We must also have the high standard of the gospel concerning the economy of the mystery hidden in God (Eph. 3:9-11). The entire universe is a mystery, but within this mystery there is a deeper mystery which has been hidden in God. This deeper mystery is the purpose, the meaning, and the significance of this universe. This mystery was not known to man but was revealed to the apostles, especially to the apostle Paul. Thus, Paul told us that he preached not only the unsearchable riches of Christ but also the economy of this mystery hidden in God from the ages. Economy is an anglicization of the Greek word oikonomia, denoting an arrangement, an administration, a plan, a purpose. God desired something, so He formed an arrangement, administration, plan, or purpose to gain it for Himself. What God desires is to gain a group of people to contain Him that they may become the members of the Body of Christ, that Christ may be their life, their Head, and their manifestation, and that they and He could be one universal new man to express Christ as the embodied God to fulfill His eternal purpose. The mystery of God is Christ, the mystery of Christ is the church, and Christ and the church are the great mystery (Eph. 5:32) hidden in God from the centuries and revealed to the apostle Paul.
Paul preached the divine economy as the very gospel. Ephesians 3:8 reveals the gospel of the unsearchable riches of Christ, while verse 9 reveals the gospel of the economy of the mystery hidden in God from the ages. We must realize, experience, and preach this economy to the new ones as the high standard of the gospel. Many Christians enjoy the gospel of grace, and some enjoy the gospel in the aspect of life, but few among today’s Christians enjoy the gospel of the kingdom by being under the divine ruling in the divine life. Few enjoy the gospel of the unsearchable riches of Christ and the gospel of the economy of the mystery hidden in God from the ages.
To enjoy the gospel concerning the economy of the mystery hidden in God is to enjoy the church life, the life of the Body of Christ. I can testify that I am enjoying the universal church life. When I come to the United States, I enjoy the Body life, and when I go to Stuttgart or the Far East, I enjoy this life. We must realize that we are in the enjoyment of the highest gospel, the gospel of the arrangement of the divine mystery— Christ and His Body. As I contact some dear saints, I realize that they do not have the real enjoyment of the universal church life of the Body of Christ. We need to enjoy the Body life, not only in knowledge but also in experience. I daily enjoy the support from the Body.
Praise the Lord that on this earth there is the Body, the universal grapevine (John 15:1, 4). This grapevine has spread all over the globe. In 1970 I was invited to New Zealand, and while passing through Australia, I stayed in Sydney and Melbourne. I felt lonely because at that time there was no church life there for me to enjoy. But today if I went to Sydney and Melbourne, I would enjoy the church life. I do not like to go anywhere where there is no church. I like to go to Taipei, Stuttgart, and Tokyo because of the lovable church life there. The enjoyment of the church life is the enjoyment of the highest gospel of the divine economy. The people in the world do not know the meaning of human existence, but we know because we enjoy the church life around the globe. While I was flying from Los Angeles to Tokyo, I was happy because I knew I would meet some dear brothers at the airport. I am happy to go to Brazil because so many there have all become my brothers. We may not know each other’s language, but we are happy to be in the church. The church life around the globe is the gospel.
The highest enjoyment on this earth is the enjoyment of the church life. If there were no church on this earth, I would not care to be here. The corrupted earth is ugly and bothersome, but I like to be here because the church is here. The church life is our enjoyment, but it is only a foretaste. The New Jerusalem will be the full taste of the enjoyment of the glorious church life. The highest gospel is the gospel of Christ with the church. We must value, appreciate, and treasure the church. We enjoy the church life as the highest standard of the gospel. The highest preaching of the gospel is to bring to light God’s economy hidden in Him from the ages.
The gospel concerning the economy of the mystery hidden in God is to produce the church for God’s expression and glorification according to God’s eternal plan, or purpose. The church is so lovable because it is the very expression and glorification of God. When God has the church, He is expressed and He is glorified. We need to enjoy God in His expression and in His glorification in such a high standard.
In the home meetings, we must have the high standard of the messages. When you go to the home meetings, do not teach low things; you must teach the higher truths. For this we should use the Life Lessons, the Truth Lessons, and the Life-study of the Scriptures. In these materials is the high standard of the truth, which is the processed Triune God for our enjoyment. The processed Triune God is not the “raw” God, but the “cooked” God for our enjoyment. To cook is to prepare food for eating by means of the process of heating. Through the Triune God’s wonderful process, He has been “cooked” for us to eat and enjoy. We must learn to preach, to teach, and to fellowship the high standard of God’s Word.
For the home meetings we also need the high standard of hymns. The hymns must be high in significance and in expression. Hymn #501, “O glorious Christ, Savior mine,” is a hymn of a high standard. When I was young, I was taught the song, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” Even the unbelievers were able to sing that hymn, and some young boys on the street would mockingly sing it to the Christians. This short hymn is good but too low. Our hymnal, entitled Hymns, was compiled in 1964 with one thousand and eighty selected hymns; two hundred sixty-eight more have since been added. We have had these hymns for over twenty years, but we have mainly used those which were written by ourselves. Nevertheless, all those hymns were included, and a detailed table of contents was composed in a proper theological way. After reading the table of contents, one could realize that we do have a proper understanding of theology.
In addition to the high standard of hymns for the home meetings, we must also have the high standard of prayer, both in word and in spirit.
We also need the high standard of healing and casting out of demons. Fifty years ago in north China we conducted healing and casting out of demons, but we did not do it in a low way. When we healed people, we healed them in the sense of the divine life. The healing was not simply to recover the sick ones’ health, but to impart life into them according to 1 John 5:16. When you minister life to a sick one, he will not only be healed but also supplied with the divine life.
Furthermore, we must cast out the demons in the sense of the divine authority. On one occasion in Chefoo, some brothers cast out seven demons from one person. On the commandment of the brothers, each demon spoke his name before leaving the person. The best way to know the authority of the Lord Jesus and the power of His name is to cast out demons. When you cast out demons, you can see how powerful the name of the Lord Jesus is, how much power the name of the Lord Jesus conveys, and you can see the Lord’s authority. Do not do anything in a low way. Do everything in the highest standard, either in the sense of life or in the sense of authority. When you go out to knock on doors and you find sickness, pray for the healing of the sick ones at their request. When you see demon possession, do not hesitate, but immediately exercise your right to cast out the demons in the name of the Lord Jesus.