. Why must you go to meetings several times a week? What attracts you to go to church so often? Formerly you loved many things, but now you don’t seem to care about them anymore. What has happened to you? Have you lost your mind? What kind of influence does this church have on you?” When their children loved worldly things, their parents were happy with them. But when they stopped loving those things, their parents were troubled. Wondering what was happening to their children, they decided to oppose the church and to do everything possible to keep them away from the church life. This kind of thing happened hundreds of times in China and also in the United States. But before the Lord I can testify that in the vast majority of cases, the parents eventually turned to the Lord and to His way. Some turned after a few years; others turned after more than thirty years. In some instances the parents came to the church meeting, and, with tears, stood up to give testimony of how they had opposed the church by opposing their children. Then they went on to say that they were convinced by the lives of their children and had repented.
Why has the Lord gained the victory in so many cases? He has been victorious simply because the saints have lived in the Spirit of life and walked according to the Spirit. Automatically, they respected and honored their parents in such a way that their parents were convinced that the way their children had taken was of the Lord.
If we walk according to the Spirit, we shall also fulfill the commandments forbidding murder, fornication, stealing, giving false testimony, and coveting. If we make up our mind to keep these commandments, we shall not be fully successful. In Romans 7 Paul tells us that he tried to overcome coveting, but he was not able to do so. Rather, he was killed by this commandment. Then he condemned himself and cried out, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me?” (Rom. 7:24). Then in Romans 8 he could declare, “There is now then no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed me from the law of sin and of death” (vv. 1-2). Paul also came to realize that the righteous requirements of the law were fulfilled in him automatically when he walked according to the Spirit of life. This also can be our experience today. There is no need for us to purpose to fulfill the Ten Commandments. Once again I say that if we walk according to the Spirit of life, every commandment will be fulfilled in us unconsciously and spontaneously. Each commandment will be thoroughly fulfilled in us.
When the righteous requirements of the law are fulfilled in us because we walk according to the Spirit, then we have righteousness. Righteousness, as we pointed out in the previous message, signifies the expression of God, His image. When we have righteousness, we have the expression of the God we serve and worship. Because we have this expression as the spontaneous righteousness we live out by the Spirit of life, others can be convinced and subdued. For this reason, those who oppose us may eventually be convinced by seeing the expression of God lived out of us.
In Romans 8:4 Paul speaks of the righteous requirement of the law, and in verse 29 he speaks of the image of God’s Son: “Because whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He should be the Firstborn among many brothers.” If we put this verse together with verses 2 and 4, we have the Spirit, righteousness, and the image. Day by day, we need to walk according to the Spirit of life so that we may fulfill the righteousness of the law. This is equal to being conformed to the image of God’s Son.
We may wonder how we can be conformed to the image of the Son of God. The way to be conformed to His image is to walk according to the Spirit of life so that the righteous requirements of the law may be fulfilled in us. Then we shall have righteousness, and this righteousness is the very image of the Son of God. Therefore, the Spirit produces righteousness, and righteousness is the image.
Romans 14:17 says, “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” In this verse Paul gives us another aspect of righteousness. In Romans 8 we have righteousness related to the Spirit of life and issuing in the image of the Son of God. But in Romans 14:17 righteousness is related to the kingdom of God. In this chapter the kingdom of God denotes the church life. The meetings of the church are an exhibition of the kingdom of God. In the church life we have a condition and a situation that shows others what the kingdom of God is. The church life is the kingdom of God, and the kingdom of God is righteousness.
Paul’s word in Romans 14:17 corresponds to what is written in the Old Testament. According to Psalm 89:14, righteousness is the foundation of God’s throne. This verse can also be translated to say that righteousness is the establishment of God’s throne. God’s throne is established with righteousness as the foundation. The book of Isaiah also has much to say about righteousness. For example, Isaiah 32:1 says, “Behold, a King shall reign in righteousness.” Here righteousness is again related to the kingdom. Where God’s righteousness is, there His kingdom is also. Furthermore, Hebrews 1:8 and 9 say, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness.” These verses are a quotation from Psalm 45.
In the Old Testament righteousness is often synonymous with the kingdom. Therefore, righteousness is related to government, administration, regulation, and rule. Righteousness means that things are set up and maintained in good order. Where there is righteousness, everything is headed up in a proper way. This is the kingdom.
Righteousness first issues in the image of God. Then righteousness establishes the kingdom of God. In Romans 8 we have righteousness and God’s image, and in Romans 14 we have righteousness and God’s kingdom. Both the image and the kingdom are based on righteousness.
