In this message we will fellowship concerning the way to enjoy Christ. We do not care for methods, but we do have a certain way to enjoy Christ. We should forsake all methods, but we should also walk on a way. Where can we see the way to enjoy Christ? We can find it in 1 Corinthians. First Corinthians shows us that the way to enjoy Christ is in our spirit. How can we enjoy Christ in our spirit? Let us consider this matter step by step.
First Corinthians 1:2 says that Christ is “theirs and ours.” This phrase is very precious. Christ belongs to us all! Christ belongs to the brothers, and Christ belongs also to the sisters. Christ belongs to the elderly saints, and Christ belongs also to the young people. Christ belongs to the strong ones, and Christ belongs also to the weak ones. This verse tells us that Christ belongs to all those who call upon His name. The Greek word for call upon means “to call out audibly, even loudly.” For example, when a house is on fire, we call out, “Fire! Fire!” We do not simply shout; we call out for help.
Someone once said to me, “Brother Lee, the Lord is not so deaf that He cannot hear our voice. Why do we need to cry and shout? I do not think that we need to do this.” Perhaps there are others who think this as well. I am not here to subdue you, but I must tell you the truth. Consider your experience from the day that you were saved until now. Have you ever called upon the name of the Lord? I can confidently say that you have. Every Christian has called on the Lord. A few days ago I heard a testimony given by a sister. Not long after she was saved, she was hit by a car and was in great pain. No one had ever taught her to call on the Lord; nevertheless, she called, “O Lord! O Lord!” After she had called on the Lord a few times, miraculously her pain went away. You may say that you have never called upon the name of the Lord—you even may be hard-hearted, but the Lord still has a way to deal with you, and when He does, you will call louder than everyone else. To whom does Christ belong? Christ belongs to those who call upon His name! When you call on the Lord, He becomes your portion.
God has given us Jesus Christ as our portion. He has also called us into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ (v. 9). For us to be called into His fellowship is for us to be called into His enjoyment. God has not called us to go to heaven; He has called us to enter into His enjoyment, His fellowship. Thus, every day we should enjoy the Lord, live in fellowship with the Lord, and take the Lord as our portion.
In addition to being our portion, the Lord is also the power of God and the wisdom of God (v. 24). To accomplish anything, we need power and wisdom. For instance, suppose we want to establish a large corporation. To do so, we must have sufficient funds as capital. Our capital is our power. However, if we have sufficient funds but lack the intelligence to manage a company, we will not be able to accomplish anything. Our capital is our power, and our intelligence is our wisdom. If we have both, surely our corporation will prosper. The “capital” of the large “corporation” of God is simply Christ Himself, and the way, or wisdom, that God uses to manage this large corporation is also Christ Himself. Christ is power and Christ is wisdom.
As Christians we are in Christ. Who put us in Christ? God put us in Christ. God put us in Christ, and God wants Christ to become wisdom to us. Christ becomes wisdom to us as righteousness for our past, as sanctification for our present, and as redemption for our future (v. 30). As our righteousness the Lord covers all of our shameful past, as our sanctification the Lord enables us to live a sanctified life in the present, and as our redemption the Lord will redeem and transfigure our body in the future. This is the way that the Lord becomes wisdom to us.
Thus, we see that Christ is five major items: power, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. In addition to these five major items Christ is another ten major items: the foundation (3:11), the Passover (5:7), our spiritual food, drink, and rock (10:3-4), the Head (11:3), the Body (12:12), the firstfruits (15:20, 23), the last Adam (v. 45), and the second man (v. 47). In other words, Christ is the first, the second, and the last. Hence, Christ is everything, Christ is all things, and there is nothing that is outside of Christ. All of the grace of God is in Christ, and Christ is the reality of every positive thing in the universe.