Message 165
(3)
Scripture Reading: Exo. 30:23-30; 1 John 2:18-27; 4:2-3
In the previous two messages we have considered the ingredients of the compound Spirit and the anointing of the compound Spirit. The ingredients of the Spirit include the unique God, the Triune God, the humanity of Jesus, the precious death of Christ, the sweetness and effectiveness of Christ’s death, the precious resurrection of Christ, the power of Christ’s resurrection, the mingling of divinity with humanity, the power for responsibility, and the building element. We have seen that the anointing of the compound Spirit is to anoint the believers with the Father and the Son, conveyed in the anointing Spirit, and to anoint the believers with the eternal life conveyed in this Spirit. The anointing of the compound Spirit is also to inoculate the believers against the heretical teachings concerning the Person of Christ. Furthermore, the believers may abide in the Lord according to the teaching of the anointing that abides in us. In this message we shall consider further the anointing of the Spirit as revealed in 1 John 2:18-27. We shall consider this portion, of course, in the light of the type of the compounded ointment in Exodus 30:23-30.
First John 2:22 says, “Who is the liar if not he who is denying that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, who is denying the Father and the Son.” This verse was written according to the background of John’s first Epistle. If we do not know anything about this background, we shall not be able to understand this verse adequately. Those who denied that Jesus is the Christ separated Jesus from Christ, making them two persons. Hence, to say that Jesus is not Christ is to divide Jesus from Christ, as if Jesus and Christ were different persons. The existence of such heretical teaching was part of the background of John’s word in verse 22 regarding those who denied that Jesus is the Christ. The truth is that Jesus is the Christ. Jesus and Christ are one. It is heresy to say that Jesus is not the Christ.
Verse 22 does not say that the antichrist denies Jesus andChrist. First, this verse says that the antichrist denies that Jesus is Christ. Then the verse goes on to say that antichrist denies the Father and the Son. This indicates that Jesus Christ, the Father, and the Son are all one.
A serious problem in theology related to the Person of Christ and the Trinity is caused by those who try to divide the Father from the Son, and the Son from the Spirit. This is to attempt to systematize Jesus Christ and the Triune God. It is wrong to try to separate Jesus Christ, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. It is also wrong to try to systematize the Trinity. Actually, we cannot divide Jesus Christ, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, because They all are one.
Some Bible teachers try to separate the Father from the Son, and the Son from the Spirit. These teachers deny that the Son is the Father and also that the Son is the Spirit. As a result of their attempt to separate the Father from the Son, and the Son from the Spirit, they have three Gods.
Just as we cannot divide the Father, Son, and Spirit, we cannot divide Christ’s divinity from His humanity. There is no way to divide Christ’s divinity from His humanity. Trying to divide Christ’s divinity and humanity can be compared to dividing a person’s body from his soul, and his body and soul from his spirit to make three separate, distinct entities. Anyone who could be divided in this way would no longer be a whole person. This is an illustration of the seriousness of the mistake of trying to divide and separate the Father from the Son, and the Son from the Spirit. That attempt results in the heresy of tritheism, the belief that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are three Gods.
In verse 23 John goes on to say, “Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who confesses the Son has the Father also.” Does this not indicate that the Father and the Son are one? According to this verse, if we deny the Son, we do not have the Father, but if we confess the Son, we have the Father.
Verses 22 and 23 indicate that Jesus Christ, the Father, and the Son are all one. They cannot be separated. The error of heretical teachings concerning both Christology and the Trinity has been to divide, to separate, the Son from the Father, and the Spirit from the Son. But especially in these verses, the Bible puts the Father and the Son together as a compound. It is the work of antichrist to divide the Father from the Son.
