If we seek the things above and have one living with Christ, we shall be wholly occupied with the enterprise of our Master. Our heart will be with Him in heaven, where He is interceding for the churches, supplying the saints, and administrating God’s government. This will be our concern, our desire. If we take Christ as life and seek the things which are above in such a way, the lustful members will be put to death, the evil elements in the fallen soul will be put away, and the old man will be put off. Furthermore, we shall automatically put on the new man.
To us, Colossians should not be only a book of doctrine, but should be a book of experience. Although the Christ revealed in this book is profound, extensive, and all-inclusive, we can still experience Him. We can enjoy Him as our daily necessities, take Him as our life, and live together with Him. Furthermore, we can seek the things which are above and set our mind on them. Do you not aspire to be one with the Lord in the heavenlies and to have a heart that is one with His heart? Do you not long to be one with Him in His priesthood, ministry, and administration? I would encourage all the young people especially to care for God’s purpose by seeking the things which are above and living together with Christ.
We expect that through the enjoyment of Christ the one new man will come forth and be expressed in a practical way. We do not want the new man merely in doctrine, but in reality and in practice. The new man does not come by way of organization. Something organized may be a society or a religion, but it is not the new man. The new man comes forth only by our taking Christ as our life and living together with Him.
It is wonderful to enjoy Christ as the reality of our daily necessities, but it is even more wonderful to take Him as our life and live together with Him. I can testify that the more we live Christ and take His concern as our concern, the happier we are. My only concern is the Lord’s recovery with all the churches and all the saints. My desire is that the saints would experience Christ and grow in life. I have no other burden, no other concern. I am fully occupied with God’s purpose. Because I am filled with Christ’s concern, I am very happy. There is no room in me for negative things. Being occupied with the Lord’s interests makes me very healthy.
I am happy that there are so many young people in the Lord’s recovery. The recovery certainly has a glorious future. We all need to care for the Lord’s interests. While He is praying in heaven, we respond in prayer on earth. Thus, we experience the transmission between Christ and us, a transmission that will make us happy and full of joy. Christ works in the heavens, and we work on earth. In this way, we not only enjoy Christ as the reality of our necessities, but we also take Him as our life and have one living with Him.
Our living with Christ is not aimless; it has a definite purpose. This purpose is to be one with Christ in His intercession for the churches, in His ministry of the heavenly life supply to the saints, and in His administration of God’s government. We have pointed out again and again that the result of living together with the Lord in such a way is the new man. We cannot produce the new man by organization. The new man is the spontaneous issue of our taking Christ as our life and living Him.
The desire of God’s heart is to have the new man. This was His plan in eternity past, and this was the reason He created the universe and accomplished redemption for us in Christ. The preaching of the gospel and the new creation are likewise for the new man. The time has come for God to have the new man expressed on earth. If we take Christ as our life and live together with Him, the new man will come forth to satisfy God’s desire.