International Training for Elders and Responsible Ones

Transcription

1 International Training for Elders and Responsible Ones Fall 2013 ENTERING INTO THE FOURTH STAGE OF THE EXPERIENCE OF LIFE TO ARRIVE AT A FULL-GROWN MAN FOR THE FULFILLMENT OF GOD S PURPOSE TABLE OF CONTENTS Contents Page Message One: A Full-grown Corporate Man Fulfilling God s Purpose through the Experience of Life in the Fourth Stage 1 Message Two: The Fourth Stage of the Experience of Life (1) Knowing the Body 11 Message Three: The Fourth Stage of the Experience of Life (2) Knowing the Ascension 19 Message Four: The Fourth Stage of the Experience of Life (3) Reigning in Life 29 Message Five: The Fourth Stage of the Experience of Life (4) Spiritual Warfare 39 Message Six: The Fourth Stage of the Experience of Life (5) Full of the Stature of Christ 52 Message Seven: Arriving at a Full-grown Man (1) Taking Christ as Our Person and Living the Life of a God-man 61 Message Eight: Arriving at a Full-grown Man (2) Growing Up into Christ in All Things, Learning Christ as the Reality Is in Jesus, and Being Renewed in the Spirit of the Mind 73 Message Nine: Arriving at a Full-grown Man (3) Carrying Out the Stewardship of God to Present Every Man Full-grown in Christ and Practicing the Church Life in the Consciousness of the One New Man 83

2 ENTERING INTO THE FOURTH STAGE OF THE EXPERIENCE OF LIFE TO ARRIVE AT A FULL-GROWN MAN FOR THE FULFILLMENT OF GOD S PURPOSE (Thursday First Morning Session) Gen 1:26 Gen 1:27 Gen 1:28 Ezek 1:5 Message One A Full-grown Corporate Man Fulfilling God s Purpose through the Experience of Life in the Fourth Stage Hymns 1174 RK Scripture Reading: Gen. 1:26-28; Ezek. 1:5, 26; Eph. 2:15; 4:13, 24 And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of heaven and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. And God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. And God blessed them; and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of heaven and over every living thing that moves upon the earth. And from the midst of it there came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: They had the likeness of a man. Ezek 1:26 And above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, like the appearance of a sapphire stone; and upon the likeness of the throne was One in appearance like a man, above it. Eph 2:15 Eph 4:13 Eph 4:24 Abolishing in His flesh the law of the commandments in ordinances, that He might create the two in Himself into one new man, so making peace, Until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, at a fullgrown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, And put on the new man, which was created according to God in righteousness and holiness of the reality. I. In the Bible there is a mysterious thought concerning the relationship between God and man Gen. 1:26; Ezek. 1:5, 26; 1 John 3:2b; Rev. 4:3a; 21:11b: Gen 1:26 And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of heaven and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. Ezek 1:5 And from the midst of it there came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: They had the likeness of a man. Ezek 1:26 And above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, like the appearance of a sapphire stone; and upon the likeness of the throne was One in appearance like a man, above it. 1 John 3:2b We know that if He is manifested, we will be like Him because we will see Him even as Rev 4:3a He is. And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance, Rev 21:11b Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, as clear as crystal. A. Man is the means of God s manifestation, man is the means of God s move, and man is the means of God s administration Acts 2:32-33, 36; Phil. 2:5-11; Heb. 2:9; Rev. 5:6. Acts 2:32 Acts 2:33 Acts 2:36 Phil 2:5 Phil 2:6 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we all are witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God and having received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, He has poured out this which you both see and hear. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you have crucified. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider being equal with God a treasure to be grasped, 1

