Scripture Reading: Matt. 1:21, 23; 18:20; 28:20
Ⅰ
"She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins"—Matt. 1:21:
A
Jesus is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew name Joshua, which means "Jehovah the Savior," or "the salvation of Jehovah"; Jesus is Jehovah becoming our Savior and our salvation—Rom. 10:12-13; 5:10; cf. Phil. 1:19.
B
The name Jesus includes the name Jehovah, which means "I Am Who I Am," indicating that Jehovah is the self-existing and ever-existing eternal One, the One who was in the past, who is in the present, and who will be in the future forever—Exo. 3:14; Rev. 1:4:
１
Jehovah is the only One who is and who depends on nothing apart from Himself; we must exercise our spirit of faith to believe that "He is" and we are "not"; He is the only One, the unique One, in everything, and we are nothing—Heb. 11:6.
２
As the I Am, He is the all-inclusive One, the reality of every positive thing and of whatever His people need—John 6:35; 8:12; 10:14; 11:25; 14:6.
３
We may say that we believers have a signed check with the space for the amount left blank, and we can fill in whatever we need; whatever we need Jesus is, such as light, life, power, wisdom, holiness, or righteousness; everything we need is found in the name of Jesus.
C
Jesus is our Joshua, the One who brings us into rest, which is Himself as the good land to us—Heb. 4:8; Matt. 11:28-29.
D
The Lord's name, His person, is the all-inclusive compound Spirit—S. S.1:3; Exo. 30:23-30; Phil. 1:19.
E
The name of Jesus is above every name—2:9-10:
１
The name of Jesus is for us to believe into—John 1:12.
２
The name of Jesus is for us to be baptized into—Acts 8:16; 19:5.
３
The name of Jesus is for us to be saved—4:12.
４
The name of Jesus is for us to be healed—3:6; 4:10.
５
The name of Jesus is for us to be washed, sanctified, and justified—1 Cor. 6:11.
６
The name of Jesus is for us to call upon—Rom. 10:13; 1 Cor. 1:2; Acts 9:14; Gen. 4:26.
７
The Spirit is the heavenly air for us to breathe; by exercising our spirit to call upon the name of the Lord, we breathe in the Spirit and thereby receive the Spirit—John 20:22; Gal. 3:2; 1 Thes. 5:17; Lam. 3:55-56; Hymns, #255.
F
The purpose of calling on the name of the Lord is:
１
To be saved—Rom. 10:13.
２
To be rescued from distress, trouble, sorrow, and pain—Psa. 18:6; 118:5; 86:7; 50:15; 81:7; 116:3-4.
３
To participate in the Lord's lovingkindness, His mercy—86:5.
４
To partake of the Lord's salvation—116:2, 4, 13, 17.
５
To receive the Spirit—Acts 2:17, 21.
６
To drink the spiritual water and eat the spiritual food for satisfaction— Isa. 55:1-2, 6.
７
To enjoy the riches of the Lord—Rom. 10:12; 1 Cor. 12:3b; Deut. 4:7; Psa. 145:18.
８
To stir ourselves up—Isa. 64:7.
９
The name of Jesus is for us to pray in—John 14:13-14; 15:16; 16:24.
10
The name of Jesus is for us to be gathered into—Matt. 18:20.
11
The name of Jesus is for us to cast out demons—Acts 16:18.
12
The name of Jesus is for us to speak boldly in—9:27.
G
Satan hates the name of Jesus:
１
Satan utilizes people to attack the name of Jesus—cf. 26:9.
２
The religionists attacked the name of Jesus, forbidding the believers to preach or teach in that name—4:17-18; 5:40.
３
When the apostles were persecuted, they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to be dishonored on behalf of the name of Jesus—v. 41; 15:26.
H
The Lord Jesus praised the overcomers in Philadelphia because they did not deny His name—Rev. 3:8:
１
The recovered church has abandoned all names other than that of the Lord Jesus Christ, belonging to the Lord absolutely.
２
To denominate the church by taking any name other than the Lord's is spiritual fornication; the church, as the pure virgin betrothed to Christ (2 Cor. 11:2), should have no name other than her Husband's.
