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Initially, the Bible speaks of the God-man; through His resurrection this God-man was reproduced as the many God-men—Rom. 1:3-4; 8:29; Heb. 2:10:
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The Lord Jesus, the first God-man, is the prototype for the producing of the many God-men, His reproduction—1 Pet. 2:21.
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God became man to have a mass reproduction of Himself and thereby to produce a new kind; this new kind is God-man kind—Rom. 8:3, 29; Heb. 2:10.
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The Lord Jesus, the God-man, was a grain of wheat falling into the ground in order to produce many grains as His reproduction—John 12:24:
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The first grain—the first God-man—was the prototype, and the many grains—the many God-men—produced by this one grain through death and resurrection are the reproduction of the first God-man.
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The many grains, as the many God-men, are the reproduction of God; such a reproduction makes God happy because His reproduction looks like Him, speaks like Him, and lives like Him—1 John 2:6; 3:2; 4:17b.
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The first step of the reproduction of the God-man is that we must be reborn of the pneumatic Christ in our spirit with His divine life and nature—John 3:3, 6.
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For the reproduction of the God-man, we need to be transformed by the pneumatic Christ in our soul with His divine attributes to uplift, strengthen, enrich, and fill our human virtues for His expression in our humanity—2 Cor. 3:17-18; Rom. 12:2.
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We need to see that we are God-men, born of God, possessing the life and nature of God, and belonging to the species of God—John 1:12-13:
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As children of God, born of God with the divine life, we are God-men, divine persons; we are the same as the One of whom we are born—1 John 3:1; 5:1.
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Since we have been born of God, we may say that we are God in life and in nature but not in the Godhead—John 1:12-13; Rom. 8:16; 2 Pet. 1:4.
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To think of ourselves as God-men and to know and realize who we are revolutionizes us in our daily experience—1 John 2:20; 3:1-2; 5:13, 20.
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We are not merely Christians or believers in Christ; we are God-men, God-man kind, the reproduction of God—John 12:24; Rom. 8:16, 29; Heb. 2:10-11.
Morning Nourishment
John 12:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.Rom. 8:16 The Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit that we are children of God.
Our second birth caused us to enter into the kingdom of God to become the species of God. The animals and plants have their particular species. We are born of God, so we are gods belonging to the species of God. We should always remember that we are God-men belonging to the species of God.
As God-men born of God and belonging to God’s species, we cannot speak to our spouse in a loose way. A husband must be a God-man, living as a God-man. To be merely a good man is far away from God’s good pleasure. We need to see that we are God-men, born of God and belonging to God’s species. This is the beginning of the God-man living. (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 3, “The God-man Living,” p. 448)
Today’s Reading
The Lord Jesus, the God-man, said that He was a grain of wheat falling into the ground to die in order to become many grains (John 12:24). These many grains are actually many gods as the reproduction of God. The first grain—the first God-man—was a prototype, and the many grains—the many God-men—produced by this one grain through death and resurrection are the mass reproduction. This is the reproduction of God. When some hear that God has been reproduced, they may be shocked…. Nevertheless, this is what is revealed in John 12:24.God’s real hobby is to have His reproduction in many nations around the globe. Such a reproduction makes God happy because His reproduction looks like Him, speaks like Him, and lives like Him. God is in this reproduction, and His reproduction has His life, His nature, and His constitution.
Although we are God’s reproduction, this reproduction—God’s hobby—is not so complete or perfect, because many of us who have God’s life do not live by His life. Some do live by God’s life, but they do not live by His life continually. Perhaps in the morning they live by God’s life, but later in the day they may lose their temper and live like a scorpion…. In the evening they may become even worse, living like the devil, Satan….One day the Lord Jesus turned to Peter, someone who loved Him, and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan!” (Matt. 16:23a). Because Peter had become Satan, he needed to bear his cross so that Satan could be put on the cross.
In our daily living we may be God at one time, a scorpion at another time, and Satan at yet another time. Because this is our actual situation, we surely need to be transformed.
Since the ministry began in the United States in 1962, I have actually ministered only one matter—God becoming a man that man may become God in life and in nature. However, it was not until February 1994 that I received such a clear view with a heavy burden to tell God’s people that we all are God in life and in nature but not in the Godhead. To know who we are and to realize who we are revolutionizes us. Suppose a certain brother who has been living like a scorpion realizes that, as a child of God, he is God in life and in nature. Immediately this brother will be radically changed. The atmosphere and everything related to him will also be changed. If all of today’s Christians realized that they were God in life and in nature, the whole world would be different. During the past ten months, I have often checked with myself: “Is a God-man like this? You have spoken that the believers have become God in life and in nature, yet what are you now? Are you God or are you something else?” My answer has been to repent and ask for the Lord’s forgiveness because at least some of the things I did were not in Him or according to Him. This realization has revolutionized me. (Life-study of 1 & 2 Chronicles, pp. 11-12)
Further Reading: Life-study of 1 & 2 Chronicles, msgs. 2, 4,13; CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 5, “The Issue of Christ Being Glorified by the Father with the Divine Glory,” chs. 1-3