The Spirit revealed in the seven books of the Bible from Colossians through Philemon is the all-inclusive, compound, processed, life-giving, indwelling Spirit as the consummation of the Triune God. It is difficult to arrive at a subject or a topic which can cover these seven books. Colossians reveals to us the all-inclusive Christ as the Head of the Body. The theme of 1 and 2 Thessalonians is a holy life for the church life. The subject of 1 Timothy is God’s dispensation concerning the church, and the subject of 2 Timothy is the inoculation against the decline of the church. In Titus we see the maintenance of the order of the church, and Philemon is an illustration of the believers’ equal status in the new man. The sum total subject of these seven books, however, is “the Spirit of the practical Christian life.”
In the twenty-two books from Acts through Jude we see a full definition and explanation of a wonderful Person. This wonderful Person is the Triune God, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, becoming a man in the likeness of the flesh of sin. After going through the process of incarnation, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection, this One became the all-inclusive, life-giving Spirit. He is defined and presented to us in Romans as the Spirit of life, in 1 Corinthians as the life-giving Spirit, in 2 Corinthians as the transforming Spirit, and in Galatians as the blessing of the gospel. The main blessing of the gospel is the all-inclusive, processed, compound, life-giving, indwelling Spirit. Ephesians is a book on the Spirit of the Body, and Philippians is a book on the bountiful Spirit of Jesus Christ. Now we want to see the all-inclusive Spirit in Colossians through Philemon for the practical Christian life.
The Spirit in Colossians is revealed as the source, the element, and the sphere of the believers’ love toward all the saints in Christ the Head (1:4, 8). According to our natural understanding the matter of love is common, but according to the divine fact it is not common. Colossians 1:4 refers to the love which the saints in Colosse had unto all the saints; verse 8 reveals that their love to all the saints was the love in the Spirit. We would never imagine that in Colossians, which is a book on the all-inclusive Christ as the Head of the Body, the all-inclusive Spirit is defined and presented in such a “common way.” According to our natural understanding it may be common, but actually it is very particular. For us to experience Christ as the Head of the Body we must have a love that is toward all the saints. The Greek word in verse 4 is pan. In America there is an airline called Pan American. Pan means covering everything. To experience Christ as the Head of the Body we need to have a love that is toward all the saints.
In my lifetime, I have traveled to many countries and I have contacted many different peoples. All of the peoples of the world have their distinctive characteristics. Our Lord has redeemed men out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation (Rev. 5:9). We must ask ourselves whether or not we can love all these people whom God has redeemed. When I was a young boy, the young people of China were infused with a hatred toward Japan since Japan invaded, damaged, and subdued our country. Now that I am a Christian, however, I have to love my Japanese brothers. History also tells us that in Europe, Germany, Britain, and France were always fighting. How can the redeemed peoples from these three countries love one another? You must even ask yourself if you love everyone and feel happy about everyone in the church at your locality.
In ourselves we can never have a love which is toward all the saints. This love is in the Spirit. Many secular historians have said that Christianity is a religion of love. Surely God’s people should be a people of love, but of what kind of love? Should we love others with our human and natural love? We need a love that will love all kinds of peoples from all kinds of cultures. Our love is not this kind of love. It has to be the love in the Spirit. The Spirit is the source, the element, the very essence and sphere of such a love. After being a Christian for over fifty-nine years, by the Lord’s mercy, I can testify that I love all the saints from all the different countries. This love, however, is not my love but the love in the Spirit.
The church is the Body of Christ, which is also the new man. For this new man the basic need is unique—His love. For people to stay together without love is very difficult. How could a husband and wife remain together without love? Neither of them could endure such a marriage. For human society, the basic need is love. How can different peoples with different tongues of different races and of different colors be one Body and be one new man? It is impossible without love. Only love unites and only love makes all of us one new man.
Many would say that Christianity is a religion of universal love, but actually our human and natural love is not universal. There is a love, however, that we Christians have in the Spirit which loves all the different members of the Lord’s Body. We love all the brothers in the Lord from all cultures, from all races, and from all countries. This is not possible by our natural love, but there is the love in the Spirit, who is a wonderful Person. The New Testament is not a book of doctrine or a book teaching us universal love. What the New Testament reveals to us is a Person. This love is a Person who is the all-inclusive Spirit; in Him there is such a love. He is the source, the element, and the sphere of this love. If you live in Him, He is the universal love that causes you, makes you, and stirs you up to love all the unlovable saints.