We have seen that the divine Spirit has been mingled with the human spirit to produce one entity. This oneness of the divine Spirit with the human spirit is the church life. Because the church is produced by the mingling of divinity with humanity, we may say that the church is a hybrid.
The book of Ephesians also deals with certain negative things that damage or hinder the church life. The reason these things are covered in this book is that Ephesians is focused on the church.
Those who have been Christians for years know that on the cross Christ died as the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Furthermore, on the cross Christ crucified the old man, destroyed Satan, and dealt with the world. This means that on the cross Christ dealt with sin, with the old man including the old nature, with Satan, and with the world. However, not many Christians realize that on the cross Christ also dealt with the ordinances. Christ dealt with sins and with sin so that we might be saved. He dealt with our old nature in order to set us free from the old man. Moreover, Christ dealt with Satan so that we may be victorious and overcome the evil one. Finally, Christ dealt with the world, so that we may be holy, sanctified, separated from the world. But why did He deal with the ordinances? He dealt with them in order to create one new man. Christians do not see this point because they concentrate on personal salvation, sanctification, or victory, and pay no attention to the church. Even many Bible teachers fail to point out that in Ephesians Christ abolished the ordinances in order that the church might be produced. This is one of the most important revelations the Lord has given to the church in recent days. Christ’s death was not only for our salvation, liberation, sanctification, and victory. His death was also to abolish the ordinances in order to create the church as the one new man.
Ordinances, commandments, and the law are in the same category. Apart from the law, we would not have any commandments. These commandments give rise to ordinances. On the cross Christ abolished the law of commandments in ordinances.
Ordinances are related both to religion and to culture and also to human nature. According to our nature, we have a strong tendency toward ordinances. Our ordinances match our culture. The more cultured we are, the more ordinances we have.
Christ abolished the ordinances in order to create in Himself one new man. He did not abolish them so that we may be holy, spiritual, or victorious. In a sense, He did not abolish the ordinances even that we may be saved. He abolished them so that the church might come into being.
If we know the church, we shall reject all ordinances. The church is the mingling of the processed God with the proper humanity. Here in this mingling there are no ordinances, commandments, rules, or regulations. The more we are in the mingled spirit, in the mingling of the divine Spirit with the human spirit, the more we shall be set free from ordinances.
However, if we cling to ordinances, we shall be divisive. Christians have been divided mainly because of ordinances. Some denominations have been established because of ordinances. Do you have the confidence to say that you have no ordinances? Few of us can say this. The young people have their particular ordinances, and the older saints have theirs. Most of the problems among the leading ones in the churches are caused by ordinances.
Some Christians have an ordinance, for example, regarding speaking in tongues. After one meeting, a brother came to me very happy because he had not been bothered by a sister who had spoken in tongues in that meeting. I told this brother that even his happiness proved that he still had feelings about speaking in tongues. Hence, his reaction was not altogether positive. If he could be surrounded by those who spoke in tongues without having any feeling about it, that would prove that he had no ordinances concerning this matter.
If we would have the proper church life, we must drop all ordinances and concentrate on the mingling of the divine Spirit with the human spirit. Only in this mingling can we enjoy the genuine church life.
Ordinances are particularly related to religion. Without ordinances, it is impossible to have religion, for religion is composed of ordinances. But Christ does not want a religion. What He wants is the new man. Therefore, He abolished the ordinances on the cross. Some may prefer shouting in the meeting, whereas others prefer silence. But to be either for shouting or for silence is to have an ordinance. We should not be for either one or the other, but for the Spirit. However, according to our nature and upbringing, we are prone to have ordinances of one kind or another. But as long as there are ordinances, we do not have the reality of the church life. The church life does not consist of ordinances, but of the living Spirit.
