CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

THE GOAL OF THE HOME MEETINGS

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Colossians 1:27-29 says, “To whom God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory, whom we announce, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man full-grown in Christ; for which also I labor, struggling according to His operation which operates in me in power.”

KNOWING THE TRUTH
IN THE LORD’S RECOVERY

The Lord’s recovery among us already has a history of over sixty years. In the beginning our scale was very small, the situation was very difficult, and what the Lord had shown us was very limited. Gradually, however, over the last sixty years we cannot say that we saw something new every day, but we certainly have seen something new each year. In particular, for thirty-eight years the Lord has led His recovery overseas, and in these years the Lord has shown us very many new things. Most recently, through fourteen years of labor since 1974, the Lord has led us to complete the life-study of the New Testament from Matthew to Revelation, and He has used us to finish the footnotes of the entire New Testament.

It is evident to us that the knowledge of the truth in the Lord’s recovery is clear and complete. This is shown in the truth and light from hymn #450 in the Chinese Hymnal. The following is a literal translation of this hymn:

1. What God is in truth to man hinges on the spirit;
   In his spirit man must touch the essence
       of God’s Spirit
   To experience God.
   
       Spirit begets spirit, spirit worships the Spirit,
           so that the Spirit fills me;
       The Spirit also has become the word with life
           abundant,
       Flowing out as rivers of living water.
   
   
2. God is Spirit and He created man with a spirit
   That with his spirit man may worship the Spirit;
   In this way man can receive Him as life
   And take Him as his supply.
   
   
3. As the Spirit, God enters into man’s spirit
   For man to be regenerated;
   Thus, man can fellowship with Him in spirit
   And enjoy His riches.
   
   
4. As the Spirit, God fills me, waters me, refreshes me,
   Transforms and renews me,
   Until He spreads from my spirit to my whole body,
   Saturating my entire being.
   
   
5. As the Spirit, God is blended and mingled with me
   For the transfiguration of my body;
   His element continually increases in me
   Until He is manifested.
   
   
6. All of God’s riches are in the Spirit
   For me to experience and enjoy;
   I must breathe in God constantly in my spirit
   To enjoy all that God has.

It was after this hymn was written that the Lord’s recovery came to the United States. Therefore, when the Lord’s recovery reached the United States, the truth, knowledge, and experience of life had already reached a level of maturity. Today we are here studying the new way. In terms of the truth, we are adding nothing to what we have seen. However, in terms of the practice of the truth and the real increase and spread of the church, we have had certain discoveries. Therefore, we are very concerned for those who have been in the Lord’s recovery for many years. It is a pity if they have not been following what the Lord has shown us at this time. Without a doubt, those who have not followed are a big step behind.