CHAPTER THREE

IN SALVATION

Scripture Reading: Rom. 5:18b, 21b; 1 John 5:11-12; Rom. 5:10; Acts 11:18; Gen. 3:24; Heb. 10:19-20; Rev. 2:7; Heb. 4:16; Eph. 2:18; 1 Pet. 1:3; John 1:12-13; Col. 3:4a; 2 Pet. 1:4b; 1 John 4:13; Phil. 2:15-16; Matt. 5:16

OUTLINE

1. Through the all-inclusive redemption:
   1. Redeeming God's chosen people as sinners to be justified by God unto life, even unto the reign in the eternal life—the Triune God—Rom. 5:18b, 21b; 1 John 5:11-12.
   2. Reconciling the redeemed and justified sinners as God's enemies that they may be saved in the divine life of Christ—Rom. 5:10.
   3. Repentance unto life—Acts 11:18.
2. Unto the dynamic salvation of God:
   1. Cutting the way which had been closed to the fallen sinners to prevent them from eating the tree of life—Gen. 3:24; Heb. 10:19-20.
   2. Bringing the fallen sinners back to the tree of life, to God as life—Rev. 2:7; Heb. 4:16; Eph. 2:18.
   3. That the redeemed sinners may have an organic union with the redeeming God in order to be one with Him.
   4. To be regenerated by God and become His children—1 Pet. 1:3; John 1:12-13:
      1. Having God's life and nature—Col. 3:4a; 2 Pet. 1:4b.
      2. Possessing even the entire person of God—1 John 4:13.
      3. That God may abide in the redeemed sinners and they in God.
      4. For them to live God, manifesting and expressing Him—Phil. 2:15-16; Matt. 5:16.
      5. Thus, the redeemed sinners may become God in life and nature in their organic union with God by the Spirit of God—1 John 4:13.

A HEAVENLY AND DIVINE VIEW

We need a clear, heavenly, and divine view. Thank the Lord that the Bible, the holy Word, does give us such a view. However, in order to see such a view, we need to jump out of the limitation of the letter of the Bible. In 2 Corinthians 3:6 Paul said, "The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." We need to jump out of the letter and jump into the Spirit by prayer. By our looking to the Lord continually, the vision comes, and this vision brings in a view.

God's Purpose to Work Himself into Man

In this view God is infinite and unlimited, having no beginning and no ending. This marvelously great God is a God of purpose. The greater a person is, the greater the purpose he has. Because we are living, we all have a purpose. God also has a purpose (Eph. 3:10-11), and this purpose is just to obtain what He desires to have. His heart's desire is His good pleasure (1:9). This good pleasure is revealed in Paul's writings, especially in the book of Ephesians. God's good pleasure forms the will of God, and for this will God held a council in His Divine Trinity to make a counsel (v. 11b). There is such a counsel in the whole universe. This counsel is that God intends to work Himself into man. This is a great matter. For the almighty, unlimited, infinite God to work Himself into the small, limited, finite man to be one with this man is a great thing.