In 2:13-22 we see a contrast between ordinances and the Spirit. Christ on the cross abolished the ordinances in order to produce the church. Now that the ordinances have been abolished, the Spirit comes in to replace them. If we have ordinances, we do not have the Spirit. But if we have the Spirit, we shall not have ordinances. The cross abolished the ordinances in order to give place to the Spirit in whom we have access unto the Father. Hence, the Spirit is the replacement of all ordinances. In the meetings we should not have an ordinance regarding shouting or quietness. As long as we are not in the Spirit, anything we do is an ordinance.
The church is neither an organization nor a religion, but the Body of Christ produced by the mingling of the divine Spirit with the human spirit. In the meetings we should not have rules and regulations; we should simply care to be in the Spirit. Do not be concerned about the arrangement of the chairs or about whether or not the sisters wear a head covering. To arrange the chairs in a particular way or to wear a head covering may be fine when done in the spirit. But to insist on these things is to make them ordinances. Anything we do in the meetings becomes an ordinance if we are not in the Spirit.
When Christ abolished the ordinances, He broke down the middle wall of partition (2:14). Now the separating wall of ordinances no longer exists. When I was young, I was strong in the matter of ordinances. But today I realize that God cares only for the divine Spirit in our human spirit. In 2:18 Paul speaks of the Holy Spirit and in verse 22, of the human spirit.
Ephesians 2:22 says that God’s dwelling place is in our spirit. For God to have such a dwelling place, there must be the practical building up of the Body. But if we still hold to certain ordinances, we cannot be built up with other believers. Ordinances are always divisive. If some sisters make an ordinance out of head coverings, they will be divided from the sisters who do not wear a head covering. Those who advocate head covering may be very strong, using 1 Corinthians 11 as their scriptural ground. But if they are strong in the way of ordinances, they will be divided from other sisters. However, if all the sisters are in the Spirit, not caring for ordinances about head covering, they will be built up together.
In today’s Christianity seldom is a message given on the building. What most Christians care for is individual edification, not the building up of the Body. To edify someone usually means to educate him, to give him a spiritual education. Although many care for such education, they are not concerned about the building up of the Body of Christ. In the Lord’s recovery we are not for personal edification, but for corporate building up. In 2:22 Paul says, “In Whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in spirit.” How can we be built up together in our locality if we still hold on to ordinances? It is impossible. Just as we all have different faces, so we all have different ordinances. We praise the Lord that no matter how different our background may be, we have one life and one Spirit! Therefore, in the church life today we do not care for ordinances, but we focus on the mingled spirit.
In 4:14 Paul speaks of a second negative thing that causes damage to the church life: “That we may be no longer babes tossed by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching in the sleight of men, in craftiness with a view to a system of error.” Here Paul speaks of teaching or doctrine. In any religion there are not only ordinances, but also doctrines. Notice that in verse 14 Paul does not speak of heresy, but of doctrine, of teaching. Although doctrine seems good, it can cause us to be carried away from Christ and the church. No matter how positive a particular doctrine may seem to be, if it distracts you from Christ and the church, you must be careful about it and not take it in. Do not accept even the best doctrine if it distracts you from Christ and the church. It is the Spirit, not doctrine, that produces the church. Nevertheless, in today’s Christianity there is doctrine upon doctrine. There sermon upon sermon is given on doctrine. However, the mere doctrine without life in the Spirit damages the church life.
In chapter four of Ephesians there is a contrast between doctrine and the reality of Christ. The reality of Christ is the Spirit of reality. If you cling to doctrine, you will automatically let go of the Spirit of reality. But if you take care of the Spirit of reality, you will let go of doctrine.
Christians today are divided either by ordinances or by doctrines. The denominations are established according to ordinances or doctrines. Without ordinances or doctrines, there would be no divisions. If ordinances and doctrines were removed, all genuine Christians would be one. We thank the Lord that no matter how diverse our backgrounds may be, we in the Lord’s recovery are truly one. Even the evil angels recognize our oneness. The divisive elements of our backgrounds have been set aside, and we have come together to be one in the Lord.
