In this message, the second message on reigning in life, we will see that we need to reign in life, first, in establishing not our own righteousness but God’s righteousness; second, in taking Christ as God’s righteousness; third, in presenting our bodies to live the Body life; and fourth, in receiving the believers to live the church life. In these four main points we will refer to eight “exceptional” matters: being exceptionally strengthened, being exceptionally radiant, being exceptionally extolling, being exceptionally successful, being exceptionally practical, being exceptionally abounding, being exceptionally general, and being exceptionally smooth and orderly. These eight “exceptional” items comprise everything which we have covered in the preceding messages.

Hymns, #248 (Chinese) adequately represents the eight “exceptional” points covered in this message. This hymn concerning grace contains expressions that cannot be found in ordinary Christian books. What is grace? Grace is actually God Himself. Then what is God? God is the New Jerusalem. However, whether it is grace or God or the New Jerusalem, actually they are just one. The following is a literal translation of this hymn:

1. Grace arises, replacing sin,
   To reign in my spirit,
   Saving me from the power of sin
   And my corrupted nature.

   Grace is sufficient for me!
   I’ll never feel powerless!
   Christ lives in my spirit
   For me to receive grace upon grace.
   
   

2. Grace enables my feet
   To tread the heavenly pathway;
   His grace—timely and rich—
   Has never failed me.
   
   
3. What can be greater than grace!
   He is God coming to men,
   He is God manifested in the flesh,
   He is God in me.

   I am what I am,
   It is by the grace of God!
   God’s grace is manifested in me
   To be the eternal portion to me,
   a God-man.

Since we are speaking concerning God’s righteousness, why do we refer to a hymn on God’s grace? My intention, my burden, is to show you that the entire Bible speaks of only one thing—grace, which is God, who is the New Jerusalem. Grace is the manifestation of the Triune God in His embodiment in three aspects—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Regardless of what subject the Bible touches, it is concerned with the Triune God in His embodiment in three aspects—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit—being manifested as grace consummating in the New Jerusalem. This is the highest and central revelation shown to us in the entire New Testament. Hence, we cannot touch the righteousness of God without touching grace. God’s righteousness and God’s grace are not two different things. Romans 5:17 refers to both the abundance of grace and the abundance of righteousness. Righteousness always accompanies grace and is its result.