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Scripture Reading: Colossians 3:4, 11 John 8:28 Hebrews 8:11 Psalm 103:7 Ephesians 1:17 Galatians 1:16, 2:20 Introduction   In God's eternal plan, He established Christ as the center of the universe and filled it with Jesus Christ. In the course of time, He created man in the first place to dwell in man and then to be fully manifested in man. Therefore, everyone who has been born again by grace has received Christ as his life, but in order for the full manifestation of the glory of Jesus Christ to take place, the experience must be driven by life; not by reasoned teaching, nor by manual practice, but by the living out of life, as wheat falls into the ground and dies, but grows up and bears many grains. Therefore, the path we are on is called the path of the inner life, which begins with being born again and saved, and then slowly grows and matures until it is filled with the fullness of the full stature of Christ, and ultimately reveals the fullness of Jesus Christ.   When we begin to enter into this inward path of life, all our experiences are inwardly related to God; in other words, our relationship with the Lord begins in the Spirit and continues to experience God in the Spirit. Therefore, when a Christian has begun to live after the Holy Spirit and in the light of God, and has had the experience of the cross, and the outer man has been torn down, and the inner life has been growing, there is one more spiritual experience that we must pay attention to, and that is the inner understanding.   Hosea 6:3 reads, "Let us seek to know the Lord, and let us strive to know him" . The pursuit mentioned here is not the outward knowledge of God, because the outward knowledge is the knowledge of the outside, it is just the understanding of the mind, and it will soon pass away, so we have to long for and pursue the knowledge of God from the inside. From this we can see that our relationship with the Lord is based on the inner knowledge. What kind of God is this great God we believe in? What kind of relationship we have with Him depends on knowing Him from the inside.   I. Knowing the Works of God Let's read Psalm 103:7, "He made His statutes known to Moses, that Israel might know His works." Here it is stated that God taught His people Israel to know His works. We can see from the history of the Exodus of the Israelites that the first relationship between the Israelites and the Lord was to have a relationship with the Lord in terms of "works", that is to say, to know who the Lord really is. Before the Exodus, the Lord called Moses and sent him to Pharaoh to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. And Moses answered the Lord, and said unto him, I went unto the children of Israel, and said unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you. And if they ask me, saying, What is his name, what shall I say unto them? And the Lord said unto Moses, I am he that liveth for ever: thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, He that liveth for ever hath sent me unto you. (Exodus 3:10-14) The Lord further instructed Moses to take the shepherd's staff in his hand, for I, the Lord, will bring the people of Israel into direct knowledge of the works of God.   A.  God wants His people to know what He is doing   How do we know that there is a God in the universe? How do we know that God is all-powerful? Undoubtedly, it is when God shows His works that we begin to know Him.   Therefore, when Moses negotiated with Pharaoh to bring the Israelites out of Egypt, Pharaoh's heart was hardened and refused to do so. Therefore, the Lord sent a series of great plagues on the land of Egypt, which the Israelites had never seen before, and through these ten plagues that came on the land of Egypt, the Israelites came to know the Lord who had led them out of Egypt as the true and living God.   Especially when the tenth plague killed the firstborn, the Israelites came to their senses. The whole congregation further realized that the Lord was not only true and living, but also a great and almighty God, and they followed Moses out of Egypt without fear. At that time the Bible specifically says, "With a mighty hand the Lord brought us out of slavery in Egypt." (Exodus 13:14)   Unexpectedly, when the whole congregation of Israel reached the Red Sea, the Egyptian army came from behind, trying to take the Israelites back to the land of Egypt. When the Red Sea was in front of them and the Egyptian army was behind them, the Lord ordered Moses to stretch out his staff to the Red Sea, and immediately the waters separated and the sea became dry land. Moses then led the whole congregation of the Israelites to go down to the sea and walk through the dry land in a calm manner, and when they reached the other side of the Red Sea, the Lord told Moses to stretch out his staff to the sea, and the sea would be restored to its original state. The whole army of Pharaoh that followed the Israelites down to the sea, not even one of them was left. At that time, the Bible specifically said, "When the Lord thus saved the Israelites from the hand of the Egyptians ...... the Israelites feared the Lord ...... when they saw the great things that the Lord had done to the Egyptians" (Ex. 14:30-31). So the whole congregation rejoiced and sang and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone has done marvelous things, and His glorious name forever and ever Amen, Amen .......   B. Knowledge of God's works is in the Spirit, not outward reason But crossing the Red Sea in peace was not the goal, so Moses followed God's command and led the whole congregation onward. They set out from the Red Sea and began to travel the wilderness road. The wilderness was endless, with no signposts to point the way, so the future was really far away and there was no way to follow it; at the same time, the wilderness road was also drought-ridden, hot, and rugged. How could these two to three million members of the congregation, including women, children, the elderly and the young, as well as tens of thousands of herds of animals, survive and walk forward?   Thank God! Biblical history shows us that along the way, God has not ceased to show His marvelous and great works. In the daytime, the Lord led them in the pillar of cloud, and in the nighttime, He illuminated them in the pillar of fire. Thus the Lord did not leave them day after day, year after year, until they had finished the way of the wilderness. When the food they had brought out of Egypt was exhausted, the Lord sent down manna from heaven for forty years, until they entered the land of Canaan. Later, when they were tired and weary from traveling and had no water to drink, God asked Moses to strike the sounding rock with his staff, so that water would flow out of the rock and become a living fountain, supplying them with ...... water all the way. However, the Israelites' knowledge of God's works was not a spiritual knowledge, but an external rational knowledge. Therefore, Hebrews 3:9 reads, "For forty years your fathers tried me and searched me and watched my works. Their minds were often perplexed, and they did not recognize My works. Therefore the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Tell them, 'Your carcasses shall fall in the wilderness, and whosoever of you shall be numbered, and shall murmur against me from twenty years old and upward, he shall not enter into the land which I have sworn that I will make you to dwell in,  but  only  Caleb,  the  son  of Jephunneh, and Joshua, the son of Nun, shall enter into it.'" (Num. 14:28-30).   C. Born-again Spirit Recognizes the Works of God   From this historical fact, we can see that the adults of that generation, because of their confusion and not recognizing the works of God, were rebelliou s and perished in the wilderness. But there were only two of them, Caleb and Joshua, who "had another mind and another spirit, which followed me alone, and I led him into the land whither he went" (Num. 14:24; 32:12; Deut. 1:36). The word "another mind" in the original language is "another spirit," which refers to the Holy Spirit. Spiritual means to know the works of God in the revelation of the Holy Spirit. In terms of experience, when we are saved by grace and born again, we naturally realize that Jesus is God, He is the Savior, and His works are marvelous and great. This is a very important experience and one that must always be lived out.   When Joshua succeeded Moses and led the people of that generation into Canaan, the Bible says, "When Joshua sent the people of Israel, they went to their own land and occupied it. And all the people served the Lord while Joshua lived and while Joshua died, while the elders remained, who had seen the great things which the Lord had done for Israel" (Judges 2:6-7).   But after the death of Joshua, all the people of that generation also returned to their fathers, and afterward, another generation arose, because they "did not know the LORD, nor the things which the Lord had done for the children of Israel. And the children of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baal, and forsook the LORD, who had led them out of Egypt" (Judges 2:10-12).   It is a common phenomenon in churches today that the first generation of believers in Jesus is very godly, but the second generation becomes lukewarm, and the third generation leaves the Lord Jesus. The biggest reason for this is that they do not have a direct relationship with the Lord, they do not have a real experience of Jesus, so they only have an outside knowledge of Him. I don't realize that in order for a Christian to be strong in faith and follow the Lord to the end, it is necessary to know the Lord inwardly, to have revelation inwardly, and to know God's works in order to follow the Lord until the end of the road.   A young sister from Taiwan who came to Manila for a music evangelism program was going to come to us and present a guzheng program. This sister serves the Lord with her music, and she is a third-generation Christian, and her father and grandfather both feared the Lord and served Him. How is it that the third generation can still live godly lives for the Lord? It is because she personally saw God's work in her grandfather. Shortly after his surgery for stomach cancer, her grandfather found gallbladder cancer, and soon after he recovered from the surgery, he had cancer in his intestines, and then he had a bunch of them cut out by surgery, and he is still healthy and living for the Lord, and he is dedicated to serving Him. He has published a testimonial in which he said that he has experienced the Lord's miracles for 20 to 30 years, and that he serves the Lord with joy and thanksgiving every day, and that his son has seen God's works in his father, and his grandson has seen God's works in his grandfather, and so the three generations have always been in awe of the Lord and have served the Lord. Therefore, Christians must experience God's living leadership through the born-again spirit to know God's works, and because of this knowledge, they can follow the Lord all the days of their lives.       II. Knowing the Laws of God  As a Christian's spiritual life grows, he not only recognizes that God is true, living, and faithful, but he also recognizes God's laws. For our God is a God of laws, and He acts according to them. Therefore, in order to serve God, we must know God's laws. This is one of the main points of our training for the youth every Saturday night. If you don't know God's rules, you will sin against God, and if you don't follow God's way of doing things, your service will be futile and ineffective. Therefore, Psalm 103:7 tells us, "He (God) made Moses aware of His rules" . This shows that in order to serve the Lord, one must know God's rules.   A.  God told Moses to know God's laws On that day, when the Korahites and the 250 leaders of the Israelites came together to attack Moses and Aaron, the Lord split the earth and made them fall alive into the Hades. The day after this tragedy, when the whole congregation of Israel was complaining against Moses, a cloud suddenly appeared and the glory of the Lord appeared. Then the Lord commanded Moses, saying, depart from this congregation, that I may destroy them in the twinkling of an eye. And immediately the plague was upon the people, and it is written, "And they fell down, both of them, to the ground. And Moses said unto Aaron, Take thy censer, and put fire upon the altar thereof, and add incense thereto, and bring it quickly unto the congregation, to make atonement for them ...... And Aaron brought it according to the word of Moses ...... Not knowing that the pestilence had broken out among the people, he added the incense, and made atonement for the people. And he stood in the midst of the living and the dead, and the pestilence ceased." (Num. 16:44-48)   This shows that Moses knew God's law, and knew that where there is atonement, there is forgiveness. No matter how great the sin, God's forgiveness would come when there is atonement. On the other hand, it also says that God made Moses came to know His laws and ruled the people. Moses worked with God because of his knowledge of God's laws. B.  Born-again Spirit recognizes God's Laws   Paul was one of God's most used apostles. When he wrote his letters to the churches in different places, he often ended by asking the saints there to pray for him. Did a man so highly used by God need the saints to pray for him? Oh! Paul knew God's law, and he knew that he needed prayer behind him to go out and work for the Lord, to preach the gospel, to build up the churches, and to strengthen the saints, and so at the end of his letters he asked the saints to pray for him, because God has a law of doing things by prayer. Recently I was reading Watchman Nee's testimony about how he learned to lead people to the Lord. He testified that since he was saved, he had a heart of love for the souls of sinners in him, so he was constantly preaching the gospel and testifying to his classmates at school, and this went on for about a year, but no one was saved. Later, he met a westerner, Miss Gooes, who asked him how many people he had saved, and he replied, "I preached the gospel to my classmates, but they didn't like to listen to it and wouldn't believe it. She asked Brother Nee how he had saved some people. He replied, "I preached the gospel to my classmates, but they didn't like to listen and wouldn't believe. He replied, "I just drag people to listen to me regardless of whether they listen or not." Rabbi Lau then instructed him that this is not the way to serve God. You should speak to God before you speak to people. You should pray to God first, write down the names of your classmates, ask God which one He wants you to pray for, pray for them daily by name, and then when God arranges for an opportunity, witness to them. Brother Nee followed the rules of God's work as instructed by Rabbi Liu, praying behind his back day after day and testifying whenever he had the opportunity. Sure enough, after a few months, of the 60 to 70 people in his notebook, all but one were saved. Because he fulfilled the law of God's work that the will of God passes through prayer, and he knew that God works through prayer. Of course, there are many other laws in the Bible, so we will just mention one.   III. Knowing God Himself   Hebrews 8:10-11 reads, "And the Lord said, after those days, this is my covenant with the house of Israel: I will put my law in their hearts, and write it on their minds; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall not every man teach his neighbor, and his brother, saying, Thou shalt know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them."   A.  Everyone from the least to the greatest will know God The book of Hebrews tells us explicitly that in the New Testament era, the Lord has put the law of life (eternal life) in us. This is a characteristic of the New Testament, so that those who have been born again from the least to the greatest can know our Lord directly. There is no need to be taught by others, for teaching is external, but only the knowledge by the revelation of the Holy Spirit is internal. It is true that the Lord often opens us to the knowledge of Christ through the words of the pulpit, such as evangelistic meetings that open our eyes to Jesus as Savior, and message meetings that reveal Christ to us, so that we may develop a relationship with Him, or know Him better, so that we can keep moving forward to walk in His ways. However, the knowledge of the Lord Himself can only be realized through the revelation of the Holy Spirit in the individual.   B. Realize that all the fullness of God is in Christ Colossians 2:9 reads, "For in Christ dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and spiritually.” This plainly tells us that if we know Christ, we know God. For example, one day when Jesus was living with His disciples on earth, He revealed to them, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father.” “Philip said unto him, ‘Lord show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied. And Jesus said unto him, Philip, I have been with you a long time, and yet knowest thou not me? If anyone has seen me, he has seen the Father; how can you say, "Show us the Father?’” (John 14:9) It means that all the fullness of God, whether it is God's life, love, faithfulness, justice, holiness, glory, power, wisdom, etc. ...... are all in Christ Jesus, so when we know Christ, we also recognize God.   C.  Revelation of the Born Again Spirit to Know Christ Therefore, the apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 1:17, "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give to you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, that you may know Him truly." It says here that we know the Lord Jesus by the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. Therefore, after we are born again, we have to pray, and this prayer enables us to receive the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation, so that we can "truly" know Him, that is to say, we can know Him from inside, and only the knowledge of the revelation is everlasting and unshakable.   On the day of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, that is, on the first day of the seventh month, early in the morning, when it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb of Jesus, and saw the stone removed from the tomb, and the disciples also saw it, and they returned to their own homes, because they saw that Jesus was no longer there. But Mary did not leave, she insisted on standing outside the tomb and weeping. Her longing heart to see the Lord, her heart to find the Lord, was seen by Jesus, so the Lord could not help but appear to her. When Jesus appeared to her, he asked her, "Woman, why are you weeping? At first, Mary thought it was the gardener. Yes, from the outside, the Lord was a gardener, but she had not yet seen it from the inside, she had not yet realized that Jesus had been resurrected. So she said unto Jesus, Sir, if thou hast removed him, tell me: and Jesus said unto her, Mary. And the Scripture said, "And Mary turned to him." (John 20:16) This turning around meant that she was enlightened by the Holy Spirit in her heart, and she immediately said to Jesus in Hebrew, "Rabboni" (John 20:16), which means that she knew the Lord Jesus in her heart.     IV. Knowing Christ   We know Christ inwardly, sometimes through the Bible, through prayer, through circumstances, or through our daily experiences. There are three things that we need to provide in order to know Christ:   A.  