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The reality of the Body of Christ is "the reality...in Jesus"—v. 21:
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The reality in Jesus is the actual condition of the life of Jesus as recorded in the four Gospels—v. 21.
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The essence of the life of Jesus is reality—John 1:14, 17; 14:6.
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"The reality" in Ephesians 4:24 is the personification of God:
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This reality was exhibited in the life of Jesus.
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The human living of Jesus was according to the reality, that is, according to God Himself.
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God was with Him, and He was one with God and expressed God; this is the meaning of the reality is in Jesus.
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The way that the Lord Jesus lived on earth is the way that the members of the Body of Christ should live today—vv. 17, 20-21; 5:1-2, 8:
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Our standard of living must be according to the reality in Jesus, the reality lived out by the Lord Jesus when He was on earth—4:20-21.
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We need to learn Christ and be taught in Him to live a life of reality—vv. 20-21; 2 John 1; John 4:23-24.
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As members of the Body of Christ, we should live a life of reality, as the reality is in Jesus—a life of expressing God—Eph. 5:30; 4:20-21.
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The reality in Jesus should be duplicated in His many members so that they may live corporately in the reality of the Body of Christ—John 14:19.
Morning Nourishment
Eph. 4:21 If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him as the reality is in Jesus.24 And put on the new man, which was created according to God in righteousness and holiness of the reality.
Ephesians 4:21 says, "If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him as the reality is in Jesus." The phrase the reality is in Jesus refers to the actual condition of the life of Jesus as recorded in the four Gospels. In the ungodly walk of the Gentiles, the fallen people, there is vanity (v. 17), but in the godly life of Jesus there is truth—reality. Jesus lived a life in which He did everything in God, with God, and for God. God was in His living, and He was one with God. This is the meaning of the reality is in Jesus. We, the believers, who are regenerated with Christ as our life and are taught in Him, should learn from Him as the reality is in Jesus. (Truth Lessons—Level Three, vol. 3, p. 126)
Today's Reading
The life of Jesus according to reality is the pattern for the believer's life. In this pattern we have learned Christ as the reality is in Jesus. This means that we have learned Christ according to the reality shown in the Gospels, that is, according to the life of the Lord Jesus. This life is the shining of light. The shining of light is reality, and reality is the expression of God. Therefore, in the life of Jesus there is reality. The essence of the life of Jesus is reality. When the Lord Jesus lived on the earth, He always walked in reality, in the shining of the divine light, and in the expression of God. (Truth Lessons—Level Three, vol. 3, p. 126)The new man was created in righteousness and holiness of the reality. Righteousness is to be right with God and with man according to God's righteous way, and holiness is godliness and devoutness before God. Righteousness refers to the outward acts, whereas holiness refers to the inward nature. Outwardly, everything related to the new man is righteous; inwardly, everything related to the new man is holy. Righteousness is mainly toward men, and holiness is mainly toward God.
The righteousness and holiness of the new man are of the reality. The article before reality in Ephesians 4:24 is emphatic. As the deceit in verse 22, related to the old man, is the personification of Satan, so the reality here, related to the new man, is the personification of God. This reality was exhibited in the life of Jesus, as mentioned in verse 21. In the life of Jesus righteousness and holiness of the reality were continuously manifested. It was in the righteousness and holiness of this reality, which is God realized and expressed, that the new man was created. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 3435)
In Ephesians 4:24 Paul says that the new man was created according to God in righteousness and holiness of the reality. This reality no doubt is the very reality in Jesus. Our standard of living should not be according to the law or according to the standards of society; it must be according to the reality in Jesus, the reality lived out by Jesus when He was on earth. Hence, the life of Jesus should be our life today in the church. In other words, the living of the new man should be exactly the same as the living of Jesus. The way Jesus lived on earth is the way the new man should live today.
If we would live in such a way, we should not reason according to right or wrong. Instead, we should consider the various aspects of our daily life according to the reality as it is in Jesus. For example, if we are about to go shopping, we should ask whether the Lord Jesus is going shopping. The life of the one new man must be that of the reality of Jesus. If we all live in a way that is heavenly, divine, righteous, holy, and glorious, we shall have a wonderful community life in the church. This is the corporate life of the new man. (Life-study of Ephesians, p. 781)
Further Reading: Truth Lessons—Level Three, vol. 3, lsn. 51; Life-study of Ephesians, msg. 49