The union of God and man is a very mysterious matter. It is a matter of God’s heart’s desire from eternity past, and it is the goal of God’s work throughout the ages. This is not only an important topic in the Bible but also a central thought in the Word of God. We should spend much time to examine this matter in detail. In this chapter we will cover four points concerning this matter because we have spoken about this on other occasions.
1. “God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness...And God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Gen. 1:26-27).
The first time the Bible speaks of man, it speaks of man being created in God’s image and according to His likeness. This indicates that in God’s creation, God desires to have a special relationship with man. God created man in His own image and according to His likeness because He wanted man to be like Him so that He could be joined in union with man. Socially speaking, we make friends and group together with those who are like us. It is difficult to be friendly or united with those who are completely different from us. Humans act toward one another in this way, and in principle God is the same. He cannot be joined to creatures who are completely different from Him. Consequently, He created man in His own image and likeness so that man would be like Him in order to be joined to Him.
Image speaks of something inward, whereas likeness refers to something outward. God wanted man to be like Him not only according to outward likeness but also according to inward image, especially in mind, emotion, and will. God wanted man to be the same as He is inwardly and outwardly because man is the object of His union. Therefore, God created man in His image and according to His likeness as a preparation for Him to be in union with man. After this preparation, God made a way for Him to be joined with man.
1. “The Word was God”; “The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us” (John 1:1, 14).
God not only created man in His image and likeness; He also became a man in time. The Word of God became flesh, a man, and tabernacled among us. God originally created man according to His image and likeness, and then He became a man to be the same as we are so that He might be joined with us.
2. “Great is the mystery of godliness: He who was manifested in the flesh” (1 Tim. 3:16).
God became flesh and was manifested in the flesh not only to manifest Himself to man but also to join Himself with man, to enter into man, and to become one with man. This is the mystery of godliness. This mystery is great because it involves God and man being joined together, and it is related to godliness because this mystery makes man like God, the same as God in life and nature. Man can be the same as God because God became a man; God has been joined with man to be one with man.
3. “‘They shall call His name Emmanuel’ (which is translated, God with us)” (Matt. 1:23; see also 18:20; 28:20).
God became a man to join Himself with man and to be with man. Therefore, He is called Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” The God who became a man and was with man is the Lord Jesus. He not only was with the disciples in the flesh, but He became the Spirit to be with us, and He will be with us until the end of this age when He will appear. God is with us because He joined Himself to humanity.
1. “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, that He may be with you forever, even the Spirit of reality,...because He abides with you and shall be in you” (John 14:16-17).
Through His incarnation God was joined with man, but at that time God was joined only to Jesus of Nazareth. He could not enter into others while He was on the earth following His incarnation. Even though God was joined with man in the person of Jesus Christ, He could not enter into other men and be joined with them. He could be among the disciples and contact them, but He could not enter into them and be joined to them. Consequently, He went through death and resurrection to become the Spirit in order to enter into them. Through His coming back as another Comforter, He can be joined with others. As the Spirit, He can enter into the believers and be joined with them.
2. “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?” (1 Cor. 6:19; see also 3:16).
The Holy Spirit of God comes from God, and our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within us. This indicates that God and the believers have been joined. God is the indwelling One in us, and we are God’s dwelling place, His temple.
3. “He [abides] in him. And in this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He gave to us” (1 John 3:24).
God abides in us through the Spirit. The Spirit is the transfiguration of God, just as the Lord Jesus is the transfiguration of God. As the transfiguration of God, the Lord Jesus came among men, and as the transfiguration of God, the Spirit enters into man. Just as God was among men during the human living of the Lord Jesus, God is in us as the Spirit today. God abides in us through the Spirit whom He gave to us and who lives in us.
4. “In this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, that He has given to us of His Spirit” (1 John 4:13; see also Rom. 8:9-11).
Since God abides in us through the Spirit, we also abide in Him through the Spirit. In the Holy Spirit of God, God and we, we and God, are completely joined. Furthermore, since the Spirit of God is the Spirit of Christ, Christ, who became the Spirit, is abiding in us and is joined with us.
5. “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God” (1 John 4:15).
The Lord Jesus is the Son of God, and He is God Himself. When we confess Him and receive Him, we gain God through the Holy Spirit who abides in us and is joined with us. He also causes us to abide in Him and be joined with Him through the Holy Spirit.
6. “Christ who lives in me” (Gal. 2:20; see also 2 Cor. 13:5).
Christ is within every believer, and He lives in every believer. Christ is the embodiment of God, so His living in us is God’s living in us. This joining involves both life and living.
7. “Christ...is powerful in you” (2 Cor. 13:3).
Christ is not only living in us but also powerful in us. God in us is powerful. He joins Himself to us to such an extent that His power becomes our power.
8. “Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith” (Eph. 3:17).
Christ’s abiding in us is God’s abiding in us. This spiritual fact issues in a sweet feeling in our heart through faith. We can sense God abiding in us and being joined with us in our heart through faith. Oh, this sweet sense in our heart strengthens us as we follow the Lord!
9. “Christ is formed in you” (Gal. 4:19).
Christ not only abides in us, lives in us, and is powerful in us, but He also wants to be formed in us. He wants to be joined with us to such an extent that He is formed within us according to the fullness of His image. When we reach this point, our experience of being joined to Him is at a mature level. This is a glorious matter. God and we can be joined to such an extent that He is formed in us, causing us to have His full image. This should cause us to be so consecrated, submissive, and worshipful to Him.
10. “It is God who operates in you both the willing and the working for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13).
God is in us and joined to us as our life and power not only to be our living and for us to have His image but also to operate both the inward willing and the outward working of His good pleasure. He wants us not only to express Him as we live on the earth but also to accomplish His will. On the one hand, He lives in us to cause us to live out His image, and on the other, He operates in us to cause us to fulfill His good pleasure. Both our living and the working out of His good pleasure are the issue of being inwardly joined to God.
11. “God...doing in us that which is well pleasing in His sight” (Heb. 13:20-21).
God does in us what is well pleasing in His sight. By being joined with us, He operates in us to work out the things that are pleasing to Him.
12. “That you may be filled unto all the fullness of God” (Eph. 3:19).
The result of God being in us and being joined to us is that we are filled unto all the fullness of God. All that He is becomes ours, making us completely one with Him.
1. “A new heaven and a new earth...New Jerusalem...the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will tabernacle with them, and they will be His peoples, and God Himself will be with them and be their God” (Rev. 21:1-3).
In eternity future, in the new heaven and new earth, the tabernacle, or the dwelling place of God, will be among men. Furthermore, He will be joined with us, the redeemed ones from all the ages, to abide in us forever on a grand and open scale. At this time His eternal heart’s desire will be fulfilled, and the goal of His work throughout the ages will be attained.
2. “The Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple...for the glory of God illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb” (Rev. 21:22-23; see also 22:5).
Throughout eternity future, the almighty God and the Lamb, Christ, are the center of the New Jerusalem as the temple of God. They abide with and are joined to all the redeemed ones throughout the ages. The glory of God will be the light of the New Jerusalem, and the Lamb will be the lamp. Thus, the light of God, that is, God Himself, will shine forth from within the Lamb, who is the glorious lamp, and it will shine through the holy city, which is also all the redeemed ones from throughout the ages. At that time, God in Christ will be completely and thoroughly joined in oneness with us forever and ever. Oh, that will be such a glorious and blessed time! May that day come quickly!