After Christ became the same as we are in His incarnation, bringing divinity into humanity, by becoming the life-giving Spirit He brought humanity into divinity. Through incarnation and resurrection, He mingled divinity and humanity, humanity and divinity, into one. This is our Lord Jesus Christ. Not many Christians have this concept of the Lord Jesus. But this is the very Savior whom we received into our being when we believed in Him and called on His name. The Christ who dwells in us is such a wonderful One. Now He is not only the Savior and the Lord; He is also the wonderful life-giving Spirit with two natures. Most Christians have missed the mark, having never heard that the very Christ who dwells in us has the two natures of divinity and humanity, and that both these natures are in the life-giving Spirit. As the wonderful life-giving Spirit, He is now working all that He is into our being, transforming our being into His.
In its concern with miracles, teachings, and behavior, Christianity misses this mark. In Christianity, there are two main religions: the religion of teachings and the religion of miracles. Many Christians are obsessed with miracles. The basic revelation of the New Testament, however, is focused on one crucial point: that Christ is one with the Father; that He sends the Spirit, who is just Himself, that He might abide in us and that we might abide in Him; and that Christ is living, moving, and working in our spirit, even transforming our very being that we might be His expression. Although this matter is found again and again in the New Testament, not many Christians pay attention to it.
Fundamental Christianity stresses teaching, but at least two verses in the Bible, Hebrews 8:11 and 1 John 2:27, say that we do not need anyone to teach us. Hebrews 8 reveals that because we have the law of life within us, we do not need anyone to teach us. Not even the smallest among us needs anyone to teach him. First John 2:27 says that because the anointing abides in us, we do not need anyone to teach us. Since we have the law of life and the anointing working and moving within us, we do not need the outward teachings of man. Some may oppose this point, but where do they put Hebrews 8:10 and 11 and 1 John 2:27? We should take the clear and pure Word of the Bible.
In so-called Pentecostal Christianity, people stress the exercise of the gifts, especially speaking in tongues. If they come to a meeting where there is no tongue speaking or manifestation of the so-called gifts, they are unhappy. But only a very small percentage of the verses in the New Testament is devoted to speaking in tongues. A far greater percentage of the verses speak of the indwelling Christ. Here we see the subtlety of Satan. On the one hand, fundamental Christianity stresses the teachings; on the other hand, Pentecostal Christianity stresses tongues. Even when the tongues are false, they still enjoy them, and even if their prophecies are not fulfilled, they are still addicted to them. More than twelve years ago, some people prophesied that Los Angeles would fall into the ocean. Although that prophecy was not fulfilled, so many of the Pentecostalists are still addicted to their prophecies. I am not against these things, but I do have a burden for the children of God.
When Christ came into us to be our life, He brought His nature, the nature of His wonderful being, into us. Before we were regenerated, we had only the base, corrupted nature of fallen humanity. But when we were regenerated, the highest nature was added into our being. Now there is in us the very nature of the Person of Christ. As an illustration of this wonderful nature, let us take the example of a baby. When something sweet is put into a baby’s mouth, he will spontaneously swallow it. But when something bitter is put into his mouth, he will spit it out. Who teaches the baby to do this? No one. As long as the little baby is living, he does not need anyone to teach him about what is sweet and what is bitter. The baby’s reaction to sweet and bitter substances is not a matter of knowledge; it is a matter of the taste of nature. A baby has a human nature, and human nature does not like the taste of anything bitter. Our nature knows what it likes and dislikes. In like manner, however babyish we may be in spiritual things, as long as we are in Christ, we have a special life nature. By coming into us, Christ brought into our being a wonderful life nature. This is not merely the divine nature; it is the divine nature with the uplifted human nature.