The dimensions of Christ are the breadth, the length, the height, and the depth. These dimensions are the dimensions of the universe. Only God Himself knows the measurements of the universe. We can measure the distance from one point in the universe to another, for example, from the earth to the moon, but we cannot measure the universe itself. Now the very dimensions of the universe are also the dimensions of Christ.
Christ is our real universe. Elsewhere we have pointed out that Christ is our earth, our good land, and also our sun and morning star. Now, according to verse 18, we have the boldness to say that Christ is our universe, for His dimensions are the dimensions of the universe. Ephesians 1:23 speaks of the fullness of Him who fills all in all, and 4:9 and 10 reveal that He who descended into the lower parts of the earth also ascended far above all the heavens that He might fill all things. When we enter into the new heaven and the new earth to dwell in the New Jerusalem, we all shall realize that Christ the Lord is our universe.
In our experience of Christ, we firstly experience the breadth of what He is, and then we experience the length. This is horizontal. When we advance in Christ, we experience the height and depth of His riches. This is vertical. Firstly we experience Christ spreading as the breadth and the length. Later we experience Him rising up as the height and finally descending as the depth. As we shall see, our experience of Christ must eventually become three-dimensional, like a cube.
If we have only the length of Christ, without any breadth, our experience will be a “line,” that is, an experience that is long and narrow to an extreme. Our experience of Christ, however, should not have only one dimension, like a line, but it should have two dimensions, like a square, and then three dimensions, like a cube. It is of great importance that we all have a two-dimensional, or a “square,” experience of Christ. If we have only a “line” experience of Him, this “line” will eventually continue until it reaches an extreme. All extremists are “one-liners,” those whose experience of Christ is on a single “line.” If you experience Christ properly and normally as the breadth and the length, you will be kept from going to an extreme. Do not go too far out on the “line” of a narrow and long experience of Christ. Rather, experience Him in a “square” way as the breadth and as the length. By experiencing Christ continually as the breadth and length, our experience will be like a solidly woven “carpet,” not a long, single “thread.”
Some examples will help to make this matter clear. For a number of years, I listened to a certain great Bible teacher. He was extremely knowledgeable in the Scriptures. Although he spent very little time in prayer, he was constantly reading the Word and writing notes in his Bible. After talking about the Bible for a period of time, he would excuse himself in order to smoke his pipe. Then he would resume his discussion of the Scriptures. With him there was a “line” of only one dimension—an extreme emphasis on studying the Bible—but there was not the normal spreading of Christ in two dimensions as a “square” in his experience.
A sister in my home town also had a “line” experience. She did not read the Bible, but devoted a great deal of time to prayer. Being extremely earnest in prayer, she decided to fast and pray for many days. On the seventh day some of the brothers and sisters came to me very concerned about her situation. When we visited her, she was in bed, weakened because of seven days of fasting. We encouraged her to take care of her health, but she was offended by our suggestion. On the very next day, she died. This is an example of how a “line” experience can lead people to an extreme, even lead them astray. Sooner or later every “line” experience leads astray. Therefore, we need to be balanced. These two examples show that we need to take time both to pray and to study the Word.
Another extreme experience relates to the church meetings. Not long ago some among us decided that they no longer needed the meetings of the church. They preferred simply to enjoy the Lord at home. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the Lord in our homes, but we should not stretch such an experience until it becomes an extreme. Others, on the contrary, care only for the meetings. In their Christian life they reserve no time for prayer, for Bible study, or for enjoying the Lord at home. All they care about is the meetings. This also is an extreme.
How easy it is to have “line” experiences of a single dimension! It seems that not many saints desire the two-dimensional experiences, like a carpet. In order to have an experience of Christ like a solidly woven carpet, we need to be balanced in many ways. To be balanced is to be enriched. We need both the breadth and the length; we need the two-dimensional, “square,” experiences of Christ.
In order to experience Christ in His universal dimensions, we need the church life. We need to experience Christ with all the members of the Body. In particular, we need the church meetings, for in the meetings we are balanced. Through messages and the testimonies of the saints, we are balanced. If we experience the dimensions of Christ in the church life, we shall gradually be woven into a “carpet.” We shall not be thin lines of “thread.” What is needed today is not lines of “thread,” but a “carpet” woven through the balanced experience of Christ in the church.
When we experience Christ in this way, we find that His breadth and length are immeasurable. Christ is immeasurable in His spreading forth. As we experience Christ in His spreading, we come to see that the dimensions of the universe are the very dimensions of Christ.