Revelation of Christ from within   A Christian's knowledge of Christ begins with the revelation of Christ. In Galatians 1:16, Paul said, "God...was pleased to reveal His Son in my heart," it is an indication of the Christian's first relationship with the Lord. This means that the first time a Christian has a relationship with the Lord is through the revelation of Christ. In fact, before Paul said this, he first traced back his past experiences and said that because he only knew Jesus as a Jew from the outside, many people followed Him and seemed to be confused by Him, thinking that the name Nazarene should be attacked, so he did his best to persecute the believers in Jesus, and brutalized and persecuted the church.   On that day, however, as he was leaving Jerusalem by order of the high priest with some attendants to arrest Christians in Damascus, while he was walking, a great light suddenly shone from heaven on all sides, and as soon as it had struck him, he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? And Paul came to his senses at the question, and said to the Lord, "Who art thou, O Lord?" And the Lord said to him, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting." This statement, this revelation of a heavenly vision, was deeply rooted in Paul's heart, and this manifestation enabled Paul to know Christ from the inside.   Therefore Paul said, "God was pleased to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles" (Gal. 1:16). That is, if God had not been pleased to reveal His Son to me, I should have died and perished. So after he received the revelation, his whole outlook on life changed, and he made it his life's goal to pursue Christ. He went into the city to promote Jesus as the Son of God and to prove that Jesus is the Christ. From our experience, when we participate in an evangelistic meeting or small group evangelism, through the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit, we can see in our spirit and realize that Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of the world. It is natural to pray and accept Jesus, which is called receiving the revelation of the Son of God in our hearts. Unfortunately, most Christians stop at knowing Jesus as their Savior for the rest of their lives. Unbeknownst to them, this realization is only the beginning of the process. We must continue to seek to know this rich and infinite Christ.   B.  Christ is our life Therefore, after receiving the revelation of the Holy Spirit, a Christian must further realize that Christ is our life. In Galatians 1:16, Paul speaks of "being enlightened by the Son of God", that is, he refers to the indwelling of Christ, and then in chapter 2:20 he further says, "I have been crucified with Christ, and now it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." This shows that he had come to a better knowledge of the Lord. He not only knew that Christ was the Son of God, but he had further received the revelation of Christ as the life of the world. He saw that "I have been crucified with Christ, and I, the sinner, am dead; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. It is now Christ who is my life.   Colossians 3:4 reads, "Christ is our life." And then verse 11 says, "Christ is all in all" . This means that the knowledge of Christ is always progressing and expanding. As the revelation of the Holy Spirit increases and expands to the end, we will see that Christ is all in all.   For example, when you are sick, you pray to the Lord, and you are healed, you not only know Jesus Christ as Savior, but you know Him as the Great Physician. Or if you are tired and weak before the meeting, but wonderfully, after you barely attend the meeting, your physical and mental weakness disappears, then you further realize that Christ is the power. ...... The more you experience, the more you know Him, and the more the revelation is enlarged.   C. The Gospel of John reveals that Christ is our life, our everything The Gospel of John has many meanings, but we will look at it from the point of view of "Christ as our life:   Christ dwells in the Spirit as life   In the contact between Jesus and individuals, see chapter 3, Nicodemus came to Jesus that night and Jesus talked to him about being born again. Jesus told him that unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus did not understand, so Jesus took great pains to tell him that unless a man is born of water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. This means that only after being born again can one have the experience of indwelling life. At the same time, only those who have been born again can be enlightened to see the Kingdom of God and understand the things of the Kingdom of God. In other words, Christ has to live in the spirit as our life.   Christ is the Water of Life   Chapter 4 tells us that on that day at about noon, Jesus passed through Samaria and came to Jacob's well in Sychar and waited for the Samaritan woman to come and draw water. When she came, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink." She answered him, "You are a Jew, I'm a Samaritan woman, why do you ask me for a drink?" Then Jesus answered her, saying, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." He further said to her, "Whoever drinks of the water I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life. At that time, the woman saw that Jesus' speech was full of sense, and that he must be a man of great knowledge. So she said to Jesus, "Sir, please give me this water." Jesus answered her, "Go and tell your husband to come here too." The woman said to Jesus, "I don't have a husband." Jesus said, "It is good for you to say you don't have a husband, because you have five husbands." The woman realized that Jesus was not just a learned man, but He was not just a man, He was a prophet. Jesus further explained to her that God is a Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. The woman then said, "I know that the Messiah (Christ) is coming, and when He comes, He will tell us all things." Jesus said, "I, who speaks to you, am He." Now when the Samaritan woman had received a revelation, and had met Christ, she left her pitcher of water, and went out into the city, and said unto the multitude, Behold, there is a man that speaketh unto me all things whatsoever I have always done: is this the Christ? So the people went out of the city to Jesus, and many of them believed in Him.   This historical fact shows us that Christ is the water of our life. Water is for quenching one's thirst, and it is a sign of fulfillment. Therefore, when Christians believe and accept Jesus and receive the water of life, they will be satisfied.   Christ is the Bread of Life   Chapter 6 records that Jesus said to the crowd following Him, "Our [Israelite] fathers fed on manna in the wilderness. But the bread from heaven was not given to you by Moses, but the true bread from heaven has been given to you by my Father". And they said, "Lord! Give us this bread always." Jesus said, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst." This means that Christ is our satiety.   To be "satisfied" is to stop our desires from chasing after the things of this world. But the "bread of life" makes us full, it makes our spirit strong and active to cope with difficult circumstances. Through this experience, every morning when we get up and approach the Lord in prayer, we receive the provision of Jesus Christ from God's Word (the Bible), just as the people of Israel ate the manna in the old days, and were strengthened to walk the roads of the wilderness. Christ is the Light of Life   In each chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus repeatedly shows us in different capacities that He is to be experienced as our life. In chapter 8, Christ is spoken of as the light of life. First "the water of life," then "the bread of life," and then "Jesus said to them, "I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12). The Christian experience is the story of life. Christ is our life so that we may have the light of His life. "If a person is not in the light, he does not know his own difficulties and does not recognize his own faults, so he will always condemn others and look down on them. Sometimes when brothers and sisters are weak, fail, or leave the Lord, if we are not in the light, we will either judge or condemn them. If we are not in the light, we will either judge or condemn them, not realizing that if you and I were not kept by the Lord, we would be even more pitiful than they are. It is only when the light comes that we realize that although we have not left the Lord outside, we have abandoned our initial love for Him, and slowly draw nearer to Him, and see that the time we spend reading and praying is too short, and that our ministry is too sloppy and perfunctory. ...... Instead, we confess our sins in the light, and receive adjustments, and then we are led to walk in the way of the Lord.   Christ is everything in life   In John 8:28, Jesus concluded, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, you will know that 'I am'”. The "I AM" means that Christ is able to meet all our needs. As far as experience is concerned, you say, "Lord, I am weak" but the Lord says, "I am the strength", you are sorrowful and in pain, but the Lord is your joy and comfort; you are doubtful in your heart, but the Lord is faithful; you are quick-tempered, but the Lord is your gentleness and patience; you are foolish, but the Lord is your wisdom. Watchman Nee was sitting with a coworker one afternoon, and suddenly he asked the co-worker, "Brother, what is patience? This brother was puzzled because the question was too simple. We all know what patience is, but since the question came from Brother Nee, there must be something to it, so the co-worker did not dare to answer. Brother Nee then asked what patience was, and the co-worker answered: "To me, patience is a kind of endurance. People treat you bitterly, they persecute you, but you endure.” Brother Nee shook his head and said, "No," and the co-worker said, "It is not”. The co-worker then said, "Then please tell me what patience is." Brother Nee replied, "Patience is Christ." The coworker then asked, "Brother, what do you mean by patience is Christ? Could you please explain?" Brother Nee did not explain a word, but repeated over and over again that patience is Christ. So the two of them stayed in that state of mind for a long time, and they did not ask or say anything else until evening. When the co-worker returned to his place, he was still confused and went to his room to pray, "Lord, patience is Christ, what does this mean?” Thank God, one day suddenly his inner eyes were opened and he saw that Christ Himself is my patience. True patience is not an act, but Christ living out of me. (This  testimony  is  quoted  from "Prophecies of Divine Revelation for the Present Age," p.330)   Thank God! God has made Christ the answer to all our questions, Christ is our life and everything. I hope that the Lord will be gracious to us so that we will seek to know Christ as our life and everything in our lives! <-- Back to "The Pathway of Inner Being" Next Chapter -->

Scripture Reading: Revelation 3:14-22, Colossians 3:15, Romans 8:1-2 Thank God! As soon as we were saved by grace, God set us on the path of life. Admittedly, when we look at the ecumenical Christian community today, we can see that all the saints are at peace and love one another. But more importantly, we must go back to the Bible to see what is pleasing to God and what is the path that the church should take. Undeniably, God has entrusted people with different tasks, some of which are to evangelize and save souls; some are to perform miracles, heal the sick and cast out demons; some are to open hospitals, schools, or various charitable organizations; some are to establish churches and expand on a large scale outside, and some are to focus on preaching the truths of Scripture, and so on. All of these organizations, which receive different trusts from God, are part of the Kingdom of God. But what is the main and central path that runs through the entire Bible? Abraham is the ancestor of the Israelites and the main Old Testament character. At the beginning of the New Testament, Matthew records the genealogy of Jesus Christ from Abraham. This shows that the Lord Jesus Christ was born from this line. Abraham lived in the land of Canaan all his life, and he looked to the city of foundations, which was built by God's handiwork (Heb. 11:10). It is also the New Jerusalem, the holy city that came down from heaven as recorded in the last book of the New Testament, the Book of Revelation. Therefore, from the conclusion of the whole work of God, it is clear that God's focus and attention is within the holy city of the New Jerusalem, and what is this holy city like? The Bible describes it! The city is glorious and resplendent: "having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal..... the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light." (Rev. 21:11, 22-23). Then chapter 22:1 says, "And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of it's street..." This road with rivers of life-giving water in it is the way of life. This shows that the way the saints (the church) should walk is the way of life. However, few people have seen this path, and even fewer have entered into it. We hope that the Lord will use this message to open the eyes of our spirit to see that the Lord has placed you and me on the path of life in the spirit, not the outside path, but the inside path. Management from the inside We have looked at nine experiences of how to enter into the way of the inner life, and in the morning we will look at the tenth experience, "The Inner Management" . When a Christian goes deeper into the path of the inner life, there is a kind of light that allows Christ to manage this person, the so-called spiritual man, on the inside. I. Christ Reigns in the Heart to Govern A spiritual person is not just a person who loves the Lord passionately, serves the Lord faithfully, or has an elegant demeanor that is admired. In fact, the so-called spiritual man is to let Christ live in our hearts and manage our minds, emotions, and wills; and in our lives, work, and ministry, we are governed from the inside in our dealings, judgments, and rules. In other words, Christ is on the throne in our hearts. This is also the picture of a person who is at the peak of spiritual maturity.  A. In the Laodicean Church, the Lord has Lost His Position It is written in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 that the Lord wrote through the Apostle John to the seven churches of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea (representing the churches of the people). As each letter ends with the same sentence, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." , it is clear that these letters were written to the churches of the people. It is clear that these letters are addressed to all the churches, and to all the churches of the earth throughout the ages. At the same time, the different characteristics of these seven churches illustrate the seven processes of church history. They represent the churches from the time of the apostles to the present day, which is nearly 2,000 years ago. One of the last churches is called Laodicea, which refers to the near return of the Lord Jesus and the end of the church. We are now in the age of the church of Laodicea. What was the church of Laodicea like? Where is Christ in the last days of the church? Revelation 3:20 says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." Oh! The head of the church is rejected at the door, which means that the Lord has lost his place in the church. In other words, the Lord Jesus Christ is no longer in charge of the Church. From the personal experience of the saints, Jesus is no longer in charge of the people. The Church is a gathering of saints. Do you, me, him, all of us, let Christ rule? If so, it is the Church of Philadelphia. Philadelphia was a pre-Laodicean church, that is, there was a great revival in about the 17th century when a group of Christians were raised up by the Lord, and not only did they realize that they loved one another, but they stayed in the Word of the Lord, and they allowed Christ to have the first rule in all things. Unfortunately, it has continued to the present day, and the church has deteriorated into Laodicea because of its deviation, and we would like to be reminded of this by the Lord. With regard to the Revelation's reference to the Laodicean church and the loss of Christ's position, we would like to briefly point out three scenarios: The heart has not fully surrendered to the Lord - Neither cold nor hot Look at verse 15 of chapter 3: "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot" . "Neither cold nor hot" means half and half, i.e. lukewarm water. Spiritually, it means half love for the Lord and half love for the world. Do you say you don't love the Lord? Whenever there is a church meeting, you always attend it, and you even give a little bit of money, but do you really love the Lord? When things come to a head, you are surrounded by worldly matters and become timid to serve the Lord. Anyone who is not absolutely devoted to the Lord is lukewarm. Why is he lukewarm? Because the heart is not fully turned to the Lord. Admittedly, life on earth requires that one must work for a living, except for a few who are called by the Lord to serve Him full-time in prayer and preaching. This does not mean that to serve the Lord full-time is to serve Him, or that to serve Him professionally is to love the world. In fact, every saint should live for the Lord full time, just in different positions. For example, when sisters take care of their children for the Lord, or when brothers do business for the Lord, as long as their hearts are directed to the Lord, it is right. However, it is a pity that the hearts of many saints do not fully turn to the Lord, but are occupied by the world. 