Ⅱ
" 'Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel' (which is translated, God with us)"—Matt. 1:23:
A
Jesus was the King-Savior's name given by God, whereas Emmanuel was the King-Savior's name called by man—v. 23.
B
Matthew is a book on Emmanuel—God incarnated to be with us—vv. 21- 23.
C
Emmanuel is all-inclusive—Phil. 1:19:
１
He is first our Savior (Luke 2:11), then our Redeemer (John 1:29; Rom. 3:24), then our Life-giver (1 Cor. 15:45b), and then the all-inclusive, indwelling Spirit (John 14:16-20; Rom. 8:9-11).
２
Actually, the content of the entire New Testament is an Emmanuel (Matt. 1:23; 18:20; 28:20; Rev. 21:3), and all the believers in Christ, as the members of Christ, are a part of this great Emmanuel, the corporate Christ (1 Cor. 12:12; Col. 3:10-11).
D
The practical Emmanuel is the Spirit of reality as the presence of the consummated Triune God in our spirit; His presence is always with us in our spirit, not only day by day but also moment by moment—John 1:14; 14:16-20; 1 Cor. 15:45b; 2 Tim. 4:22:
１
He is with us in our gatherings—Matt. 18:20.
２
He is with us all the days—28:20.
３
He is with us in our spirit—2 Tim. 4:22:
ａ
Today our spirit is the land of Immanuel—Isa. 8:7-8.
ｂ
Because God is with us, the enemy can never take over the land of Immanuel—v. 10; cf. 1 John 5:4; John 3:6.
４
We can enjoy the presence of the Triune God in gathering together for the teaching of His holy Word—Matt. 18:20; 28:20; Psa. 119:30; Acts 6:4.
５
We enjoy grace and peace through the Spirit as the presence of the Triune God—Gal. 6:18; Acts 9:31.
６
The Spirit's leading and witnessing are His presence—Rom. 8:14, 16.
７
We enjoy the dispensing of the Triune God through His presence as the Spirit—2 Cor. 13:14.
E
To live with Christ as Emmanuel, we need to be in His divine presence, which is the life-giving Spirit as the consummation of the Triune God— Gal. 5:25:
１
To live with Christ, we still live, yet not by ourselves alone but by Christ living in us and with us as Emmanuel; the Triune God cannot complete His intention to dispense Himself into our being outside of us; therefore, His being with us must be inward—2:20.
２
Emmanuel is our life and person, and we are His organ, living together with Him as one person; our victory depends upon Emmanuel, the presence of Jesus.
３
If we have the Lord's presence, we have wisdom, insight, foresight, and the inner knowledge concerning things; the Lord's presence is everything to us—2 Cor. 2:10; 4:6-7; Gal. 5:25; Gen. 5:22-24; Heb. 11:5-6.
F
If we would enter, possess, and enjoy the all-inclusive Christ as the reality of the good land, we must do so by the presence of the Lord; the Lord promised Moses, "My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest" (Exo. 33:14); God's presence is His way, the "map" that shows His people the way they should take:
１
In order to fully gain and possess Christ as the all-inclusive land for God's building, we must hold on to the principle that God's presence is the criterion for every matter; regardless of what we do, we must pay attention to whether or not we have God's presence; if we have God's presence, we have everything, but if we lose God's presence, we lose everything—Matt. 1:23; 2 Tim. 4:22; Gal. 6:18; Psa. 27:4, 8; 51:11.
２
The presence of the Lord, the smile of the Lord, is the governing principle; we must learn to be kept, to be ruled, to be governed, and to be guided by the direct, firsthand presence of the Lord—27:8; 80:3, 7, 17-19.
３
As a representative of the reigning aspect of a mature life, Joseph enjoyed the presence of the Lord, and with it the Lord's authority, prosperity, and blessing—Gen. 39:2-5, 21; Acts 7:9.
４
Moses was a person very near to God's heart and according to God's heart; hence, he had God's presence to a full extent—Exo. 33:11.
５
The apostle Paul was one who lived and acted in the presence of Christ according to the index of His whole person expressed in His eyes—2 Cor. 2:10.
