Ⅲ
As God’s chosen, redeemed, and regenerated people who are one with God, who are constituted with God, who live God, who express God, who move with God, and who represent God, we may function as the acting God—Eph. 1:4-5:
A
As God’s chosen, redeemed, and regenerated people, we should be one with God—1 Cor. 6:17:
１
The basic principle of the Bible is that in His economy God is making Himself one with man and is making man one with Him—John 15:4.
２
God desires that the divine life and the human life be joined together to become one life that has one living—1 Cor. 6:17.
B
We need to be constituted with God—Eph. 3:17a; Col. 3:10-11:
１
God’s economy is to dispense Himself into our being so that our being may be constituted with His being to be one constitution with His being—Eph. 3:17a; 4:4-6.
２
In the divine life and by the working of the law of the divine life, God will be wrought into us, and we will be constituted with Him in His life and nature—Rom. 8:2, 6, 10-11, 29.
C
As those who are one with God and constituted with God, we should live God—Phil. 1:21a:
１
According to His economy, God’s intention is to impart His element, His substance, and the ingredients of His nature into our being so that we may live Him—Rom. 8:2, 6, 10-11.
２
Our daily life should actually be God Himself and thus be a life of constantly living God—1 Thes. 2:12; 1 Cor. 10:31.
D
We should express God—Gen. 1:26; 2 Cor. 3:18; Rom. 8:29; Col. 3:10:
１
God’s eternal purpose is to work Himself into us as our life so that we may express Him—Eph. 1:11; 3:11; 2 Tim. 1:9.
２
God’s aim in His economy is that we would be one with Him and live Him for His corporate expression—1 Cor. 6:17; Phil. 1:21a; Eph. 1:22-23.
E
As those who express God, we should move with God—Josh. 1:1-9; 6:1-16:
１
God needed the children of Israel to cooperate with Him in His move in His economy as the great wheel—1:1-9; 6:1-16.
２
We need to be one with God in His heart’s desire and in His move on earth—Eph. 1:5, 9; Rev. 14:1-4.
F
As we move with God, we should represent God—Gen. 1:26-28:
１
In order to represent God with authority, we must express God in life; because Aaron had the resurrection life to express God, he had the authority to represent God—v. 26; 2:9; Num. 17:1-8.
２
The proper way to work for God is to represent God—Exo. 7:1-2.
G
If we are one with God, constituted with God, live God, express God, move with God, and represent God, we can function as the acting God:
１
God is able to make us the same as He is in life, nature, expression, and function to carry out His economy—Col. 3:4; 2 Pet. 1:4; Eph. 3:9.
２
In his ministry Elisha the prophet, as a man of God, behaved himself as God’s representative, as the acting God; today we, the believers in Christ, can be the same, functioning in His economy as the acting God—2 Kings 4:9; 1 Tim. 6:11; 2 Tim. 3:17.
Morning Nourishment
1 Cor. 6:17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.Phil. 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
2 Cor. 1:21-22 But the One who firmly attaches us with you unto Christ and has anointed us is God, He who has also sealed us and given the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.
In his ministry Elisha the prophet, as the man of God, behaved himself as God’s representative, as the acting God, on the earth. As believers in Christ, we can be the same. (Life-study of 1 & 2 Kings, pp. 93-94)
God is seeking a people who live Christ and who are one with Him. Such a people eventually become the church... The church is a collective people who live Christ and who are one with God. To have such a people is the desire of God’s heart, and it is what He purposed to have in eternity... In 2 Corinthians Paul shows them that he himself and his co-workers were such persons. All the apostles were people who were one with God and were living Christ. Therefore, even in the insignificant matter of resolving to go to a certain place, Paul resolved not in himself, but in Christ and with Christ. He did not have any intention which was apart from God or separate from Him.
Because God anointed him by attaching him to Christ, he could be one with Christ and one with the faithful God... Now because we have been attached to the anointed One, we can be one with the God of resurrection and live a life of resurrection. (Life-study of 2 Corinthians, pp. 20-21, 23)
Today’s Reading
In 1 Corinthians 6 Paul speaks of being members of Christ. What does it mean to be a member of Christ? It means that we are part of the anointed One. Anointing implies sealing. As we are under the anointing, the anointing becomes a sealing. In this way we become different from others. Furthermore, the seal causes us to bear the appearance of God... The seal is the image... When God anoints us, the anointing is the sealing. The anointing brings the divine essence into us, just as the rubber stamp applies the element of the ink to the paper. First God through the anointing adds the essence of Himself to us. Then this anointing seals us with the essence of God and makes us the image of God.God’s attaching us to Christ issues in three things: first, an anointing that imparts God’s element into us; second, a sealing that forms the divine element into an impression to express God’s image; and third, a pledging that gives us a foretaste as a sample and guarantee of the full taste of God... Because we have been anointed and sealed and have received the pledge, we can be one with the faithful God and live Christ. Now we are qualified and equipped to live the unchanging Christ. (Life-study of 2 Corinthians, pp. 23-25)
In order to take the good land, [the children of Israel] had to enter into a full coordination with God in His move. If the children of Israel had looked at themselves, they would have said that there was no possibility. But their possibility was the unique God, who needed His elect people to cooperate with Him in His move to carry out His economy, in His desire to move in His economy as the great wheel.
This is the principle of incarnation. In particular, this is the principle of incarnation for the destruction of the satanic power in its usurpation of the earth. This means that in order for God to regain the earth from the usurping hand of the enemy, we need to be in full cooperation and coordination with Him in the principle of incarnation. We need to be one with God in His heart’s desire and in His move on earth. Today God wants to save people, but in order to do this, He needs us to be one with Him according to the principle of incarnation. (Life-study of Joshua, pp. 8-9)
Further Reading: Life-study of Joshua, msg. 2; Life-study of 2 Corinthians, msg. 3