3 Phil 2:7 Phil 2:8 Phil 2:9 Phil 2:10 Phil 2:11 Heb 2:9 Rev 5:6 But emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming in the likeness of men; And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, becoming obedient even unto death, and that the death of a cross. Therefore also God highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, And every tongue should openly confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. But we see Jesus, who was made a little inferior to the angels because of the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death on behalf of everything. And I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders a Lamb standing as having just been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. B. The fact that the four living creatures in Ezekiel 1 bear the appearance of a man and that God on the throne bears the appearance of a man indicates that God s central thought and His arrangement are related to man vv. 5, 26; Gen. 1:26: Ezek 1:5 And from the midst of it there came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: They had the likeness of a man. Ezek 1:26 And above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, like the appearance of a sapphire stone; and upon the likeness of the throne was One in appearance like a man, above it. Gen 1:26 And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of heaven and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. 1. In Ezekiel 1 there are three crucial matters concerning the four living creatures bearing the appearance of a man: a. God s glory is manifested upon them; apart from their bearing the appearance of a man, God s glory cannot be manifested v. 28. Ezek 1:28 Like the appearance of the rainbow that is in the cloud on a day of rain, such was the appearance of the brightness all around. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Jehovah. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and I heard the voice of someone speaking. b. The living creatures are the means of God s move; God s move depends on them vv Ezek 1:12 And each went straight forward; wherever the Spirit was to go, they went; they did not turn as they went. Ezek 1:13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches; the fire went to and fro among the living creatures, and the fire was bright; and out of the fire went forth lightning. Ezek 1:14 And the living creatures ran to and fro like the appearance of a lightning bolt. Ezek 1:15 And as I watched the living creatures, I saw a wheel upon the earth beside the living creatures, for each of their four faces. Ezek 1:16 The appearance of the wheels and their workmanship were like the sight of beryl. And the four of them had one likeness; that is, their appearance and their workmanship were as it were a wheel within a wheel. Ezek 1:17 Whenever they went, they went in their four directions; they did not turn as they went. Ezek 1:18 As for their rims, they were high and they were awesome; and the rims of the four of them were full of eyes all around. Ezek 1:19 And whenever the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and whenever the living creatures were lifted up above the earth, the wheels were lifted up also. Ezek 1:20 Wherever the Spirit was to go, they went-wherever the Spirit was to go. 2

4 And the wheels were lifted up alongside them, for the Spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. Ezek 1:21 Whenever those went, these went; and whenever those stood still, these stood still; and whenever those were lifted up above the earth, the wheels were lifted up alongside them; for the Spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. c. The living creatures are the means of God s administration v. 26: Ezek 1:26 And above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, like the appearance of a sapphire stone; and upon the likeness of the throne was One in appearance like a man, above it. (1) God s throne is the center of His administration Rev. 4:2, 6. Rev 4:2 Rev 4:6 Immediately I was in spirit; and behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and upon the throne there was One sitting; And before the throne there was as it were a glassy sea like crystal; and in the midst of the throne and around the throne, there were four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. (2) Because the living creatures bear the appearance of a man, there is the administration of God s throne Jer. 17:12. Jer 17:12 A throne of glory set on high from the beginning / Is the place of our sanctuary. 2. The Christ whom the church must express is the man on the throne Rev. 3:21. Rev 3:21 He who overcomes, to him I will give to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat with My Father on His throne. C. There is a connection between Ezekiel 1:26 and Genesis 1:26 a resemblance between God and man in their images and likenesses: Ezek 1:26 And above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, like the appearance of a sapphire stone; and upon the likeness of the throne was One in Gen 1:26 appearance like a man, above it. And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of heaven and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. 1. In Ezekiel 1:26 the One on the throne has the appearance of a man: Ezek 1:26 And above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, like the appearance of a sapphire stone; and upon the likeness of the throne was One in appearance like a man, above it. a. The One sitting on the throne is not only God but also man; He is the God-man, the Man-God, the mingling of God and man Acts 7:56. Acts 7:56 And he said, Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. b. Through incarnation God became a man; He lived, died, resurrected, and ascended as a man; and now as the One on the throne, He is still a man John 6:62; Acts 7:56. John 6:62 Then what if you saw the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? Acts 7:56 And he said, Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. 2. Through His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, the Lord Jesus was brought to the throne 2:36; Phil. 2:5-11: Acts 2:36 Phil 2:5 Phil 2:6 Phil 2:7 Phil 2:8 Phil 2:9 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you have crucified. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider being equal with God a treasure to be grasped, But emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming in the likeness of men; And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, becoming obedient even unto death, and that the death of a cross. Therefore also God highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is 3

