***Guidlelines for the Propagation of the Lord's Recovery*** (Content 2) 2.GROWING IN LIFE TO LIVE CHRIST Now we come to the main point ...
***Guidlelines for the Propagation of the Lord's Recovery***
(Content 2)
2.GROWING IN LIFE TO LIVE CHRIST
Now we come to the main point of this chapter, which is growing in life to live Christ. We first need to see what we mean by growing in life. In order to grow in life we need to be rooted in Christ (Col. 2:7). This means that we should take Christ, not ourselves, as our foundation, our source, in all things. We should not be rooted in education, nor should we be rooted in our business. We need to take Christ as our source and foundation and be rooted in Him in all things. When the apostle Paul spoke of being rooted, the believers in Colossae had accepted Greek philosophy and were keeping the traditions of the Jewish religion. Therefore, Paul exhorted them not to take these things as their foundation but rather to be rooted in Christ by taking Him as their foundation, their source.
After we are rooted in Christ, we need to learn to enjoy the word of God, just as newborn babes long for milk (1 Pet. 2:2-3). The word of God is our milk, and the element in the word is Christ. We need to learn to enjoy the word of God every day, just as newborn babes drink milk. Then we will receive the element of Christ for the increase of His life in us.
The workers who plant and water cannot give us life; rather, it is God within us who gives us life (1 Cor. 3:6-7). No matter what the Lord’s workers do, they can only plant and water, not give life. Therefore, everyone who is a co-worker of the Lord must rely on God. Only God is life, and only He can give life to man.
Our growth in life is the result of the growth of God within us (Col. 2:19). As God’s element increases in us, we grow in life. We also need to grow up into Christ, the Head, in all things (Eph. 4:15). In the first point we needed to be rooted into Christ, to take Him as our foundation, our source. This point is a continuation of the first point. We need to grow up into Christ in all things. Finally, we need to grow into a holy temple in the Lord (2:21). Our growth in life is not for us to become spiritual giants; it is for us to grow together with others into the dwelling place of the Lord, which is the holy temple, the church. Therefore, growth in life is for the church.
Let us now see what it means to live Christ. Only when we have the growth in life can we live Christ. In order to live Christ, we were made alive through Christ’s resurrection (John 14:19; Eph. 2:5-6). Regeneration is the beginning of our living Christ. Through Christ’s resurrection we were regenerated, made alive.
We live Christ by growing together with Him in His death and resurrection (Rom. 6:5). We need to remember this word. When a grain of wheat is sown into the ground, it dies, but while it is dying, life is growing. According to Romans 6:3-5, we are baptized into the death of Christ, and when we come out of the water, we enter into His resurrection. Being baptized into death and entering into resurrection are a kind of growth. When Christ was on earth, He lived by dying. His death was not a termination; rather, it was the means for Him to live. We are joined to Him by faith and grow together with Him in His death and resurrection. This is the genuine growth in life. The genuine growth in life is to die to the natural life and to live in the divine life. This is death and resurrection. Christ grew in His death and resurrection, and we also grow together with Him in His death and resurrection.
We also enjoy Christ and thereby live because of Him (John 6:57). After being regenerated and growing in the death and resurrection of Christ, we can enjoy Him through prayer and reading the Bible to fellowship with Him, eat Him, and drink Him. As we enjoy Christ, we live by Him. The Life-studies are a great help for us to enjoy Christ and live by Him. As a result of our living by Christ by enjoying Him, Christ lives in us (Gal. 2:20), and for us to live is Christ (Phil. 1:21).
Finally, regardless of our circumstances, whether through life, through death, through suffering, or through joy, Christ will be magnified in our body (v. 20). The environment can change, but there is one thing within us that cannot change and that is to magnify Christ. We magnify Christ in joy, in suffering, in life, and in death. This is to live Christ, and this is our testimony.
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Witness Lee and Watchman Nee.published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA.
2.GROWING IN LIFE TO LIVE CHRIST
Now we come to the main point of this chapter, which is growing in life to live Christ. We first need to see what we mean by growing in life. In order to grow in life we need to be rooted in Christ (Col. 2:7). This means that we should take Christ, not ourselves, as our foundation, our source, in all things. We should not be rooted in education, nor should we be rooted in our business. We need to take Christ as our source and foundation and be rooted in Him in all things. When the apostle Paul spoke of being rooted, the believers in Colossae had accepted Greek philosophy and were keeping the traditions of the Jewish religion. Therefore, Paul exhorted them not to take these things as their foundation but rather to be rooted in Christ by taking Him as their foundation, their source.
After we are rooted in Christ, we need to learn to enjoy the word of God, just as newborn babes long for milk (1 Pet. 2:2-3). The word of God is our milk, and the element in the word is Christ. We need to learn to enjoy the word of God every day, just as newborn babes drink milk. Then we will receive the element of Christ for the increase of His life in us.
The workers who plant and water cannot give us life; rather, it is God within us who gives us life (1 Cor. 3:6-7). No matter what the Lord’s workers do, they can only plant and water, not give life. Therefore, everyone who is a co-worker of the Lord must rely on God. Only God is life, and only He can give life to man.
Our growth in life is the result of the growth of God within us (Col. 2:19). As God’s element increases in us, we grow in life. We also need to grow up into Christ, the Head, in all things (Eph. 4:15). In the first point we needed to be rooted into Christ, to take Him as our foundation, our source. This point is a continuation of the first point. We need to grow up into Christ in all things. Finally, we need to grow into a holy temple in the Lord (2:21). Our growth in life is not for us to become spiritual giants; it is for us to grow together with others into the dwelling place of the Lord, which is the holy temple, the church. Therefore, growth in life is for the church.
Let us now see what it means to live Christ. Only when we have the growth in life can we live Christ. In order to live Christ, we were made alive through Christ’s resurrection (John 14:19; Eph. 2:5-6). Regeneration is the beginning of our living Christ. Through Christ’s resurrection we were regenerated, made alive.
We live Christ by growing together with Him in His death and resurrection (Rom. 6:5). We need to remember this word. When a grain of wheat is sown into the ground, it dies, but while it is dying, life is growing. According to Romans 6:3-5, we are baptized into the death of Christ, and when we come out of the water, we enter into His resurrection. Being baptized into death and entering into resurrection are a kind of growth. When Christ was on earth, He lived by dying. His death was not a termination; rather, it was the means for Him to live. We are joined to Him by faith and grow together with Him in His death and resurrection. This is the genuine growth in life. The genuine growth in life is to die to the natural life and to live in the divine life. This is death and resurrection. Christ grew in His death and resurrection, and we also grow together with Him in His death and resurrection.
We also enjoy Christ and thereby live because of Him (John 6:57). After being regenerated and growing in the death and resurrection of Christ, we can enjoy Him through prayer and reading the Bible to fellowship with Him, eat Him, and drink Him. As we enjoy Christ, we live by Him. The Life-studies are a great help for us to enjoy Christ and live by Him. As a result of our living by Christ by enjoying Him, Christ lives in us (Gal. 2:20), and for us to live is Christ (Phil. 1:21).
Finally, regardless of our circumstances, whether through life, through death, through suffering, or through joy, Christ will be magnified in our body (v. 20). The environment can change, but there is one thing within us that cannot change and that is to magnify Christ. We magnify Christ in joy, in suffering, in life, and in death. This is to live Christ, and this is our testimony.
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Witness Lee and Watchman Nee.published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA.
COMMENTS