Scripture Reading: Eph. 2:14-15; Col. 2:14
Ⅰ
On the cross Christ created the new man in Himself by abolishing in His flesh the law of the commandments in ordinances, the middle wall of partition—Eph. 2:14-15a:
A
The law spoken of in 2:15 is not the law of the moral commandments, but the law of ritual commandments, such as the ordinances of circumcision, keeping the Sabbath, and eating certain foods.
B
Ordinances are the forms or ways of living and worship, which create enmity and division:
１
On the cross Christ abolished all the regulations regarding living and worship, regulations that have divided the nations—v. 15; Col. 2:14.
２
Christ's death was not only for our salvation, liberation, sanctification, and victory but also to abolish the ordinances in order to create the church as the one new man.
C
From the time of Babel, mankind has been divided by ordinances concerning the ways of living and worship; in God's economy in the church life, we must overcome Babel—Gen. 11:1-9:
１
Due to man's fall there are many ordinances, many customs, habits, ways to live, and ways to worship.
２
All these differences among peoples have divided, scattered, and confused mankind.
３
One of the main elements of ordinances is language; our very language can become an ordinance:
ａ
On the day of Pentecost, the divisions caused by language were overcome, and the church as the one new man came into existence— Acts 2:1-11.
ｂ
If we can overcome the difficulty presented by language, a great part of our problem with ordinances will be solved—6:1 and note 1.
ｃ
When we stay for a long period of time in another country, or even live there, we should, if possible, learn the language of the people there and not insist on our native tongue.
４
Christ should be our only source; we should not allow anything of our background, culture, or nationality to be our source—cf. Col. 3:10-11.
５
The worldly people regard cultural differences as a mark of prestige, but in Christ we have lost this prestige:
ａ
For the church to be the new man means that the church is a new mankind, a new humanity, a new human race.
ｂ
Now our only prestige is Christ and the genuine oneness.
ｃ
If we are willing to let go of our cultural pride, it will be possible for the Lord to have the proper church life.
Ⅱ
The more we are in the mingled spirit, in the mingling of the divine Spirit with the human spirit, the more we shall be set free from ordinances— Eph. 2:18, 22:
A
The cross abolished the ordinances in order to give place to the Spirit, in whom we have access unto the Father—v. 18:
１
If we have ordinances, we do not have the Spirit, but if we have the Spirit, we shall not have ordinances:
ａ
The church life does not consist of ordinances, but of the living Spirit.
ｂ
The church is the reprint of the Spirit—Zech. 4:2-6.
ｃ
"No Spirit, no church. More Spirit, more church"—1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 4:4.
ｄ
As long as we are not in the Spirit, anything we do is an ordinance—cf. 2 Cor. 3:6.
B
"For neither is circumcision anything nor uncircumcision, but a new creation is what matters"—Gal. 6:15:
１
The only thing that matters is the new man as the new creation, the masterpiece of life with the divine nature—v. 15; Eph. 2:10.
２
To be a new creation is to have Christ wrought into our being—3:16-17.
３
When Christ is realized through the Spirit in our spirit, we become the new creation, the new man—Gal. 6:18; Eph. 4:23-24.