5 Phil 2:10 Phil 2:11 above every name, That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, And every tongue should openly confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. a. God has always been the Lord, but now a man is on the throne as the Lord Rev. 4:2-3; 5:6. Rev 4:2 Rev 4:3 Rev 5:6 Immediately I was in spirit; and behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and upon the throne there was One sitting; And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance, and there was a rainbow around the throne like an emerald in appearance. And I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders a Lamb standing as having just been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. b. After the Lord Jesus was crucified and buried, God resurrected Him and set Him at His right hand, making Him the Lord of all the universe Acts 2:36. Acts 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you have crucified. D. God s intention is to work on man in order that man can be on the throne Psa. 8:4-8; Rev. 3:21: Psa 8:4 Psa 8:5 Psa 8:6 Psa 8:7 Psa 8:8 Rev 3:21 What is mortal man, that You remember him, / And the son of man, that You visit him? You have made him a little lower than angels / And have crowned him with glory and honor. For You have caused him to rule over the works of Your hands; / You have put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, / As well as the beasts of the field, The birds of heaven and the fish of the sea, / Whatever passes through the paths of the seas. He who overcomes, to him I will give to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat with My Father on His throne. 1. God s mind is on man; He wants to manifest Himself through man and reign through man Psa. 8:4, 6; Gen. 1:26. Psa 8:4 Psa 8:6 Gen 1:26 What is mortal man, that You remember him, / And the son of man, that You visit him? For You have caused him to rule over the works of Your hands; / You have put all things under his feet: And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of heaven and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. 2. God s goal is to bring us to the throne and to make us people of the throne Rev. 3:21: Rev 3:21 He who overcomes, to him I will give to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat with My Father on His throne. a. God s kingdom cannot come in full until we are on the throne. b. God s enemy will not be subdued until we are on the throne. 3. God desires to bring us to the throne because of the rebellion of Satan against God s throne Isa. 14:12-14: Isa 14:12 Isa 14:13 Isa 14:14 How you have fallen from heaven, / O Daystar, son of the dawn! / How you have been hewn down to earth, / You who made nations fall prostrate! But you, you said in your heart: / I will ascend to heaven; / Above the stars of God / I will exalt my throne. / And I will sit upon the mount of assembly / In the uttermost parts of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; / I will make myself like the Most 4

6 High. a. The greatest difficulty God faces in the universe is that His throne has been opposed and attacked by rebel forces; in his rebellion against God s throne Satan intended to exalt his throne to the heavens and thereby to intrude upon God s authority. b. God needs to gain a full-grown corporate man so that through this man the authority of God can be executed, and the kingdom of God can come to the earth Rev. 11:15; 12:5, 10. Rev 11:15 And the seventh angel trumpeted; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and Rev 12:5 of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever. And she brought forth a son, a man-child, who is to shepherd all the nations with an iron rod; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne. Rev 12:10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, Now has come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ, for the accuser of our brothers has been cast down, who accuses them before our God day and night. II. God s purpose in His creation of man was to have a corporate man to express Him and to represent Him Gen. 1:26: Gen 1:26 And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of heaven and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. A. God created man in His own image for His expression, and then He gave man His dominion to represent Him to deal with His enemy vv Gen 1:26 Gen 1:27 Gen 1:28 And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of heaven and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. And God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. And God blessed them; and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of heaven and over every living thing that moves upon the earth. B. For the fulfillment of His purpose, God s desire is to become the same as man is and to make man the same as He is by working Himself in Christ into man 1 John 3:2b; Eph. 3:17a. 1 John 3:2b We know that if He is manifested, we will be like Him because we will see Him even Eph 3:17a as He is. That Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith, C. God s creation of man in Genesis 1 is a picture of the new man in God s new creation; this means that the old creation is a figure, a type, of the new creation Eph. 2:15; 4:24: Eph 2:15 Eph 4:24 Abolishing in His flesh the law of the commandments in ordinances, that He might create the two in Himself into one new man, so making peace, And put on the new man, which was created according to God in righteousness and holiness of the reality. 1. The church, the Body of Christ, is the one new man to accomplish God s eternal purpose 1:9, 11; 3:9; Rom. 8:28-29; 2 Tim. 1:9; Eph. 2:15-16; 4: Eph 1:9 Eph 1:11 Eph 3:9 Making known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself, In whom also we were designated as an inheritance, having been predestinated according to the purpose of the One who works all things according to the counsel of His will, And to enlighten all that they may see what the economy of the mystery is, which throughout the ages has been hidden in God, who created all things, 5

7 Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Rom 8:29 Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the Firstborn among many brothers; 2 Tim 1:9 Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the times of the ages Eph 2:15 Abolishing in His flesh the law of the commandments in ordinances, that He might create the two in Himself into one new man, so making peace, Eph 2:16 And might reconcile both in one Body to God through the cross, having slain the enmity by it. Eph 4:22 That you put off, as regards your former manner of life, the old man, which is being corrupted according to the lusts of the deceit, Eph 4:23 Eph 4:24 And that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind And put on the new man, which was created according to God in righteousness and holiness of the reality. 2. Eventually, the church as the one new man is the corporate man in God s intention, and this new man will fulfill the twofold purpose of expressing God and dealing with God s enemy vv. 13, 24; Gen. 1: Eph 4:13 Eph 4:24 Gen 1:26 Gen 1:27 Gen 1:28 Until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, And put on the new man, which was created according to God in righteousness and holiness of the reality. And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of heaven and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. And God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. And God blessed them; and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of heaven and over every living thing that moves upon the earth. III. The goal of the Lord s recovery is to bring forth a full-grown corporate man Eph. 2:15; 4:22-24; Col. 3:10-11: Eph 2:15 Eph 4:22 Eph 4:23 Eph 4:24 Col 3:10 Col 3:11 Abolishing in His flesh the law of the commandments in ordinances, that He might create the two in Himself into one new man, so making peace, That you put off, as regards your former manner of life, the old man, which is being corrupted according to the lusts of the deceit, And that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind And put on the new man, which was created according to God in righteousness and holiness of the reality. And have put on the new man, which is being renewed unto full knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, Where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all and in all. A. What the Lord has been doing, and what He is now doing, in His recovery is bringing forth the corporate new man with Himself as the life and the person for His expression and representation Eph. 3:17a; Col. 3:4, Eph 3:17a That Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith, Col 3:4 When Christ our life is manifested, then you also will be manifested with Him in glory. Col 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is being renewed unto full knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, Col 3:11 Where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all and in all. B. The one new man will usher in the kingdom of God and bring Christ, the King, back to the 6

