The first step in God’s building is the work of breaking down. In relation to the building, God speaks of breaking down the middle wall of partition through the cross in Ephesians 2:14-16. The middle wall of partition is the law. The law has the flesh as its basis; thus, the breaking down of the law is the breaking down of the flesh. With the Israelites and the Gentiles, the flesh is something of the old creation. If we did not have the old creation, there would be no flesh and no law, and without the law there would be no middle wall of partition. Ephesians 2 clearly shows, however, that there is a middle wall of partition, a division, between Israel and the Gentiles, because they are both in the old creation and thus have the flesh. The law was given according to the flesh.
Romans 7:5 shows that the law is related to the flesh. The law and the flesh are like a couple. One is the husband, the other is the wife, and the two are always together. As long as the law is present, the flesh is present; when man lives by the flesh, he desires to keep the law. Those who are well behaved keep the law; those who are not well behaved break the law and condemn themselves before the law. We cannot separate the flesh from the law. If man had not fallen and become the flesh, God would not have needed to give the law; it would have been sufficient to have God as life. The life signified by the tree of life in the garden of Eden is God. The law at Mount Sinai was added by God so that man would know the flesh and so that the flesh would be condemned (v. 7; 5:20). Therefore, to abolish the law is to abolish the flesh, and to abolish the flesh is to abolish the old creation.
The first step in God’s building work is to break down the old creation. All of the distinctions between Jews and Gentiles are in the old creation. Once the cross breaks down the old creation, the distinctions between Jews and Gentiles are over, and the two become one. Among us, it seems as if there are many “Jewish” and “Gentile” distinctions. For example, we often hear some say, “He is a Gentile; I am a true Israelite.” The sisters feel that they are “Israelites” because they are meek and that the brothers are “Gentiles” because they are rough and wild. The sisters are like Jacob, who dwells in tents, and the brothers are like Esau, who hunts in the fields (Gen. 25:27). These are “Jewish” and “Gentile” characterizations. You should not think that I am joking regarding these distinctions among us. When problems arise among the brothers, they often say, “We cannot be one; we cannot coordinate together.” This indicates that there are distinctions of the flesh among them. It also means that these distinctions have not been broken down by the cross.
In the past some have stood up and exhorted the brothers and sisters in tears, saying that the requirement for us to receive the blessing is the one accord and that if we are not in one accord, the blessing will trickle away. But we have discovered that the more people exhort, the less the brothers and sisters seem to be in one accord. Exhortation cannot cause us to have the one accord. There is only one way to have the one accord—the breaking down of the cross. We need to see that the cross has already broken down the ordinances. It has broken down all the grounds that we use to justify ourselves and to condemn others. Furthermore, it has broken down the basis, the foundation, of the ordinances, which is the old creation. Such a seeing will cause us to have the genuine one accord.
In the church life those who are willing to speak may feel that they are “non-Gentiles” and that those who do not speak are “Gentiles.” Those who always open their mouths to “fellowship” in this way often secretly justify themselves for being good and weighty. However, others among us who do not speak as freely may simply be swallowing words that are on the tip of their tongue. There is a kind of self-justification and condemnation of others in this as well. There are too many situations like this among the brothers and sisters. We do not quarrel, argue, or fight outwardly because we love the Lord, fear Him, and desire His blessing. However, our countenance often changes, and our manners are unnatural. We are merely trying to suppress ourselves. What is this? This shows that we are not in harmony and are unable to coordinate with others. Any change in countenance and manners is an expression of discord that comes from the old creation, the flesh, and the ordinances of self-justification.
When the Holy Spirit comes and breaks down the old creation in us, our person will be broken down. Those who do not speak will speak, and those who love to speak will shut their mouths. Those who do not speak will no longer condemn those who speak, and those who love to speak will no longer condemn those who do not. For example, saying that the sisters should cover their heads and keep their place is a dead ordinance enacted upon the flesh. This is an expression of the old creation and needs to pass through the breaking of the cross. Once the sisters have been broken by the cross, they will no longer feel that they are sisters; this is not to say that they forget they are sisters but that they will no longer remain in ordinances. In the same way, when an elder who has been broken by God speaks with the smallest brother, he will not feel that he is an elder speaking with a mere brother. The elder will not forget that he is an elder; he simply will not act out of a sensation of “being an elder.”
