Ⅲ
Acts 26:18 reveals the work that we must do today for the increase and building up of the Body of Christ in the continuation of the book of Acts; this verse unveils the all-inclusive contents of our divine commission:
Ａ
This is to carry out the fulfillment of God's jubilee, the acceptable year of the Lord, proclaimed by the Lord Jesus in Luke 4:18-21 according to God's New Testament economy.
Ｂ
We need to pray over the contents of our divine commission in Acts 26:18, asking the Lord to make them our experience and reality so that we can bring others into this experience and reality (Eph. 3:8):
１
"To open their eyes":
ａ
We need to continually pray for a spirit of wisdom and revelation to understand and to see more and more of Christ, the Body of Christ, and the divine dispensing for the divine economy (1:17; 3:5; cf. Rev. 4:6; 3:17; Matt. 6:6).
ｂ
We cannot go on without new knowledge of the Lord and a new vision of Him (Acts 26:16; Phil. 3:8b, 10a, 13; cf. Deut. 4:25).
ｃ
Being a minister and a witness is not a matter of teaching and knowledge but of appearing and vision; the things in which we have seen the Lord and the things in which the Lord will appear to us are the things that we must minister to others (Acts 22:14-15).
ｄ
Our commission is to "enlighten all that they may see what the economy of the mystery is" (Eph. 3:9).
２
"To turn them from darkness to light":
ａ
Light is the presence of God (Isa. 2:5; 1 John 1:5).
ｂ
We need to be people who are full of light (Luke 11:34-36).
ｃ
The enjoyment of Christ as our God-given portion is "in the light" (Col. 1:12; John 8:12; 1:4; Psa. 119:105, 130; Matt. 5:14; Rev. 1:20).
ｄ
We need to be luminaries in the world, holding forth the word of life (Phil. 2:14-16).
ｅ
We need to tell out the virtues of the One who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9).
Morning Nourishment
Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light...Eph. 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the full knowledge of Him.
3:9 And to enlighten all that they may see what the economy of the mystery is, which throughout the ages has been hidden in God, who created all things.
This [word to Saul in Acts 26:18a] was to carry out the fulfillment of God's jubilee, the acceptable year of the Lord, proclaimed by the Lord Jesus in Luke 4:18-21...according to God's New Testament economy. The first item of the spiritual and divine blessings of the New Testament jubilee, which are the blessings of the gospel of God, is to open the eyes of those who are fallen and turn them from darkness to light, that they may see the divine things in the spiritual realm. To see these things requires spiritual sight and divine light. (Acts 26:18, footnote 1)
Wisdom is in our spirit that we may know the mystery of God, and revelation is of God's Spirit that He may show us the vision by opening the veil. First, we have wisdom, the ability to understand, which enables us to know spiritual things; then the Spirit of God reveals the spiritual things to our spiritual understanding. (Eph. 1:17, footnote 4)
God's mystery is His hidden purpose, which is to dispense Himself into His chosen people. Hence, there is the economy of the mystery of God. This mystery was hidden in God throughout the ages, but now the New Testament believers, having been enlightened, are able to see it. (Eph. 3:9, footnote 2)
Today's Reading
In Colossians 1:12 Paul says that the Father has qualified us "for a share of the allotted portion of the saints in the light." Many may read this verse without paying attention to the phrase in the light. Christ, our portion, is to be enjoyed by us in the light.Since God alone is light, we must turn to God and be in His presence in order to partake of Christ. We have been called into the marvelous light of God (1 Pet. 2:9). Before we were saved, we were altogether in darkness. Everything related to us and our human situation was in darkness. When the gospel came to us, it came with light. This caused us to repent to God. As we repented, we spontaneously opened to Him. At the time we repented and were saved, we experienced something shining within us. We believed in the Lord Jesus and thanked Him for dying on our behalf, and we received Him as our Savior and Lord. In this way, the inner shining was intensified. Therefore, at the time of our conversion, light entered into us.
Light is the presence of God. If we would be in light, we must turn to Him from within. Then His presence will become the shining light. In this way Christ becomes the portion of the saints in a practical way.
Those who believe in Christ are also the light. Speaking of the believers, the Lord Jesus said, "You are the light of the world" (Matt. 5:14). In Philippians 2:15 Paul says that the believers "shine as luminaries in the world."...A luminary does not have light in itself; it reflects light that comes from another source. The believers are luminaries. In ourselves we have no light. The light comes from the oil, the Spirit, burning within us. The source of our light is not ourselves, but Christ as the Spirit.
Light is a realm, a sphere. The realm of light is a realm of life....This realm of life and light is the kingdom of the Son of the Father's love. Light rules by its enlightening. Hence, when the light of life shines and rules, it is a kingdom. When we are in the light, we are in the realm of life, in the kingdom of the Son of the Father's love. This kingdom is in contrast to the authority of darkness, which is the kingdom of Satan. The New Jerusalem will be the ultimate consummation of the realm of life. The whole city will be a realm of life, full of light. This realm will be the light of life. (Life-study of Colossians, pp. 55, 58, 60, 57, 62)
Further Reading: Life-study of Colossians, msg. 7