8 earth Rev. 11:15. Rev 11:15 And the seventh angel trumpeted; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever. C. Ultimately, the Bible speaks of the church as the one new man In the new man there is nothing but the person. This level is so high that it cannot be higher, so strict that it cannot be stricter, and so intimate that it cannot be more intimate. All are one new man; this one new man has only one person, and this person is the Lord Jesus (One Body, One Spirit, and One New Man, pp ). D. Now is the time for God to accomplish His purpose to perfect the new man, who will come into full existence on the earth Eph. 4:24: Eph 4:24 And put on the new man, which was created according to God in righteousness and holiness of the reality. 1. The world situation has been raised up for the goal of the corporate new man. 2. Today there is the possibility that the saints in all the localities in their environmental circumstances will become this corporate man v. 24. Eph 4:24 And put on the new man, which was created according to God in righteousness and holiness of the reality. 3. When the one new man is full grown and perfected, that will be the time of the Lord s coming, and this corporate man will be His bride Rev. 19:7. Rev 19:7 Let us rejoice and exult, and let us give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. IV. In order to arrive at a full-grown corporate man for the fulfillment of God s purpose, we must enter into the fourth stage of the experience of life Eph. 4:13: Eph 4:13 Until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, A. This is the last and highest stage of our spiritual life the stage of Christ s full growth in us. B. According to the type of the children of Israel s exodus from Egypt, journey in the wilderness, and entrance into Canaan, the first three stages of our spiritual life take place before we pass through the Jordan 1 Cor. 10:6, Cor 10:6 Now these things occurred as examples to us, that we should not be ones who lust after evil things, even as they also lusted. 1 Cor 10:11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our admonition, unto whom the ends of the ages have come. C. The fourth stage of our spiritual life occurs after we cross the Jordan and enter into the land of Canaan, where we learn to engage in spiritual warfare. D. At the end of the third stage, we express God with His image, and in the fourth stage we represent Him with His authority Gen. 1:26. Gen 1:26 And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of heaven and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. E. The experiences of life in the fourth stage include knowing the Body, knowing the ascension, reigning with Christ, engaging in spiritual warfare, and being full of the stature of Christ. Excerpts from the Ministry: THE FOUR LIVING CREATURES Bearing the Appearance of a Man 7