1 John 2:15 tells us, "If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” . Before the Lord Jesus left this world, he said to his disciples, "For you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world." (John 15:19) Then He turned to God the Father and prayed, "I have given them your word. And the world hated them, because they were not of the world, just as I am not of the world" (Jn 17:14). It is clear that Christians are despised by the world because we are not of the world, and therein lies the key to the strength of the witness of some Christians and the weakness of the witness of others. Let's say a young man and woman are in love, and they must talk about everything. If the man loves the woman passionately, and the woman loves several other men in addition to her boyfriend, can she love him exclusively? Naturally, this is impossible, because her heart is divided among her other boyfriends, and this man is only a fraction of her heart. Similarly, many Christians also have other loves outside of the Lord Jesus, especially young brothers and sisters, who love to swim in the mountains, play in the water, play ball games, watch TV, and read novels. As their hearts are not fully devoted to the Lord, it is no wonder that their response to the Lord's love is like that of the Laodicean Church, neither cold nor hot, and their hearts are not devoted to the Lord. Please ask yourself, is your heart cold or hot? A Christian who is on fire in his spirit is used by the Lord in his ministry because in the depths of his spirit there is always a fire burning. As the prophet Jeremiah said, "Then I said, I will not make mention of Him, nor speak anymore in His name. But His word was in my heart like a burning fires shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not." (Jeremiah 20:9) May the Lord be gracious and give light! Spiritual things replace Christ The attitude of the Laodicean church toward the Lord was lukewarm and self-assured, saying, "I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing." . (Rev. 3:18) The Church's Work Blessing Replaces Christ - I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have no lack of anything. Since the Laodicean Church had been blessed by the Lord, it had many works of great magnitude and performance. Therefore, she was proud to say, "I am rich, I become wealthy, and I have need of nothing." Unknown to them, they are replacing Christ with the blessing of the church's work. In this regard, I always remind myself and my co-workers that when we are blessed by the Lord in our ministry, we must not let the work of the church replace Christ. For example, there is a brother who has a desire to love the Lord, so he participates in the ministry of building clubhouses. Since he has taken on this responsibility, he tries his best to plan on how to decorate the clubhouse so that it will be magnificent, instead of paying attention to how to make the people who come to the meetings feel that they have the Lord's presence, or pay attention to God's glory; in other words, his attention is not on the Lord, but on things other than the Lord. A famous and authoritative theology professor once visited the world-famous St. Peter's Catholic Church in the Vatican in Rome. On that day the Pope himself took him around the whole Catholic Church. During the conversation, the Pope said to the professor of theology in a boastful tone: "What we didn't have in the apostolic age, we have now. Today, it is no longer like the apostolic age when the Church still lacked ...... Look at the amount of money spent on this chapel, the materials, the equipment, the furnishings. The professor of theology, upon hearing this, immediately replied to the Pope, "Yes, we now have all the wealth that we did not have in the time of the Apostles, but what the Apostles had, we do not have today”. The apostles said at that time, "I have not silver or gold, but what I have, I give to you, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, to raise up the lame and to walk,  a power which we have lost." Oh! Brothers and sisters, from this we can see that if the eyes of our heart are not opened by the Lord, we will also focus on the outside of the church, the things that can be seen as vanity, rather than the reality of the spiritual life that cannot be seen on the inside. Spiritual Gifts Instead of Christ - Buy gold refined in fire and be rich! Thus the Lord said to the church in Laodicea, "I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in fire, that you may be rich." (Rev. 3:18). "Gold refined by fire" is pure gold that has been forged in a fiery furnace, denoting high value and purity; spiritually, it means faith (1 Pet. 1:7) on the one hand, and abundant life on the other. Because the way to the inner life is through the valley of tears, everyone who passes through the valley of tears will shed tears, but the result of all the pain and suffering will be an abundant spiritual life. Today's churches need those who walk the path of the inner life to have deep spiritual experiences and abundant supply of life, so that the churches can be enriched. But if we are not careful, we can replace Christ with spiritual gifts. As in the case of the Corinthian church, God gave them the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:4-7) for the purpose of furthering their lives. Unfortunately, they emphasized the use of the gifts more than the growth of life (Christ). As a result, the Corinthian church, though full of eloquence and knowledge, was not inferior in any of the gifts (1 Cor. 1:5, 7), but Paul said they were babies in Christ (1 Cor. 3:1), which means that they took the place of Christ with their gifts. Therefore, they do not grow in life and become spiritual babies. Replacing Christ with spiritual knowledge - Buying eye salve so that you can see The Laodicean church is not only replacing Christ with gifts, but further replacing Christ with spiritual knowledge. Knowledge is arrogance; pride is blindness, because knowledge (reason) instead of Christ means there is no sight of Christ, i.e. no revelation. No wonder the Lord said to the church in Laodicea, "and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see." (Rev. 3:18) A brother repeatedly said to me, "Brother Jeng, it is rare that you come to Taiwan preach more when you have the opportunity, because the brothers and sisters there are very eager." I answered him, "I know, but some sermons need a period of time to be digested, because if they are not digested into experiences, we may fall into the trap of replacing the foundation with spiritual knowledge." Don't think that the sermon becomes ours after hearing it. No, it takes time to experience it personally, for if knowledge only increases, but not actual experience, it will remain at the beginning of Christ's doctrine (Heb. 6:1) and will not grow, just as the church in Laodicea did. Christ Loses His Place in the Church - I knock at the door. The Laodicean church is neither hot nor cold, and replaces Christ with the blessings of works, spiritual gifts, and spiritual knowledge. Naturally, Christ has lost His place in the church altogether. What we see in the church is man's "self" on the throne, man taking the lead, and the impression is that man's opinions, claims, and voices fill the church, while the voice of the Lord is not heard, and there is no supply of life. No wonder the Lord said, "Behold, I knock at the door! I am knocking at the door", indicating that Christ is already outside the church, outside the believer's heart, and that it is man's "self" that is on the throne in the church, not Christ.   B. Christ Reigns in the Heart Regarding the point that Christ reigns in the heart, we are quoting the Lord's warning to the Laodicean church as a lesson to us so that we will not repeat the same mistake. Spiritual Humility - If anyone hears my voice abd opens the door "If anyone hears my voice and opens the door" signifies that it is not easy to hear the voice of the Lord. In the morning we preach the message here, and all the saints are also listening to the sermon, but some of them hear the voice of the Holy Spirit (the word of the Lord), and some of them even get nothing from the meeting from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. On the path of spiritual life, "hearing the voice of the Lord" is absolutely indispensable. When we come to a meeting, we must be touched, grabbed, or touched by at least one word of the Lord in the message, or a certain passage of the word, so that you can be helped or supplied. That's why we often hear brothers and sisters praying to the Lord, "Lord! Use the words of your servants to pierce the hearts of men. We can see that hearing the voice of the Lord has the effect of piercing your heart. I wish that every time we come to the Lord, we would have the grace to recognize with an open heart that we have nothing and that we need the word of the Lord to illuminate me, correct me, remind me, and heal me. Isaiah 57:15 says, "For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: 'I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.'” This means that whoever has a contrite heart and a humble spirit, the Lord dwells in it. May we all pray to the Lord to empty our hearts so that we may hear His voice. For the Lord has promised that whoever is humble, He will enter into him and dwell with him. In this way we can maintain the presence of the Lord between us and Him. There is a world-famous picture of the twelve disciples observing the Lord's Supper with the Lord. It is said that this picture was made centuries ago by a famous artist, who spent his heart, soul, strength, and years to paint every figure and every object in the picture in a meticulous and precise manner. The cup for dinner alone took several weeks of work, and it took him at least a few years to complete this masterpiece. When he had finished the painting, he invited a number of people to view it, and they all praised it for its beauty! They all praised the painting for its beauty, especially the dinner cup. However, the artist was disappointed and saddened because the centerpiece of his painting was Jesus, but the audience's attention was diverted from Jesus to the cup. So he erased the cup and painted an ordinary cup with an ordinary hand. As a result, no one would pay special attention to the cup, but rather to the central figure, Jesus.  Let Christ Come in - I will come in to him "I will come in to him" indicates that the Lord is going to come in to us. Spiritually, it means to let Christ come in and live in us. If you and I have truly received the Lord Jesus into our hearts, we should not substitute anything else for Christ. Let me give you a simple example: If there is a brother or sister among us who has bought a diamond ring worth 10 million dollars and put it in his pocket, he will be very fidgety when he comes to the meeting, he will feel it to see if it is still in his pocket, and then he will feel it again, and he will be unable to listen to the sermon, or even listen to the Lord's word because the 10 million dollar diamond ring is in his pocket. It's a pity that you can't listen to the Lord's word because of the 10 million dollar diamond ring in your pocket! The psalm says, O Jesus, Lord, with me abide; I rest in Thee, whate’er betide. There is another hmn that tells us the same thing: Dear Lord Jesus, precious Jesus, Thou hast won each love from me; Who like Thee—so fair and comely? Who like Thee—so sweet and lovely? Matchless One, unrivaled beauty, None can e’er compete with Thee! Christ makes His home and is enthroned in the heart - Dine with him and he with Me. Further the Lord promises, "I will dine with him," meaning that Christ has come unto us in order to dwell in us, to make us His dwelling-place, His home, to show that He will make His home in you and in me. And He says, "I will dine with him," and He will ascend the throne in you and in me. Oh! May the Lord be gracious and merciful to us, and open the eyes of our hearts so that we may truly see that Jesus Christ in you and in me is better than silver and gold; better than riches and wealth; better than a vast expanse of land; better than kings ruling over the nations; better than the world's glory and fame; better than the world's wealth and riches; better than the world's glory. Best of beauty, best of sweet, best of all . ...and the heart is drawn not only to love Him, but to cherish Him, as the psalmist prays to the Lord, "Lord, I love You dearly! I love Thee dearly, and would that I were Thine forever, and that Thou wouldst dwell in my soul, and never be parted. Who have I in heaven? I have no one to love on earth, but I wish to pour out my heart to the Lord!". I believe that in this invisible way, I enter into a seat where the Lord sits with me and I with Him, where the Lord is on the throne of my heart, ruling me and ordering me, and from now on it is not I but the Lord, but the Lord is the Lord. Ephesians 3:17 reads, " That Christ may dwell (make home) in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love." We are told that Christ not only sits on a throne in heaven, but also makes his home in our hearts through our faith. He will make our hearts His home, and He will reign freely in our hearts. There was a young man who testified that he not only participated in the ministry training, but also served in the meetings. As we talked about "according to Christ" during the summer, the title "Mount Zion" was mentioned in the message, which refers to Christ's ascension to the throne. Therefore, in order to experience the ascension of Christ to the throne, one must get off the throne. This brother was very helpful. I didn't realize that the Lord was really gracious to him. After the special meeting, he went down to the mountains and loved and served the Lord with a greater fervor in his spirit than before. Soon after, one night at home, he remembered that a young brother had not come to the meeting for a long time, so he called him, and found out that he had a problem and was in a sympathetic situation. So they got into a conversation on the phone, and because of the pain in his heart, the other party complained to him, but his father came over and urged him not to use the phone for too long, but the other party was in the middle of his speech, and his father impatiently shouted at him to hang up the phone right away, but the other party was still talking, and his father got angry, and he had no choice but to hang up the line, and his father, because of his unceasing fury, kept on scolding him, and he couldn't help but to reply back said, I'm not a man and a woman to talk about love, I did not think that his father was so angry that he slapped him in the face, he was already a university student, and at that time there were other younger brothers and relatives on the scene, he was humiliated and furious, although he did not dare to return the favor, but inwardly angry from here on out on his father's grudge, and so a week after a week, a month passed, he and his father do not talk to each other, and it seems to be a deeper and deeper separation, because he thought his father was too much, too unsympathetic. He thought his father was too much and too unreasonable. I have a clear conscience towards people, but by a marvelous work of the Holy Spirit, he happened to be assigned to speak at a youth meeting about the meaning of Mount Zion, which is to put Christ on the throne. He struggled for a long time because he knew that in order for Christ to be on the throne, a man had to get off the throne, and because he did not want to be a man who only preached but did not experience. He wanted to push back and not fellowship with his leaders, but the words he heard at the special meeting hit him hard, one by one, that a bowed down man allows everything to be led by the Lord, submits to what He has ordained, and that every circumstance has been permitted by the throne of Christ. He struggled, but thanked the Lord! Eventually he submitted and the Lord's grace won him over, and the Lord's grace was enough to give him the courage to go to his father and confess his sins to him, saying, "Father, you beat me that day, and I was very sorry in my heart, and I hated you, but the Lord wanted me to confess my sins to you, and miraculously, not only was his heart released after he confessed his sin, but they were reconciled as father and son, and they became friends. I was very touched by this testimony. May the Lord be gracious to us, so that we can study seriously and experience the throne of Christ, so that the Lord can rule over you and me. All who strive for the body are men on the throne; may the Lord give us light through this.   II. The Peace of Christ Rules When Christ rules over you and me, there is one proof, namely, peace. For Colossians 3:15 tells us, "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts." This means that we, as human beings, are governed by the peace of Christ. A. The Peace of Christ Reigns in Your Hearts On the night of the resurrection after the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus, because the Jews were going to further persecute the disciples after the crucifixion of Jesus, the disciples were afraid and shut their doors tight. While the disciples were in fear and trembling and losing peace of mind, Jesus came to them and appeared to them, saying, "Peace be with you" (John 20:19). Not only that, but when Jesus appeared to them again eight days later, He said, "Peace be with you" (John 20:26).  It is clear that when Jesus came in, peace came in with him. Therefore, a person who really lets Christ rule is one who lets peace reign in our hearts. "Letting peace rule" means letting peace rule our life, work and ministry. Therefore, when a saint realizes that he has lost peace, he must quickly return to the Lord to receive illumination, because we are no longer under the Lord's control. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, after feeding 5,000 people with bread, He urged His disciples to get into the boat first; and when He had told them to disperse, He went up on the mountain alone to pray. The boat was in the middle of the sea, and the wind was rough, and the waves were shaking it. During the fourth watch of the night, Jesus was walking on the sea, going to the disciples. When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified and cried out in fear because they thought He was a ghost. Jesus said to them quickly, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” As soon as He got into the boat, the wind ceased and the waves were calmed (Matthew 14:22-33). This history shows again and again that when Jesus comes, he brings peace. Experientially speaking, when saints have been in a state of internal dissension, or when they have been in a state of anger, or when they have been in a state of advocacy, or when they have been struggling with "I" and "I", it is a sign that either peace is reigning, or that Jesus has lost his position, because as soon as he came, the wind and the waves were calmed. B. Christ's name is called the Prince of Peace, He brings peace Isaiah 9:6 reads of our Lord, "His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” This means that Jesus' name is the "Prince of Peace", and when He reigns, there is peace. Therefore, if the Lord is the Lord, it is certain that there will be peace like a river in our hearts. We can draw a foreshadowing from the Old Testament that during the reign of Solomon, there would be peace in the land, and the Israelites would live and work in peace and contentment. The word "Solomon" means "King of Peace" in reference to Christ. When Christ reigns, peace reigns, and as a result, our whole person, family, and church enjoys spiritual peace and rest. C. Stop the activities of the flesh and Let Christ reign to have peace The reason why a Christian cannot enjoy the peace of Christ and experience Christ's reign in his heart is that he is too active in the flesh, and he acts according to the dictates of his own mind and emotions, and lives according to his own preferences. Once he loses peace in his heart, he is prone to live in the activities of the flesh, and to live a life of struggling and suffering. Therefore, Psalm 46:10 tells us, "Be still, and know that I am God." This means that God is the Almighty God, and the power of His throne rules over all things, so we must stop all the activities of the flesh, stop struggling, and surrender completely to God. If we allow our own life to rule, we will end up being filled with fleshly activities and lose our peace. If we do not let ourselves be the master, then we can stop the activities of the flesh and let Christ be the master, so that the peace of Christ can be the master over us.  