Scripture Reading: Eph. 4:13-16, 20-21, 24
Ⅰ
For the corporate living of the one new man, we need to grow up into Christ in all things—Eph. 4:14-16, 24:
A
To grow up into Christ is to have Christ increase in us in all things until we arrive at a full-grown man—vv. 13-15.
B
We all need to grow up into Christ in all things, that is, in every single thing, whether big or small—v. 15:
１
There are still many things in which we have not grown up into Christ; in these things we are not in Christ but are outside of Christ.
２
When we all grow up into Christ in all things, we all will be one in Christ; this is the universal one new man—v. 24.
３
Growing up into Christ in all things is for the practical existence of the universal one new man—v. 24.
４
The growth into Christ in verse 15 equals the putting on of the new man in verse 24.
５
The full-grown man in verse 13 refers to the one new man in verse 24, who has become full-grown.
C
Ephesians 4 speaks of the perfecting of the new man through the growth of life; the one new man created by Christ must be perfected in order to function:
１
In Ephesians 2:15 we see the creation of the new man organically; in 4:13-16 we see the perfecting of the new man in relation to his function.
２
The organically perfect one new man needs to be perfected through the growth of life in order to function in a proper way—vv. 12-15:
ａ
The one new man can become perfect in relation to his function only through receiving the proper nourishment; this is one of the deepest concepts in the book of Ephesians.
ｂ
We need to fulfill our responsibility to perfect the one new man through nourishing and cherishing—5:29.
ｃ
The more the one new man grows through receiving the proper nourishment, the more he will function normally.
３
For the growth of the corporate new man, we need to experience the crucified, resurrected, ascended, and descending Christ so that the all-inclusive Christ is wrought into us to be our everything; then the organically perfect new man will become perfect functionally—3:16-17a; 4:13, 24.
Ⅱ
For the corporate living of the one new man, we need to learn Christ as the reality is in Jesus—vv. 20-21:
A
In verse 20 Paul speaks of learning Christ:
１
Christ is not only life to us but also an example; in His life on earth the Lord Jesus set up a pattern, a mold—John 13:15; 1 Pet. 2:21.
２
To be saved is to be put into Christ by God—1 Cor. 1:30.
３
By means of baptism God put us into Christ, who is the pattern; to be baptized is to be placed into Christ as the mold—Rom. 6:3; Gal. 3:27.
４
By being placed into the mold, we have put off the old man and have put on the new man—Eph. 4:22, 24.
５
We learn Christ according to the mold of the life of Jesus, which is reality—vv. 20-21.
６
To learn Christ is to be put into Christ as the mold; it is to be molded into the pattern set up by Him during His years on earth—v. 20.
B
The expression the reality is in Jesus refers to the actual condition of the life of Jesus as recorded in the four Gospels; the life of Jesus was a life of reality—v. 21:
１
In verses 17 and 21 we see a contrast between the vanity of the mind and the reality in Jesus.
２
Reality is the shining of light; light is the source, and reality is the expression—John 8:12:
ａ
The Lord Jesus is the shining of God, who is light—Heb. 1:3; 1 John 1:5.
ｂ
Because in every aspect of the Lord's living on earth there was the shining of light, His life was a life of reality, a life of the shining God Himself; that life of reality was the expression of God—John 8:12; 14:6.
C
The living of the one new man should be exactly the same as the living of Jesus—Eph. 4:20:
１
The way that the Lord Jesus lived on earth is the way that the new man should live today—Matt. 11:28-30; John 6:57; 4:34; 5:17, 19, 30; 6:38; 17:4.
２
Our standard of living must be according to the reality in Jesus—Eph. 4:20:
ａ
He was one with God, and He lived a life in which He did everything in God, with God, and for God.
ｂ
The human living of Jesus was according to the reality, that is, according to God Himself, full of righteousness and holiness—v. 24.
３
We need to learn Christ and be taught in Him to live a life of reality—vv. 20-21; 2 John 1; John 4:23-24.
４
As a corporate person, the one new man should live a life of reality, as the reality is in Jesus, which is a life of expressing God—Eph. 4:21.
５
If we live according to the spirit of our mind, we will have the living of the corporate new man—a living that corresponds to the reality in Jesus—v. 23.
D
The church life is the daily walk of the corporate one new man, a walk that is absolutely new in nature and in manner; everything related to the one new man is new—vv. 17-32.
E
Since the one new man is according to God Himself, with God's life and nature, the one new man must have the life that is divine; such a life will be corporate, not individualistic—v. 24.