The Lord Jesus told us that He is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25). The life that was in Him, contrary to the life that we were born with, is a life that cannot be terminated. The Jews foolishly sought to kill Him in order to be rid of Him (John 5:16, 18; 7:1), not realizing that death only released His life in multiplication. Satan’s strategy, in instigating the Jews to kill Jesus, backfired. Rather than terminating His life, death afforded it the opportunity to reproduce. Consider how many millions of people died from the time of Adam to the time of Christ. Though for them death meant the end, for Christ it meant the release and multiplication of His life (see Luke 12:50; John 12:24).
Before we consider how far-reaching the resurrection is, let us answer some questions.
May I ask about the Lord’s table? It seems that we partake of it in a bold way, yet 1 Corinthians 11 says to examine ourselves lest we partake unworthily, not discerning the Lord’s body. What is the proper way to come to the Lord’s table?
Whenever we come to the Lord’s table, we first have to be clear that it really is the Lord’s table. If it does not signify the oneness of believers, it is rather a table of division. Some denominations will not allow you to partake of their “communion” unless you have been immersed by them. Since such a table does not comprise all believers, it is not the Lord’s table. To partake of it is to eat to your own condemnation.
For you yourself also, you must examine whether you are sectarian. If you have a problem with any of the saints, you should not partake of the Lord’s table until you thoroughly deal with it. The context of those verses shows that we must beware of any divisiveness. If the table is divisive in its testimony, or if you yourself are divisive in your relationship to the saints, you must not partake. When there is no division-that is, when the table is the table of oneness and when you have no problem with any member of the Body-you are free to partake.
You have sometimes said that we should avoid friendship. What is the difference between a friend and one we are built with? How do we know whom to open up to when we need to fellowship about a matter?
Fellowship is a matter of the whole Body. Friendship is a matter of personal affection. Affection easily arises among human beings when we are together for a short time. This is typified by honey, which was forbidden in the meal offering (Lev. 2:11); what is needed is salt (v. 13), which kills personal affection. Salt typifies the killing of the cross of Christ. Do not allow affection to spring up and lead to friendship. Affection sooner or later leads to corruption. Friendship has its seat in our emotions; fellowship is in the spirit (Phil. 2:1, Gk.).
For all these years I have been in the Lord’s recovery, I have had no friends. However intimate the fellowship may be between a brother and me, it does not become a friendship; no personal affection is involved.
Learn to turn from your friendship in the emotion to the fellowship in your spirit.
As for the matter of being built up, the real building is based upon growth, not upon physical or emotional nearness. A physical building stays put because it is lifeless, but we often move from place to place. If we are built in, wherever we go we shall have no problem with the saints, up to the measure of our growth. The building is related to our growth. Reject any thought that it involves some “flow,” attaching you to this one or that one.
Why do some saints get baptized more than once?
How we are baptized is not a problem in the church life. As long as we believe in the Lord Jesus, we are saved and members of the Body. This qualifies us to be members of the church. Of course, the Word clearly says that after we believe, we are to be baptized. There is no profit in getting involved in further discussion than this.
How do we deal with our vain, loose talk? If we repent of it, do we still have to give account of it on the judgment day?
If we see the vision that the Christian life is in our spirit, all vain talk will be over. When we turn to our spirit, there will be no gossip or other loose talk.
Whatever sin we commit, if we repent from our heart and ask for forgiveness, the blood cleanses, and we are not called to account for it at the judgment.
Home | First | Prev | Next