６
"In my youth I was taught various ways to overcome, to be victorious, to be holy, and to be spiritual. However, not any of these ways worked...Nothing works but the Lord's presence. His being with us is everything"—Life-study of Joshua, 2nd ed., p. 50.
G
The entire New Testament is an Emmanuel, and we are now a part of this great Emmanuel that will consummate in the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and new earth for eternity; the New Testament begins with a God-man, who is "God with us," and ends with a great God-man, the New Jerusalem, which is "Jehovah Is There"—Matt. 1:23; 1 Cor. 6:17; Acts 9:4; 1 Tim. 3:15-16; Rev. 21:3, 22; Ezek. 48:35.
Morning Nourishment
Matt. 1:21 And she will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins.Exo. 3:14 And God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM. And He said, Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you.
Jesus was the name given by God, whereas Emmanuel was the name called by man. The angel Gabriel told Mary that the child she would conceive was to be called Jesus (Luke 1:31)…Hence, Jesus was a God-given name. The name Jesus includes the name Jehovah. In Hebrew the name God means “the Mighty One,” God the Almighty; and the name Jehovah means “I Am”— I Am Who I Am (Exo. 3:14). The verb to be in Hebrew not only refers to the present but also includes both the past and the future. Hence, the correct meaning of Jehovah is “I Am Who I Am,” the One who is now in the present, who was in the past, and who will be in the future and in eternity forever… Only God is the eternal One. From eternity past to eternity future, He is the I Am. Therefore, the Lord Jesus could say of Himself, “Before Abraham came into being, I am” (John 8:58). He also said to the Jews, “Unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins,” and, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am” (vv. 24, 28). We must realize that Jesus is the great I Am and believe in Him as the great I Am. (Life-study of Matthew, pp. 59-60)
Today’s Reading
The name of the Lord is the I Am…The Lord is whatever we need. If we need salvation, He Himself will be salvation to us. We have a signed check with the space for the amount left blank, and we may fill in whatever we need. If we need one dollar, we may insert one dollar. But if we need one million dollars, we may insert one million dollars…The check covers whatever we need.Whatever you need, Jesus is. Do you need light, life, power, wisdom, holiness, or righteousness? Jesus Himself is light, life, power, wisdom, holiness, and righteousness. Everything we need is found in the name of Jesus. How high and how rich is this wonderful name!
The first element included in the name of Jesus is Jehovah. The second is the Savior. Jesus is Jehovah-Savior, the One who saves us from all negative things: from our sins, from hell, from God’s judgment, and from eternal condemnation…If we hate our temper, He will save us from it. He saves us from the evil power of Satan, from all our besetting sins in our daily life, and from every bondage and addiction. Hallelujah, He is the Savior!
Jesus is not only the Savior; He Himself is also our salvation. Do not ask Him to give you salvation. Instead, you should say, “Lord Jesus, come to me and be my salvation.” Jesus will never give you salvation. He will come to you as salvation. We believers do not realize how much we need to be saved. Every day, every hour, and even every moment we have something from which we need to be saved…What does it mean to grow in life? On the positive side, to grow in life is to enter into the riches of what Christ is. On the negative side, it is to be delivered from certain things, or to forsake certain things. Although we are small men, we have accumulated many negative things. Probably you do not realize how many negative things you have accumulated. Wherever we go, we collect things. We pick up a great many negative things, and we acquire a number of habits from which we need to be saved. As you are reading this, you may not sense that you need salvation from anything. Suppose, however, you were suddenly raptured to the heavens. If you were taken to the heavens right now, you would immediately sense that you need a great deal of saving. To grow in life is simply to be saved from all unnecessary things, from all that is not needed for our living. If you have the light, the exposure of the fourth-day lights, you will say, “Lord, save me!” At such times we realize that Jesus is truly Jehovah as our Savior and our salvation. (Life-study of Matthew, pp. 60-61)
Further Reading: Life-study of Matthew, msg. 6
Morning Nourishment
Rom. 10:12-13 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all and rich to all who call upon Him; for “whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”The name of Jesus is above every name (Phil. 2:9-10). No name is as high and as exalted as the name of Jesus. Whether you hate Jesus or love Him, whether you are for Him or against Him, you realize that the name of Jesus is a special name…My burden in this message is to point out to you that this exalted name of Jesus is for us to do many things.
