This series of messages that we are releasing this time will emphasize the divine dispensing of the Divine Trinity. From this message on, we will consider the divine dispensing of the Divine Trinity from the book of Ephesians. I hope that we would all pray much so that the Lord would allow us not only to hear them, but to see them. Superficially, the words in the Bible say one thing, but when we dive into them and experience them, it is another thing. This is especially true with a book as deep as Ephesians. On the surface, the book is not too difficult to understand, but when one probes into it, he will realize that it is not too easy. Ephesians 1:4-5 says that God has chosen us before the foundation of the world that we should become holy before Him, and that He has also predestinated us unto sonship through Jesus Christ. Superficially speaking, the expressions “to be holy” and “to have the sonship” are not too difficult to understand. But if anyone asks how we, the common people, can become holy, and how we, the sons of men who are born of men, can receive God’s sonship, it will be very difficult to explain. If we try to find out further how in experience we can become holy and receive God’s sonship, we will find it even more difficult to understand. We can say that on the surface, the entire book of Ephesians does not mention the term the divine dispensing. Actually, every point concerns the divine dispensing.
Before we come to this message, I would first fellowship one thing with all of you. God’s economy, that is, His plan, purpose, and arrangement of things to accomplish His desire, is carried out in ways very different from ours. For example, God wants us to please Him. When we read this word, immediately we would make up our mind, pray, and even fast, saying, “God, be gracious to me. I do have the desire to please You. But You know that I have all kinds of obstacles, problems, and weaknesses. I cannot do it. Please help me.” Everyone would justify this kind of prayer and would think that it is right. But although God wants us to please Him, He has no intention that we please Him by our own effort. Rather, He wants us to please Him through living by His life, and even by Himself. Verse 1 of Hymns, #499 says: “Oh, what a life! Oh, what a peace! The Christ who’s all within me lives.” This is the overall subject of the hymn. However, in the experience of many people, for Christ to live within is not peaceful, but bothersome. The above hymn continues to say: “With Him I have been crucified; This glorious fact to me He gives.” What is this glorious fact? “Now it’s no longer I that live, But Christ the Lord within me lives.” It is no longer I that live. This is truly wonderful! Now it is Christ that lives. This is glorious! However, is it really true that from morning until evening, it is no longer I that live, but Christ within me lives? Even today, from morning to evening, is it no longer I that live? I know that most of us would say that sometimes it is He and not we. But most of the time it is we and not He. This is our real condition.
We have to realize one thing here. From Genesis to Revelation the Bible tells us that God requires man to do many things. But He has no intention that man would do them by himself. God wants man to do these things, but He has no intention for man to do them by himself. Everything that God wants us to do is something that we cannot do in ourselves. God says that we have to honor our parents, but we cannot do it. God says that we have to be humble, but we cannot be humble. It is true that God wants everyone of us to be humble. But He has no intention that we be humble by ourselves. Rather, God wants us to be humble by depending on Him. This is why the New Testament has the expression “in Christ” or “in the Lord.” We have to walk in love in the Lord. It is God’s commandment to us that we walk in love. But He has no intention that we walk in love by ourselves, because we have no love in ourselves. On the contrary, we are full of hatred. If we have no love in ourselves, how can we live by our love? Hence, we have to remember well that God has chosen us to be holy. But He does not need us to accomplish this work of being made holy. We cannot accomplish it or fulfill it. It is also true that God has predestinated us unto sonship. But He has no intention that we obtain the sonship by ourselves either.
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