In verse 24 John says, “That which you heard from the beginning, let it abide in you. If that which you heard from the beginning abides in you, you will abide both in the Son and in the Father.” What was it that the believers heard from the beginning? From the beginning they heard the apostles preaching concerning the Trinity. Therefore, in this verse John is telling the believers to allow the truth of the proper Trinity to abide in them. If they allow this truth to abide in them, they will abide in the Son and in the Father. Actually, what they heard through the apostles’ preaching was the Father and the Son, not merely a doctrine. They heard the reality of the Father and the Son.
Here John seems to be saying, “We spoke to you the reality of the Father and the Son. We taught this to you, and you heard it and received it. You did not receive merely a doctrine. Rather, you received the Triune God, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.” But where is the Spirit here? The Spirit is the anointing spoken of in verses 20 and 27.
Verse 25 says, “And this is the promise which He promised us, the eternal life.” For many years I was unable to understand this verse. With my logical mind I asked, “What is this verse saying? First, John talks about Jesus Christ, then the Son and the Father. Now he brings up the matter of eternal life. What is John talking about? Is the subject of his writing here Jesus Christ, the Father and the Son, or eternal life? It seems to me that John actually has three subjects.” Viewing this portion in this way, I could not understand it or reconcile the various subjects in it. Recently I have come to understand that here we have a compound, a mingling or blending, of Jesus Christ, the Father, the Son, and eternal life. Theologians may be bothered by this understanding of these verses. But I believe that if we receive light from the Lord, we shall see that this interpretation is correct. Here we have the compounding, the mingling, of Jesus Christ, the Father and the Son, and eternal life.
In verse 26 John continues, “These things I have written to you concerning those who are leading you astray.” Actually, the word “things” is not found in this verse, as indicated by the fact that some versions print it in italics. Hence, John is saying that “these” he wrote to the saints concerning them that would seduce them. To what does “these” refer? It must refer to Jesus Christ, the Father and the Son, and eternal life. Furthermore, “I have written” actually means “I am writing.” Therefore, John could say, “I am writing to you concerning those who seduce you.” Antichrist and the false prophets teach that Christ is separatefrom Jesus and that the Son is separate from the Father. This kind of heretical teaching is seductive and misleading.
After telling the believers that he has written to them concerning those who seduce them, John goes on to say in verse 27, “The anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you; but as His anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and even as it has taught you, abide in Him.” To be sure, this anointing that abides in us is the moving of a Person. The anointing that abides in us is a Person moving, acting, within us. This anointing Person is the anointing. Who is this anointing Person? To answer this question we need to go to Exodus 30.
In chapter thirty of Exodus we see that the anointing of the tabernacle and the priesthood was the function of the compounded ointment. Whenever a priest was anointed with this compounded ointment, the olive oil, the myrrh, the cinnamon, the calamus, and the cassia were all applied to him. As we pointed out in the previous messages, the compound Spirit typified by the compounded ointment includes the effectiveness of Christ’s death, the power of His resurrection, the mingling of divinity with humanity, the power for bearing responsibility, and the building element. Such a compound anointing abides in us.
Verse 27 indicates that because we have the anointing abiding in us, we do not need any man to teach us. We do not need anyone to tell us that the Father is separate from the Son, or that the Father is one with the Son. If we consider the context, we shall see that the word “teach” is related to Jesus Christ and to the Father and the Son.
In verse 27 John also points out that “His anointing teaches you concerning all things.” What does John mean by “all things”? We may interpret this in a general way as I did for many years and regard “all things” as referring to all the things in our daily living — the way we dress, cut our hair, spend our money, and our attitude toward others. But strictly speaking “all things” refers to Jesus Christ, the Father, the Son, and eternal life. The anointing abiding in us is teaching us concerning this. Therefore, we should not listen to nonsensical heresies that say that Jesus is not the Christ or that the Father and the Son are not one. We should not pay attention to those who separate Christ from the Father or who deny that Christ is the Spirit.