First, the name of Jesus is for us to believe into (John 1:12). We all must believe into the name of Jesus…When we preach the gospel, we should help people not only to pray but also to make a declaration to the whole universe that they believe in the name of Jesus. Whenever a sinner comes to believe in the Lord Jesus, he should declare, “Today I believe in the name of Jesus!” This makes a great difference. (Life-study of Matthew, pp. 61-62)
Today’s Reading
The name of Jesus is for us to be baptized into (Acts 8:16; 19:5)…The name needs the person, and the name is the person. Without the person, the name means nothing. To be baptized into the name of Jesus means to be baptized into His person.The name of Jesus is also for us to be saved. Acts 4:12 says, “Neither is there another name under heaven given among men in which we must be saved.”… The name of Jesus is a saving name.
To the lame man whom he met at the gate of the temple, Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not possess, but what I have, this I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene rise up and walk” (3:6). Immediately the man was healed. Then Peter said to the people, “In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene…this man stands before you in good health” (4:10). This testifies that the name of Jesus is also a healing name. We may call on the name of Jesus for healing from any kind of sickness.
The name of Jesus has been given to us so that we may be washed, sanctified, and justified (1 Cor. 6:11). As defiled persons, we were washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of Jesus and in the Spirit of God…The name is closely related to the person and to the Spirit…The Spirit is the person of the name and the reality of the name. Therefore, the name can wash us, sanctify us, and justify us. The Spirit is one with the name. Jesus is the name of the Lord, and the Spirit is the person of the Lord. When we call on the name of a real person, that person comes. The name of Jesus is linked with the person who washes us, sanctifies us, and justifies us. This is not merely doctrine or theory—it is reality. When we believe into the name of Jesus and are put into the name of Jesus, we are placed into a living person, that is, into the Holy Spirit. This Holy Spirit washes us, sanctifies us, and justifies us.
The name of Jesus is for us to call upon (Rom. 10:13; 1 Cor. 1:2)…Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Rom. 10:13)…When you preach the gospel, do not try so hard to change people’s thinking. Instead, help them to open up their being, their heart and their spirit, from deep within and to use their mouth to call upon the name of Jesus. If you help new believers to call on the name of Jesus in this way, the door will be open wide for the Spirit to enter in…After calling on the name of Jesus ten times, you will be in the heavens. Your sins will be forgiven, your burden will be lifted, and you will have life eternal. You will have everything.
Even for a believer of many years, the best way to touch the Lord Jesus, to enjoy the Lord Jesus, to share something of the Lord Jesus, is not to say very much but to go to the Lord and call, “Jesus! Jesus! Lord Jesus!”…Many times our words are too vain. It is better just to call, “Jesus.” If you call on His name, you will taste Him and enjoy Him. The name of Jesus is a wonderful name. We all need to call on Him. (Life-study of Matthew, pp. 62-65)
Further Reading: Life-study of Genesis, msg. 25
Morning Nourishment
John 14:13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that theFather may be glorified in the Son.
Rev. 3:8 …I have put before you an opened door which no one can shut, because you have a little power and have kept My word and have not denied My name.
We may…pray in the name of Jesus (John 14:13-14; 15:16; 16:24). This does not mean that we pray a long prayer and conclude it with the words in the name of Jesus. That is too formal. However, I do not oppose this, for I have done this many times. Rather, I would say that in our prayer it is good to call on the name of Jesus and say, “O Jesus! Jesus! I come to pray!” In the name of Jesus you will have a real burden to pray, and it will be very easy to have the assurance that your prayer has been heard and answered. If we call on the name of Jesus, we will have the assurance that we will receive what we have asked.