D. Not to Struggle by Effort, But to Enjoy Peace by Total Surrender Sooner or later, in the pursuit of the inner life, young people will find that there are more failures than victories in their experiences, and that is not the case, for many times they are passionate, talk too much, and are arrogant. It seems that there are a lot of spiritual difficulties, and so they want to practice self-mortification, learn to be more gentle, to talk less, and to be humble, that is, when they aspire to pursue victory, they will enter into the stage of struggling. When you set your mind on the pursuit of victory, you enter the stage of hard struggle. Some people stop at this stage for a long time, until one day the Lord's mercy comes and they see that He is God, and they must stop everything and let Christ be their life, so that they can live as Christ and no longer be me, and they do not have to work hard or aspire to anything, and naturally stop themselves. This is what Isaiah 30:15 tells us: "In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength." In the New Testament, Hebrews 4:10 says, "For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.” III. The Law of the Spirit of Life When Christ rules over you and me, as Romans 8:1-2 says, "Now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who[a] do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death." This is a statement that God, by the law of the Spirit of life, saves man from the law of sin and death, and gives him victory. A. The Power of Sin is the Law of Man We know that one of the reasons for the failure of a Christian is the fallen life in man, the power of sin and the power of death, which is a "law" that calls man to sin (Rom. 7:23). In other words, the reason why man sins is because sin has a power to make him sin, and the reason why man dies is because death has a power to make him die. It is said through experience that there is a law of sin and a law of death in man. This law is a natural power that operates in man. In the case of the law of sin, man is called to do what he dislikes; in the case of the law of death, man is called to weakness. For example, if someone wants to serve the Lord in his heart, but has no power to do so, the law of death will always lead the saint into weakness and death. Therefore, we must not allow this weakness (the predecessor of death) to overcome us, i.e., when we want to serve, we must not say, "I am weak and have no power to serve", or else we are giving the devil room. For the power of death is a law unto weakness and death (Rom. 7:13). This law of death causes us to lose our spiritual functions, so that we cannot pray, read the Bible, or serve, and even our spirit remains weak and sinks. B. The Law of the Spirit of Life Frees Me from the Law of Sin and Death It is true that everyone is under the law of sin and death, but when Jesus Christ is in us, we are released from the law of sin and death. How are we released? The Holy Spirit puts the life of God in you and me the day we believe in Jesus and are born again. In other words, our born-again spirit means that the Holy Spirit puts God's life in us, and this Holy Spirit carries life. The Bible calls this the "Spirit of life". Since it is the Spirit of life, it means that there is life in it, and all life has a law. It's true that a flower, if you leave it there and don't care about it, it will naturally grow. It is also like a grain of wheat that falls into the ground, and after a certain period of time, marvelously germinates, grows, and grows ears. Because this is the law of life, it is true in Taiwan, and it is also true in the United States, and it is true in Japan, and it is true no matter where you are, because there is a law of growth in life. The life of God also has its law, and this law is holy, strong, and victorious. God's law of salvation is law over law, that is, the law of the Spirit of life over the law of sin and death, so that the saint does not have to strive or struggle. Just believe and accept Jesus as Savior, and this law of the Spirit of life overcomes the law of sin and death. This means that the law of the Spirit of life governs us internally. For example, no matter how I put this handkerchief in my hand, if I let go of it, it will surely fall to the ground, and I don't have to help it to fall, because the center of the earth has gravity, and this law governs it. So how do you stop the handkerchief from falling to the ground? As long as there is an upward law (power) to hold it, it will not fall. I went to San Diego USA for three weeks. One day I saw dozens of colorful balloons flying high in the sky, and a brother told me that it was not far from where I lived, and that for only fifty dollars you could take a ride in a balloon for an hour and see the whole city of San Diego. The balloon goes up into the air and you go up with it. In the same way, we are called to sin by the law of sin, and the law of death is like gravity pulling you and me into death, but the balloon is like the law of life lifting us up into the air. Therefore, the Christian does not have to struggle to win, but the victorious life of Christ is in us, and this victorious life, the law of the Spirit of life, gives us victory over the law of sin and death. We can see that there is an inner management, which is administered by the law of the Spirit of life. In terms of experience, how to let Christ rule over us from morning to night, there is nothing else, that is, to be close to the Lord, to live in intimate fellowship with the Lord, and will naturally overcome, and Christ is invisible in you and me, to be a life of victory for us, so that we can enter into a life of deliverance and transcendence. But when you and I do not live in the Holy Spirit, we are disconnected from the law of life, and immediately overcome by the law of sin and death. So when do saints allow Christ to rule, that is, the law of life to rule over this person? The Psalmist says, Abiding, we are strengthened with each breath; In fellowship, His life will swallow death. Abiding, we sin's power need not fear; In fellowship, the self will disappear. Pray that the Lord will be gracious to us, so that not only will our hearts yearn to enter into the path of life within, but that the Lord will lead us into the experience of letting the Lord rule over the whole person! <-- Back to "The Pathway of Inner Being" Next Chapter -->

Scripture Reading: Galatians 5:17, 24 Proverbs 17:3 Jeremiah 48:11 Philippians 1:20-21 When a Christian enters the path of the inner life and is led deeper by the Lord, there is an end result that is characterized by inner purity. This spiritual experience can only be achieved after years of pursuing, letting God work, and learning day and night, but it is the most pleasing thing before God. I remember once I ate a ponkan, the flavor of which seemed so sweet I had never tasted it before, so I couldn't help but ask a store where it was purchased. This small example shows us that there are many varieties of fruits, but it is not the size and color of the outside that counts, it is the taste inside that counts, whether it is tart or sweet; likewise, one day when we have finished our journey in this world and have entered into glory, and have become the firstfruits of God's creation (James 1:18), and are letting God enjoy us, He will be most satisfied with the purity that is in us. This message is to show us that the ultimate goal of our inner life is the purity of our inner being. Now we will briefly look at the process of how the saints achieve inner purity by walking this inner path.   I. After man's fall, his natural life became self life In the beginning, after the Lord God had created the heavens and the earth in six days, He created man and woman in His own image. At that time, the natural life did not have a sinful nature in it. Therefore, it was the human spirit that governed the soul, and the soul governed the body. So the Lord God set up a garden in Eden in the east, and put the man who had been created there, to repair and to guard the garden. In this way, day by day, the relationship between man and God was established in intimate fellowship. Because the spirit governs the soul over the body, the spirits of God and man are in communion. However, because the devil lured the patriarchs through the serpent and ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the toxin of Satan entered into man. As a result, the order of things in man was reversed, and the "spirit" of man's communion with God was put aside, and the soul rose up to dominate the body. In other words, the mind, emotions, and will of man dominated the body. This is how it has evolved until today, when all human beings are "I", "I", "I". This "I" is the soul. In Chinese, the soul is said to be combined with the spirit, but in the Bible, the spirit and the soul are separate. When the spirit is set aside and the soul is in charge, man acts according to his mind, emotions, and will. The whole person is disconnected from God, and the spirit becomes chaos and darkness. Since God's dealings with man are through the Spirit, we can only know God. Now the "Spirit" has lost its position, so man's life is dominated by the soul over the body, and he has become a man of the flesh. Therefore, Genesis 6:3 reads, "And the Lord said, 'My Spirit shall not abide with man forever, for he is indeed flesh.'" In this way, the human spirit loses its function and the soul comes out to dominate the body, which is called "flesh" in the Bible. This fleshly life is called the life of self. Matthew 16:24 reads, "Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.'" This means that a person's physical life is also called "self" life. However, when a person believes in Jesus, his spirit comes to life, and the spirit has to do its best to be the Lord, but the soul in the person also wants to be the Lord, so the spirit and the soul are at war with each other. Therefore, Galatians 5:17 says, "For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish." Speaking of experience, today's TV programs in Taiwan are very exciting, especially the serial dramas. For example, if you are sitting in front of the TV and you are watching TV, the Holy Spirit reminds you that you have little time to read the Bible lately, and the flesh says, "Now is the right time to watch the program," and you choose to watch the TV, this is a picture of the flesh and the Holy Spirit fighting against each other so that you can't do what you want to do. I am not saying that we should never watch television. As a citizen, we should be concerned about the current situation in the country and abroad, and we can watch world news reports and weather reports, but the question is where is our heart? There is one thing that we must not overlook lightly, and we must pay attention to, and that is the conflict between the flesh and the Holy Spirit. This flesh is also called "self". The life of the soul is also the life of "self". No wonder the Lord Jesus, when He was on earth, said to those who followed Him, "If anyone wants to follow Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me". This is because the life of the "self", i.e. the "soul", is an enemy of God.   II. The life of "self" is centered on one's own interests. We are all members of Adam's fallen race, and since the fall of our fathers, the "self" life has always been centered on self-interest. But God's eternal plan is to establish Christ as the center of the universe. He is not only the center of all mankind, but also the center of salvation. But our "self" life is centered on our own interests. Therefore, God's work is to transfer man's interests to Christ, so that Christ can be the center. There are at least three major manifestations of man's "self" being centered on his own interests: Gaining honor There is no man who does not want to be honored. Of course, a country needs a president to govern, and a place needs a mayor to manage the provinces, counties, and cities. Therefore, once the election day arrives, in order to win the precious votes from the voters, some candidates even kneel down and beg the public to do so, but in fact, there is no lack of candidates who are really working for the rights of the country and the people, but there are only a few of them, why? Why? It is because being an important official in the country is worth a hundred times more, and it is a great honor to be a dignified person! We can see that one of the manifestations of the "self" life is to gain honor, to seek fame, to strive for respectability, and to be vain. This is the same thing even after believing in Jesus. Isn't it? Christians should be intent on pleasing the Lord and satisfying His heart in their ministry. Unfortunately, as we go from one ministry to the next, over time, it has become a matter of serving the Lord in the ministry of the Lord. It has evolved into grabbing credit and competing for glory in the ministry, which is a manifestation of "self". Grasping for Authority Another manifestation of "self" is grasping for power. That is to say, to strive for position and power. This is hidden in the "self" of man. It is no wonder that when people get along with each other, there will be disputes, gangs, and selfishness ...... resulting in you fighting for power and me seizing profits, causing the whole world society to be in turmoil and insecurity. The church is no exception. Today, some brothers and sisters in the church, in order to get elected as elders and deacons, secretly use every means to canvass for votes by caging or cozying up to the community to elect board members, council members, and chairpersons, which is really unique. On the surface, they serve as elders and deacons, and are faithful to the Lord with great diligence and hard work, but their hidden "selves" are secretly competing for status and grasping for power. May the Lord be gracious and merciful and give us light! However, do not listen to the Word wrongly and think that Christians are all mediocre and incompetent. We hope that some Christians will take up political positions or important positions in society, or even the presidency of a Christian who fears the Lord, which is much better than the position of an unbeliever.  Striving for Profit Striving for profit means selfishness. Who is not selfish? Even Christians who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lord are no exception. Whenever they want to serve, they always consider what is at stake and weigh the gains and losses first, and they do not really say from the bottom of their hearts, "O Lord! I am willing to lay it all down if it is not Your will; but rather, Lord, I am willing to lay it all down if it is not Your will or mine! I will submit to Your will if it is in accordance with my wishes, but if it is against my interests, I will think twice about it. In this way, considering one's own interests and weighing one's own honor, disgrace, and dignity as a prerequisite is a manifestation of striving for interests. We can see that a Christian who serves with spiritual fervor and performs well in the church is no different from an unbeliever if he does not follow the path of the inner life, and if his "own" life is not directed. It is not difficult to see how terribly the "self" life is hidden in people. III. The "self" life in ministry violates God's sovereignty Not only that, but the "self" life often violates God's sovereignty in ministry. Christ is the head of the Church, as Hebrews 3:6 tells us, "Christ as a Son over HIs own house." Therefore, every saint should unconditionally surrender to the Lord, and let Him rule and lead us. Violating God by means of "one's own" life However, when it comes to ministry, one's "own" life will sneak in and invade one's life. Therefore, people have to use their knowledge and intelligence to fulfill God's will, instead of looking up to the Lord and relying on Him. Unbeknownst to them, in the universe, when God's will passes through the earth, man's knowledge, intelligence, and methods are obstacles and interruptions to God's will. Thank the Lord! Because of the Lord's mercy, the Church of God has laid a foundation on the spiritual path in the past few years. Therefore, every time before a ministry is promoted, we always spend a considerable amount of time bowing down before the Lord, praying, seeking, and recognizing that there is nothing that man can do. Violating God with the power of one's own life Anyone who prays little must be a person who is full of his own abilities and methods, and when he comes to the promotion of ministry, he relies on his own abilities and power to fulfill God's will. Therefore, the apostle Paul said in Galatians 3:1-3, "O ignorant Galatians! The crucifixion of Jesus Christ has been painted before your eyes, and who has bewitched you? ...... For if you were initiated by the Holy Spirit, how much more are you being made perfect by the flesh? Are you so ignorant? It is clear that there is a vision of "self" that seeks to fulfill the will of God through the flesh. Like the saints in the Galatian church, they did believe in Jesus by the Holy Spirit, and it was the Holy Spirit that moved them to confess their sins, repent, believe in the Lord, and be saved by grace. But soon they went back to their old ways and kept the law. Relying on the Holy Spirit instead of talent and power to accomplish things In ministry, if we do not rely on the Holy Spirit, but apply what we have learned in society to church ministry, that is to say, we violate God with the power of our own life. That is why we have been reminded here again and again that we should always emphasize prayer, showing that we should not rely on human talents, power, or methods, so as not to infringe on God's sovereignty. Speaking from experience, whether in life, work, or ministry, when you encounter difficulties, do you first seek the Lord? Or do you look to man for help to cope? May the Lord be gracious to us and remind us that By doing so, we are reminded that the life of "self" is an infringement of God's sovereignty and does not allow God to lead us directly.   IV. God puts an end to "self" through the cross Since "self" has been infringing on God's sovereignty, and this "self" is centered on self-interest, how does God save and solve the problem of "self"? He put an end to man's "self" through the cross. Romans 6:6 reads, "knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin." It means that when the Lord Jesus was crucified, He cried out, "It is finished". It means that the cross has put an end to all that we are as human beings. In other words, when Jesus was crucified, we were all crucified and finished together in the cross of Christ. As a matter of objective fact, Jesus Christ not only bore all the sins of all mankind on the cross, but also we, our "selves", were crucified with Him. "Self" was also crucified with Him, and in this way "self" was finished. Just as this book in my hand is Jesus Christ, you, I, and he are this piece of paper, and when this piece of paper is in the book, it is as if you, I, and he are in Christ. When this book is thrown into the water, this piece of paper is thrown into the water with the book, which means that Jesus Christ was crucified, and we are crucified with Him, and when the Lord Jesus died, we all died. This is also the metaphor of God ending man's "self" through the cross. But in terms of experience, we, on the human side, must accept the work of God's hand, just as Jesus was crucified, and all our sins were taken on by Him. But in terms of experience, you and I must believe in order to receive this blessing. On the contrary, if you refuse and do not believe, you will still go to hell. It is not the case that after Jesus' crucifixion and completion of salvation, all people will go to heaven. The subjective experience is whether or not you believe in Christ's salvation. Let's say I am sued for a $5 million debt, and a brother who loves the Lord goes to court on my behalf and pays off the $5 million, then the judge summons me and declares, "Someone has paid off your debt for you, now please sign the certificate, and if I don't sign, it means that I don't accept. It is true that someone has paid off a five million dollar debt for me, but if I refuse, I still have to keep on paying the five million dollar debt. Galatians 5:24 says, "And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." This means that the crucifixion of Jesus Christ has ended our "self" life, but I still have to believe and accept this objective fact. However, I still have to believe and accept this objective fact, and then subjectively, I have to accept Christ's work of curing "self", i.e. the purification of the cross.   