Check with your inner experience. You have the compound anointing within you. What does this anointing tell you? Does it not tell you that Jesus Christ, the Father, the Son, and eternal life are all in you? Many of us can say that, according to our experience of the inner anointing, Jesus Christ, God the Father, the Son, eternal life, and the Spirit are all within us. We have no way to divide them. There is no need for us to go to theologians, for we have the compound anointing within us. The teaching of this anointing tells us that Jesus Christ, the Father and the Son, eternal life, and the Spirit are inseparable and that they all abide in us. Do not consult theologians, pastors, or Bible teachers. Instead, pay attention to the teaching of the inner compound anointing.
In verse 27 John also says that the anointing is truth and is no lie. Then he tells us, “Even as it has taught you, abide in Him.” Translators have had a difficult time deciding whether the pronoun at the very end of this verse should be rendered “him” or “it.” The margin of the King James Version says “or, it.” I would prefer to say, “even as it hath taught you, ye abide in it.” Actually the Greek word means “it,” although it is not wrong to render it “him.” Why do I prefer to say “it” instead of “him” in this verse? The reason is that the meaning here is that we abide in the anointing. The anointing is all-inclusive, for it is the all-inclusive Spirit who includes the Father, the Son, Jesus Christ, eternal life, the death and resurrection of Christ, the power for responsibility, and the building element.
First John 4:2 says, “In this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses Jesus Christ having come in the flesh is out of God.” In verse 3 John goes on to say, “And every spirit which does not confess Jesus, is not out of God; and this is the spirit of the antichrist....”
Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. This refers to His incarnation. Concerning the incarnation, the flesh in John 1:14 denotes the Lord’s humanity. John 1:1 says that the Word is God. This denotes Christ’s divinity. But John 1:14 says that the Word became flesh. In this verse “flesh” refers to the humanity of Christ. Since the Lord Jesus partook of humanity, He had a body with flesh, blood, bones, and skin. Certainly these are elements created by God. Therefore, with respect to His humanity, the Lord Jesus is a creature. If the Lord had never come in the flesh as a creature, how could He have had the blood to shed on the cross for our sins? Only human blood can redeem human beings. Angels, of course, do not have blood. But even if they did, their blood could not serve for the redemption of human beings. Likewise, God the Creator does not have blood. Who then has the blood that can be shed for man’s redemption? The answer is that as a creature man has blood. For this reason, we say that regarding His humanity, including all the elements of His physical body, the Lord Jesus is a creature.
Recently a brother told me that a certain preacher stood up in a conference and said, “Some claim that, according to Colossians 1:15, where we are told that Christ is the Firstborn of all creation, this means that Christ is a creature. No! Our Christ is the Creator. He was never created!” If this preacher actually believes this way, he should be categorized with those in 1 John 4 who deny that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.
I know the teachings of those who use Colossians 1:15 to teach heresy concerning the Person of Christ. Arius, who was condemned at the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325, taught that Christ was a created being and was not God. He tried to use Colossians 1:15 to prove this. Arius asserted that Christ was created by God, but was created before the ages, preceding all other created things. Hence, according to Arius, there was a time when Christ did not exist. The Bible says clearly that “the Word was God” (John 1:1), yet Arius asserted that the Word is not the self-existent God, and therefore he maintained that Christ’s divinity cannot compare with that of God Himself. This is truly a great heresy!
The Bible reveals that Christ is the very God who exists from the beginning and who is self-existent and without beginning. However, Arius said that there was a time that Christ did not exist. This kind of teaching is a great insult to Christ’s Person! Arius totally denied Christ’s uncreated divinity. Justifiably, his teaching was pronounced a heresy and rejected by the general council at Nicea. We also reject utterly the heretical teaching of Arius.
Colossians 1:15 does say that Christ was the Firstborn of all creation. Colossians 1:18 speaks of Him as the “Firstborn from among the dead.” These verses indicate that Christ is the Firstborn in two different ways: He is the Firstborn in the old creation, and He is also the Firstborn of the new creation in resurrection. God has only two creations, the first creation, which is physical, and the new creation, which is spiritual. Christ is the Firstborn in both creations of God.