After the Lord Jesus told us to pray in His name, He proceeded to say that the Spirit will come to dwell in us (14:13-17). This indicates that the indwelling Spirit has very much to do with our prayer in the name of the Lord Jesus. In order to pray in the name of Jesus, we need the Spirit. When we are in the Spirit, we are in the reality of the name of Jesus in which we are praying. (Life- study of Matthew, p. 65)
Today’s Reading
The name of Jesus is also for us to be gathered into (Matt. 18:20)…Whenever you come to a Christian meeting, you must realize that you are being gathered once again into the name. We have been put into the name of Jesus, but we are not yet very deep into Him. Hence, we need to come back again and again to be gathered into His name. We can all testify that after every meeting we have had the sense deep within that we have entered further into the Lord. The Christian gatherings will bring us more deeply into the appreciation of the name of Jesus.When we speak, we must speak in the name of Jesus [Acts 9:27]. Speaking in the Lord’s name must be done in the Spirit, for the Spirit is the person of the Lord and the reality of His name. When we speak in His name, we need the Spirit to make it real…Never forget the name of Jesus. His name is a sweet name, a rich name, a powerful name, a saving name, a healing name, a comforting name, and an available name. This is the name that is exalted, honored, and respected. And it is the name feared by the enemy.
As a believer, you probably have had the following experience. When you are about to talk to others about Plato or Abraham Lincoln, you do not feel ashamed, but whenever you talk to people about Jesus, a strange feeling comes over you. When the Chinese speak about Confucius, they feel glorious. We should also feel glorious whenever we speak to others about Jesus, but often we do not have a glorious feeling. Instead, we have a rather strange feeling. This is devilish! In this universe and on this earth, there is a devilish element that is against Jesus. You have no problem as long as you are talking about the world situation, the economy, science, and so many things; but whenever you talk about the name of Jesus, you have a strange sense. This comes from the devil. Because Satan and all his demons hate the name of Jesus, we must proclaim it all the more. We must be bold with this name and say, “Satan, Jesus is my Lord! Satan, stay away!” We need to shout the name of Jesus.
When the apostles were persecuted, they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to be dishonored on behalf of the name of Jesus (5:41). Is this not wonderful? They even risked their lives for this name (15:26). Because Satan attacks the name of Jesus with all his evil power, we must learn to suffer for this name.
In Revelation 3:8 the Lord Jesus praised the church in Philadelphia because they did not deny His name…We should deny every other name but keep the name of Jesus. We must testify that we do not belong to any person or to any sect but that we simply belong to Jesus. The name of Jesus is the only name we own. (Life-study of Matthew, pp. 65-68)
Further Reading: Life-study of Isaiah, msg. 8
Morning Nourishment
Matt. 1:23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel” (which is translated, God with us).18:20 For where there are two or three gathered into My name, there am I in their midst.
Emmanuel is the name called by people who have had a certain amount of experience. Whenever you have some experience of Jesus, you will be able to say that He is God with you. Jesus is nothing less than God with us. This is our experience. God told us that His name is Jesus. But as we receive Him and experience Him, we say that Jesus is God with us. This is wonderful. (Life-study of Matthew, p. 69)
Today’s Reading
Deep within, do you not have the sense that, according to your experience, Jesus is God?…Jesus is nothing less than God Himself. He is not only the Son of God but also God Himself. Some good writers have said that apart from Jesus we can never find God. God is with Jesus, and God is Jesus. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was not only with God, but the Word was God (John 1:1). This Word became flesh and was called Jesus.When we experience Jesus, He is Emmanuel, God with us. We have heard that Jesus is our comfort, our rest, our peace, and our life. Jesus is so much to us. If we would experience Him, we would immediately say, “This is God! This is not God far away from me, or God in the heavens, but God with me.” Whenever we experience Jesus in a certain way, we realize that Jesus is God with us… Jesus is our patience. But when we experience Him as our patience, we say, “This patience is God with me.” Jesus is the way and the reality, but when we experience Him as the way and the reality, we say, “This way and this reality are just God with me.” Hallelujah, Jesus is God with us! In our experience, He is Emmanuel.
Whenever we are gathered together into the name of Jesus, He is with us (Matt. 18:20)…The presence of Jesus in our meetings is actually God with us. Jesus is with us all the days until the consummation of the age (28:20). “All the days” includes today. Do not forget about today. Many Christians think that Jesus is present all the days except today. But Jesus is with us now, today.
