The power of God’s life will fulfill God’s eternal purpose in us. Today, upon the earth, we have the promise of God’s life which is godliness. This does not mean that we are complete to such an extent that we no longer need confession, no longer need God’s forgiveness, and no longer need the cleansing of the precious blood. No! We must read Hebrews 8:12 again: “For I will be propitious to their unrighteousnesses, and their sins I will by no means remember anymore.”
In the sixth chapter of this book we pointed out that we must pay attention to the word “for” in this verse. It is very important, for it shows that God being propitious toward our unrighteousnesses and by no means remembering our sins anymore is the cause; but that God has imparted His laws into our mind and has inscribed them upon our hearts and has become our God in the law of life and has made us His people in the law of life for this purpose: that we might have a deeper knowledge of Him. To know God is the purpose, so it is mentioned first; but the forgiveness of sins is the procedure, so it is mentioned later.
A similar instance can be found in Ephesians 1. First, in verse 5, we are told that God “predestinated us unto sonship through Jesus Christ to Himself,” because this is the purpose. Later, in verse 7, it is mentioned that “we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of offenses,” because this is the procedure.
Before God can give us His life, He must forgive us and cleanse us of our sins. This also indicates that after we have God’s life, if we have sin and do not deal with it, it will hinder the growth of this life. Therefore, in order for God’s life to move within us without hindrance, we must not tolerate sin. Sin must be confessed to God and forgiveness must be obtained. We may also need to confess to others and ask for their forgiveness.
We should not think that we can exercise unto godliness to such an extent that we no longer need God’s forgiveness or the cleansing of the precious blood. On the contrary, the more one knows God, the more he feels the poverty of his condition and the more he will confess before God, seeking forgiveness, and the more he will experience the cleansing of the blood. Often those Christians whom we consider to be most holy are ones who have shed many tears before God. For it is in God’s light that we see light (Psa. 36:9), and in God’s light we will see our real condition. Our hidden flesh and our hidden self will be exposed in God’s light. At such a time we will truly say to God: “I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin” (Psa. 38:18). We will also say to God: “Clear thou me from hidden faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins....Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Jehovah, my rock, and my redeemer” (Psa. 19:12-14, lit.).
A servant of God once gave a word based upon 1 John 1 in which he pointed out that life requires fellowship and also brings in fellowship; fellowship brings in light; and light requires the blood. Here we notice a series of experiences. If a person has life he will seek fellowship; when there is fellowship he will see light; and when he sees light he will seek the blood. These four things not only constitute a series, they also are causally related to each other. Life causes us to have fellowship, and fellowship imparts life to us. Fellowship causes us to see light, and light brings a deeper fellowship. Light prompts us to seek the cleansing of the blood, and the cleansing of the blood allows us to see the light more clearly. These four items not only are causally related to each other, but they are also in a cycle, with life bringing us to fellowship; fellowship causing us to see light; light causing us to receive the cleansing of the blood; and following the cleansing of the blood the receiving of more life. When we receive more life, we will have more fellowship, and when we have more fellowship we will see more light; then having seen more light we will receive more cleansing of the blood. These four items recur thus in a cycle. The experience of this cycle will cause us to move ahead in life.
As a car moves by the continuous turning of the wheels, so the experience of these four matters is just like the turning of the wheels. Whenever a cycle is completed, we move on a certain distance in life. When another cycle is completed, it carries us on further. As we pass through one cycle after another, we will continue to move on in God’s life. If at some point our experience of the cycle stops, we also come to a stop in God’s life. These are the words of one who really knew God and who knew the Word of God.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, it is in the law of life and in the intuition, that we know God. This is very practical. This knowing does not need the teaching of others at all. This is the climax of the new covenant. This is also the glory of the new covenant. Hallelujah! Here we must praise and worship Him.