Colossians 3:11 indicates that Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, and free man are on the cross. Everyone is on the cross. You are on the cross, and I am on the cross. There is no natural person in the new man. There cannot be is a strong word indicating that everything has been terminated. There cannot be anything in the new man except Christ, who is “all and in all.” There cannot be Southerners and Northerners, educated and uneducated, in the church; there is only Christ. There cannot be you or me, and there cannot be slave or free, but Christ is all.
In the church there is only Christ; in the church Christ is all and in all. If we truly see this light, there will be such a change in our service and work! Before we were saved, we were in the old man, and we put on the old man. There were many differences among us because of all the differences that exist in the old creation. Our old man was fallen, and everything was divided as it was at the tower of Babel. One day, however, the cross came, and all the distinctions and differences were terminated on the cross. The cross nullified all the differences. After Christ terminated the old man, He created the one new man in Himself. He passed through the cross, and now nothing of the old creation exists in the new man. In the new man, there is only Christ, and He is all.
Concerning the Body of Christ, 1 Corinthians 12:12 says, “For even as the body is one and has many members, yet all the members of the body, being many, are one body, so also is the Christ.” The clause so also is the Christ indicates that the church is Christ. Verse 13 continues, “For also in one Spirit we were all baptized into one Body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and were all given to drink one Spirit.” This corresponds to Colossians 3:11. Whether we are Jews or Greeks, whether we are slaves or free, we have all been baptized in one Spirit into one Body, and this Body is Christ. We have all been baptized in the Holy Spirit into one Body, that is, into one new man, into Christ.
Formerly, we were outside of the cross and in the old man, in Adam. In Adam, in our old man, there are many differences. There are Gentiles and Jews, Southerners and Northerners, educated and uneducated, slaves and free. Nevertheless, the cross has dealt with all these differences. On the cross all things in the universe have been terminated. The cross can abolish enmity and every kind of difference because the cross abolished all of the old creation and everything in it. By the cross and by our passing through the cross, Christ has reconciled His redeemed ones and created them in Himself into one new man.
In this new man there is only Christ; He is all and in all. Although there are many members in this new man, there is only one Body. In 1 Corinthians 12 those who are Jews, Gentiles, slaves, or free have all been baptized in the Holy Spirit into one Body, into the one new man. This new man, this Body, is Christ Himself; in this new man there are no differences; there is only Christ. Christ is all and in all.
From the various portions of the Word above, we can see what the church is. All of the serving ones in the church must see what the church is, what the nature of the church is, what God intends to build, and with what God builds the church. Only when we are clear concerning all these points can we administrate and serve in the church.
First, in order to administrate in the church, we must have Christ revealed in us. Second, we must clearly see that Christ is our life. Third, we should realize that we must live in Christ. Fourth, we must see that what we are and what we have in ourselves has been terminated on the cross. Fifth, we must not serve or work according to what we are and what we have in ourselves. Sixth, we should not dispense anything other than Christ in our service and work in the church. Seventh, we should not expect those with whom we serve to change in any way; instead, we should desire only that they gain Christ, be filled with Christ, and be fully gained by Christ. Eighth, we must clearly see that there should be only one result in our service, work, and administration of the church. Christ must be produced in the church so that everyone has Christ, so that Christ increases in every member, and so that all will arrive at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Ninth, in order to administrate the church, we must pray for the above eight points; we must be men of prayer. Tenth, we must be like the apostle Paul who had a living faith, believing that God can accomplish these points. The first eight points constitute proper service in the administration of the church; the last two points state that we must pray and have faith, praying for the above eight points every day, believing that God is able to do superabundantly above all that we ask or think. The power of God is not outside of us but inside of us. Through the operation of the power within us, God can fulfill all these things. This is the administration of the church. If we do not see this, our service in the church will be null and void.