Jesus is not only among us; He is in our spirit. Second Timothy 4:22 says, “The Lord be with your spirit.” This Jesus who is with our spirit is Emmanuel, God with us. We can never separate the Spirit from the presence of Jesus. The Spirit is simply the reality of Jesus’ presence (John 14:16-20). This presence is Emmanuel, God with us. When we call on the name of Jesus, we receive the Spirit, who is the person, the reality, and the realization of Jesus. First Corinthians 12:3 says, “No one can say, Jesus is Lord! except in the Holy Spirit.” Whenever we say “Jesus is Lord,” we are in the Spirit, and we receive the Spirit. We have all been under the influence of tradition, thinking that we must fast and pray before we can receive the Spirit. However, it is simple to receive the Spirit—just call on the name of Jesus.
According to Isaiah 8:7-8, the enemy may try to take over the land of Emmanuel. Do not think this word is only for the children of Israel. Today our spirit is the land of Emmanuel. Thus, we ourselves are the land of Emmanuel. The enemy, Satan, with all his army will do everything he can to take over this land of Emmanuel, that is, to take over our spirit and our being. Isaiah 8:10 tells us that because God is with us, the enemy can never take over the land of Emmanuel. Although Satan has tried his best to take you over, you are still here. Perhaps during the past week Satan tried twenty-one times to take you over, but he failed every time. You are still here because of Emmanuel, because of God with us. This Emmanuel is Jesus. Today we may enjoy Jesus and experience Him in such a real way as our Emmanuel. (Life-study of Matthew, pp. 69-71)
Further Reading: Life-study of Matthew, msg. 6
Morning Nourishment
John 14:17 …The Spirit of reality, whom the world cannot receive,…but you know Him, because He abides with you and shall be in you.Gal. 2:20 I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Matthew is a book on Emmanuel—God incarnated to be with us. The practical Emmanuel is the Spirit of reality (John 14:16-20). When Peter and the other disciples heard the Lord’s word in Matthew 18:20 and 28:20, they may have wondered how the Lord would be with them…They may have considered that the Lord would continue to be with them physically, and this may have made them quite happy. But in John 14 the Lord Jesus said, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, that He may be with you forever” (v. 16). Then in verses 17 and 18 the Lord indicated that He would become this Comforter. (CWWL, 1990, vol. 1, “The Triune God to Be Life to the Tripartite Man,” pp. 302-303)
Today’s Reading
In Matthew 28:20 the “I” is Emmanuel. In John 14 the “I” who will come in verse 18 is the Spirit of reality in verse 17. There is a progression in the divine revelation from the Gospel of Matthew to the Gospel of John. Today the Spirit of reality is Emmanuel. In Acts and the Epistles, the Spirit of reality is the very presence of the consummated Triune God in our spirit…The Triune God cannot complete His intention to dispense Himself into our being outside of us. Therefore, His being with us must be inward.To live with Christ, we need to be in His divine presence (Gal. 5:25a),… [which] is the life-giving Spirit, [or]…Emmanuel, who is the real, practical Jesus, the Triune God with the tripartite man. In order to walk by Christ as the life-giving Spirit, we must live with Christ as a person, who is Emmanuel. Today Emmanuel is the very life-giving Spirit, who is the consummated Triune God as His presence with us moment by moment…He is not only with us outwardly but also with us inwardly in our spirit every minute of the day. We do and say things one way when we are alone, but when we have someone else with us, we do and say things differently…If we realize that another One is with us, everything we do, such as shopping, will change.
There are very few Christians who walk, live, speak, and do things with Emmanuel as another One with them. We have the doctrine of Emmanuel, but we have very little experience of Emmanuel. If we had more experience of Emmanuel, we would not do many of the things we do today, such as gossip… The presence of the Lord changes our life. We all must have the realization and sensation that the Lord Jesus, who is our Savior, is also Emmanuel. He is the Triune God with us, the tripartite men. We should not say or do anything in ourselves or by ourselves. We need to experience Emmanuel.
