Scripture Reading: S. S. 1:1-4; John 14:21, 23; 21:15-19
Ⅰ
All of the spiritual principles are contained in the first stage of the seeker's overcoming life in Song of Songs; the lessons that follow are not new; rather, they are old lessons repeated in a deeper way—1:1; Col. 2:6:
A
Regeneration brings the gene of God into us; all the experiences of our whole Christian life are in this gene—1 John 3:9; Mark 4:26.
B
In principle, all the spiritual high points in Song of Songs are ours already because they are in the gene of God, the life of God, which has been dispensed into us and will grow in us—Rom. 8:10; Col. 2:19.
Ⅱ
Life is a person, Christ Himself, and there is no other way to enjoy this person but by loving Him—Mark 12:30:
A
If we love the Lord to the uttermost, enjoying Him as the tree of life through the day, right away the church, regardless of its condition, becomes paradise to us—Rev. 2:4, 7.
B
Since the Lord as our life is a person, we must contact Him; we need the present presence, the present person, of Christ all the time, no matter how much we have experienced Him and enjoyed Him in the past—John 8:12; Phil. 3:13-14.
C
John 14:21 and 23 show the Son manifesting Himself to His lover and the Father coming with Him to make an abode with the Son's lover:
１
We need to love the Lord Jesus and say, "Lord Jesus, I love You"; as we love Him, He will manifest Himself to us, which means that we have the presence of the One whom we love in our fellowship with Him.
２
If we love Jesus, Jesus loves us and the Father loves us also; when the Son manifests Himself to us, the Father comes with Him to make an abode with us for our enjoyment—cf. 1 Cor. 2:9-12.
D
The beginning of our love toward the Lord is a vision of His person; we cannot go on without new knowledge of the Lord and a new vision of Him—Acts 26:14-19; 2 Cor. 4:6-7; Phil. 3:8-10a, 13; cf. Deut. 4:25.
Ⅲ
Our relationship with the Lord must be personal—S. S. 1:4a:
A
We need to follow the pattern of Abraham, who was the friend of God for the desire of God—2 Chron. 20:7; Isa. 41:8; James 2:23; Gen. 18:1-33.
B
We need to follow the pattern of Moses, who was a companion of God for the interests of God—Exo. 33:11.
C
We need to follow the pattern of David and Asaph, who sought the shining face of God in and for the house of God—Psa. 27:4, 8; 80:3, 7, 14-19.
D
We need to follow the pattern of the Lord Jesus, who lived in the presence of God without ceasing; every moment He saw His Father's face—Acts 10:38c; John 8:29; 16:32.
E
We need to follow the pattern of Peter, whose love for the Lord was restored for him to shepherd the Lord's sheep and follow the Lord unto martyrdom without any confidence in his natural strength—21:15-19; Mark 16:7.
F
We need to follow the pattern of Paul, who was constrained by the love of Christ to live in the person of Christ as an ambassador of Christ to be well pleasing to Christ—2 Cor. 2:10; 5:9, 14, 20.
Ⅳ
Our relationship with the Lord must be affectionate—S. S. 1:2:
A
The Lord who indwells us is our Father, and grace is our mother—Rom. 8:15-16; Gal. 4:24-26; Isa. 66:12-13.
B
The Lord who indwells us is our Husband—Matt. 9:15; 2 Cor. 11:2.
C
The Lord who indwells us is our Brother—John 20:17; Rom. 8:29.
D
The Lord who indwells us is our Friend—Matt. 11:19; John 15:12-17.
E
The Lord who indwells us is our Counselor—Isa. 9:6.
F
The Lord who indwells us is our Advocate—1 John 2:1.
G
The Lord who indwells us is our Comforter—John 14:16; 16:13.
H
The Lord who indwells us is our Shepherd—Psa. 23:1; 1 Pet. 2:25.
Ⅴ
Our relationship with the Lord must be private—S. S. 1:4b:
A
We need to contact the Lord privately in a secret, definite, and prevailing way, opening our entire being to Him for His enlightening and infusing—Matt. 6:6.
B
The highest profession on earth is to spend time being infused with God so that you can glow with God and shine forth God—Exo. 33:11; 2 Cor. 3:16, 18; 4:1; cf. Matt. 14:23; Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16; 6:12; 9:28.
C
We need to experience and enjoy Christ as our hiding place, our dwelling place, and our secret of sufficiency—Psa. 31:20; 90:1; 91:1; Phil. 4:13.
Ⅵ
Our relationship with the Lord must be spiritual—S. S. 1:4b:
A
Christ visits us spiritually because He is the life-giving Spirit in our spirit; our spirit is the Holy of Holies, the chambers of the pneumatic Christ as the Lord of lords and the King of kings—1 Cor. 15:45b; Rom. 8:16; 2 Tim. 4:22.
B
In order to contact Christ and enjoy Christ for the Body of Christ, we must exercise our mingled spirit—Eph. 1:17; 2:22; 3:5, 16; 4:23; 5:18; 6:18.
Ⅶ
Our personal, affectionate, private, and spiritual relationship with the Lord causes us to love Him for His purpose, leading us into the church life where we can be transformed and perfected by being constituted with the Triune God for the building up of the Body of Christ to consummate the New Jerusalem—S. S. 1:7-11; Eph. 4:11-12; 1 Cor. 3:12a.