In this message we will consider the difference between the growth of life and the improvement of behavior. Then in the following message we will consider the difference between the growth of life and the form of godliness, zeal in service, the increase of knowledge, the manifestations of gifts, and the increase of power. According to human understanding, these six things-behavior, the form of godliness, service, knowledge, gifts, and power-are very close to life. Today in Christianity too many people consider all these matters as life. Strictly speaking, however, these things are not life.
We should be able to present and define the truths we are fellowshipping about here. To do this requires a certain amount of knowledge and understanding. However, too much knowledge is not helpful. If we have no knowledge or understanding, we have nothing to speak, but if we use too much knowledge in our speaking, it is hard to make things clear to others. Eventually, this kind of speaking merely complicates people’s understanding.
First we need to see the difference between life and behavior and between the growth of life and the improvement of behavior. Life is simply Christ, whereas behavior is what we do, how we act, how we behave ourselves, and what kind of conduct we have. As we know, Adam was created by God as a person of three parts. After being created, he acted and behaved in a certain way. At that time, however, Adam did not have the divine life, because life is Christ, and Adam did not have Christ. What he had was the created, human, temporal life, not the uncreated, divine, eternal life. Therefore, Adam did not have life, but he did have behavior.
In the garden of Eden, there were two trees in front of Adam, the tree of life, signifying Christ as our life, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. With the second tree, there is not only evil but also good. Behavior may be evil, and it may be good. Not only is evil not life, but good is also not life. Both good and evil behavior are in the same category. When Adam partook of the tree of knowledge, he received evil, and he also received good. After the fall, therefore, just as the human race could do evil, it could also do good, because both good and evil are of the same category. We Christians must realize that life is absolutely different from behavior.
What then is the difference between the growth of life and the improvement of behavior? Because life is Christ, the growth of life is the increase of Christ within us. We may illustrate the improvement of behavior in many ways. Although a person originally can be full of hatred, he may be taught to love people. From then on he will try to love others instead of hating them. Originally he had a behavior of hatred, but now he will try to have a behavior of love. To some extent he may be successful. Formerly, this person always was full of hate, but now he has changed a little. This is the improvement of behavior. We have to ask, however, is this improvement of behavior the growth of life? No it is not, but today many Christians consider this kind of improvement of behavior as the growth of life.
As fallen beings, we have a certain amount of bad behavior as well as a certain amount of good behavior. Sometimes good behavior comes out of ourselves, and sometimes bad behavior comes out. Sometimes hatred comes out, and sometimes love comes out. Both hatred and love, however, are out of ourselves; they are merely behavior. Formerly we may have had hatred as a bad behavior, but now we may consider that as Christians we should not act in that way, that we have to change and improve our behavior and behave in a better way. Although eventually we may be successful, this is not the growth of life. It is merely an improvement of behavior.
What then is the growth of life? Since Christ is life, the growth of life is the increase of Christ. Christ came into our spirit as our life. Now we have to open ourselves and let Christ come in to fill us from within, spread out from within, and saturate us, permeate us, and swallow us up. Then Christ will live Himself out through us. This life, which is Christ Himself, will swallow us up, and He will live Himself out. In certain circumstances, there is the need of love. This Christ who lives Himself out of us will be the very love we need. This love is the spreading, permeating, and saturating of Christ. It is the expression of Christ from within. Therefore, this love is not a mere improvement of behavior. This love is an increase of Christ, a growth of Christ as life.
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