9 The Bible clearly reveals that man is the means for God to manifest Himself. God cannot be manifested without man. Man was created in God s image in order to be God s expression. God is the center of the universe, but He needs an expression, and this expression is through man. Without man, God has no expression. The millions of angels cannot be the expression of God. God needs a corporate man to express Him. You should never despise the fact that you are a man. In the Bible there are actually only four men: the first man, the second man, the new man, and the man-child. We were the first man; Christ is called the second man (1 Cor. 15:47); we have become the new man by regeneration; and now there is the prospect that we may become the man-child. This ministry is not only for the new man but is also for the man-child. We may talk about the church as the expression of Christ, but we may not realize what the expression of Christ is. The Christ whom the church must express is the man upon the throne. If we would express Christ, we need to realize Christ today is still a man. We do not express merely God; we express God in a man. The church is the expression of Christ. This means that the church is an expression not merely of God but also of a man. Ezekiel 1:26 shows us that the Lord today is a man on the throne. God needs a man, and eventually He became a man. We as the living creatures express Him as a man. He is the man on the throne, and we also bear the appearance of a man. It is man who fulfills God s plan, it is man who expresses God, it is man who defeats the enemy, and it is man who brings the kingdom of God into the human race. God needs a man. The vision in Ezekiel 1 reveals three crucial matters concerning the four living creatures bearing the appearance of a man. First, God s glory is manifested upon them. The manifestation of God s glory depends upon their having the appearance of a man. Where they are, there God s glory is. God s glory is not separate from them, and apart from them God s glory cannot be manifested. Second, these living creatures are the means of God s move. God s move depends on them. When they move, God will move, for His move is with them. Third, the four living creatures, who bear the appearance of a man, are the means of God s administration. Ezekiel 1 reveals that God is sitting on the throne. God s throne dominates everything on earth and everything recorded in this book. This throne, therefore, is the center of God s administration. However, the center of God s administration depends on the four living creatures having the appearance of a man. Because of this, there is the administration of God s throne. If we put these three things together, we will see that man is the means of God s manifestation, that man is the means of God s move, and that man is the means of God s administration. In God s eyes and in God s hands, man has such an important position. We all need to realize that God s desire is to gain man. God uses the wind, the cloud, the fire, and the electrum to enliven us in order to gain man as the means of His manifestation, move, and administration. Since man is so important to God, it is crucial for us to be a man and to bear the appearance of a man. We need to be a man for God s manifestation, for God s move, and for God s administration. How precious it is that the One sitting on the throne in Ezekiel 1:26 has the appearance of a man! This verse speaks not of the almighty God but of One who has the likeness as the appearance of a man. There is at least a twofold significance to the fact that the One sitting on the throne here has the appearance of a man. First, there is surely a connection between Ezekiel 1:26 and Genesis 1:26, which says that God created man in His own image and according to His likeness. Second, in the incarnation God Himself became a man. Having the nature of man, He lived, died, resurrected, and ascended as a man, and now in heaven He is still the Son of Man (John 6:62; Acts 7:56). In the Bible there is a mysterious thought concerning the relationship between God and man. God s desire is to become the same as man is and to make man the same as He is. This means that God s intention is to mingle Himself with man and thereby make Himself like man and make man like Him. The Lord Jesus is the God-man; He is the complete God and the perfect man. We may also say that He is the Man-God. The One whom we worship today is the Man-God. Furthermore, to be a man 8

10 of God, as Moses was (Deut. 33:1; Josh. 14:6; Psa. 90, title), is to be a God-man, a man who is mingled with God. It is a delight to God that all His chosen and redeemed people would be God-men. God s intention on earth is to have a man. This is His desire. Eventually, He Himself became a man, and today on the throne He is still a man. People may want to be like God, but God wants to be a man. God s intention is to work Himself into us, making us the same as He is, and even more, making Himself the same as we are. Thus, God s intention is to have a man and to work Himself into man. We need to be deeply impressed with the fact that the Lord is still on the throne as a man. In the book of Ezekiel, the term the son of man is used more than ninety times. This indicates how much God desires to have a man. If we would live out God and express God, we need to be a man and have the appearance of a man. Ezekiel 1:5 says that the four living creatures have the appearance of a man, and verse 26 says that the One on the throne has the appearance of a man. The crucial point here is that because man was created in the image of God in order to express God, only man is like God. A person must have the appearance of a man in order to live out the image of God and therefore express God. If we want to live out God and express God, we must be a man and have the appearance of a man. Anyone who does not have the appearance of a man cannot express God. The One on the throne and the four living creatures both have the appearance of a man, indicating that the four living creatures on earth are the expression of the One on the throne. (Life-study of Ezekiel, pp , ) THE FOURTH STAGE CHRIST S FULL GROWTH IN US Now we will consider the fourth stage of our spiritual experience. This is the last and highest stage of our spiritual life Christ s full growth in us. After we have passed through the previous stages, all difficulties in us relating to sin, the world, the offense in the conscience, the flesh, the self, and the natural constitution having been dealt with and purged, there remains in us nothing but God. God now has gained absolute ground in us, and our whole being within and without is entirely filled with the Holy Spirit. Now we enter the highest stage of the spiritual life, where Christ is fully grown and matured in us. We have, therefore, called this highest stage Christ s full growth in us. Let us look at the type in the Old Testament as shown in the account of the Israelites departure from Egypt and their entrance into Canaan. At the outset of their journey, by passing through the Red Sea, they left Egypt, the land of bondage, while Pharaoh and his army were buried under the sea. Henceforth, the world with its usurping power was stripped off. Later, they fought with the Amalekites, which is a type of their dealing with the flesh. Then the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years. The number forty in the Bible denotes testing and affliction. God led them to walk through the wilderness for forty years because He desired, by means of testing and affliction, to expose the wickedness of their flesh. His intention was that the flesh should be dealt with exhaustively. Our experience is the same. After baptism, it is not enough to deal with the flesh just once; we must be dealt with in the hand of God for months and years. Sometimes God leads us through the wilderness so that not only is our living difficult but even our spirit is dry, depressed, and miserable. The only reason for this is that through testing and affliction our flesh might be dealt with. When the Israelites fulfilled their days of wandering, God led them through the Jordan, and they were circumcised in Gilgal. On one hand, they entered the promised land of Canaan in a practical way; on the other hand, they were facing the seven nations of the Canaanites, and warfare was required in order to annihilate them and establish the kingdom of God. This prefigures the fact that when our days of testing in the spiritual wilderness are fulfilled and we have learned to let our flesh be dealt with to a certain degree, God will lead us through the spiritual Jordan, where the flesh will be completely rolled away (Gilgal means a rolling ) and cut off (Col. 2:11). Henceforth, we shall attain to the heavenly realm in a practical way, thereby inheriting all the fullness of Christ. Furthermore, it is at this very time 9