Living with Christ is not I living alone but with Christ living in me (2:20)… You must realize that you are no longer living alone, but Christ is living with you and in you. When you have this sensation, it will revolutionize your entire life. To live with Christ, we still live, yet not by ourselves alone but by Christ living with us as Emmanuel. The name Immanuel is first mentioned in Isaiah (7:14; 8:8). Many Christians address the Lord as Jesus and Christ, but few address the Lord as Emmanuel. We must learn to call our Lord “Emmanuel.”
Emmanuel is our life and person, and we are His organ. As His organ, we live together with Him as one person. The Triune God lives together with the tripartite man…If we lose His presence, we are defeated, but if we have His presence, we have the victory. (CWWL, 1990, vol. 1, “The Triune God to Be Life to the Tripartite Man,” pp. 303-305)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1990, vol. 1, “The Triune God to Be Life to the Tripartite Man,” ch. 9
Morning Nourishment
Exo. 33:14 And He said, My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.Psa. 27:8 When You say, Seek My face, to You my heart says, Your face ,
O Jehovah, will I seek.
Christ is God with us [Matt. 1:23]. This is revealed not only in Matthew 1 but also in Matthew 28, where the Lord Jesus said, “Behold, I am with you all the days until the consummation of the age” (v. 20). Actually, the entire New Testament is an Immanuel, and we are now a part of this great Immanuel that will consummate in the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and new earth for eternity. (Life-study of Isaiah, 2nd ed., pp. 53-54)
Today’s Reading
If we would go on to possess [Christ as the reality of the good land], we must do so by the presence of the Lord. If the presence of the Lord goes with us, we can enter and enjoy the land…The Lord promised Moses, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest” (Exo. 33:14). This means that He would bring the people into the possession of the land by His presence.This is quite a peculiar word: “My presence shall go.” It does not mean that He will go. He will go is one thing, and My presence shall go is another. Many times the Lord will go with you, but His presence will not. Many times the Lord will truly help you, but be assured, He is not happy with you. You will receive His help, but you will lose His presence. He will bring you to your destination, and He will bless you, but throughout the whole trip you will not sense His presence. Many times in past years while I was serving the Lord, I have realized His help. The Lord is bound to help me; He must help me for His own sake. But I can tell you that many times I did not have the presence of the Lord, simply because He was not happy with me…He went along, but He withheld His presence that I might know His displeasure.
Never think that as long as the Lord helps you, it is sufficient…We must have the Lord’s presence. We must learn to pray, “Lord, if You will not give me Your presence, I will stay here with You. If Your presence does not go with me, I will not go. I will not be governed by Your help but by Your presence.” We must go even further to pray, “O Lord, I do not want Your help, but I do want Your presence. Lord, I must have Your presence. I can do without Your help, but I cannot do without Your presence.”
Although it may be with tears in our eyes, we must say day by day, “Lord, nothing but Your smiling presence will satisfy me. I do not want anything but the smile of Your glorious face. As long as I have this, I care not whether the heaven comes down or the earth falls apart. The whole world may rise against me, but as long as I have Your smile upon me, I can praise You, and everything is well.” The Lord said, “My presence shall go with you.” What a treasure! The presence, the smile, of the Lord is the governing principle. We must be fearful of receiving anything from the Lord yet losing His presence…The Lord Himself may very well give you something, and yet that very thing will rob you of His presence. He will help you, He will bless you, and yet that very help and blessing can keep you away from His presence. We must learn to be kept, to be ruled, to be governed, to be guided simply by the presence of the Lord. We must tell the Lord that we do not want anything but His direct presence. We do not want His presence secondhand. Many times, be assured, you have the secondhand presence of the Lord. It is not firsthand; it is not direct. Try to be governed by the direct, firsthand presence of the Lord. This is not only a requirement and a qualification but also a power for you to go on to possess the land. The firsthand presence of the Lord will strengthen you with might to obtain the fullness, the all-inclusiveness of Christ. What a strength, what a power, is in the direct presence of the Lord! (CWWL, 1961-1962, vol. 4, “The All-inclusive Christ,” pp. 294-296)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1961-1962, vol. 4, “The All-inclusive Christ,” ch. 11