In the Scriptures there are many lines of the truth related to many important matters. There is the line of life, for example, from the beginning of the Scriptures to the end. There are also the lines of redemption, sin, and even the enemy of God, Satan, the devil. The building of God is a very important line in the entire Scriptures. This line, however, has been neglected today by many Christians. It is difficult to find a message in a book or given from the platform dealing with the building of God.
In the very beginning of the Scriptures there is the thought of life and building and the thought that life is for the building of God. The first two chapters give us a blueprint of God’s plan, and as we know, a blueprint is for building. In Genesis 2 there is the tree of life, and with the tree of life there is the flow of living water (vv. 9-10). In this flow of living water there are the precious materials for God’s building: gold, bdellium (pearl), and onyx stone (vv. 11-12).
At the beginning of the Scriptures there is life with the materials for the building, and at the end, the ultimate consummation and conclusion of the Scriptures, there is a building, which is signified by the holy city, the New Jerusalem. This building, with life as its center, is built with gold, pearls, and precious stones. This shows us that the Scriptures are, on the one hand, a book of life, and on the other hand, a book of the record of God’s building. In the entire Scriptures there is much concerning building, so we can say that the Scriptures are a record of building.
We first need to see the difference between God’s creation and God’s building. In the sixty-six books of the Scriptures, only the first two chapters of Genesis deal with God’s creation. After His creation, God’s work is the work of building. The greater part of the Scriptures, from the third chapter to the end, deals with the building of God.
As we have seen, at the beginning of the Scriptures there is the garden of Eden, while at the end of the Scriptures there is a city. A garden is a natural scene, a scene of nature, but a city is different; it is a building. When God completed His creation, He had a garden, but He did not have a building. The result of creation was a garden, but that was not His satisfaction. Therefore, from that time God began to do a further work, not a work of creation but a work of building. It is only after His work through all the generations is completed that God will have not merely a garden but a building.
With God’s creation there is nothing of God Himself in His creatures. In His building, however, God builds up something by mingling Himself with His creation. In God’s creation He did a work with His hands, not with Himself, but in His building God works with Himself as the material. In His building God mingles Himself very much with His creation. Therefore, God’s building is a divine mingling of God Himself with man as His creature.
We are a part of both God’s creation and God’s building. As merely a part of God’s creation we have nothing of God within us, but as a part of God’s building we have something of God within us. If we do not have anything of God within us, we are not a part of His building; we are merely a part of His creation. What is God building? It is the building of Himself with humanity.
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