Let us now apply this aspect of righteousness to our family life and our church life. When a husband and wife are not happy with each other and the situation at home is not pleasant, there is no righteousness, no image of the Son, in their family life. Likewise, the kingdom of God is not present, for God’s kingdom is righteousness. Others observing the situation will not receive any impression of the image of Christ, the expression of God. However, suppose a brother and his wife live in the Spirit and walk according to the Spirit. They will be happy, and their children will be happy also. What a glorious family life that would be! Others will be able to see the image of God and realize that the kingdom of God is present in that family. This is righteousness in the family life.
Suppose in a particular church the saints are murmuring, criticizing, and gossiping. Furthermore, suppose that in the meetings there is disorder. If a church is in such a condition, there is no expression of God and no kingdom of God there. But suppose that instead of murmuring, criticizing, or gossiping, there are forbearance, praise, calling on the Lord, and fellowship. Moreover, suppose the meetings are living, in good order, and rich in function. Surely in such a church we can see the kingdom of God full of righteousness. Everything there is orderly and peaceful.
The goal of the new covenant ministry is to minister the all-inclusive Spirit of the processed Triune God into others to be their supply. Simultaneously, this ministry dispenses Christ into the believers as their righteousness. Then as the believers live and walk according to the Spirit, they will be in a condition that expresses God and that gives an impression of the Son of God. Furthermore, they will actually be the kingdom of God established in righteousness, set in order, and properly headed up. They will also have peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. This is the result of the new covenant ministry. By contrast, the result of today^s different ministries is that there are differences of opinion, division, and disorder.
Revelation 19:7 and 8 say, “Let us rejoice and exult, and let us give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife has made herself ready. And it was given to her that she should be clothed in fine linen, bright and pure; for the fine linen is the righteousnesses of the saints.” The bride here refers to redeemed and transformed tripartite mankind. This bride will wear white linen, which is the righteousnesses of the saints.
If we would have a share in this bride, who is adorned with bright, shining, pure righteousness, we need to adorn ourselves with righteousness. Day by day we need to prepare bright linen clothing to cover ourselves. This is our daily righteousness.
How can we produce such a garment of righteousness? We produce it by walking daily according to the Spirit of life and by having a life that is a life of the Spirit. If we prepare our wedding garment day by day, month by month, and year by year by living such a life in the Spirit, we shall not be found naked when the Lord comes. Instead, at His coming, we shall be wearing a bright, pure wedding garment.
Ultimately, the bride in Revelation 19 will become the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21 and 22. The city of New Jerusalem will bear the appearance of jasper. Speaking of the New Jerusalem, Revelation 21:11 says, “Her light was like a most precious stone, as a jasper stone, clear as crystal.” According to Revelation 21:18, “the building material of its wall was jasper.” Also, the first foundation of the New Jerusalem will be jasper (Rev. 21:19). Therefore, the appearance of the city will be that of jasper. Revelation 4 indicates that God sitting on the throne in the heavens also has the appearance of jasper. Hence, jasper denotes God’s image, His expression. The fact that jasper is the appearance both of God and of the New Jerusalem indicates that this holy city will bear the same appearance God does. The entire city will express God.
The jasper of the New Jerusalem is equal to the righteousness of the bride. Today we are preparing our bridal gown, a gown that will have the appearance of righteousness, which is the expression of God. Ultimately, in the New Jerusalem, this will be the appearance of jasper.
Second Peter 3:13 says, “Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” As used in this verse, the word righteousness is rich in meaning. To say that righteousness will dwell in the new heaven and new earth means that everything will be in order, headed up, and regulated. Everything will be governed, controlled, and under the proper rule, for the throne of God, the kingdom, the divine administration, will be there. The result will be peace and joy.
When righteousness dwells in the new heaven and new earth, the situation will be very different from what it is today. At present there is little righteousness on earth. Instead there are unrighteousness, disorder, and confusion. But praise the Lord that in the church, where we have a foretaste of the new heaven and the new earth, righteousness dwells! Moreover, we should be able to say that, by the Lord’s mercy, righteousness also dwells in our family life.
Today, many Christians neglect the new covenant ministry. Instead of ministering the Spirit and righteousness to others, they argue about such things as the method of baptism. They debate whether someone should be baptized forward or backward, one time or three times, in the name of Jesus or in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The various so-called ministries have divided the children of God. These divisive ministries are not the ministry of the new covenant. The ministry of the new covenant simply ministers Christ to others as the Spirit to be the life supply inwardly and as righteousness to be the expression of God outwardly. This expression of God as righteousness, the image of God, brings in the kingdom, where everything is regulated, orderly, and headed up. This gives us a foretaste of the coming kingdom and of the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and the new earth. This is the function of the new covenant ministry.
Not only the co-workers and the elders in the churches but all the saints, including the young ones, should be today’s ministers of the new covenant. This means that we must all carry on the ministry to minister Christ as the life-giving Spirit and as righteousness.