V. God removes the impurities of self life through the purification of the cross Jeremiah 48:11 tells us, "Moab has been at ease from his youth; He has settled on his dregs, and has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, nor has he gone into captivity. Therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent has not changed." The historical source of "Moab" is the descendants of Abraham's nephew, Lot, who had committed incest with his daughter (Gen. 19:36-37), which is an indication of the physical body. How can we solve the problem of our natural "self" which, like Moab, is adulterated with the flesh? The prophets of old spoke of Moab as the dregs of wine that needed to be cleansed, which means that our "self" is adulterated and must be cleansed. In ancient times, wine was made by hand. Grapes were picked and pressed in a winepress to crush the grapes, and after the juice flowed out, the grapes were placed in bottles and then poured from one vessel into another. So pouring and pouring, each time to pour, there will be some residue left in the bottom of the vessel. And so they clarified and filtered it until the dregs were pure wine, and then they sealed the bottle. The prophet's analogy of Moab being carnal and not having gone through the purification process of the cross is like the impurities of unclarified wine. From this, we can see that the "self" in us must be purified by God's cross and the impurities of our "self" must be removed. Therefore, if God is merciful and gracious to us, in order to make our lives pure, sooner or later He will do the work of refining and purifying in you and me. There are three main experiences of God's purifying work. Refining Faith to Purity How does God purify the dross of our lives? First of all, He purifies our faith so that we can become pure. Temporary grieved in the midst of various trials In 1 Peter 1:6-7, we read, "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ," It says here that we are in the midst of trials and tribulations today, just as the apostle Peter was in his old age, when the saints of the church suffered many hardships. As we understand this truth and see the history of the saints of old, we should learn to endure all kinds of trials, whether it is the attack of the evil one, the pressure of the family, the rejection of the colleagues, the misunderstanding of the believers, the financial loss, and so on, God always makes us feel as if the trouble comes one after another in different ways, and the sufferings come in a swarm, so that we may be sorrowful for a while. A brother was introduced by an unbeliever to buy a piece of land at a comparable price, but later the price of the land increased many times, causing the agent to change his mind, so that he had to appeal to the court. After the court's judgment, the brother had already won the case and was able to obtain the land rights, but the litigation was delayed again and again, and the brother was saddened, and seemed to be in the midst of a lot of trials and tribulations. Thank the Lord! The couple was blessed by the Lord's grace in this matter, and had not complained against the Lord for several years, and firmly believed that the Lord had a good will in it. After fellowshipping with the brothers, we experienced the Lord's words, "Though now for a little while, you have been grieved by various trials while, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire". They are convinced that the Lord will make a way for them. Faith being tested is more precious than gold that is tested by fire and still perishes There are many kinds of gold, including 20% gold, 50% gold, 90% gold, and some people want to buy pure gold. Ordinary metals are half gold and half copper, but gold must be refined by fire before it becomes pure gold. The faith of a saint is more precious than gold that has been refined by fire. In order for saints to have true faith and pure faith, God allows all kinds of adversities and difficulties to come to us, so that we can be like the saints of old, who did not panic and rely on people, things, and objects other than the Lord in the midst of unsatisfactory and frustrating circumstances, but instead, in the midst of severe trials, relied on the Lord to be strong in our hearts, and were able to be patient until we came out of the trials, and experienced the sweetness and the bitterness of the trials. The brother we mentioned just now, the litigation case of the land he purchased has been delayed for several years, and is still pending today. After fellowship with the brothers in the church, he received the help of God's word again, and saw in his spirit that Christians are just travelers in the world, and that what we hope for is a spiritual, heavenly and heavenly foundation, which is imperishable, incorruptible, and cannot decay, and which will last forever. We hope in the precious Jesus Christ, who is spiritual, spiritual and heavenly, imperishable, undefiled, incorruptible, and enduring forever. In this respect the brother is like the apostle Paul who said, "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ" (Phil. 3:7-8) Therefore, instead of being anxious, he was filled with joy and went on with his ministry. Having experienced firsthand that faith, when tested, is more precious than gold that can be broken. In the old days, the two to three million people of Israel traveled out of Egypt through the Red Sea, through the wilderness, and finally into Canaan. This journey lasted forty years, and geographically speaking, it would have taken only eleven days to travel from Egypt, through Mount Sinai and Galilee to the border of Canaan (Deut. 1:2). However, because of their unbelief (faith not being tested), they failed again and again, so the Lord caused them to delay in the wilderness, circling around and around, for 38 years, and it took them a total of 40 years from the time of their exodus from Egypt to the time of their entry into Canaan. The word "forty" in the Bible refers to the number of trials. During the forty years of wandering in the wilderness, the Israelites had been wearing out and refining their impure fleshly "self". Their wavering faith was refined and strengthened through trial after trial. Therefore, Caleb and Joshua led those under twenty years of age to enter the land of Canaan. This historical fact shows us that God wants pure faith, so He must purify the impure part. Let's look at Abraham, the progenitor of faith, and see from his life history how God purified his faith to achieve purity. He was first led out of Ur of the Chaldees by the Lord, and the Lord appeared to him, and promised him, "Then He brought him outside and said, 'Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.' And He said to him, 'So shall your descendants be.' And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness." (Gen. 15:5-6). However, as year after year passed by, Sarah was still not pregnant. She was so anxious and impatient that she suggested to Abraham that she should lie with her daughter Hagar and give birth to Ishmael. After this, God was greatly displeased, and hid it from Abraham. Not only that, but because of the consequences of the birth of man's fleshly "self," to this day the descendants of Ishmael, that is, the Arabians, have always been at enmity with the Israelites, and the Israelites (the descendants of Isaac) have always suffered from the descendants of Ishmael. From this historical fact, we can see that Abraham thought that by having a son with Hagar, he could fulfill the will of God. Instead, the descendants of Ishmael have been enemies of Israel for all eternity. Meanwhile, after the birth of Ishmael, the Lord did not appear to Abraham for 13 years. In the past, God often communicated with Abraham, and Abraham was called God's friend. However, since he slept with his daughter Hagar, and used the "self" method to fulfill God's will, there were thirteen years in the Bible, and there was no more record of Abraham's deeds. In other words, these thirteen years were wasted and wasted. Although the Bible does not record this explicitly, one can imagine that Abraham must have felt great spiritual remorse during these thirteen years. When he was ninety-nine years old, and Sarah had ceased to bear children, God appeared to him and said, "Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac." (Gen. 17:19) And it came to pass, when Abraham was a hundred years old, that the Lord showed favor to Sarah according to his word; and Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son, and called his name Ishmael, in the day which God had told her. This event enabled Abraham to experience for himself that God is an almighty God, who is able to change nothing into something, and to raise the dead. After Abraham's faith was tested, his "own" ways were gone, his "own" power was gone, and he relied on the Lord alone in pure faith. Further, God put Abraham in a deeper and more extreme test, i.e. when Isaac grew up, the Lord called Abraham and asked him to say, "Take now your son, your only son, Isaac whom you love,...and offer him there as a burnt offering" (Gen. 22:2) Thank God! Abraham's faith was tested again and again, and it became mature and pure. He firmly believed that he was old and Sarah's fertility had been cut off, but the Lord is almighty, and He is able to raise the dead and turn nothing into something. Now he was convinced that the Lord would raise Isaac from the dead after he had offered him to the Lord. Hebrews 11:19 specifically says, "(Abraham) concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead," So he did not hesitate, but went forward, as God had commanded him, and brought Isaac, his only beloved, to the altar on Mount Moriah, where God had directed him to go, and when he had the sword in his hand to kill Isaac, the angel of the LORD called out, and stopped Abraham, saying, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” (Gen. 22:12) From the spiritual journey of Abraham's life, we see again and again that God had been testing his faith. First, God called him to leave his native land, tribe and father's house, and to go to the place that God showed him, and then he obeyed the command by faith until the final trial. Refine love to attain purity Not only must our faith be tested to be pure, but also our love must be tested to be pure. How many Christians today love the Lord because of the benefits they receive from Him, just like a merchant who buys and sells? If the Lord hears my prayers, then I praise Him, if He blesses my business, then I worship and thank Him, if He promotes me to a higher position, then I love Him more and serve Him more. On the other hand, when the Lord's trial comes, and I can't make any money, I don't get promoted, and my circumstances are not favorable, then I will praise Hallelujah and stop loving and serving the Lord. This shows how impure people's love for the Lord is! Therefore, God often comes to the saints through trials in order to test whether our love for the Lord is true and pure. There was a young sister who loved the Lord and was very happy to be introduced to the Lord for marriage, so she was more serious and active in prayer, fellowship, and visiting in the meetings than before. Suddenly, the man felt that he was not compatible and distanced himself from her, and her whole spiritual life collapsed. Not only did she not hear any prayers in the meetings, but she lost her energy for fellowship and visiting, and she had no burden to serve, and she even grumbled against the Lord. I am not saying that we are stronger than our sister, but the facts show us how adulterated and impure the love of Christians for the Lord is. However, there are some very good sisters who have been introduced to each other and have reached a point where they are in love with each other and are ready to talk about marriage, but then the man leaves without saying goodbye for some unknown reason, which is a blow to the sister, but this sister even submits to it. She deeply felt that the Lord is reliable, that He has loved me and sacrificed His life for me, and that I should live for Him, and that she should continue to love the Lord and serve Him. Because she recognized that she did not love the Lord for the sake of her marriage partner, her heart of love for the Lord became purer than ever after she had been tested and deprived of love. As 1 Peter 1:8 says, "Though you have not seen him, yet you love him. And now, though you do not see him, yet because you believe in him you have great joy that is inexpressible and full of glory. This time I went to a church on the west coast of the United States to release the message of the Lord's love. For two or three moments during the message, I couldn't help but weep. I couldn't hold back my tears, and the audience was also moved to tears. After the message, I returned. After two weeks of this, on this Sunday, it was not only pouring rain but also hail in the area. But I was glad to receive a call from a brother who thought who would be willing to come to the meeting on Sunday morning in the pouring rain and hail? Thank the Lord! He didn't realize that the message of the Lord's love had really gone out that Sunday, and not only did the number of people not decrease, but a few more came in. He thought it would be good if half of the regular attendees could come today. But he didn't realize that there were a few more. Oh! What can separate us from the love of Christ? Is it a storm? Is it hail? It is clear that our pure love for the Lord is born of trials and tribulations. No wonder! Madame Guyon once said, roughly meaning: Even if the Lord were to cast me into hell, I would still love Him and praise and worship my God. This is pure love. In the course of following the Lord, the Lord will allow us to face the hardships of the fire, and I hope that we can accept them by the Lord's grace, knowing that all these things are the refining of our love for the Lord, so that it will become pure. Refining the impurities of the motive of the heart The "motive of the heart" is in the deepest part of the human being. If there is an intention or hope other than the Lord's, it is not really for the Lord alone, and the Lord purifies and removes it through difficult trials. Proverbs 17:3: "The pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the hearts." Silver is a precious, it must be refined into pure silver in a pot. Gold is more precious than silver, so it needs to be refined into pure gold in a furnace that is several times hotter. The heart of man is most deceitful and adulterated, so the Lord Himself refines the hearts. David was born a shepherd and eventually ascended to the throne as king of Israel. He had gone through many long periods of trial and tribulation in his life history. He also felt that he had become quite spiritual. He once wrote a psalm, "Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully." (Psalm 24:3-4) It is implied that David was a man with a clean heart and clean hands who could climb the mountain of the Lord. Unexpectedly, while he was on the throne and in the height of his popularity, he stayed in Jerusalem while his men were away at war, rising at sunset and walking leisurely on the flat roof, when Satan caused his eyes to rest on Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, who was bathing; and he summoned her to the palace to sleep with him. Soon after the crime, Bathsheba sent word that she was pregnant. Upon learning of this, David tried to shirk his responsibility and quickly ordered Uriah to be recalled from the battlefield. But Uriah, thinking that her comrades were still sleeping on the battlefield, stayed at the entrance of the palace for the night instead of going home. Knowing that this plan would not work, David ordered Uriah to return to the line of battle and sent a letter to Joab, the commander-in-chief, imploring him to send Uriah to the front line to die in battle. The Lord then sent the prophet Nathan to condemn David. David immediately went before God in sincere sorrow and repentance. He wrote his confession into Psalm 51. He sincerely repented of his sins and begged God, "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. ......I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me....... Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow....... Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me......A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise." Thank the Lord! He is the God of forgiveness, and after He forgave David, He disciplined him in love, thereby purifying David's heart and motives into purity.   VI. Purity of the inner life The last point is the light that God desires for believers who walk in the way of the inner life, that is, the purity of the inner life. Christ as Lord rules over the spirit, soul, and body Because Christ is Lord in us, naturally Christ is Lord over our spirit, soul, and body. In this way Christ lives in us and is the life of the whole man, which is naturally what Philippians 1:20, 21 says: "so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Christ fills the whole being, revealing His holiness and glory Further, Christ fills our whole being, that is, our spirit, through our soul, including our mind, emotions, and will. At that time, the mind of Jesus Christ is our mind, and the liking of the Lord Jesus is our liking. As the psalm says, O let me think how Thou didst leave Untasted every pure delight we also put aside pure delights, and do not seek our own pleasure, but make Christ's rules our own. To be filled with Christ in this way is to be completely united with the Lord, not only in Christ's resurrection, but also in Christ's victory, and to live out Christ's life and character, and to exude Christ's pure life. As the psalm says, Live Thyself, Lord Jesus, through me, For my very life art Thou; <--  Back to "The Pathway of Inner Being" Next Chapter -->