An elder may feel that others should speak to him in a manner, tone, and expression which reflect his “superior position,” because an “elder ought to be respected by all.” What is this? This is the flesh; it is a commandment of the flesh that is of the old creation. After the Holy Spirit works to overturn this elder, breaking down the old creation within him, he will still be an elder, but he will not have the “sensation” of being an elder. We will no longer feel that he is an “elder”; rather, we will feel that Christ is in him, the building of Christ is in him, and God is in him.
In the church life young people among us often complain, saying, “All the elders do is step on us and look down on us. Don’t they know that the young have a potential for greatness? Even though we are young, they were once young as well. So why do they think lightly of us? They should help us, cultivate us, lead us, and teach us what we do not know.” Thus, the law, the Ten Commandments, is present among us. However, in speaking of the qualifications of an elder, Paul did not establish as many laws as these young people; these young people make one law after another. When the Holy Spirit works and breaks down these young people, they will say, “O Lord, have mercy on me; it is not a matter of the elders either regarding me or looking down on me; it is a matter of my person being broken down and of Christ being built in me. O Lord, fill me.” When this happens, there will be building; there will be the work of God among these young people. Even though they may be young, a portion of the church, a portion of the Body of Christ, a portion of something spiritual, is expressed in them nevertheless.
Sometimes the older ones may say, “Look at our church; it is truly a pitiful family. The young men are improper. When they see us on the street, they are arrogant and do not even greet us. When they see us standing by a door in the meeting hall, they ignore us and simply pass by us. Is this appropriate?” This kind of speech indicates that there is a lack of the breaking down by the cross in the church life; once there is the breaking down of the cross, all the ordinances will disappear. All traces of self-justification, condemnation of others, and self-approval will disappear. When the cross works, the flesh is broken and the old creation is torn down. The cross has broken down the middle wall of partition between brothers and sisters, between older and younger, and between differences in nature and disposition; everything has been broken down by the cross.
We must see that the first step of God’s building work is the breaking down of the cross. We must know that all of our criticisms, differing views, and feelings that we are right and others are wrong are the flesh. These become the basis for establishing laws similar to the laws given on Mount Sinai. These feelings are laws that put up a wall of partition between others and us, causing us to feel different from others and to think that they are wrong and we are right. Even though we are believers, there can be a wall of partition between us. This wall of partition is neither from Christ nor the Body; it is from the flesh and the old creation. The breaking-down work of the cross must abolish the wall of partition in us.
We sincerely believe that the saints who serve together are not sinful and have forsaken the world. However, the old creation and the flesh are still present, and our person is still whole and complete. There is still a wall of partition among us that needs to be broken down by the cross. Everything of the old creation is not built upon Christ nor is it joined to Christ; it does not have Christ as the foundation nor the cornerstone. Whether we are the old creation can be determined by looking at whether we are built upon Christ and joined to Him. There is no need for others to say anything; we should be very clear within. As long as our heart is not hardened, the feelings of the Holy Spirit within us should be very clear.
In the Holy Spirit we can clearly sense our self-justification and self-righteousness, as well as our criticism and condemnation of others. We will realize that these feelings are not of Christ, not in Christ, and not joined to Christ; rather, they come out of ourselves. We may be able to condemn others based on our reasonings, but the Holy Spirit within us will not justify what we do as coming out of Christ and of being joined to Christ. On the contrary, the Holy Spirit will show us that these feelings are natural, only coming out of our knowledge, learning, and education. They have been cultivated by our environment. As such, they are merely out of our earthly view and disposition. The Holy Spirit will also impress us with our need to be broken.
If we allow the Holy Spirit to work within us and to break us, we will see the building of God in us. To have the building is to have the Body, the church, the image of God, and the authority of God expressed through the building. Ultimately, when the city appears, all the nations will submit to the authority of the city; this is an expression of authority. Furthermore, we will also see God’s glory expressed in the city; this is the image of God. If a brother, a sister, or a group of saints would allow God to break them and build them in this way, we would see the authority of God and the image of God in them. This is what God is after.