The general subject of Life Lessons, volume three is “Transferred into Christ.” When we are transferred into Christ, we are then “Joined to Christ,” “Abiding in Christ,” “Experiencing Christ,” expressing Christ, and “Taking Christ as Everything” (lessons twenty-five through twenty-nine). After that, we are “One Spirit with the Lord,” “Living in the Fellowship of Life,” “Obeying the Sense of Life,” “Obeying the Teaching of the Anointing,” and “Walking according to Spirit” (lessons thirty through thirty-four). In this way, we are “Awaiting the Lord’s Coming” so that we can be “Raptured to Meet the Lord” (lessons thirty-five and thirty-six). When we are transferred into Christ to live a life that is sanctified, spiritual, overcoming, and one spirit with the Lord, we will eagerly await the Lord’s coming and will be raptured to meet Him and be with Him joyfully. This is the line of thought in volume three.
Volume four is altogether on the complete salvation of God. The first lesson speaks of “The Way to Enjoy God’s Salvation.” Although this lesson does not specifically mention each aspect of salvation, it includes the first stage of sanctification. This first stage of sanctification is the first step of the way to enjoy God’s salvation. Secondly, it is “The Forgiveness of Sins and the Cleansing Away of Sins” and “Propitiation and Reconciliation.” Following this is “Sanctification—the Second Stage,” “Justification,” and “Regeneration.” The forgiveness of sins, the cleansing away of sins, propitiation, reconciliation, sanctification, and justification are the six steps of preparation, the result of which is regeneration. When we have the first six steps, we can then be regenerated. After regeneration we have “Renewing” and “Sanctification—the Third Stage,” followed by “Transformation,” “Maturity,” “Conformation,” and eventually, “Glorification.”
Hence, the four volumes of Life Lessons cover from “Knowing That You Are Saved” to “Glorification.” In brief, they cover our being saved to our being glorified.
The content of Life Lessons is deeper from one volume to the next, but this does not mean that there is nothing profound in the first volume. For example, lesson nine in volume one is the continuation of the previous lesson concerning “Knowing Christ.” This lesson speaks mainly of knowing Christ’s person and also His work. The incarnation of Christ was a work, His crucifixion was a work, His resurrection from the dead was a work, and His ascension was also a work.
The second lesson on knowing Christ begins with His ascension to the heavens and continues with His heavenly ministry. This part of the work of Christ is very deep for many Christians. Today very few Christians know that Christ is accomplishing His heavenly ministry. Almost all Christians know that Christ bore our sins on the cross, died for us, gave Himself up for us, and shed His blood for us, yet very few know His heavenly ministry. There are not even many professors of theology, pastors, or preachers who properly know this.
Because this lesson is so profound and high, we must be particularly careful in using it when we go to the home meetings. We do not need to speak too much or spend too much effort on this lesson. According to the lesson, we can simply say, “But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry inasmuch as He is also the Mediator of a better covenant” (Heb. 8:6). Then we can continue to explain, “After Christ enacted the new covenant (Matt. 26:28) through His death on the earth, He ascended to the heavens to be the Mediator of this new covenant, executing it upon those who believe in Him” (p. 61). Hence, people can at least see that the Lord Jesus has a ministry in the heavens today, and this ministry is for Him to be the Mediator of the new covenant. He not only ensures that the new covenant will not fail, but He also executes this new covenant upon those who believe in Him.
The Lord Jesus has accomplished the new covenant, and now He is the Mediator of the new covenant in the heavens, executing the new covenant that He accomplished upon you and me, who believe in Him. If there are any who do not understand this, we should fellowship more with them, lead them to repeat the related words in the lesson, and read with them in a living way. Lastly, we need to lead them to pray with us. If they say that they do not know how to pray, we should lead them to follow our prayer sentence by sentence.