1. “Until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13).
The Bible shows that even though there is degradation in the church on earth, the church is also growing unto maturity. The church will arrive at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. There is desolation because of Satan’s corruption; there is growth because of God’s operation. No matter how much Satan corrupts the church, God continuously operates to cause the church to grow unto full maturity. The past two thousand years of church history is a history of both desolation and growth. Today the church is more desolate than ever, but she is also more mature than ever. Outwardly, the church is more desolate, but inwardly, the church is more mature. In its initial stage at the time of the apostles, the church attained to a high peak, but this temporary attainment did not constitute maturity, so what was gained was quickly lost. After nearly two thousand years of God’s operation, however, many of the things that were lost have been recovered and solidly constituted into the church to the extent that it would be difficult to lose them again. For example, justification by faith was obtained by the church in the beginning but was lost until its recovery at the time of Luther. Now it has been worked into the church to such an extent that it would be hard to lose it again. God continues to work in this way to cause the church to grow until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God. We are in the process of being headed up in Him, becoming full-grown and attaining to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
2. “That He might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word, that He might present the church to Himself glorious, not having spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that she would be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:26-27).
From the time the Lord obtained the church by giving Himself up for her, He has been continuously working to make the church glorious, holy, and without blemish. The Lord continuously uses the water of life in His living word to wash away the wrinkles of this age and the spots of the old creation in the church to make her a glorious church, completely holy and without any blemish. He washes away the old things of Adam from the church and fills her with His element and glory until she is just like Him. This is what the Lord can and will eventually accomplish in the church.
1. “I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband”; “Having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, as clear as crystal”; “And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon that they should shine in it, for the glory of God illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. And the nations will walk by its light; and the kings of the earth bring their glory into it”; “A river of water of life...proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb in the middle of its street. And on this side and on that side of the river was the tree of life...And the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His slaves will serve Him...and they will reign forever and ever” (Rev. 21:2, 11, 23-24; 22:1-3, 5).
All the conditions manifested at the appearing of the New Jerusalem are the final result of the church. The New Jerusalem manifests that God in Christ the Lamb is wholly united with His redeemed from all ages to be one entity, completely mingled with them as their life and content and taking them as His dwelling and expression. Inwardly, the church will be completely filled with His life and light; outwardly, the church will bear His full image, expressing His glory to shine on the nations in the new earth. The church will serve God and Christ the Lamb as priests and will exercise authority for God as kings. This is the result of the church!
1. The church is Christ; anything that is not Christ is not the church.
2. The elimination of the element of Adam within the believers and the addition of the element of Christ is the church.
3. The entrance into the church is the cross; anyone who enters the church must be crucified.
4. The church is separated from the world; when the world is mixed with the church, the church ceases to be the church.
5. The church is a coordinated Body; individualism and individual actions dismember the Body.
6. The church is a three-dimensional Body; it is not flat.
7. The blessing of the church depends on the one accord; the one accord brings in the presence of God and manifests His blessing in the church.
8. The voice of the Holy Spirit is the one accord in the church.
9. The light of God is in the church, His Holy Place; the believers receive God’s light in the church.
10. The cross, the church, and the kingdom are three major items in the New Testament; the cross produces the church, and the church brings in the kingdom.