In the previous message, we saw four lacks in the Epistle of James. The first lack is the economy of God which is for the building up of the Body of Christ as the organism of the Triune God consummating in the New Jerusalem. The second lack is the cross of Christ. The third lack is the marvelous aspects of Christ. James mentions that Christ is the Lord of glory but he does not explain what glory is. The fourth lack is the Spirit in five items. These five items are the life-giving Spirit, the compound Spirit, the all-inclusive Spirit as the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the Lord Spirit, and the sevenfold intensified Spirit. These five aspects of the Spirit were "not yet" before Christ's resurrection (John 7:39). After Christ's resurrection, the Spirit in these five aspects came into existence. In this message we want to continue our fellowship on the lacks of the Epistle of James.
Although James tells us that God brought us forth by the word of truth, he does not stress the divine life with which God has brought us forth in regeneration as the New Testament does.
The Lord Jesus told us that He has come that we may have life and may have it abundantly and that He is life to us (John 10:10; 11:25; 14:6). James referred to the regeneration by God, but only said that this rebirth was by the word of truth which is a term adopted from the Psalms (Psa. 119:43). He did not say that regeneration basically is with Christ as life. Peter also spoke of regeneration but he said this was through the living and abiding word of God (1 Pet. 1:23). He called this word the incorruptible seed. This living seed is of life. Without Christ as life, we cannot be regenerated.
God's salvation commences with His life through regeneration and consummates in the divine life through transformation (John 3:3, 15; Rom. 5:10; 12:2a). God's salvation begins with life, continues with life, and consummates with life. A number of Christians are very enthusiastic for gospel preaching. They call it soul-winning. They feel that we merely need to save sinners so that they can be justified and eventually qualified to go to heaven. God's salvation, however, does not consummate in going to heaven. It consummates in life, which is Christ Himself.