Scripture Reading: Isa. 8:14a; 4:6
Ⅰ
God's goal is to have a great universal incorporation of Himself with His believers —with God dwelling in us as the tabernacle and us dwelling in God as the temple —the mutual abode of God and man—Rev. 21:3, 22:
A
Christ as Immanuel is a sanctuary, a tabernacle of grace, to God's people to be their dwelling place "as a daytime shade from the heat and as a refuge and a cover from storm and rain"—Isa. 8:14a; 4:6; John 1:14; 2:19, 21; 2 Cor. 12:9; Rev. 21:3, 22.
B
The God-man, Christ, is the inner temple, the Holy of Holies, to God's chosen people, the place where they as God's priests live with God and worship and serve God—Isa. 8:14a; 4:6; Psa. 90:1; Rev. 21:22.
C
Christ as the Head and we as the members of His Body are the temple of God—1 Cor. 3:16; 1 Tim. 3:15-16.
D
Christ with all the members of His Body will be consummated as the enlarged tabernacle and temple of God—the New Jerusalem—Rev. 21:2-3, 22.
E
Christ as the dwelling place of God, the sanctuary of God, is the enterable God for us to enjoy the riches contained in God—John 1:14, 29; 2:19; Psa. 90:1.
F
Christ as the sanctuary of God is our royal abode, our royal palace—45:13-14a; S. S. 6:4a:
１
Christ as the temple is the house (palace) of God the Father, who is the King of kings, and of His household, His many sons, His royal family, who are the co-kings with the Father; God's dwelling becomes our dwelling in which we serve God as priests—Rev. 21:22; 22:3, 5.
２
In Christ as our sanctuary, we can enjoy God as our "Roommate," our Friend and our Companion; such a revelation of God as our sanctuary should cause us to aspire to live with God as our Roommate all the time—Isa. 41:8; Exo. 33:11; James 2:23; 4:4.
３
We need to have definite, intimate, and sweet times with God as our Roommate; we should live, stay, and dwell all the time with God and in God—cf. Exo. 34:2-3; Psa. 91:1; Matt. 6:6.
４
When we are in God as our sanctuary, our abode, enjoying Him as our Roommate, we see Him everywhere; He is our life, light, food, water, and air—John 15:4-5; 10:10b; 8:12; 6:35, 57; 4:14; 7:37; 20:22.
G
We need to abide in Christ as the sanctuary of God to become the sanctuary of God, the Holy of Holies, today's Zion, the very spot where God is—S. S. 6:4a; Rev. 21:16, 3, 11; 3:12.
Ⅱ
We need to abide (stay, remain, and dwell) in the Lord; then He abides in us —John 15:4; Eph. 3:16-17:
A
Because Christ indwells our spirit, we can remain in Him by remaining in our spirit, which has become the sanctuary of God, the dwelling place of God— 2:22; 2 Tim. 4:22:
１
In order to abide in Christ, we must remain in our spirit, "the secret place of the Most High"—Psa. 91:1; Eph. 2:22.
２
In the sanctuary of God, we receive revelation, and God's way is made known to us— Psa. 73:16-17, 25-26; 77:13.
３
The practicality of living in Christ as the sanctuary of God is for us to live in our spirit, where we can overcome the world and where the evil one cannot touch us—1 John 5:4, 18; John 14:30.
４
The secret of experiencing Christ is to be in Him, the One who empowers us to do all things, and the secret of being in Him is to be in our spirit—Phil. 4:12-13, 23.
５
God desires to dwell in those who have a contrite and lowly spirit and who tremble at His word—Matt. 5:3; Isa. 57:15; 66:2.
B
By eating the hidden manna, we are incorporated into the Triune God to become the New Jerusalem—Rev. 2:17; 21:2-3.
C
By loving the Lord with the best love, we are incorporated into the Triune God to be His dwelling place—2:4; John 14:21, 23; Eph. 3:17.
D
To abide in the Lord is to enjoy Him as our grace-power to be a tabernacle overshadowing us in our sufferings for God's building—Isa. 4:2; 2 Cor. 12:9; cf. Exo. 31:2-3.
E
To abide in the Lord is to take care of the anointing, the moving and working of the indwelling compound Spirit, by the inner sense of the spirit—1 John 2:20, 27; 3:24b; 4:13; Rom. 8:6; Isa. 11:2-3:
１
We need to remain in the fellowship of the divine life—1 John 1:2-3.
２
We need to walk in the divine light—vv. 6-7.
３
"Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God"—Eph. 4:30.
４
"Do not quench the Spirit"—1 Thes. 5:19; cf. vv. 16-18.
F
To abide in the Lord is to abide in the crucified Christ by the power of His resurrection—S. S. 2:14, 8-9; Phil. 3:10.
G
In order to abide in Christ and have Him abide in us, we must abide in His word so that His words may abide in us—John 15:5, 7; 8:31; 17:17, 21.
Ⅲ
By enjoying Christ as our sanctuary, God is built into us and we are built into God for us to become a pillar in God's temple, which is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb— Rev. 3:12; 21:22:
A
The holy city as the tabernacle of God is for God to dwell in, and God and the Lamb as the temple are for the redeemed saints to dwell in—vv. 3, 22.
B
In the new heaven and new earth, the New Jerusalem will be a mutual dwelling place for God and man for eternity.