11 that we contact the hosts of evil spirits in the heavenlies and begin the experience of spiritual warfare. During their entire journey, the Israelites passed through two bodies of water: the Red Sea, and the river Jordan. The Red Sea was for the burial of Pharaoh and his armies, whereas the Jordan was for the burial of the Israelites themselves. When they passed through the Jordan, they brought twelve stones over with them and set up another twelve stones in the riverbed. These two groups of twelve stones represent the twelve tribes. They signify that the old twelve tribes were terminated in the Jordan, and the new twelve tribes passed over to the other side of the river to enter into the promised land. Both of these two bodies of water through which they passed typify the death of Christ. The water of the Red Sea is a type of the aspect of Christ s death that ends the power of the world. The water of the Jordan represents the aspect of Christ s death that brings our old man to an end. When the Israelites passed through the Red Sea, they could fight only with the Amalekites; not until they passed through the Jordan could they fight with the seven nations of the Canaanites. This means that in the beginning of our spiritual life, after our baptism, we can only have warfare with the flesh (Gal. 5:17). Not until our spiritual life has reached the climax, when our flesh has been completely buried and rolled away and all our difficulties within have been resolved, will we be able to deal with the enemy without and engage in spiritual warfare. We understand by all these types that the first three stages of our spiritual life have transpired before we pass through the Jordan. The fourth stage occurs after we cross the Jordan and enter into the land of Canaan. All our difficulties have been dealt with on the other side of the river Jordan and in the river Jordan. Now we come to this side of the river to deal with God s difficulty, to fight against and totally destroy the seven nations of the Canaanites the powers of spiritual darkness and wickedness in the heavenlies (Eph. 6:12) who are usurping this promised land of God. Thus, spiritual warfare must be placed in the last and highest stage of our spiritual life. Only by passing through the various dealings and having our own problems solved can we engage in spiritual warfare. From another point of view, God has a twofold purpose for all His redeemed ones: first, and most important, that we be filled with God Himself and manifest His glory; second, that we rule for God and deal with His enemy. When we reach the end of the third stage of our spiritual life, we are filled with the Holy Spirit, or God Himself; this, the first and most important purpose of God, has been fulfilled. It is at this time that God desires that we learn to fight for Him and deal with His enemy so that His secondary purpose can be fulfilled in us. This is what we will experience in this fourth stage of our spiritual life. In this fourth stage, we shall cover five experiences: (1) knowing the Body, (2) knowing the ascension, (3) reigning, (4) spiritual warfare, or bringing in the kingdom of God, and (5) full of the stature of Christ. (The Experience of Life, pp ) 10

12 ENTERING INTO THE FOURTH STAGE OF THE EXPERIENCE OF LIFE TO ARRIVE AT A FULL-GROWN MAN FOR THE FULFILLMENT OF GOD S PURPOSE (Thursday Second Morning Session) Message Two The Fourth Stage of the Experience of Life (1) Knowing the Body Scripture Reading: Rom. 12:5; 1 Cor. 12:12; Eph. 1:22-23; 2:16; 4:4, 12, 16; 5:30; Col. 1:18, 24; 2:19 Hymns 840 EM Rom 12:5 So we who are many are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 1 Cor 12:12 For even as the body is one and has many members, yet all the members of the body, being many, are one body, so also is the Christ. Eph 1:22 And He subjected all things under His feet and gave Him to be Head over all things to the church, Eph 1:23 Which is His Body, the fullness of the One who fills all in all. Eph 2:16 And might reconcile both in one Body to God through the cross, having slain the enmity by it. Eph 4:4 One Body and one Spirit, even as also you were called in one hope of your calling; Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints unto the work of the ministry, unto the building up of the Body of Christ, Eph 4:16 Out from whom all the Body, being joined together and being knit together through every joint of the rich supply and through the operation in the measure of each one part, causes the growth of the Body unto the building up of itself in love. Eph 5:30 Col 1:18 Col 1:24 Col 2:19 Because we are members of His Body. And He is the Head of the Body, the church; He is the beginning, the Firstborn from the dead, that He Himself might have the first place in all things; I now rejoice in my sufferings on your behalf and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His Body, which is the church; And not holding the Head, out from whom all the Body, being richly supplied and knit together by means of the joints and sinews, grows with the growth of God. I. In order to know the Body, we have to deal with and renounce the self, which is the enemy of the Body Matt. 16:18, 21-26; Luke 9:23-25: Matt 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Matt 16:21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and on the third day be raised. Matt 16:22 And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, God be merciful to You, Lord! This shall by no means happen to You! Matt 16:23 But He turned and said to Peter, Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me, for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men. Matt 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. Matt 16:25 For whoever wants to save his soul-life shall lose it; but whoever loses his soul-life for My sake shall find it. Matt 16:26 For what shall a man be profited if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul-life? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul-life? Luke 9:23 And He said to them all, If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. Luke 9:24 For whoever wants to save his soul-life shall lose it; but whoever loses his soul-life for My sake, this one shall save it. Luke 9:25 For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world but loses or forfeits himself? 11

