THE RECOVERY OF THE DIVINE REVELATION CONCERNING THE BELIEVERS
The Believers Having Been Sanctified Positionally by the Blood of Christ
and Being Sanctified Dispositionally by the Spirit,
That They May Be Renewed,
Transformed in Their Soul,
Conformed to the Image of the Firstborn Son of God and
Glorified in Their Body in the Glory of the Processed Triune God
The believers have been sanctified positionally by the blood of Christ (Heb. 13:12) and are being sanctified dispositionally by the Spirit (Rom. 15:16; 6:19, 22), that they may be renewed, transformed in their soul (12:2a; 2 Cor. 3:18), conformed to the image of the firstborn Son of God (Rom. 8:29), and glorified (redeemed) in their body (v. 23) in the glory of the processed Triune God (vv. 30, 17-18). Although the believers have been regenerated in their spirit, their soul and body remain old. Thus, the believers need to be renewed, transformed in their soul, conformed to the image of the firstborn Son of God, and glorified in their body in the glory of the processed Triune God. The believers are tripartite beings composed of spirit, soul, and body. First, their spirit is regenerated, then their soul is transformed, and finally, their body will be glorified. Thus the believers’ whole being will be saturated with God’s splendid life. God’s life is a life of splendor, and that splendor is the glory of the divine life. When we are permeated, saturated, and soaked with the splendor of the divine life, we will be in glory.
The Believers Being Saturated with the Dispensing of the
Divine Trinity in Their Tripartite Being
So That They Are Mingled with the Processed Triune God
The believers are saturated with the dispensing of the Divine Trinity in their tripartite being (vv. 5-11) so that they are mingled with the processed Triune God.
The Believers Being Joined
to the Lord as One Spirit
The believers are joined to the Lord as one spirit (1 Cor. 6:17).
The Believers Being the Branches of Christ as the Vine Tree,
the Organism of the Triune God,
to Express the Processed Triune God
in Bearing Fruit for the Increase of Christ
The believers are the branches of Christ as the vine tree, the organism of the Triune God, to express the processed Triune God in bearing fruit for the increase of Christ (John 15:1-5, 8, 16). As the branches of Christ, the believers should live a fruit-bearing life for Christ’s increase.
The Believers Being God’s
New Testament Priests of His Gospel
to Offer the Saved Sinners as Sacrifices to God
The believers are God’s New Testament priests of His gospel to offer the saved sinners as sacrifices to God (Rom. 15:16; 1 Pet. 2:5, 9). As the priests of God, the believers should have a sinner-saving service for offering sacrifices to God.
THE RECOVERY OF THE DIVINE REVELATION
CONCERNING THE CHURCH
The sixth item of the Lord’s recovery is the recovery of the divine revelation concerning the church.
The Church Being the Church of God,
Chosen and Predestinated by God the Father,
Redeemed by God the Son, and Sealed by God the Spirit
The church is the church of God (1 Cor. 10:32), chosen and predestinated by God the Father (Eph. 1:36), redeemed by God the Son (vv. 7-12), and sealed by God the Spirit (vv. 13-14).
The Church Being the Body of Christ,
the Fullness of the One Who Fills All in All,
as His Expression, United Organically to the Resurrected,
Ascended, and Transmitting Head
The church is the Body of Christ, the fullness of the One who fills all in all (v. 23), as His expression, united organically to the resurrected, ascended, and transmitting Head (vv. 19-23).
The Church Also Being the Fullness
of the Processed Triune God,
Filled with the Riches of Christ
and with the Immeasurable Christ
The church is the fullness of Christ, and it is also the fullness of the processed Triune God (3:14-19), filled with the riches of Christ and with the immeasurable Christ (vv. 8b, 17-19a). The church is filled with Christ Himself and with the riches of Christ. Such a church is the fullness of the processed Triune God.
The Church Being the Counterpart of Christ
as His Increase, a Glorious Church,
Holy and without Blemish
The church is the counterpart of Christ, as Eve was to Adam (Gen. 2:21-23), as His increase (John 3:29-30), a glorious church, holy and without blemish (Eph. 5:27).
The Church Being the New Man Created in Christ,
through His Cross, with the Jewish and Gentile Believers
The church is the new man created in Christ, through His cross, with the Jewish and Gentile believers (2:14-16).
The Church Being the Mingling
of the Processed Triune God with the Believers,
Being Built Up as the Organic Body of Christ
by the Gifted Members and by Each
Functioning Part through the Growth in Life
The church is the mingling of the processed Triune God with the believers (4:3-6), being built up as the organic Body of Christ by the gifted members (every joint of the rich supply) and by each functioning part through the growth in life (vv. 11-13, 15-16). The church as the organic Body of Christ is built up by two categories of persons: first, the gifted persons, who are the joints of the rich supply, and second, each functioning part. We should have and we do have these two kinds of persons among us. In the building up of the Body of Christ, the gifted persons perfect the saints so that the saints may do the work of the New Testament ministry, that is, that they may build up the Body of Christ.
The Church Being the House of God,
the Dwelling Place of God in Our Spirit
The church is the house of God (2:19b; 1 Tim. 3:15), the dwelling place of God in our spirit (Eph. 2:22).
The Church Being the Kingdom of God Today,
the Reality of the Kingdom of the Heavens
The church is the kingdom of God today, the reality of the kingdom of the heavens (Matt. 16:18-19). In Matthew 16:18 the Lord said, “Upon this rock I will build My church.” Then in verse 19 He said, “I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens.” This shows us that today the proper church life is the reality of the kingdom of the heavens.
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