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:30, Galatians 2:20, 4:19, Ephesians 3:17, 4:13, Philippians 1:20 Our series of messages have been in the context of fellowship with the "Pathway of Inner Being". The pathway of the inner life is the hidden experience of spiritual life. The ultimate goal is to achieve complete union with Christ. For a normal Christian, from the day of salvation by grace, begins to enter into a relationship with Christ. Naturally and invisibly, he or she enters into the threshold of union with Christ, and thus enters into the path of inner life throughout his or her life. Then their spiritual life not only grows continuously, but also becomes more and more united with God, and the more united they become, the deeper they become, until they are completely united with Christ, that is, they reach the fullness of Christ, the fullness of the whole man. At that time, Christ and I will never be separated from each other. Just as a drop of water is lost in the sea, so also does the apostle say in Philippians 1:20-21: "...so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ," This indicates a state of complete union with Christ. However, there are two things that we must pay special attention to and not overlook in this journey of inner life. The first is to know Christ. The second is union with Christ. For the more we know Christ, not only do we enter into union with Him, but we also have access to all His riches. This is what it mean in Colossians 2:9-10 we are told, "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power." The process of union with Christ, from initial to full union, can be summarized in three stages: Stage One In Christ Christ in me Stage Two Abiding in Christ Christ abiding in me Stage Three Christ grows and is formed in me Christ is manifested in me In Christ We have just read 1 Corinthians 1:30, which says, "But of Him you are in Christ Jesus" . This means that all human beings in the world, throughout the ages, handed down from generation to generation, are all in Adam. Let's say my last name is Jeng, and my son's last name is also Jeng. As soon as he came out of his mother's womb, he was in a family with the surname of "Jeng", and he was in the lineage of the "Jeng" family. Since the beginning of mankind's history until today, we have been in Adam's lineage. Until the day we believed in Jesus and accepted Christ as our Savior, God put us in Christ or moved us to Christ. It is not to run into Christ, for no man can run into Christ by himself, but when we call on the name of Jesus Christ, God moves us from Adam into Christ. In Romans 11:19-20, when the Apostle Paul talked about this experience, he quoted the analogy of a tree receiving a branch, that is, God receives us as a branch into Christ. He said that we (the Gentiles) were originally branches of the wild olive tree, and the Jews (God's elect) were branches of the olive tree, but because they rejected the Son of God and did not accept Christ as their Savior, they were rejected by God. They were rejected by God because they rejected the Son of God and did not accept Christ as their Savior, just as the branches of the olive tree were cut off. Now you and I, Gentile Christians, the wild olive tree branches, are taken up and we are united with Christ. Like the vine and its branches, we are united to Christ. Christ in me Romans 8:1 says, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus," . This signifies that when we believe in the Lord Jesus, God not only puts us in Christ, but He also looks at us as if we have never sinned, meaning that He justifies us and pleases us. In other words, God not only forgives our sins, but also brings Christ into us, which is called Christ in me. 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?" This means that we have asked for the name of Jesus Christ, and God has recognized us as belonging to Christ forever, and will not forsake us, but will justify and accept us (Romans 5:18). From this we can see that when we believe in Jesus, Christ comes into us through the Holy Spirit. Obviously, Christ is in you and in me, one side of me is in Christ and the other side is Christ in me, and this experience happens at the same time. The riches of our Lord Jesus Christ are limitless, like an endless ocean. You and I are like a small bottle. When we believe in Jesus Christ, on the one hand, God puts this small bottle in the big ocean; on the other hand, the sea water pours into the bottle until it is full of water, and both of these things happen at the same time.  3. Abiding in Christ We have said that "In Christ" is a spiritual fact, referring to the divine status that we have attained by believing in the Lord Jesus, the fact that God has done it for us so that we can be united with Christ. Now we move on to the experience of "Abiding in Christ". John 15:5 is a key to the treasury of the Bible, which, once opened, reveals the riches of God's glory. The Lord Jesus Himself said, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him..." This speaks of entering into the experience of union with Christ. But in fact, we often run away from Christ again, so we have to keep practicing and enter into a continuous abiding in Christ and union with Him. For example, in today's society there are some young people who have been caught by the government and put in a reformatory because they have often committed crimes. As a matter of fact, this young man is incarcerated in a reformatory and no longer lives at home. However, if his name is Huang, even though he has run away from his family and is incarcerated in a reformatory and no longer lives at home, his family name does not change because of this!   Similarly, after you and I believe in Jesus and are saved, God moves us to Christ and we become Christians. So wherever we go, we are Christians. We are Christians no matter where we go. We are Christians if our behavior is good, but we are still Christians even if our behavior is bad, and we are Christians even if we win or lose. For example, the young man surnamed Huang, who is supposed to live in the Huang family, is still a son of the Huang family, even though he has run away from home to do evil. But even though he is a son of the Huang family, he cannot live in the Huang family and enjoy all the riches of the Huang family. The day we believe in Jesus, we come to Christ, live in Christ, experience the sweetness of fellowship when we pray and draw near to the Lord, sometimes enjoy the richness of the Lord's words in reading the Bible, or enjoy the Lord's grace with all the saints in the church, bask in the depth of the Lord's love, and live the highest Christian life. However, some Christians, unable to withstand the temptations of the world, go out to socialize with their friends, and gradually stop praying, then stop reading the Bible, and stop meeting; although they are called Christians, they have in fact gone out of Christ. Therefore, the third experience of the Christian must be built up to maintain "abiding in Christ". This is because abiding in Christ is like a branch connected to the vine, allowing the life, sap, and nourishment of the vine to be passed on to the branches, which then thrive and bear much fruit. Therefore, a person who abides in Christ must receive the abundant life of the Lord and be able to provide for the life of the Lord, exuding His riches and manifesting His glory. The Old Testament records that Moses went up the mountain for forty days and forty nights to draw near to the Lord, just as the Christians of the New Testament era have the experience of abiding in Christ. On that occasion when Moses went up to the mountain to draw near to the Lord, the Bible specifically says, "When Moses came down from Mount Sinai....did not know his ski n shone while he talked with Him" (Exodus 34:29). Likewise, the Christian who enters into intimate fellowship with the Lord, without realizing it, will shine with the glory of the Lord. Oh! There is no one so close to us as the Lord, for Christ is in us. As the psalm says, Within the Veil: be this, belov’d, thy portion, Within the secret of thy Lord to dwell; Beholding Him, until thy face His glory, Thy life His love, thy lips His praise shall tell Back in my youth, I used to draw near to the Lord with a group of companions who pursued the Lord with a pure heart. At first, when I was learning to draw near to the Lord, twenty minutes seemed to be enough, but the closer I got to the Lord and the more I was brought into fellowship with Him, the time was increased to half an hour or even an hour. Oh! The closer I get to the Lord, the sweeter I feel; the closer I get to the Lord, the more I am attracted by His glory. The closer I get to the Lord, the more my heart longs for Him, and I wish to be immersed in Him, to be one with Him forever. Christ abides in me If we abide in Christ, Christ abides in us. The experience of "abiding in Christ is not the same as Christ abiding in us. We have already mentioned the experience of abiding in Christ, but now we will look at the process of Christ's abiding in us. Christ living in me "Christ lives in me" refers to the fact that Christ governs me in me, that is, as Galatians 2:20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." It means that I, the sinner, have been crucified with Christ, and I am no longer the master; it is no longer I, the sinner, who live, but Christ who lives in me. It is Christ who is the master, who leads me, who dominates me, who governs me. When a Christian is in this experience, he can be considered to have grown considerably, for it is Christ who is the life in him. Christ is our life Colossians 3:4 says, "Christ is our life" . But are we really letting Christ be our life in our experience? A person who lets Christ be his life is one who lets Christ take the lead. For the nature of Christ's life is of a divine nature, and the characteristics of God's nature are experienced naturally, not artificially created or cultivated through hard work, but by accepting the characteristics of His own life. It is the acceptance of the characteristics of His own life. It is like a pig on a farm, an animal whose odor is smelled before you can see it. The characteristic of a pig's life is that it likes to roll around in the sludge and manure. On the other hand, if you put a sheep in a pigpen, it will immediately struggle and will not be able to rest; for sheep are clean animals, and the characteristic of their life is that they like to be clean. In the same way, Christians, because Christ is our life, are called to live a life of holiness. Christ is our wisdom Further, 1 Corinthians 1:30 reads, "But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption." It is stated that we can be in Christ today because we believe that God put us in Christ when we were born again and saved; at the same time, Christ came into us and became our life. When we experience Christ as our life, one of the main elements is to experience Christ as our wisdom. This means experiencing Christ as our method and guide in life, work, and ministry. One Thursday night in the witnessing meeting, a young sister shared that over the past few years, she had not dared to accept being assigned to speak on topics about the truth, she only dared to share her testimonies. Because whenever she was assigned to share, she would be in a state of fear and panic, and even though she tried to prepare for fellowship in a different ways, she still had no clue and was unable to get the hang of the situation. This year, however, she decided to go to Taipei for the summer conference, and a co-worker arranged for her to do some sharing. At first, she repeatedly refused, but the sister encouraged her to practice so that she could make progress, and she finally reluctantly agreed. So she prepared very seriously on Monday, and during her visitation, she repeatedly asked several sisters for advice, hoping to get help from them. However, she was still in a state of panic and her mind was so worried that she didn't know how to interweave her testimonies. Until Friday she decided to give up, but her co-worker said, "If you give up now and arrange for someone else, that person won't have enough time to prepare. So she had to accept it, and she went to the Lord to pray and look up. Thank God, that night, the Holy Spirit suddenly gave her words and many points to share, and she was suddenly anointed and assured in her spirit. The following Saturday, the sisters were concerned and asked her if she was ready. She said she was not ready, but that the Lord's word had come. Sure enough, on Sunday, she stood up boldly, and when she opened her mouth, she experienced a river of living water flowing out of her belly. On the other hand, she was spiritually released and anointed in a way that she had never been before. She truly experienced Christ as our wisdom. Christ is or righteousness We have just read 1 Corinthians 1:30 which says that it is God's work that we are in Christ. On the other hand, "But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became.... righteousness...." This means that God has made Christ to live in us, to be our righteousness, and He will guide us to act in righteousness and enable us to live out our righteousness. For example, in the United States, a country with a high level of culture and education, almost all citizens obey the laws of the land, especially traffic discipline. Whenever a vehicle arrives at an intersection, although there is no police or traffic light to direct the driver, the driver will automatically stop at the intersection, and then give way to each other and wait for the first person to go through before driving through the intersection. Thank God! Christ dwells in us, He is the Righteous One who naturally calls us to act or live out righteousness. There is a testimony that talks about a military dormitory. There was a devout Christian who, every day before going to bed, would kneel down before the Lord and pray. The soldiers in his room used to deliberately make fun of him, making him cry. One night when a storm was raging, his fellow soldiers came back from duty, soaked to the skin and their boots were covered with mud. When they saw this Christian kneeling in front of his bed and praying, they deliberately put their boots, which were covered with mud, next to his head. They saw the Christian kneeling in front of his bed, so they deliberately put their boots, covered with mud, next to his head. The Christian ignored them and continued to pray, so they were bored and went to bed. Miraculously, the next morning, when the soldiers in the same room got up, they found that their boots were not only free of mud, but also polished and neatly placed in front of their beds, and their hearts were moved with guilt, and they repented and returned to the Lord. This is an example of Christ's indwelling righteousness. Christ is our Sanctification The life of Christ in us is characterized by the holiness of God. That is why 1 Corinthians 1:30 says, "But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us .... sanctification..." The qualities of Christ's life in us make us naturally holy. In other words, the secret of holiness is not that we try to be holy, but that He is holy. When we allow Christ to live in us, we live a holy life, free from sin and unholiness. Another Thursday night fellowship. A young adult testified that he had recently taken up a higher position in a new company. Many of his organization's subordinates are unbelievers. Although they have received higher education, they often speak in obscene and delusional language, especially after work, when they open their gossip boxes, they talk about men and women, and always bring in obscene and dirty language. At first, it was very hard for him to hear this, but since he had just been appointed to a new company, he smiled and catered to the colleagues in order to please them, so every time he went back home, he was in great pain inside, and his conscience often scolded him, "You are a Christian, why do you mix with people who do not believe in Jesus? Thanks to God's mercy, the brother quickly avoided his coworkers when they chatted and gossiped, and maintained a life of holiness, which is the experience of Christ's holiness in us. Christ is our Redeemer I Corinthians 1:30 not only speaks of Christ as our wisdom, righteousness, and sanctification, but finally it speaks of Christ as our redemption, which means that Christ is the life in us, and that He will fill our souls, and through our souls, we will attain to the experience of the body. Of course, this will not happen until Christ returns and our bodies are transformed to resemble His glorious body. This means that our bodies will be resurrected and transformed to reveal Christ and be raptured in the Glory.  Christ makes His home in us Regarding the experience of Christ's dwelling in us, Ephesians 3:17 reads, "That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith." This means that Christ lives and reigns in us and governs us freely. The phrase "Christ has made His home in us" means that Christ has made our hearts and minds His dwelling place, or His home. It means that He wants to be the Lord, not as a guest, but as a host. A host is one who has the right of ownership, the right to control, and use of all things in the home. A guest is a visitor who has no right to use and move the furniture around as he pleases. This shows that Christ treats us as His own home, which means that He manages and uses us as He pleases. Therefore, when we give Christ full sovereignty over us, we allow Him to live in our hearts and minds and to freely rule over us and use us. In this way we experience Christ living in us. Christ grows and is formed in me The spiritual experience is getting deeper and deeper because Christ is not just going to live in us; He is going to grow and be formed in us. How Christ grows and is formed in us, there are two important experiences to be mentioned: Through the cross, Christ is formed (structured) within Galatians 4:19 reads, "My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you." It is stated that the step for Christ to be formed and grow up in us is through "labor in birth". "Labor in birth" describe the experience of a woman in labor. When a woman goes into labor, she suffers severe pains that increase until the baby is born. No wonder some young women who have just conceived their first child and are nervous when approaching the time of labor, they are anxious, and worried about whether or not the labor will be difficult, and so they go around asking questions about the labor process. The apostle's use of "labor in birth" to describe the painful experience of the cross is really appropriate. When we are born again and saved, the life of Christ comes into us, and this life will gradually grow and take shape in you and me, and will expand to our whole being, including every part of our mind, emotion, and will. When a hen lays an egg, it is an egg on the outside, but there is the life of a chick inside. If the egg has to be incubated, and the life of the chicken will grow until the chick is fully formed, and then the chick will break out of the shell. In terms of experience, when Christians are born again and saved, God puts Christ (life) in us. God then arranges all kinds of people, events and things to interact with each other, causing our souls to be tormented, even beaten and broken, so that the life of Christ can gradually grow and be formed in us. If we are merciful to the Lord and go through the experience of accepting the cross again and again, then the life of Christ will continue to grow and take shape in us. In ancient times, most of the cloth was woven on a loom. First, the thread was put on the loom, and then it was woven vertically, horizontally, and vertically to form a large piece of cloth. If it was not woven vertically and horizontally, it would not be able to become a large piece of cloth, and these are two different directions.   