Fifth, the church mysteriously becomes the universal new man as God's kingdom and God's house, and is built up as the habitation of God (Eph. 2:15, 19-22). The church is the new man. It is God's kingdom, God's house, and God's habitation. This is indeed a mystery. The church, the mystery of Christ, as the universal new man, is replacing the old man in God's creation for the expression of God and the accomplishing of God's economy. It is God's kingdom to be ruled by God and to rule for God (Rom. 5:17b). It is also God's house to enjoy God's riches and to express the glory of God's riches (1 Tim. 3:15-16). Furthermore, it is built up as the habitation of God. This is the result of submitting to the authority in God's kingdom and enjoying the riches in God's house (Eph. 4:16).
This being the case, we have the following conclusion. In the organic Body of Christ, in the living in the universal new man, which is constituted of God as life, and in the living in God's house of life and in God's kingdom of life, there are no lifeless organizations such as a universal federation or local autonomies. There is obviously the need in the churches in all the localities to have some administrative arrangements for the business affairs. Seemingly, these administrative arrangements are non-organic. Actually, the administrative arrangements for these business affairs also have to be under the ruling of the Holy Spirit and according to His leading. For example, when the apostles set up elders in a locality, they must do so under the Holy Spirit's leading (Acts 20:28a). This shows us that in the church, even in the arrangements of business affairs, there is the need for the ruling and the leading of the Holy Spirit. This is different from worldly business organizations, workers' unions, or ethnic associations. They do not have the Holy Spirit. They only have human beings. We who are the church have the Holy Spirit in each one of us. Even arrangements in business affairs, which may seem organizational outwardly, must also be done under the leading of the mysterious Holy Spirit within us. Actually, there is not much administrative work in the church. The main work is the shepherding, the teaching, and the leading. These are the three things that local elders should do.
Sixth, since the church as the Body of Christ is the universal new man, the kingdom of God, the house of God, and the habitation of God, it mysteriously enjoys the unsearchable riches of Christ (Eph. 3:2, 7-11). This is through the stewardship of grace given by God and is according to the dispensation of the mysterious economy of God. The purpose of this is to make known through the church the multifarious wisdom of God.