Scripture Reading: Phil. 1:19; 1 Cor. 12:15, 21, 27; Rom. 12:5; Eph. 4:7; 2 Cor. 10:13
Ⅰ
The supply of the Body is the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, typified by the compound ointment, the holy anointing oil—Phil. 1:19-21a; Exo. 30:23-25:
A
The compound Spirit is in and for the Body and for the priestly service that builds up the Body—vv. 26-31; Rom. 15:16; 1 Pet. 2:5, 9.
B
According to Psalm 133, the inestimable goodness and incalculable pleasantness of brothers dwelling together in oneness is likened to the compound precious ointment—Eph. 4:3.
C
We receive the supply of the Spirit by the intercession and fellowship of the members:
１
When we are dry and have no way to go on, we need other brothers and sisters to intercede for us before we can get through—Phil. 1:19; 1 Thes. 5:25; Job 42:8-10.
２
We need to pray ourselves into God to receive the life-giving Spirit as our supply to feed ourselves and all those under our care for the building up of the Body—Luke 11:1-13.
３
We cannot live without the supply of the Body; therefore, we must constantly avail ourselves of the fellowship of the Body—1 Thes. 3:8; 1 Cor. 10:16b; 1 John 1:3.
４
As long as we live in the Body, we will receive the supply of the Body, no matter what our condition is.
５
If a man wants to see light, he has to enter the church, the sanctuary—Psa. 73:16-17; Matt. 5:14; Rev. 1:20.
６
The whole Body is built up through the interdependence among the members—1 Cor. 16:18; Eph. 4:16.
Ⅱ
In the Body there can be no independence or individualism, for we are members, and members cannot live in detachment from the Body—1 Cor. 12:27; Rom. 12:5; Eph. 5:30:
A
Every believer is a member of the Body of Christ, and every member is indispensable—1 Cor. 12:15, 21; Rom. 12:3.
B
“If we truly see our position in the Body, it will be as though we were saved a second time” (W. Nee, The Mystery of Christ, p. 16)—John 1:50-51; 1 Tim. 3:15.
C
Those who see that they are members of the Body will surely treasure the Body and honor the other members—1 Cor. 12:23-24; Phil. 2:29; 1 Cor. 16:18; Judg. 9:9.
D
Wherever there is Body-revelation, there is Body-consciousness, and wherever there is Body-consciousness, individualistic thought and action are ruled out:
１
If we want to know the Body, we need deliverance not only from our sinful life and our natural life but also from our individualistic life.
２
Just as the Father is versus the world, the Spirit is versus the flesh, and the Lord is versus the devil, so also the Body is versus the individual.
３
Just as we cannot be independent from the Head, we cannot be independent from the Body.
４
Individualism is hateful in the sight of God:
ａ
The enemy of the Body is the self, the independent “I,” the independent “me”—Matt. 16:21-26.
ｂ
If we would be built up in the Body, the self must be condemned, denied, rejected, and renounced.
ｃ
We should be dependent not only on God but also on the Body, on the brothers and sisters—Exo. 17:11-13; Acts 9:25; 2 Cor. 11:33.
５
What I do not know, another member of the Body will know; what I cannot see, another member of the Body will see; what I cannot do, another member of the Body will do.
６
If we refuse the help of our fellow members, we are refusing the help of Christ— 1 Cor. 12:12.
７
Sooner or later all individualistic Christians will dry up.
Ⅲ
As members of the Body, we must allow ourselves to be limited by the other members, not going beyond our measure:
A
A basic requirement for the growth and development of the Body is that we recognize our measure and not go beyond it—Eph. 4:7, 16.
B
The Head sets us in our special place in the Body and points us to our special function—1 Cor. 12:18.
C
When we give a testimony about our work, experience, or enjoyment of the Lord, we must testify within measure, that is, within a certain limit.
D
Although we expect the work to spread, we must learn how to be under God's restriction; we should not expect a spread that is without measure—2 Cor. 10:13-15:
１
If we spread the work according to the Spirit, there will always be a certain limit—cf. 2:12-14.
２
Inwardly, we shall have the consciousness that the Lord intends to spread the work only to a certain extent; inwardly, we do not have the peace to spread the work beyond a certain point.
３
Outwardly, in the environment, the Lord may cause certain matters to restrict the spread of the work; the environment does not allow us to go beyond a particular boundary line—cf. Rom. 15:24.
４
Like Paul we should move and act according to how much God has measured to us, staying within the limits of God's ruling, God's measuring—2 Cor. 10:13.
５
In the church service we need to realize that God has measured out only so much to us, and we should not overstretch ourselves—Rom. 12:3-4, 6a.