In order for God to enter into man, incarnation is required. In order for man to enter into God, the process of death and resurrection is required. This is the principle of God’s building. In order for God to build the church, He must do a tearing down work within us. This tearing down involves death. Abraham believed that God is the One who calls the things not being as being; he also believed that God is the One who gives life to the dead (Rom. 4:17). This is the God in whom Abraham believed. Calling the things not being as being is creation; giving life to the dead is redemption and building. God is a creating God, the One who calls the things not being as being. He is also a redeeming and building God, the One who gives life to the dead.
God’s work in the universe has two steps, or we can say that God has two kinds of work. One kind of work is the work of creation, and the other is the work of redemption, which is also the work of building. In the universe God has only these two kinds of work—creation and building. The building work is commonly understood as the work of redemption. However, it is not accurate to speak of it merely as the work of redemption. We often consider God’s building as a part of His redemption; hence, it is easy to emphasize only redemption and neglect building. However, even if man had not fallen, and there was no need for redemption, God would still have a work of building. God’s creation was for building. Even if the man God created had not fallen and had no need for redemption, God would still need building.
The building of God is a very particular matter. God created Adam and built a woman, Eve. We can say that God created both male and female. However, not many of us can discern the difference between God’s creation of Adam and God’s creation of Eve. With Adam, God called the things not being as being, but with Eve, God gave life to the dead. Although God created both male and female, the creation of the male was His calling of things not being as being, and the creation of the female was His giving life to the dead. When God created the male, man did not exist, so God created by calling man into being. When God made the female, man already existed, so God put man into death and built a woman out of death and resurrection. Adam’s sleep was his death. Moreover, his side was opened, and one of his ribs was taken out. All biologists acknowledge that when a part of the body is separated from the body, that part dies. The resurrection after death resulted in Eve.
Therefore, there is a difference between Eve being built and Adam being created. God’s creation of Adam may be considered simply as a creation. However, God’s building Eve was not simply a creation; rather, it was a building work using the material He had already created. Adam was the created material. With this material God took a further step to do a building work to build Eve. However, this was only a shadow of the building work.
When God created mankind, it was His work of creation. However, after redeeming us, all of God’s work in us is related to building. After redeeming us, God continually works in us. This work is the work of building. What kind of work is God doing in this age? God is doing the work of building. In Genesis 2 God did the work of creation, which was preparing the material. In chapter 3 the material was corrupted. Starting from that point, God’s work was related to redemption. When the Lord Jesus went to the cross and accomplished the work of redemption, God recovered the material. But God’s work did not stop there. After accomplishing the work of redemption through the cross, God has been carrying out a work of building.
The building began in Matthew 16. Once the redemption of the cross was accomplished, the building work began. After the Lord’s death and resurrection, God has been doing only a work of building. He is building the church, the Body, a dwelling place. The result of the building is the producing of a holy city, the New Jerusalem. Now we see that after creation there is redemption, and after redemption there is building. However, Christians always include building in redemption; thus, people pay attention only to redemption and neglect building.
Let us speak of redemption and building separately. We were all created by God, but we were also all lost and then redeemed by God. God’s redemption recovers us, the lost materials. However, God’s work did not stop with redemption. After redeeming man back to Himself, He began His building work in man. We should never suppose that God is building a heavenly mansion; there is no such thing. In John 14:2 the Lord said, “For I go to prepare a place for you.” What place did He prepare? Ever since the Brethren were raised up, all their teachings have been objective. People have been taught that the Lord Jesus went to prepare a heavenly mansion, to prepare many little rooms in the heavenly mansion. And that after the mansion is completed, He would come to take us to the mansion. It seems as if the reason for the Lord’s second coming is to take us to the little rooms. Actually, we are the many rooms that the Lord is preparing; He does not need to come to take us to these rooms. If we have light and revelation, we will see that the thought in John 14 is that the Lord’s going was the Lord’s coming, that when He went, He was coming. The “place” in John 14:2, the “dwelling place” in Ephesians 2:22, the “spiritual house” in 1 Peter 2:5, the “city which has the foundations” in Hebrews 11:10, and the coming “New Jerusalem” in Revelation 21:2 all refer to the one building work of God.
God is not building a holy temple on earth and at the same time building a holy city in heaven. God never intended to build a church on earth and a mansion in heaven and then one day to relocate and move from earth to heaven. God has no such intention, and the Bible has no such thought. The building spoken of in these Scripture passages refers to the one building. The place that the Lord went to prepare in John 14 is the church today. The beginning of chapter 14 may give the impression that the Lord is preparing an abode in heaven, but by the middle and the end of the chapter it is clear that abode refers to a group of people being built by the Lord. The Lord said that He would come after He went. How does He come? He comes as the Holy Spirit and dwells in us. The Lord and the Father come to make an abode with us through the Holy Spirit, who works on us to make us the dwelling place of the Triune God.
In short, the Bible shows that God has one work in the universe. After creation He accomplished redemption; after redemption He is still carrying out one work, and this work is building. Matthew 16 speaks of this building, and John 14 also speaks of this building; however, this speaking was only in preparation for the building. The building was not present yet. In Hebrews 11 the preparation and the building are connected. Ephesians 2 and 4, 1 Peter 2, and 1 Corinthians 3 also speak concerning this building. When this building is fully accomplished, the New Jerusalem will appear, and it will be the full consummation of the building of God.