CHAPTER FOUR

TRANSFORMATION AND BUILDING UP

Scripture Reading: 2 Cor. 3:16, 18; 4:16; Matt. 16:13-18; John 1:51; 2:16-22; 14:23, 2; Rom. 12:3-5; 1 Cor. 1:10-13; 3:9-15; Gal. 6:14-15; Eph. 3:17; 4:4-6, 11-16; Rev. 3:12-13; 4:3a; 21:2, 10-23; 22:1-5

OUTLINE

1. In the metabolism in the divine life and in the joining and knitting in the building up.
2. Transformation:
   1. Transformation being not an outward change or correction, but the metabolic function of the life of God in the believers.
   2. By the believers turning to the Lord and thereby removing the various kinds of veils of their old concepts-2 Cor. 3:16.
   3. Even more, by the believers, with an unveiled face, beholding the Lord and reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord-2 Cor. 3:18.
   4. Thus they are being transformed into the same image as the Lord from one level of glory to another level of glory for the Lord’s expression.
   5. Even as from the Lord Spirit, that is, Christ as the life-giving Spirit.
   6. This requiring the believers’ outer man to be decaying (to be consumed) that their inner man may be renewed day by day-2 Cor. 4:16.
3. Building up:
   1. Building up is the God-men’s being joined and knit together with other God-men in the divine life by their growth in the divine life.
   2. Brought forth through the joining and knitting by the transforming Spirit-Eph. 4:15-16.
   3. The building up of the Body of Christ in the New Testament is this kind of building up by being joined and knit together in the divine life, and its purpose is to consummate the building of the holy city, the New Jerusalem.