Throughout the years we have learned to drop our opinions in order to keep the oneness. A number of times we have held different opinions, but by the Lord’s mercy we have been willing to drop them for the sake of the oneness. The Body comes out of the Spirit. Certainly doctrinal dissension could never build up the Body. When we hold on to our doctrinal opinion, we are through with the reality of Christ, which is nothing less than the life-giving Spirit.
Since we emphasize the need to set aside doctrine for the building up of the church, you may wonder what we do with the Bible. We should not approach the Scriptures mainly for the purpose of gaining knowledge. On the contrary, we should use the Bible for spiritual nourishment. According to 6:17 and 18, we should take the Word of God by means of all prayer. In Matthew 4:4 the Lord Jesus said to the Devil who was tempting Him, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out through the mouth of God.” This indicates that the Lord Jesus took the word of God in the Scriptures as His bread and lived on it. The word that proceeds out through the mouth of God is for nourishment, not primarily for knowledge. Therefore, when we contact the Word, we should exercise not only our mind but especially our spirit to take in the Word as nourishment.
Recently I turned once again to the book of Isaiah. In the past I acquired a good deal of knowledge of this book. But as I read Isaiah this time, I did not do so mainly for knowledge, but for nourishment. Isaiah 1:3 says, “The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib.” The fact that a crib is related to eating indicates that the book of Isaiah has the concept of nourishment. Once again I say that we should not take the Word of God just as knowledge; we should take it as food to nourish us. The best way to take the Word as nourishment is by pray-reading.
If we care for doctrine, we shall be divided. We in the Lord’s recovery need to be clear that we are not for ordinances or for doctrine, but for the living Spirit, who is the reality of Christ. If we are faithful to care for the reality of Christ and not for doctrines or ordinances, we shall not be divided.
In the past certain divisive ones have been among us. They stayed for a while, but then began to insist on a particular doctrine. Because we refused to give place to their doctrine, they left. We have been and still are standing only for Christ and the church, not for any particular doctrine.
When we say that we are for the living Spirit and not for doctrine, this does not mean that we do not believe in the Bible. We believe the Bible at least as much as other Christians do, if not more. But we do not take the Bible as dead letters. To us, the Word is living. If through 1 Corinthians 11 some sisters are touched by the Lord to put on a head covering, we are thankful and appreciative, but we would not make this into a doctrine of head covering. In the same principle, if certain brothers and sisters feel that they are old and desire to be buried, we are willing to accommodate them. But we do not make a doctrine of being baptized more than once. The same holds true regarding the burning of things that are worldly or improper. If some are led of the Lord to burn certain articles, they are free to do so. But they should not make this matter of burning into a doctrine. In fact, not even Christ and the church are mere doctrines to us. Rather, Christ and the church are a marvelous reality.
I realize that more and more the going on of the Lord in His recovery will be with the young people. No doubt the spread of the recovery in this country and elsewhere will be mainly with them. Therefore, in the presence of the Lord, I would charge the young people with the importance of realizing that in the recovery we are not for ordinances or for doctrine, but only for the life-giving Spirit as the reality of Christ. We do not take the Bible as a book of doctrine in letters. Rather, we take the Word as spirit and life. In Ephesians 2 there is the contrast between ordinances and the Spirit, and in chapter four there is the contrast between doctrine and the reality of Christ that produces the growth in life for the building up of the Body. Ordinances are a wall that separates, whereas doctrine is a wind that carries people away from the building up of the Body. In both chapter two and chapter four Paul is concerned with the building up of the church. When we are for the Spirit, we shall be built up as God’s habitation in our spirit. In like manner, if we are for the reality of Christ, we shall have the growth in life for the building up of the Body in love. Therefore, we in the Lord’s recovery must proclaim that we do not care for ordinances or for doctrine. We take the Word as revelation and nourishment, but we do not care for doctrine. We know that through the past several centuries God’s people have been divided and even denominated by doctrine and ordinances. Therefore, we care only for the Spirit and for the reality of Christ.
