Outline
Ⅲ
We need to see the Christ who was ministered by John for the dispensing of the Triune God as life into our tripartite being:
A
Christ was ministered by John as God in the beginning; this God is the very source of life and also the eternal life flowing as the river of water of life—John 1:1; 3:36; 5:26; Rev. 22:1.
B
According to John, Christ is the eternal Logos, the One who defines, explains, and expresses God—John 1:1; 1 John 1:1; Rev. 19:13.
C
Christ is the only begotten Son of God, the One who declared God by the Word, life, light, grace, and reality—John 1:18; 3:16; 1:34; 20:31.
D
Christ is the eternal life, the divine, uncreated life of God, who is not only everlasting in time but also eternal and divine in nature for His eternal dispensing—1 John 1:2; John 11:25; 14:6.
E
Christ is the Giver of the Spirit, who is the Triune God reaching us; when the Triune God reaches us, God dispenses Himself into us—3:34.
F
Our Christ is the Son of Man with the human nature (1:51; Rev. 1:13); He is the Son of Man for redemption, to take away our sin and solve the problems between us and God, so that God might be dispensed into us.
G
John ministered Christ as the Lamb of God (John 1:29; Rev. 5:6; 7:14, 17; 13:8; 22:1); the redeeming Lamb is for the dispensing of God as life into man (cf. Exo. 12:8-11).
H
As the Lamb, Christ is the propitiation for our sins (1 John 2:2); the Lord Jesus Christ offered Himself to God as a sacrifice for our sins (Heb. 9:28), not only for redemption but also for the satisfying of God’s demand, thus appeasing the relationship between us and God; hence, He is the sacrifice for our propitiation before God.
Morning Nourishment
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.3:34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for He gives the Spirit not by measure.
1 John 2:2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for those of the whole world.
Christ was ministered by John as God in the beginning (John 1:1). Both Paul and Peter also ministered in this way, pointing out that Christ, the Son of God, is God Himself (Rom. 9:5; Heb. 1:8; 2 Pet. 1:1)…The beginning means the source. This God is the very source of life. He is also the eternal life (John 3:36). This eternal life is for dispensing. Then at the end of John’s writings, in chapter 22 of Revelation, you can see that eternal life is flowing as the river of water of life (v. 1). That flowing of life is the dispensing of life. (CWWL, 1983, vol. 2, “The Divine Dispensing of the Divine Trinity,” pp. 237-238)
Today’s Reading
According to John, Christ is the eternal Logos (John 1:1; 1 John 1:1; Rev. 19:13). This is a wonderful term. It means “the Word.” The Word defines, explains, and expresses God…This is the wonderful Christ, the second of the Trinity.Christ is the only begotten Son of God (John 1:18; 3:16; 1:34; 20:31). God in eternity is for dispensing life; the eternal Logos is for dispensing life; and the only begotten Son of God, who declared God, is also for dispensing life.
In John’s writings Christ is the eternal life (1 John 1:2; John 11:25; 14:6). This is the divine life, the uncreated life of God, which is not only everlasting timewise but eternal and divine in nature. Eternal life is for life dispensing. Life flows, and life dispenses itself. This is the eternal life, which is an eternal dispensing.
Christ is also the Giver of the Spirit (3:34). The Spirit is the Triune God reaching us. When the Triune God stays in unapproachable light, He is the Father (1 Tim. 6:16). When He reaches us, He is the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:17). The Spirit is the Triune God reaching us, and Christ is the Giver of such a reaching Spirit. The reaching is the dispensing…The reaching and dispensing is by the Spirit given to us by Christ the Son.
Christ is not only the Son of God with the divine nature but also the Son of Man with the human nature. He is the Son of Man for redemption, to take away our sin and solve the problems between us and God, that God might be dispensed into us.
John ministered Christ as the Lamb of God (John 1:29; Rev. 5:6; 13:8; 22:1). The Lamb of God was not the Son of God but the Son of Man. God does not have blood to shed for our redemption, nor does the Son of God have blood, but the Lamb, the Son of Man, has blood. This is not the blood of goats or oxen but the genuine blood of a genuine man, which is able to redeem us. Men need a man’s blood to redeem them. This redeeming is for the dispensing of God as life.
As the Lamb, Christ is the propitiation concerning our sins (1 John 2:2)… Because of our sins there was a turmoil, a storm, a problem between God and us. There was no peace. Christ as the Son of Man who was the Lamb of God died on the cross to be our propitiation…He solved the problem. So He is our propitiation. He calmed the turmoil, and He appeased God. So now there is a kind of peaceful condition between God and us. This is for life dispensing. If there is not such a peaceful condition, there is no way to dispense life. When we are going to eat, we must stop any fighting. We cannot eat well if we are quarreling with our wife or with the brothers. If we are quarreling and fighting, there is no life dispensing. Eating and life dispensing need a peaceful situation. The Lord Jesus became the propitiation concerning our sins between us and God to create a peaceful situation for life dispensing. (CWWL, 1983, vol. 2, “The Divine Dispensing of the Divine Trinity,” pp. 238-239)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1983, vol. 2, “The Divine Dispensing of the Divine Trinity,” ch. 10
Morning Nourishment
1 John 2:1 My little children, these things I write to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous.
Rev. 22:13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
Christ is our Advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1). This means that He is our Attorney. He takes our case legally. Satan, the enemy of God and our subtle enemy, is subtly legal. The Bible tells us that he accuses us before our God day and night (Rev. 12:10)…He would say, “God, You are righteous. Look at all the children whom You love. Not one of them is righteous. And You are so holy. But look at Your children; every one is dirty.” This kind of accusation is somewhat legal. But God the Father would say, “Satan, look at Jesus Christ the righteous One. My children have a good Attorney.” Then our Attorney, Jesus Christ, would turn to Satan and say, “Satan, don’t you see My blood? Satan, shut up! Don’t say anything!” (CWWL, 1983, vol. 2, “The Divine Dispensing of the Divine Trinity,” pp. 239-240)