13 A. The self is the fallen soul declaring independence from God and, thus, independence from the Body; the greatest problem, the greatest frustration and opposition, to the Body is the self. B. The shaving of the hair of the leper for his cleansing in Leviticus 14 signifies dealing with the difficulties of the self; the razor signifies the cross v. 9: Lev 14:9 And on the seventh day he shall shave off all his hair; he shall shave his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair. Then he shall wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in water, and he shall be clean. 1. The hair of the head signifies the glory of man; everyone has his boasts in certain areas some boast of their ancestry, some of their education, some of their virtues, some of their zeal in their love for the Lord; almost everyone can find an area in which to boast, to glorify himself, and to make a display before man. 2. The beard signifies the honor of man; people esteem themselves honorable with regard to their position, their family background, or even their spirituality; they always have a superior feeling that they are above others. 3. The eyebrows signify the beauty of man; everyone has naturally good and strong points, which did not issue from the experience of God s salvation but from natural birth. 4. The hair of the whole body signifies the natural strength of man; we are full of natural strength, natural methods and opinions, thinking that we can do this or that for the Lord and that we are capable of doing all things. 5. When all the aspects of the self are dealt with through the razor of the cross, and when we have nothing and are nothing, we shall be clean cf. Phil. 3:7-11. Phil 3:7 Phil 3:8 Phil 3:9 Phil 3:10 Phil 3:11 But what things were gains to me, these I have counted as loss on account of Christ. But moreover I also count all things to be loss on account of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, on account of whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as refuse that I may gain Christ And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness which is out of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is out of God and based on faith, To know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, If perhaps I may attain to the out-resurrection from the dead. 6. We should utterly reject the self by doing everything through the cross and by the Spirit to dispense Christ into one another for the sake of the Body of Christ. II. In order to know the Body, we must see the vision of the Body Eph. 1:17; 3:3-6: Eph 1:17 Eph 3:3 Eph 3:4 Eph 3:5 Eph 3:6 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the full knowledge of Him, That by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I have written previously in brief, By which, in reading it, you can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ, Which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in spirit, That in Christ Jesus the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the Body and fellow partakers of the promise through the gospel, A. When the Lord appeared to Saul on the way to Damascus, He showed him that persecuting the believers was the same as persecuting Him Acts 9:3-5: Acts 9:3 Acts 9:4 Acts 9:5 And as he went, he drew near to Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. And he fell on the ground and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? And he said, Who are You, Lord? And He said, I am Jesus, whom you persecute. 12