Once I asked a ticket vendor at the Taipei bus station if a certain bus number was passing by, and he seemed like he didn't hear, so I asked him again, and he answered me in a displeased tone, saying, "You have eyes to see for yourself! I thank the Lord that I walked away in peace and silence in Christ. If I had not had Christ in me, I would have blamed this man for being so uneducated, and for being so unreasonable when he was asked with courtesy. Oh! If we are attentive in our lives, we must find that there are many encounters, crosses of different sizes, to be experienced every day. If we receive it once, the life of Christ will be organized once, and if we receive it again and again, it will be like the weaving of a loom, which will soon become a large piece of cloth, and Christ will be formed in us. Psalm 45:13 says, "The royal daughter is all glorious within the palace; her clothing is woven with gold." Here, the embroidered garments are used to depict the fact that the more we accept the cross, the more Christ is formed in us. Naturally, this kind of Christian has allowed Christ to grow and be formed in him. Seriously, there are a few keys to spiritual experience that must be firmly grasped. The first is to abide in Christ— and continually remain in Him. Because when the cross comes, the natural man will not be able to accept it, and the human flesh will not be able to submit to it, so how can one accept it? By the power and grace of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, if one does not abide in Christ, when the cross comes, he will either refuse or run away. Therefore, we must practice and build up a life of abiding in Christ. The second step is the secret of fruitfulness mentioned in John 15:5. Jesus said, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit." But before this statement, there is a statement that you need to pay attention to: " Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. " (John 15:2) A person who abides in Christ is a fruitful branch. The "pruning" refers to the ensuing cross. When the vinedresser sees a bunch of grapes growing, he prunes the fruit-bearing branches so that new branches will spring up and bear new fruit. Experientially speaking, there are parts of us that are carnal, hard, and old, and the gardener (Jesus Christ) came and pruned me of my talkativeness, you of your hardness and strength, and him of his loitering and idleness. In short, the Lord raises up the circumstances, the difficulties, and the blows that come. For the cross is the means by which Christ is formed in us. No wonder the Apostle Paul tells us, "We must go through many difficulties to enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). How much of the image of Christ we have in us is based on how much we accept the cross. But how much we accept the cross is based on whether or not we continue to "abide in Christ". May the Lord be gracious to us in the remaining years of our lives, and may we treasure the experience of abiding in Christ. As the psalm says, Enter the veil and go without the camp, Taste heaven’s sweetness, thus the earth forsake; If by the Holiest I am satisfied, How can I of earth’s vanities partake? Recognize the Son of God and grow to manhood in it A Christian's experience of union with Christ begins with seeing the Son of God, i.e., knowing Christ, the Son of God, inwardly. This knowledge is not a reasoned concept, or a head knowledge. It is a spiritual seeing and knowing. That is why Paul prayed in Ephesians 1:17, "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him" This means that the inner spirit receives the revelation of the Holy Spirit and sees that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and immediately we enter into union with Christ, which is the initial experience. The Apostle Paul said in Galatians 1:16, "It pleased God...to reveal His Son in me ......." This means that when we are born again, we receive the revelation of the Son of God in our spirit. At this time, Christ is born as a baby in you and me, and then the Holy Spirit leads us to gradually have a wider and deeper understanding of the Son of God. The more we know Christ, the more we gain His fullness, and naturally, the more our spiritual life grows. As our knowledge of the Son of God grows, our experience of Christ grows, and naturally the life of Christ is not only fully organized in us, but we also reach full maturity in the life of Christ. So Ephesians 4:13 tells us, "Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." The meaning is that when the knowledge of the Son of God is perfected, the spiritual life experience reaches its highest peak, that is, the life of Christ pervades all the parts of the person, including the mind, emotions and will in the soul and spirit, all of which are filled with the life of Christ. Christ is manifested in me The last point is that when spiritual life reaches its peak, not only does the stature of Christ grow and take shape in you, but the life (nature) of Christ is also manifested in us. This is what the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 1:20, "Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death." Human life consists of two words, "life and death". "Life" started after we leave the womb of our mother, we live in the human society. "Death is the end of life. When we finish our journey in life, the impression (image) that we leave behind is whether or not it is Christ. If so, it shows that the spiritual life of the Christian has reached a spiritual peak, and that the person has been closely and deeply united with Christ. It is indeed difficult to explain "union with Christ". Thank the Lord! Brother Nee once told the story of a blacksmith who was making iron. He put a piece of black iron into a hot furnace and burned it until it turned red, then he took it out, and his apprentice rolled a piece of paper on the iron to start the fire, and the fire started to burn, and Brother Nee was very amazed that the iron actually produced fire. Later, he realized that this piece of iron was different from ordinary iron; it had been burned in a furnace, and now it was both iron and fire. In other words, the fire was in the iron and the iron was in the fire, and it had the weight of iron and the shape of fire. God's ultimate work is for us to be united with Christ as iron is with fire, so that not only is everything in iron, but also everything that is fire is in iron. May the Lord bless His own words, so that we may see that the ultimate spiritual peak of the Christian life experience is to be filled with Christ and to manifest Christ in complete union with Him. Therefore, we are encouraged to be kept by the Lord in the remaining years of our lives, and to continue to move forward on this path of life until we enter into a complete union with Christ, where God and man will never be separated again. --- E N D --- <-- Back to "The Pathway of Inner Being"

Bible Reading: Exodus 15:23, 27; 16:1-4, 13-15, 31 Numbers 11:7-9; 17:17 John 6:35, 51 Ephesians 5:18 VII. Spring Water and Palm Trees (Exo 15:27)—Christ is our Satisfaction and Rest [Elim] After crossing the Red Sea, the Israelites set out on their journey, moving forward from one place to another. At Marah, they encountered bitter waters—but when a tree was cast into the waters, the waters turned sweet. This mirrors how, in our walk with the Lord, we may face hardships, yet when we reflect upon the cross of Christ, our hearts are instantly filled with sweetness. They then continued onward: "Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters." (Exodus 15:27). The "springs" (wells of water) provide cool, thirst-quenching satisfaction. The "palm trees" offer shade and rest. When the people of Israel arrived at Elim, they found both springs and palm trees. Spiritually, this signifies that Christ is the saints’ true satisfaction and rest. Therefore, the progress of our spiritual journey is reflected in whether we take Christ as our source of fulfillment and rest—or whether we seek satisfaction through worldly pursuits like cars, luxury homes, and entertainment. This illustrates how gracious and merciful God is to us. On the negative side, He allows us to experience the emptiness and unrest of the world, showing that it cannot truly satisfy. On the positive side, He leads us to a deeper experience where Christ alone becomes our satisfaction and rest. Elim after Marah “Marah” means bitter. In God’s leading of the Israelites, the Lord first brought them to Marah, and afterward to Elim. This signifies that Christians first experience hardship (suffering) before entering into joy (glory) (Luke 24:26). So when we go through trials and pain, we must remember that Elim lies ahead waiting for us. Once the trial of suffering passes, satisfaction and joy follow. Hebrews 12:2 says: "For the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Indeed, Jesus endured unimaginable pain and disgrace when crucified. The cross, at that time, was the most cruel punishment reserved for criminals. Yet Christ bore this suffering because He saw the joy that awaited Him—He knew the cross was a temporary affliction, after which came glory and rejoicing. Furthermore, God does not intend for His people to dwell endlessly in Marah’s suffering. His heart is to quickly deliver us into Elim. When the Israelites arrived at the springs and palms of Elim, they completely forgot the bitterness of Marah. I thank the Lord for His mercy and protection, allowing me to serve from my youth up to now—for over forty years. During this time, I’ve witnessed many brothers and sisters who once endured poverty, illness, hunger, and the agony of being without medical help. Yet now, they have entered into the blessed season of Elim. This shows us: when we find ourselves in Marah’s bitter trials, we must not be discouraged or remain stagnant. If you linger there, you’ll remain in prolonged suffering. Today, many Christians fail to see the Elim that lies ahead, and so they cease moving forward—some fall into discouragement, drift away from the Lord, and ultimately turn back to Egypt. Brothers and sisters, to halt at Marah is one of life’s greatest losses. Because if, in your suffering, you turn back, Egypt and the Pharaoh (the world, the devil) is waiting to enslave you again. Know this: returning to Egypt will leave you in lifelong regret—how deeply lamentable that would be! Twelve Springs of Water At Elim, there were twelve springs of water. "Springs" refers to quenching of thirst and deep satisfaction. In John chapter 4, we read that Jesus came to Sychar in Samaria and spoke with a woman who had come to draw water. During their conversation, Jesus said: "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:13–14) These words pierced straight into her heart—while also revealing that Christ Himself is the true source, able to meet every need of the human soul. In response, the woman said to Jesus, “Sir, give me this water that I may not thirst and come here to draw.” Elim had twelve springs of water. In the Bible, “twelve” represents eternal and fullness. The “twelve springs” signify that Christ is our eternal satisfaction (John 4:13–14). All the brothers and sisters gathered for this special meeting have come with one shared longing: to personally experience that the Lord alone is our true and everlasting fulfillment. On another level, the twelve springs were meant for the twelve tribes of Israel—each tribe had its own spring. This illustrates how these twelve springs were God's provision for the unique needs of each tribe. Spiritually speaking, the twelve springs signify that Jesus abundantly supplies for the needs of all believers. No matter how countless the number of Christians around the world may be, everyone who comes to the Lord will receive timely and sufficient provision. Isn’t this true? Christian from ancient times until now collectively represent the twelve tribes of Israel as a type and foreshadow. The Seventy Palm Trees The "seventy palm trees" provided shade for the Israelite to rest beneath. "Trees" symbolize the victorious cross of Christ—a place of refuge and rest for the saints. When you come before the cross with the burdens pressing upon your soul, those burdens fall away, and your spirit finds rest in Christ. Oh, the victorious cross is rest indeed. Blessed are those who take refuge in Him! Psalm 90:10 says, "The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years..." Thus, the seventy trees also signify provision for the span of our lives. In other words, from the moment we are born again until the day we see the Lord face to face, we may daily draw near to Him and enjoy the rest found in Christ. During World War II, a young British businessman was drafted into service and sent to the East to fight against the Japanese army. At the time, the Japanese forces were fierce and dominant, and in the course of battle, the young man was taken captive and imprisoned in a Japanese concentration camp, where he suffered severe abuse. Though raised in a Christian home with godly parents, he had not truly taken his faith seriously. Like many children today from Christian families, he followed the rituals handed down but lacked a genuine relationship with the Lord. He had attended Sunday School as a child and church services as he grew—but had never truly repented or accepted Christ. After entering the business world, he drifted further from God. Thankfully, on the eve of enlistment, his mother told him, “From now on, you must rely on the Lord from your heart.” While imprisoned, he felt the emptiness and agony in his heart. He was an ambitious businessman before, now a captive, starved, mistreated, and in despair, he found himself longing for death. At his lowest point, he remembered his mother's words that he must call on the Lord in tribulations. So from the depths of his heart, he cried out to God—and suddenly, his spirit encountered the Lord. He was truly born again and saved. That very night, his life was utterly transformed. The salvation of the Lord filled him entirely. He personally experienced the peace of forgiveness and the joy of heaven. He discovered that the true meaning of life is found in Jesus Christ. He deeply tasted that Christ is his satisfaction and rest. Brothers and sisters, have you reached your Elim? VIII. Manna (Exodus 16:12-15, 31; Numbers 11:4-9)—Christ is the Bread of Life [Wilderness of Sin] About a month and a half after the Israelites left Egypt, they came to the Wilderness of Sin. By then, the food they had brought from Egypt had been completely consumed. Hunger and Complaints in the Wilderness of Sin In the Wilderness of Sin, the Israelites grew hungry and began to grumble intensely against Moses, saying, “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in Egypt! There we sat by pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted. But you have brought us out into this wilderness to starve this whole assembly to death.” Because of their hunger, they lacked the strength to go forward and erupted in complaints. This is much like what many Christians experience today. As they journey along the Lord’s path, they reach a point where spiritual nourishment seems lacking—leaving their spirits famished and their service drained of strength. From this state of spiritual hunger, murmuring often arises. God Sends Manna as Food — Christ is the Bread of Life At that time, the Lord said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day... On the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily." This symbolizes that Christ is our Bread of Life. As we continue on the spiritual journey, the Lord not only desires us to know Him as our satisfaction and rest—He further leads us to personally experience the life-giving sustenance from heaven. John 6:35 records: "Jesus said, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst'" From that time onward, the Israelites ate manna daily in the wilderness for forty years. Whenever they were lazy and failed to gather it, they went hungry and were too weak to continue walking. Similarly, today we walk on this path of life toward the beautiful land of Canaan—to enter into the fullness of Christ. How can we reach our destination along the Lord’s way? We must eat manna daily—meaning we must receive Christ as our bread of life every day. Sadly, many Christians today do not partake of manna daily. Though we have received grace and salvation and begun walking the path of life, we have yet to realize that Christ Himself is our daily nourishment. If you go one day without eating manna, you will not be able to continue on the path in the wilderness. Only by eating the manna—experiencing Christ as the bread of life—can our spiritual lives grow strong. Brothers and sisters, we all rely on Christ as our bread of life to grow in our spiritual lives. A Christian who does not eat this Bread of Life will remain weak and stagnant, unable to grow. Therefore, may the Lord have mercy and grace upon us, that we would all become disciples who gather and eat manna every single day. Receiving Christ as the Bread of Life Through Bible Reading and Prayer (John 6:51, 63) In the wilderness, the Israelites could not survive without manna; likewise, today, if we do not receive Christ as the Bread of Life, our spiritual lives cannot be sustained. No wonder when Jesus spoke to the crowd about manna, He clearly declared: "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world." (John 6:51) He continued in verse 63: "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." In spiritual experience, eating manna means receiving spiritual nourishment through daily prayer and reading of the Word of God. A day without prayer and reading Bible as spiritual food, you’ll be unable to walk in the Lord’s path that day. Just as the Israelites gathered manna daily, we too must seek nourishment each day through prayer and reading the Bible. I still remember during my student years, the Lord stirred up a group of twenty to thirty young Christians in our school. We were boarders, and during the coldest winter months in northern Taiwan—December, January, and February—we encouraged one another to rise before 6 am. The biting cold made it difficult to leave the warmth of our beds, but drawn by the love of the Lord, whoever got up first would rouse the others. For those who wouldn’t budge, we’d pull off their blankets so they had no choice but to get up! We’d then gather on the campus lawn for morning devotions, to collect our manna—our spiritual sustenance. Thank the Lord! It was in those days that I established my early morning devotional life. By His mercy and protection, I’ve maintained this rhythm for over forty years. Every day, I receive manna from heaven through prayer and reading God’s Word. Except from illness, there hasn’t been a day I’ve eaten breakfast before gathering manna. I’d rather skip breakfast than miss my spiritual food. Even when flying to the U.S., with unclear day or night in the cabin, I would always pray and read the Word before accepting a meal. May the Lord graciously help us all to build a daily habit of receiving spiritual nourishment through prayer and the Bible. A young brother from Taiwan came to the Philippines to pursue a master’s degree and was received into our fellowship. I asked if he kept morning watch, and he said he had already established the habit in Taiwan. After meeting a co-worker in our midst, they began to consistently keep morning devotions together at the meeting hall. Dear young brothers and sisters, our special conference has set a rule to observe morning watch at 6:30 a.m., for the purpose of cultivating and training you in the experience of gathering manna in the wilderness. We earnestly hope that after descending the mountain when the conference ends, each one of you will continue the habit relying on the Lord—no manna, no breakfast. You must seriously establish a daily spiritual life of partaking manna. Press on daily until we see the Lord face-to-face. Just as the Israelites ate manna every day until they entered Canaan, we