We have seen that God’s intention is to have many sons. His way to have the many sons is to make His Only Begotten Son the prototype. Christianity misses this, having never seen the difference between the Only Begotten and the Firstborn Son of God. Most Christians consider the Only Begotten and the Firstborn Son as being the same. However, there is a great difference between Jesus’ being the Only Begotten Son and His being the Firstborn Son. As the Only Begotten Son, He was not the prototype. In order to be the prototype, He had to become the Firstborn Son of God. In the Only Begotten Son there was only divinity, no humanity, but in the Firstborn Son of God there is humanity as well as divinity. This humanity has been “sonized,” that is, it has been begotten of God in Christ’s resurrection. In Psalm 2:7, God said to the Son, “Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.” Because Christ’s human nature, His humanity, has been “sonized” in His resurrection, He is no longer merely the Only Begotten Son of God, but the Firstborn Son of God with divinity and humanity. Hence, He is the prototype.
God’s way to mass-produce this prototype differs from the mass production in a factory. In a factory, a company first produces a prototype and then mass-produces the models according to the prototype. God’s way is to work His living prototype, the Firstborn Son, into our being to be our life and nature. This life is the divine life, and this nature is the divine nature. Now God is working to spread this divine life and nature into every part of our being, transforming our natural being into that of the Firstborn Son of God.
According to Romans 12:2 and 2 Corinthians 3:18, this is transformation. In the process of transformation, the living prototype spreads from our spirit into every part of our being. Transformation wholly depends upon the imparting of the law of life into our spirit. The law which has been imparted into our spirit is the function of the divine life; it comes from the nature of the divine life. Since the day this law came into our spirit, it has been awaiting the opportunity to spread into our mind, emotion, and will. Eventually, it will spread throughout our being. As it spreads, the one law will become several laws. Because the law is the working of the nature of the divine life, when it works, it produces sonship. Its working will always produce the image of God.
With scarcely one exception, nearly all Christians have been distracted from this law and have gone astray from it. Out of a hundred Christians, probably less than five know this law or have heard about it. In Christianity, there is no word or message on the law of life. Because most Christians have gone astray from the law of life, there is the need of the anointing.
What is the difference between the law of life and the anointing? As we have seen, in the Old Testament there were the law and the prophets. The Old Testament comprises these two categories of the divine word. In ancient times, the Old Testament was even called “the Law and the Prophets.” What is the difference between the law and the prophets? Why did God, after giving the law to Moses, still need to use Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the other prophets? We have pointed out that the law was given to be a testimony of God, having been given according to the nature of the Lawgiver. Since the laws you make express the kind of person you are, your laws are your testimony. The law was the testimony of God because it testified what kind of God He is. It testified that He is a holy, righteous God, a God of light and love. Since He is such a God, His law had such a nature. In nature, the law was righteous, holy, and full of light and love. Hence, the law was God’s testimony. God chose Israel from among the nations to be His people, desiring that they would be His people according to what He is. Because the law revealed what God is, the children of Israel had to be God’s people according to His law.
In the first chapter of Isaiah we see that the children of Israel went away from God and His law (Isa. 1:4, 10). If the Israelites had not gone astray from God’s law, there would have been no need for the prophets. But because the people did go astray, God sent the prophets to call them back by rebuking, charging, and directing them to return to God’s testimony. God did not intend to make the ministry of the prophets the standard. The standard of His testimony was the law, and the ministry of the prophets was to bring the off-center people back to the center, to bring God’s straying people back to God’s testimony. Hence, the ministry of the prophets was to recover God’s fallen people to His law.
We have seen that the Old Testament comprises the law and the prophets. With what is the New Testament composed? It is composed of the law of life and the anointing. The law of life replaces the law of letters, and the anointing replaces the prophets. In a previous message we pointed out that the law was given to testify of God’s nature and that the prophets were sent to represent God’s Person. Therefore, the prophets spoke, saying, “Thus saith the Lord.” In the law we have the nature of God, and in the prophets we have the Person of God.