We may say that Christ has taken two great steps — incarnation and resurrection. Through the step of incarnation Christ partook of the created nature of man. Christ became a real man through incarnation. As a man, Christ was created. If we deny that Christ was created with respect to His humanity, we deny the fact that He was a genuine man. What, then, was He? A phantom? Absolutely not! Christ became a true man with flesh and blood. In this sense, He was created. In His flesh He was the Firstborn of God’s old creation. Then in resurrection He was made the Firstborn from among the dead, that is, the Firstborn of God’s new creation. Therefore, the Lord Jesus is God, the Creator, and He is also man, the creature. This is the teaching concerning the Lord’s all-inclusiveness.
According to the complete revelation of the Bible, Christ is both the Creator and the creature, because he is God and He is man. He is God who creates, and He is also man who is created. As to His being God, He is the uncreated Creator, the I AM who is without beginning. But as to His being man, He is created, the Firstborn, with a beginning. We must see and know these two aspects of Him. We must see that He is God and that He is also man; that He is the Creator and also a creature; that He is the I Am and also the Firstborn; that He is without beginning and also with a beginning. The Bible, on the one hand, says that Christ is the Creator. On the other hand, it also says that He is the creature. This is the complete, clear revelation of the Word of God.
To those who claim that Christ is only the Creator and that He was never created, I would say this: “You insist that Christ is the Creator, but not a creature. Did Christ become a man or not? Did He die on the cross and shed His blood? How could Christ have blood to shed if He were not a creature? A phantom cannot be crucified or shed his blood.”
The very Christ today who is on the throne of God is still a man. In 1 Timothy 2:5 Paul tells us that there is one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus. This Mediator is not a phantom — He is a true man. A phantom could never be a mediator for us. The real mediator must be both God and man; he must have both divinity and humanity.
We may use translation as an illustration. A translator must know at least two languages in order to translate from one into the other. How could anyone translate from Chinese into English if he does not know English, but only knows Chinese? This lack of knowledge of English would make translation by him impossible. In the same principle, Christ must have two natures — divinity and humanity. He must be both God and man in order to “translate” God to man, and man to God.
What blindness and ignorance there are with many of today’s teachers! Because they are ignorant and blind, they condemn the truth when it is proclaimed. Actually, at least in principle, such teachers are antichrist according to the word of the apostle John. If John were among us today, he would certainly identify as a false prophet or false teacher anyone who would deny that Christ was created with respect to His humanity. To deny that Christ has been created is actually to deny the fact that He has come in the flesh. Our Lord Jesus Christ is all-inclusive. He is both God and man, both the Creator and a creature.
The Christian life is altogether a life of being anointed by the compound Spirit. Everything related to the Christian life is wrapped up with this anointing. Here in the anointing of the compound Spirit we have holiness, victory, life, light, power, and real spirituality. The Christian life is a life in the anointing of the all-inclusive life-giving Spirit. Oh, may the Lord open our eyes to see that the Christian life is not a matter of teaching, improvement, adjustment, or correction! The Christian life is absolutely a matter of the compound anointing!
We may in fact apply this anointing to everything in our daily life. We may apply it to our family life, to our life at work, and to the way we do our shopping. By anointing us the compound Spirit teaches us concerning all things. Therefore, we should live the Christian life according to the teaching of this compound anointing, not according to anything else. We all need to see this vision.
If we see the vision of the anointing of the compound Spirit, we shall realize that what the vast majority of today’s Christians have is a religion. This religion is very different from the anointing of the compound Spirit. Instead of the teaching of the anointing, Christians have theology, regulations, organization, and teachings related to improvement of character. Because the eyes of so many Christians have been covered by religious, natural, and ethical veils, they do not have this understanding, the proper interpretation, of this portion of the Word. May the Lord open our eyes to see what is revealed here. May we see the compound anointing for the living of the Christian life.