likewise must partake of the bread of life daily, so that we may enter into the fullness of Christ. Characteristics of Manna — Knowing Christ, the Bread of Life So then, are we truly able to gather manna daily? In other words, do our daily prayers and Bible reading yield spiritual nourishment? And through this, do we come to know Christ, the bread of life? Let us briefly outline the characteristics of manna to explore the experience of gathering it: Descending from Heaven — Heavenly (connects to heaven) This manna came down "from heaven" (Exodus 16:4), signifying that Christ, the bread of life, is heavenly—not earthly. In practical experience, we must quiet ourselves, draw near to the Lord through prayer, and then carefully, slowly, read the Bible word by word, sentence by sentence. At points where our heart is moved, we pause and pray. Through this, we naturally encounter the Lord. Remarkably, we sense a condition within—an inner clarity that connects us to heaven, recognizing that Christ is the heavenly Lord, for He came down from heaven (John 6:63). Our spirit is united with the heavenly Christ, as if heaven and earth are connected. On earth, as in heaven—we intimately experience that with His presence, is heaven itself. Morning — Freshness Manna descended from heaven, the Bible specifically records: "In the morning, the dew lay all around the camp. And when the layer of dew lifted… was a small round substance" (Exodus 16:13–14). Manna came down in the morning. "Morning" signifies freshness and vitality. Experience-wise, when dawn breaks and you rise to draw near to the Lord—praying, reading the Word—you sense freshness and liveliness in your spirit. This indicates that you’ve gathered manna and come to know Christ, the bread of life—who is ever fresh. Small — Humble Furthermore, the Bible describes the manna's appearance as “small” round substance (Exodus 16:14). The meaning is this: whenever you receive life nourishment from the Scriptures, you naturally become humble, as the shape of manna is tiny. Just as our Lord Jesus, when He became flesh and lived on earth, He was humble and lowly, so whoever encounters Jesus—the One prefigured by manna—will willingly choose humility and walk the path of Jesus of Nazareth. Knowing Christ, the bread of life, is a humble Lord. Coriander Seed — Strong "And the house of Israel called its name Manna; and it was like white coriander seed..." (Exodus 16:31) Coriander seed has life within—it contains a living grain, representing strong and full of energy. In terms of spiritual experience, before morning devotion, we may feel lazy or weak within. But remarkably, after drawing near to the Lord through prayer and Bible reading, that inner weakness disappears and is replaced with spiritual strength. This too is an experience of gathering manna—knowing Christ, the bread of life, as the strong and empowering Lord. White — Purity "…it was like white coriander seed." (Exodus 16:31) This implies that when we draw near to the Lord and read His Word at morning watch, we are cleansed by God's Word. Our being becomes pure, sanctified in spirit. Thus, we come to know Christ, the bread of life, as the Lord who lived a life of purity. Made with Honey — Sweetness "…and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey." (Exodus 16:31) “Made with honey” reveals sweetness. This means that when we pray and read the Bible—gathering manna—we taste the sweetness of the Lord. We are attached to Him and unwilling to leave. We come to Christ, the bread of life, as the tender and sweet Lord. Wafers — Satisfaction Manna ... was like “wafers” (Exodus 16:31), indicating that when we receive it, it is as though we’re fed and satisfied. Isn’t that true? Often, before approaching the Lord, our spirit feels empty, hungry, and confused. But once we come to Him in Scripture, our spirit becomes satisfied and full of joy. We come to know that Christ is indeed the bread of life. Pearl — Radiance "The manna… its color like the color of bdellium (Chinese version-Pearl.) (Numbers 11:7) Pearls and precious stones shine and reflect light. Spiritually, this means that when we encounter the Lord in prayer and Scripture, His Word shines upon us. We are enlightened, and our spirit becomes clear and bright. At the same time, we come to know Christ as the radiant Lord. Fresh Oil — Fragrance“ "…its taste was like the taste of pastry prepared with oil.” (Numbers 11:8) Fresh oil represents fragrance. In spiritual experience, when we draw near to the Lord through His Word and gather manna, we taste His sweetness. Our hearts are filled with grace, our spirits revived, and we become saturated in the Lord Himself. Naturally, we then emit the fragrance of Christ. As the poetic line says: “Enter the inner veil, let the Lord’s sweetness perfume you, so that when you step out, His fragrance flows from you." Thus, we know Christ as the fragrant Lord. “What is it?” — Fresh Spiritual Understanding The Israelites obeyed the command of the Lord, and indeed, in the morning, they found the ground around the camp covered with small round things like white frost. The Bible records:"when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, 'What is it?' For they did not know what it was." (Exodus 16:13–15) Each day as they gathered this small round substance, they would ask, “What is it?” Spiritually, this signifies the pursuit of knowing Christ. Every time we gather manna—encounter the Lord—we ask anew: “Who is Christ?” In other words, in our praying and Bible reading, there should be moments of fresh and vivid revelation of Christ. From within our spirit, we perceive Him as the unfathomable Lord of immeasurable richness. Therefore, as we daily read the Word and pray, we should receive fresh understanding, new insight, and renewed experiences of Christ. May the Lord inspire and keep us through this, that each day we gather manna with fresh awareness, fresh vision, fresh experiences—and new glimpses of Him and of heaven. Amen. IX. The Rock of Living Water (Exodus 17:1–7) — Christ as the Water of Life [Rephidim] Next, the Israelites obeyed the Lord’s command. They journeyed from the wilderness of Sin and camped at Rephidim. The Israelites were Thirsty Unexpectedly, there was no water at Rephidim. The people, weary from the journey and parched, quarreled with Moses: “Give us water, that we may drink!” They even accused him, “Why is it you have brought us out of Egypt to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” Their complaint reveals the spiritual hunger and thirst of God’s people. Moses Strikes the Rock, and Living Water Flows Moses cried out to God, “What shall I do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.” The Lord instructed him to take the rod he used to strike the river, gather the elders of Israel, and go to the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will flow from it for the people to drink. Moses obeyed. He struck the rock with his rod, and water gushed out for the congregation and their livestock to drink. Moses represents God’s Law, the rod signifies divine authority, and the rock typifies Christ. When Moses struck the rock, he foreshadowed the Law’s authority executing judgment on Christ—Christ’s crucifixion on our behalf, bearing our sins and being crushed for our transgressions. When Jesus was crucified, blood and water flowed out. In typology, after His death, resurrection, and ascension, Christ poured out the Holy Spirit—the fullness of Holy Spirit flowed out from Christ. The Holy Spirit is also called Spirit of Christ (1 Peter 1:11). The water springing from the rock becomes a living fountain; all who thirst come and drink from this flowing fountain. Just like when the Holy Spirit poured down at Pentecost, all the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit. Filled with the Holy Spirit — Freedom and Release Now we will briefly and concretely describe the basic experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit. The Freedom of the Spirit “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” (2 Corinthians 3:17). This means that before a Christian is filled with the Spirit, he often senses his spirit is bound, unreleased, and not free. Yet when the Holy Spirit comes upon us and fills our entire being, we immediately experience full freedom in our spirit. The Release of the Spirit "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8:1–2). We thank the Lord for His mercy in making our church a Spirit-filled church. We fervently hope that no one here remains unfilled by the Spirit. We pray that the Lord would grant us grace so that from within ours spirit we may see that Jesus not only crucified but risen and ascended, already having poured out the Holy Spirit. Just as Moses struck the rock with his rod—splitting it so that water flowed continually—so now all who come may freely drink. The Spirit has come; if our hearts are open, we can all be filled with the Spirit, experiencing true freedom and release. Receiving the Fullness of the Holy Spirit How to be filled with the Holy Spirit is not complicated; in fact, it is exceedingly simple. We will mention two key points: Seeing Christ Glorified John 7:37–39 says, “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.' But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." This reveals that all who believe in Christ are meant to receive the Holy Spirit. At that time, the Spirit had not yet been poured down, for Jesus had not yet ascended and been glorified. But now—Jesus has risen, ascended, and been glorified! When He was raised from the dead and exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. (Acts 2:33). On the day of Pentecost, the disciples were gathered together in one place, and suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled the house where they were sitting. Tongues like flames appeared and rested on each of them—and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. From that day until the Lord returns, this is the age of the Spirit. Whoever desire may come and receive the fullness of the Spirit, experiencing freedom and release in the spirit. First, we must recognize that Jesus has already ascended, been exalted, and glorified. The moment Jesus is glorified, the Spirit is poured out—and anyone who believes can receive Him at any time. In personal experience, receiving the fullness of the Spirit is just as simple as receiving salvation. Just as we opened our mouth to pray and invited the Lord Jesus into our hearts to be saved, so it is with the Spirit—when we open ourselves to Him, the Holy Spirit comes in and fills us completely. Praise Praise is the expression of faith. Faith is invisible to the naked eye, but when we praise, our hearts open, and faith is instantly released. When the Holy Spirit touches our faith, we are filled with the Spirit. At last year’s special conference, we used praise to help brothers and sisters receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Later, a middle-aged brother testified how he received the Spirit. He shared that when the message from the pulpit urged everyone to receive the Holy Spirit, the first step was to believe—and even better, to raise one’s hands and open one’s mouth in praise. He thought to himself, “I’m already a father, and while my daughters can shout ‘Hallelujah’ freely when filled with the Spirit, it would be rather undignified for me to do the same.” Yet his heart was sincerely longing. So he raised his hands in praise and shouted “Hallelujah!” in one accord. As he continued to praise the Lord, something wondrous happened—instantly, the Holy Spirit came upon him mightily. He was filled, thoroughly drenched in the Spirit, and personally experienced freedom and release in the Holy Spirit. The joy was truly beyond words! <-- Back to "The Spiritual Journey Next Chapter -->

鄭兄長三十年於菲、台、美事奉中 如農夫舉鋤揮汗，忍辱含辛 不遺餘力地栽種、灌溉、施肥、修剪 終於在這屬靈園地 看到含苞開花結實 今年2020 鄭兄長安息主懷屆十八年了，他在世時為提供有心追求主的兄姊們在小組裏，得以深入扎根的屬靈追求，曾將他主日講台釋放信息中摘取七篇，略加整修，彙集編印，出版兩輯『拾取麥穗』。這十年來由於主屢次藉兄姊們的索求，於是今再摘取七篇，彙編出版第三至九輯。願主祝福主僕從神所領受豐碩的經歷、靈感與亮光；深信必使我們在屬靈生命與經歷上，受益匪淺。阿們！ 惜乎！鄭兄長已於2002年10月22日安息主懷, 內容未克經他過目修正，難免有遺漏之憾！敬希諸屬靈前輩與讀者們見諒是幸 。 拾取麥穗（一） 拾取麥穗（六） 拾取麥穗（二） 拾取麥穗（七） 拾取麥穗（三） 拾取麥穗（八） 拾取麥穗（四） 拾取麥穗（九） 拾取麥穗（五）

加拉太書與羅馬書講因信稱義同時闡釋生命路線 （一） 屬靈人的表現（原則） 1. 愛的服事（供應生命） (1-2) (1) 你們屬靈的人，就當用溫柔的心把他挽回過來 (1) a. 溫柔 ----- 充滿愛 b. 挽回 ----- 愛的服事 (2) 各人的重擔要互相擔當 (2) ----- 愛的服事 2. 儆醒 (1) 謹慎 ----- 當自己小心 (1) (2) 自守 ----- 恐怕也被引誘 (1) 3. 行在光中（接受光照認識自己）(3-4) (1) 自己還以為有，就是自欺了 (3) (2) 應當察驗自己的行為 (4) ----- 自守 4. 順從聖靈 (8-10) (1) 順着聖靈撒種的 (8) (2) 有機會就當向眾人行善，向信徒更當這樣 (10) 5. 誇基督的十字架 (14) (1) 以十字架為榮耀 (2) 就我而論世界已經釘在十字架上 (3) 就世界而論，我已經釘在十字架上 6. 作新造的人 (15) (1) 乃重在裏面 ----- 受割禮不受割禮都無關緊要 (2) 成為新造 ----- 要緊的，就是作新造的人 (3) 因十字架的工作成為新造 (14-15) 7. 作基督的囚奴 (17) (1) 不受基督以外人事物影響 ----- 從今以後,人都不要攪擾我 (2) 作基督的囚奴 -----因為我身上帶著耶穌的印記 （二） 屬肉體的表現（原則） 1. 大意（輕意隨便） ----- 有人偶然被過犯所勝 (1) 2. 自欺 ----- 無有,自己還以為有 (3) 3. 順着情慾（肉體） ----- 順着情慾（肉體）撒種的，必從情慾（肉體）收敗壞 (8) 4. 愛體面 ----- 希圖外貌體面 (12) 5. 拒絕十字架 ----- 是怕自己為基督的十字架受逼迫 (12) （ 三） 屬肉體與屬靈的不同後果 1. 人種的是甚麼，收的也是甚麼 (7) ［種瓜收瓜, 種豆收豆］ 2. 順着情慾撒種（肉體）的,必從情慾（肉體）收敗壞 (8) 3. 順着聖靈撒種的,必從聖靈收永生 (8) 4. 行善到了時候就要收成 (9) << 第五章 << 回 綱 目 >>

1-15節 基督叫人得自由 （一） 基督叫我們得自由 1. 基督成功救贖釋放我們 ----- 基督釋放了我們 (1) 2. 脫離律法的轄制 ----- 叫我們得以自由 (1) ［林肯釋放黑奴］ （二） 要站立得穩 1. 不靠肉體 ----- 靠着聖靈 (5) 2. 憑信心 ----- 與基督聯合 （三） 不要再受律法轄制 受割禮,守一條律法是欠着行全律法的債 靠律法稱義的,是與基督隔絕 (4) 靠律法稱義的,是從恩典中墜落 (4) （四） 十字架廢除律法轄制 1. 十字架已廢掉肉身的割禮 ----- 我若仍舊傳割禮，為甚麼還受逼迫呢？(11) 2. 接受十字架就遭逼迫 ----- 我若仍舊傳割禮,那十字架討厭的地方就沒有了(11) （五） 十字架廢除律法轄制 (13-15) 1. 重生的改變 ----- 你們蒙召是要得自由 (13) 2. 自由身的要獻給主 ----- 只是不可將你們的自由，當作放縱情慾的機會 (13) ［黑奴得自由仍歸主人］ 3. 成全律法活出生命 ----- 你們蒙召得自由,總要用愛心互相服事 (13) 4. 愛就活出律法以上的標準 ----- 全律法都包在「愛人如己」這一句話之內 (14) 16-26節 聖靈裏的得勝與豐富 （一） 要順從聖靈 (16-18) 1. 脫離律法的轄制 ----- 順着聖靈而行，就不放縱肉體的情慾 (16) 2. 屬肉體與屬靈是兩範疇（界限） ----- 聖靈和情慾（肉體）相爭 (17) 3. 自由不受捆綁 ----- 被聖靈引導,就不在律ｘ法以下 (18) （二） 聖靈的光照顯明肉體 (19-21) 1. 肉體十五種記號 ----- 姦淫、污穢、邪蕩、拜偶像、邪術、仇恨、爭競、忌恨、惱怒、結黨、紛爭、異端、嫉妒（有古卷加：兇殺二字）、醉酒、荒宴 (20-21) 2. 屬肉體無法受主管理 ----- 情慾的事都是顯而易見的，就如姦淫……行這樣事的人,必不能承受神的國 (19-21) （三） 聖靈的果子 (22-23) 1. 聖靈所結的果子 ----- 聖靈所結的果子，就是仁愛 (22) 2. 聖靈所結仁愛的果子包括八種 ----- 就是仁愛、喜樂、和平、忍耐、恩慈、良善、信實、溫柔、節制 (20-21) （四） 靠聖靈治死肉體 (24) 1. 同釘的事實 ----- 凡屬基督耶穌的人，是已經把肉體同釘在十字架上了 (24) 2. 靠聖靈治死肉體主觀的經歷 ----- 凡屬基督耶穌的人，是已經連肉體的邪情私慾，同釘在十字架上了 (24) （五） 靠聖靈行事 (25-26) 1. 靠聖靈活着 ----- 靠聖靈得生 (25) 2. 順服聖靈的聲音 ----- 靠聖靈行事 (25) 加拉太書五章與羅馬書八章之對比： (馬丁路得根據此兩本書信傳因信稱義堪稱姊妹書) << 第四章 << 回 綱 目 >> 第六章 >>

1-11節 聖徒是神的兒子不再作奴僕 （一） 舊約時代是在律法下作奴僕 1. 舊約時代 ----- 孩童的時候 (1) 2. 在律法下作奴僕 ----- 師傅和管家的手下 (2) （二） 新約時代是在恩典下作兒子 1. 到新約時代 ----- 時候滿足 (4) 2. 基督在律法下完成律法 ----- 生在律法以下 (4) 3. 成功救贖 ----- 把律法以下的人贖出來 (5) 4. 長大成人承受產業 ----- 叫我們得着兒子的名分 (5) ［12歲得兒子名分］ （三） 兒子不再回去作奴僕 (8-11) 新約時代作神兒子脫離在律法下為奴僕 聖徒不再回去守律法 （四） 生命的道路和律法的道路 1. 兒子名分 ----- 生命長大成人（孩童------得兒子名分） ---- 生命的道路 2. 師傅和管家看管下 ----- 作奴僕 ---- 律法的道路 12-20節 藉十字架使基督增加成形 （一） 傳啟示的基督（福音） (一11-12) （二） 基督被接受 1. 因相信基督 「接待我如同神的使者」 (14) 2. 肯為基督受辱 「受試煉沒有輕看我，也沒有厭棄我」 (14) 3. 肯為基督付代價 「情願把自己的眼睛剜出來給我」 (15) （三） 藉 十 字架使基督成形 1. 背十字架付代價傳基督 「 我頭一次傳福音給你們,是因為身體有疾病」 (13) 2. 有人背後毁謗為難 「我將真理告訴你們，就成了你們的仇敵嗎？」(16) 3. 仇敵的詭計為難使徒 「那些人熱心待你們，卻不是好意，是要離間你們」 (17) (1) 經過苦難（十字架）帶進生命 (2) 自己死卻叫人活 ［林後四7-11］ 21-31節 新舊兩約之對比： 補 充 （一） 十字架與律法 ----- 神兒子生在律法以下，要把律法以下的人贖出來 (4-5) （二） 十字架與長進 ----- 神的兒子要把律法以下的人贖出來，叫我們得著兒子的名分 (4-5) （三） 十字架與自由 ----- 從此以後，你不是奴僕，乃是兒子了 (7) （四） 十字架與基督的成形 1. 勞苦事奉 　　 ----- 我頭一次傳福音給你們，是因為身體有疾病(13) 2. 受誤會 ------ 我將真理告訴你們,就成了你們的仇敵嗎？(16) 3. 被毁謗 ----- 那些人熱心待你們，卻不是好意，是要離間你們 (17) 4. 經歷十字架 ----- 我小子啊,我為你們再受生產之苦 (14) 5. 長久忍耐 ----- 受生產之苦，直等到基督成形在你們心裏 (19) 6. 基督長大組織 ----- 基督成形在你們心裏 (19) 7. 十字架的原則 (1) 犧牲自己叫別人得利益 (2) 由死亡得生命 8. 為補滿基督患難的缺欠 ----- 我為你們心裏作難 (20) （五） 屬肉體與屬靈 ------ 屬肉體的逼迫屬靈的 ----- 那按著血氣生的，逼迫了那按著聖靈生的 (29) （六） 十字架與肉體 ------ 審判肉體不給肉體地位 ----- 把使女和他兒子趕出去 (30) << 第三章 << 回 綱 目 >> 第五章 >>

1-10節 保羅作外邦使徒的印證 ---- 保羅的職分受肯定 （ 取得眾聖徒~加拉太教會~的信任） （一） 啟示支配行動 (1-2) 「過了十四年，我同巴拿巴又上耶路撒冷去，並帶著提多同去。我是奉啟示上去的.....」 (1-2) 「十四年」後、仍受（奉）啟示支配 作使徒的明證是活在啟示中受神支配 （二） 堅守福音真理 (3-6) 「但與我同去的提多，雖是希利尼人，也沒有勉強他受割禮；」 (3) 1. 享受基督的自由 「有偷着引進來的假弟兄，私下窺探我們在基督耶穌裏的自由」 (4) 2. 拒絕假弟兄的律法主義 「我們就是一刻的工夫也沒有容讓順服他們」 (5) 3. 不作律法的奴僕 「假弟兄…要叫我們作奴僕。」(5) 4. 不與宗教勢力妥恊 (6) 「至於那些有名望的，不論他是何等人，都與我無干。」 (6) （三） 受主託付作外邦使徒 (7-9) 1. 受主託為外邦人作使徒 「主託我傳福音給那未受割禮的人」(7) 2. 受聖靈膏作使徒 「那感動彼得叫他為受割禮之人作使徒的，也感動我，叫我為外邦人作使徒；」(8) 3. 使徒受主差遣事奉，也根據聖靈感動 4. 靠恩典盡託付 「所賜給我的恩典....叫我們往外邦人那裏去...」 (9) （四） 得教會柱石的印證 (8-9) 1. 彼得受託付作使徒後,作教會的柱石 ----- 彼得為受割禮之人作使徒的，得稱為教會柱石 (7-8) 2. 保羅得印證作外邦使徒 「那稱為教會柱石的雅各、磯法、約翰，就向我和巴拿巴用右手行相交之禮，叫我們往外邦 人那裏去。」(8) 3. 使徒重大的託付（事奉）須得印證 （五） 記念窮人 (10) 記念窮人是降卑同情愛人的心腸 更是事奉主應有基本的性格（品德） 11-19節 堅守真道不妥協 （一） 彼得巴拿巴也隨夥裝假 (11-13) 1. 彼得畏逼迫而裝假. 「磯法...和外邦人一同吃飯....他因怕奉割禮的人，就退去與外邦人隔開了。」 (11-12) 2. 巴拿巴也裝假 「甚至連巴拿巴也隨夥裝假。」(13) 3. 人的天然生命有一特性是裝假 （二） 保羅堅守真理不妥協 (14) 1. 堅守福音真理不怕得罪人 「磯法到了安提阿；因他有可責之處，我就當面抵擋他。」 (11) 2. 堅守福音真理不向人情妥協 ----- 彼得有可責之處，保羅就當面抵擋他；連巴拿巴也在內 (11,13) 3. 堅守福音真理不因受逼迫而妥協 「從雅各那裏來的人未到以先，他和外邦人一同吃飯，及至他們來到，他因怕奉割禮的人，就退去與外邦人隔開了。」(12) （三） 福音真理是因信稱義 (16) 稱義不是因行律法 (16) 乃因信基督稱義，因為凡有血氣的，沒有一人因行律法稱義 (16) （四） 福音真理是向律法死而向神活 (19) 我因律法，就向律法死 (19) 叫我可以向神活着 (19) 20-21節 基督在我裏面活（四個我） （一） 我 ---------「 已經」與基督同釘十字架 （二） 我 ---------「 現在」活著的不再是我（守住算自己死的地位） （三） 我 --------- 現在活著的不再是我，乃是「基督在我裏面活著」 （四） 我 --------- 我如今在肉身活著，是「因信神的兒子而活」 < 第一章 << 回 綱 目 >> 第三章 >>

問安與祝頌 (1-5) （一） 著者 1. 使徒 ---------- 保羅 (1) 不是出於人 (1) (2) 是神和基督所差遣 (1) (3) 故我們事奉的根源必須是出於神和基督 2. 和一切與我同在的眾弟兄 (2) (1) 保羅與眾聖徒站在一起 (2) 同工要與眾弟兄姊妹打成一片 （二） 受者 ---------- 加拉太的各教會 (2) 關心各地教會 不落在屬靈狹窄裏 不僅關心本地各教會也關懷外埠各教會 （三） 願恩惠、平安從父神與我們的主耶穌基督歸與你們 (3) 交通結果帶給人恩典平安 可見屬靈交通是出於神的，就帶給人恩典和生命 （四） 基督照父神旨意為我們的罪捨己 (4) 顯示使徒充滿基督的靈一再提起基督 明言基督救贖的工作，是受父神旨意支配 祂為我們的罪並救我們脫離這罪惡的世代，都是照「父神的旨意」 （五） 榮耀歸於神 (5) 事奉的結果是神得榮耀 神得榮耀是神僕人的願望 6-10 加拉太各教會的危機（難處） （一） 保羅所傳基督的福音 恩典的福音 ----- 藉着基督之恩召 (6) 因信稱義 （二） 加拉太的各教會「去從別的福音」 守律法、受割禮 (6) 靠行律法得救 （三） 神不許福音真理受更改 (3) 若傳福音與我們所傳給的不同，就應當被咒詛 (7-9) 兩次提「咒詛」明言神不許更改基督的福音 ［摩西第二次打磐石不得進迦南］ （四） 是要得神的心非討人的喜歡 (10) 我要得人的心呢？還是要得神的心呢？ 若是討人的喜歡，我就不是基督的僕人了 作主僕人基夲的態度是討神喜悅 ［大衛凡事討神喜悅成為合神心意的人］ 11-17 啟示的事奉 （一） 三種的事奉 1. 人意的事奉 (1) 出於人的意思 (11) (2) 是從人領受的 (11) (3) 是人教導的 (11) 2. 宗教的事奉 (1) 在猶太教中所行 (13) (2) 祖宗的遺傳 (14) (3) 律法、制度、儀式、外表 --> 宗教 (4) 遺傳、傳统更是宗教的代表 3. 啟示的事奉 (1) 是從耶穌基督啟示來的 (14) (2) 事奉的根源必須是出於啟示 (3) 保羅的事奉是啟示的事奉 （二） 基督（神兒子）的啟示 1. 必須有基督的啟示 (1) 神樂意將他兒子啟示在我心裏 (16) ----- 事奉的異象 (2) 有一次（或一段時期）確定得着基督的異象 (3) 從靈裹看見基督是救恩（一切） ［西緬抱嬰孩耶穌看見救恩］ 2. 基督的啟示（異象）產生託付（使命） (1) 叫我把衪傳在外邦人中 (16) ----- 得基督的啟示就受託付（傳揚祂） (2) 異象產生使命 ［以賽亞看見主後受差遣］ 3. 傳啟示的基督 (1) 神樂意將他兒子啟示在我心裏，叫我把衪傳在外邦人中 (16) ----- 把基督的啟示傳給人 (2) 事奉乃是把啟示的基督帶給人 　　　 ［腓利把啟示的基督帶給太監］ (3) 聖徒的使命（託付）是把啟示的基督帶給人 （三） 執事成形的基礎 1. 揀選 ----- 乃是藉着耶穌基督 (1)，(弗一4) 2. 分別 ----- 那把我從母腹裏分別出來 (15) 3. 得基督的啟示（異象） ----- 神樂意將他兒子啟示在我心裏 (16) 4. 消化異象 (1) 往亞拉伯去，後又回到大馬色過了三年 (17-18) ----- 把基督的啟示消化 (2) 查考舊約聖經，確定並擴大基督的啟示 18-17 消化（組織）基督異象的事奉之後果 (一) 帶進交通 ----- 與使徒交通 「上耶路撒冷去見磯法，和他同住了十五天；至於別的使徒，除了主的兄弟雅各，我都沒有看見。」 (18-19) (二) 帶進合一 ----- 猶太與外邦合一的見證 「上耶路撒冷去見磯法，和他同住了十五天；還有主的兄弟雅各。」 (18-19) (三) 產生屬靈影響力 ----- 基督福音的炸力 「聽說那從前逼迫我們的，現在傳揚他原先所殘害的真道，他們就為我的緣故，歸榮耀給神。」 (23-24) << 上頁 << 回 綱 目 >> 第二章 >>

1-3節 異象與方法 （一） 基督是異象 (1-2) 「耶穌基督釘十字架，已經活畫在你們眼前，誰又迷惑了你們呢？」(1) 1. 基督是異象 ----- 耶穌基督釘十字架，已經活畫在你們眼前 2. 基督是目標 ----- 無知的加拉太人哪…. 誰又迷惑了你們呢？ （二） 聖靈是方法 (3) 「你們既靠聖靈入門，如今還靠肉身成全嗎？」(3) 1. 聖靈執行救恩 ----- 靠聖靈入門 (3) 2. 聖靈是方法 ----- 靠聖靈成全 (3) （三） 領受救恩的三步驟 (1-3) 1. 得「釘十字架基督」的啟示 ----- 耶穌基督釘十字架，已經活畫在你們眼前 (1) 2. 相信 ----- 聽信福音 (2) 3. 得聖靈 ----- 你們受了聖靈，是因聽信福音 (2) 4-14節 亞伯拉罕作信心的祖宗 （一） 亞伯拉罕因信稱義 (6) 「亞伯拉罕信神，這就算為他的義。」 （二） 亞伯拉罕作信心的祖宗 (7) 「那以信為本的人，就是亞伯拉罕的子孫。」 （三） 因信作亞伯拉罕後裔和他一同得福 (8-9) 「 『 萬國都必因你得。 』 可見那以信為本的人和有信心的亞伯拉罕一同得福。」(7-8) （四） 因信基督得聖靈 (14) 「這便叫亞伯拉罕的福，因基督耶穌可以臨到外邦人，使我們因信得著所應許的聖靈。」(14) 15-22節 神賜基督是出於神永遠的旨意 「所應許的原是向亞伯拉罕和他子孫說的。神並不是說『眾子孫』，指著許多人，乃是說『你那一個子孫』，指著一個人，就是基督。 (16)」 23-25節 律法引進基督是出於神永遠的旨意 （一） 神預先所立的約,不能被律法廢掉,叫應許歸於虛空 (17) （二） 律法原是為過犯添上的 (19) （三） 律法是訓蒙的師傅 (24) （四） 律法是引我們到基督那裏,使我們因信稱義 (24) 2-26節 信心的果效 因聽信福音而受聖靈 (2、4) 因信行異能 (5) 因信稱義 (8、24) 以信為本的人和有信心的亞伯拉罕一同得福 (9) 義人必因信得生 (11) 因信耶穌基督得應許的福 (22) 因信基督耶穌都是神的兒子 (26) 27-29節 住在基督裏活出基督 （一） 受洗歸入基督 ----- 與基督聯合 住在基督裏 活出基督 （二） 在基督裏活出身體合一的見證 「並不分猶太人、希利尼人、自主的、為奴的、或男或女，因為你們在基督耶穌裏都成為一了。」(28) 憑信心與靠行律法的對比： << 第二章 << 回 綱 目 >> 第四章 >>