In this chapter we want to see more portions in the New Testament revealing the Divine Trinity in the divine move and in our experience. By looking at these portions in the New Testament, we can see that within the Divine Trinity there are many divine excellencies, divine virtues, and divine attributes such as oneness, humility, beauty, and harmony. In these portions of the Scripture, we need to see the beauties, the excellencies, the virtues, and the attributes of the Godhead in the Divine Trinity.
In Matthew 12:28 the Lord said, "But if I [the Son] by the Spirit of God [the Triune God including the Father] cast out demons, then the kingdom of God [the Triune God] is come upon you." Matthew 12:28 seemingly is a simple word, but we need to look into this verse to see its deeper meaning and revelation. We need to ask, "Couldn't the Lord Jesus have cast out these demons by Himself? Couldn't the Lord have said that He cast out demons by Himself in order that His own kingdom might come upon the people? What would have been wrong with this?" If the Son would have done this, He would have acted individualistically. At that time He was among the Pharisees, who were proud, selfish, and individualistic. They would not work with anyone else. There was no humility among them, and they were full of self-seeking, selfishness. Now there was One, condemned by them and standing in front of them, telling them that He did something in a different way. The way He cast out demons showed them that He was humble. He was not individualistic. He was not doing something by Himself and for Himself. He was doing something by the Spirit of God and for the kingdom of God. He never did anything by Himself or for Himself. Is this not beautiful? This shows us the excellency in the Divine Trinity.
This is surely a good pattern for our coordination. The Lord has produced a Body constituted with many members, so all the members should learn of Him. He was working by the Spirit of God for God the Father. He never did anything by Himself or for Himself. Is this not a pattern for us to be coordinated in His Body? We should behave ourselves just like our Head. He behaved Himself in a way of neither doing anything by Himself nor doing anything for Himself. Today in the church life, the Body of Christ has not been built up adequately because of the shortage of the proper coordination. If we want to be coordinated with all the members in the Body, we have to learn of Christ our Head, taking Him as our pattern. We should not do anything by ourselves or for ourselves. I may do something according to the will of God, but what I do should not be by myself but by some others. Furthermore, what I do should not be for myself but for the interest, the right, of God on this earth. This is a beauty, and this beauty is a real excellency, a real divine attribute, and an excellent virtue that we need to copy.
I questioned Matthew 12:28 quite often. I wondered why the Lord did not say that He cast out demons by Himself for His own kingdom. Instead, He said that He cast out demons by another One and for another One. His spirit was so humble, so selfless. He did nothing by Himself or for Himself. With Him there was no self, no element of selfishness. This is a beauty.