What makes us grow? It is by getting the proper nourishment. If a little piece of flesh is taken from one part of our body and grafted onto another, within a few days the graft will become part of the flesh in the new location. Yet without nourishment that little piece could not grow together with the body. Both are organic, but they need nourishment.
Our nourishment is the unsearchable riches of Christ. As we live by Him and He is magnified in our body, we shall all grow together as His Body. Thus, we must learn to participate in Christ. If all we have is in the realm of knowledge, the result will be dissension. If, on the other hand, we enjoy Christ as our food and drink, His unsearchable riches will make us grow and the church will be the result.
It was for this that Paul prayed in Ephesians 3. He bowed his knees unto the Father, “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit into the inner man, that Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith...that you may be filled unto all the fullness of God” (vv. 14-19). The Father strengthens us through the Spirit that the Son may make His home in our hearts, that we may be filled unto all the fullness of God. This is the church.
If we look around us at Christians today, we can see how much attention is focused on knowledge and how little on the experiential enjoyment of the riches of Christ. This is why there is so little church life, in spite of the multitudes of Christians.
Some of us have been Christians for years. With whom have we been growing together? If we live Christ, the issue is the church life. If we find that we are still individualistic, it is an indication that our experience of Christ is not genuine. The experience of Christ is not for individuals, but for the corporate Body. Our enjoyment of Christ must result in the corporate church life.
May we all be so clear that Christ stands against religion, philosophy, and culture. We must care only for Him. When the thought comes to us that we must be loving or pleasant, we must reject it. We must say no to all such considerations and have regard only for Christ, this all-inclusive Spirit who is in our spirit.
“Lord, thank You that I have been crucified with You. You are against religion, philosophy, and culture. I have nothing to do with them either, because I have been crucified with You. Now I am one spirit with You. I want to care only for You. I would keep contacting You and walking in You. I want to converse with You and be one with You all the time.”
If we keep praying and practicing this, our mind will be set on the spirit. The life supply will be infused into our being and become our nourishment. We shall grow and even grow together. We shall be able to say, “To me to live is Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”
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