Outline

«　WEEK 6　DAY 6　»

　　Heb. 2:10-11 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and through whom are all things, in leading many sons into glory, to make the Author of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of One, for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brothers.

　　Hebrews 3:1 speaks of the believers as “holy brothers.” This verse indicates that the believers are Christ’s brothers. We are the brothers of Christ because He and we are of the same source. He has come from God the Father, and we also have come out of the Father. Christ is the firstborn Son of God, and we are the many sons of God (Rom. 8:29; Heb. 2:10). When God created Adam, Adam was sinless and pure. However, through the fall Adam and all his descendants were constituted sinners (Rom. 5:19). Yet in God’s salvation we have become the sons of God, the brothers of Christ. He as the firstborn Son of God and we as the many sons of God are of the same source, God the Father. (CWWL, 1993, vol. 1, p. 127)

　　God’s firstborn Son is the prototype, and we are the mass production. Christ is the model, mold, and pattern. God has put us all into Him that we may be molded into the image of His firstborn Son. Eventually, we all will be conformed to the mold. Sometimes when the sisters make cakes, they put dough into a mold. By being put into the mold, the dough assumes the pattern and image of the mold. Furthermore, the dough must also be baked so that the cake may bear the pattern of the mold without any change…Likewise, Christ, the firstborn Son of God, is the prototype, pattern, and mold, and we are pieces of dough. We all have been put into the mold and are now being kneaded by the hand of God.

　　We have been predestinated to be conformed to the image of God’s Son, that He may be the Firstborn among many brothers. This is God’s purpose. God’s purpose is to produce many brothers of His firstborn Son. When Christ was the only begotten Son, He was unique, but God desired to have many sons who will be the many brothers of His Son. In this way the only begotten Son of God becomes the Firstborn among many brothers. He is the firstborn Son, and we are the many sons…Without the many sons God could never have a kingdom, and without the many brothers Christ could never have a Body. Thus, the many sons of God are for the kingdom of God, and the many brothers of Christ are for the Body of Christ. The kingdom of God is simply the Body life, and this Body life in the church is God’s kingdom where He is expressed and where His dominion is exercised on the earth. This is God’s purpose.

　　Why does God arrange our environment, surroundings, and situations in such a way that we experience suffering? We should not explain this according to our natural concept, saying, “The whole earth is filled with sufferings, and everyone undergoes hardship. Why should we be an exception?” This is a natural concept, and we should not accept it. We must realize that God’s purpose is to make us full-grown sons, not little children. We should not be content to remain children enjoying His cherishing and loving. God intends to make us full sons, completely grown up to be legal heirs that we may inherit all that He is in this universe and that we may express Him and exercise His dominion over the earth. Since God’s intention is to bring us into full sonship, we need to grow. There is no doubt that growth comes from inward nourishment, but this inward nourishment needs the coordination of the outward environment. According to our feeling, most of the outward environment is unpleasant. Thus, the outward environment becomes a suffering as far as we are concerned. I do not say that the outward environment is not good; it is always good, but it may not appear good to your feeling. (Life-study of Romans, pp. 234-235)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1993, vol. 1, pp. 127-128