14 1. The Lord asked, Why are you persecuting Me? He did not ask, Why are you persecuting those who believe in Me? When Saul asked, Who are You, Lord? the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom you persecute vv Acts 9:4 Acts 9:5 And he fell on the ground and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? And he said, Who are You, Lord? And He said, I am Jesus, whom you persecute. 2. The Me here is a corporate Me, comprising Jesus the Lord and all His believers; by this, Saul began to see that the Lord Jesus and His believers are one great person the wonderful Me. 3. The Lord showed Saul that he was persecuting the Head when he was persecuting the members of the Body; every sin that offends the Body offends the Head. 4. The day that the Lord revealed Himself to Saul was the day that he saw the Body Rom. 12:5; 1 Cor. 12:12; Eph. 1:22-23; 2:16; 4:4, 12, 16; 5:30; Col. 1:18, 24; 2:19. Rom 12:5 So we who are many are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 1 Cor 12:12 For even as the body is one and has many members, yet all the members of the Eph 1:22 Eph 1:23 Eph 2:16 Eph 4:4 Eph 4:12 Eph 4:16 Eph 5:30 Col 1:18 Col 1:24 Col 2:19 body, being many, are one body, so also is the Christ. And He subjected all things under His feet and gave Him to be Head over all things to the church, Which is His Body, the fullness of the One who fills all in all. And might reconcile both in one Body to God through the cross, having slain the enmity by it. One Body and one Spirit, even as also you were called in one hope of your calling; For the perfecting of the saints unto the work of the ministry, unto the building up of the Body of Christ, Out from whom all the Body, being joined together and being knit together through every joint of the rich supply and through the operation in the measure of each one part, causes the growth of the Body unto the building up of itself in love. Because we are members of His Body. And He is the Head of the Body, the church; He is the beginning, the Firstborn from the dead, that He Himself might have the first place in all things; I now rejoice in my sufferings on your behalf and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His Body, which is the church; And not holding the Head, out from whom all the Body, being richly supplied and knit together by means of the joints and sinews, grows with the growth of God. B. After such a high revelation the Lord did not speak to Saul directly but charged him to go into the city, and there it would be told to him what he must do (Acts 9:6); this was also a revelation of the Body: Acts 9:6 But rise up and enter into the city, and it will be told to you what you must do. 1. The Lord committed Saul to the Body through a member of His Body Ananias so that Saul would be initiated into the identification with the Body of Christ. 2. This must have impressed Saul with the importance of the Body of Christ, helping him to realize that a saved believer needs the members of the Body of Christ. 3. The Lord sent a small disciple to lay hands on Saul, and this disciple said, Saul, brother (v. 17); this ushered Saul into the Body of Christ, filled him with the Holy Spirit, and brought him under the anointing. Acts 9:17 And Ananias went away and entered into the house; and laying his hands on him, he said, Saul, brother, the Lord has sent Me-Jesus, who appeared to you on the road on which you were coming-so that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. C. In the New Testament there are two ways to look at Christ; on the one hand, He is Jesus Christ the Nazarene the individual Christ; on the other hand, He is Christ plus the church the corporate Christ 1 Cor. 12:12. 13

15 1 Cor 12:12 For even as the body is one and has many members, yet all the members of the body, being many, are one body, so also is the Christ. D. We do not need knowledge; rather, we need revelation to know the Body of Christ and to enter into the realm of the Body; only a revelation from God will usher us into the realm of the Body, and only then will the Body of Christ become our experience. E. Once a man sees the Body of Christ, he is free from individualism; he will no longer live for himself but for the Body; he becomes Body-conscious and Body-centered and is freed from being self-centered Rom. 12:5. Rom 12:5 So we who are many are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. F. Everything depends on our seeing; those who see that they are members will surely treasure the Body and honor the other members Phil. 2:3-4. Phil 2:3 Phil 2:4 Doing nothing by way of selfish ambition nor by way of vainglory, but in lowliness of mind considering one another more excellent than yourselves; Not regarding each his own virtues, but each the virtues of others also. G. If we truly see our position in the Body, it will be as though we were saved a second time cf. John 1: John 1:49 Nathanael answered Him, Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel. John 1:50 Jesus answered and said to him, Is it because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree that you believe? You shall see greater things than these. John 1:51 And He said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, You shall see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. III. In order to know the Body, we must be under the limitation of the Body; as members of the Body, we must allow ourselves to be limited by the other members, not going beyond our measure: A. God has placed all the members of the Body even as He willed; the Head sets us in our special place in the Body and points us to our special function Rom. 12:4-5; 1 Cor. 12:15-21: Rom 12:4 Rom 12:5 For just as in one body we have many members, and all the members do not have the same function, So we who are many are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 1 Cor 12:15 If the foot should say, Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body, it is not that because of this it is not of the body. 1 Cor 12:16 And if the ear should say, Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body, it is not that because of this it is not of the body. 1 Cor 12:17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were the hearing, where would the smelling be? 1 Cor 12:18 But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, even as He willed. 1 Cor 12:19 And if all were one member, where would the body be? 1 Cor 12:20 But now the members are many, but the body one. 1 Cor 12:21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you; nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 1. Each one of us members has our own place in the Body of Christ; it is assigned by God and should be accepted by us; since such an assignment is according to God s will, every member is necessary vv Cor 12:19 And if all were one member, where would the body be? 1 Cor 12:20 But now the members are many, but the body one. 1 Cor 12:21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you; nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 1 Cor 12:22 But much rather the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 2. Every member has a definite place, a definite assignment, and a particular portion with which he serves the Body of Christ; each member has his own characteristics, and each has his own capability; these characteristics constitute the place, position, or 14