Resurrection produces the church. Resurrection is in the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is in us. Suppose we all came together to serve in coordination. Some would sweep the floor, some would clean the windows, and some would visit people. All different kinds of service and work would be expressed here. We might say that this is the Body of Christ and the service of the church, but is it correct to say this? If all these activities and services are done in the Spirit, then they are the service of the church, but if they are not done in the Spirit, then they are not the service of the church. This is because it is only in the Spirit that we can touch resurrection, and it is only in resurrection that there can be the church.
Although we have been saved, have Christ’s life, and are Christians, for us to live the church life and to have the service of the church, we must live in the Spirit. When we live in the Spirit, we live in resurrection, and only when we live in resurrection can we have the service of the church. For example, when we go to a certain locality and see that the saints there are all zealous, diligent, and capable, that some are busy doing this and some doing that, and that everyone is harmonious in their coordination, we may praise them and say, “This church is very good. Their service truly expresses the Body of Christ.” If we draw the conclusion that this is the service of the church merely because of the outward condition, we are still inexperienced.
For example, suppose you take a piece of yellow metal to a jewelry shop. Would the shop owner immediately nod and acknowledge that it is gold? Of course he would not. He would examine it first. Today, however, the situation is not like this. It seems that when many people see something yellow, they say that it is gold without paying attention to whether it is bronze or gold, hollow or solid. As long as it is yellow, they say that it is gold. This is the poor condition we are in. When we see people doing things in the meeting hall and the saints busily working, we immediately praise them and say, “This church is very good. This is the service of the Body, the service in coordination, and the corporate service.” Actually, this is the speaking of an inexperienced person. We know that in order to ascertain whether something is gold, it is not sufficient to merely observe the outward color. We need to see its inner essence. Hence, we not only need to pay attention to the zealous coordination and diligent service of the saints, but we also have to see whether or not they do these things in the spirit. If they do these things in the spirit, then in that place there will be the church and the service of the church. But if they do these things outside of the spirit, then in that place there will not be the church or the service of the church.
For example, the saints in a certain locality may be very sincere and diligent in service and coordination, but they may do these things in their natural energy and according to their preference. They may be natural and not in their spirit. If this is the case, they may maintain their sincerity, diligence, and coordination for three weeks, but afterward, they will not be able to coordinate with one another. Experience tells us that this kind of situation happens all the time. One time we saw a group of saints coordinating in harmony, loving one another, and being affectionate toward one another, even to the degree that they seemed to be “glued” to one another and inseparable. Although this was the outward situation, we worried that they would eventually break up. As expected, they started to fight with one another in less than a month. This one accused that one, and that one accused this one, and they bit and devoured one another. What does this prove? This proves that their initial coordination was in the flesh, in the natural man, in their preference, and in their emotion, not in the spirit.
Suppose someone comes to serve and cleans the meeting hall. Then after you compliment him, he comes again the next day before suppertime. After you praise him some more, he comes again before two o’clock on the third day, and he feels happy and sweet. Unfortunately, a few days later, due to something improper in his service, he receives some adjusting that touches his inward feeling. Then he becomes discouraged and disheartened. Not only does he come very late on the next day, but he disappears on the third day, and eventually he does not come anymore. This indicates that his serving in zeal was not in the spirit but outside of the spirit.
The genuine one accord does not come from gritting one’s teeth or closing one’s eyes. Some Christians maintain the oneness of the church by gritting their teeth or even closing their eyes, because once they open their eyes, they are not able to be one, and once they open their ears, they are not able to coordinate. This kind of one accord is artificial and self-made. This kind of oneness is in vain. A person may be able to shut his mouth for today and tomorrow, but two days later, he will not be able to shut his mouth any longer. Instead, “thunder” and “rain” will pour out when he opens his mouth. The oneness of the church is not like this. It is impossible to be one in the natural man, and there is no way to find oneness in the flesh and in the old creation. In other words, there is no oneness in our zeal, our diligence, our preferences, and our views. Oneness is in resurrection and in the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is in our spirit. As long as we learn not to rely on our self, our natural man, our feelings, our views, our emotions, our preferences, our ideas, and our will and learn to turn to our spirit and live in our spirit, we will have the genuine one accord. In this way we will not only have no need to grit our teeth and shut our mouths, but we will also be able to enjoy the sweetness of the one accord. If all of us would feel in our spirit, speak in our spirit, observe in our spirit, and taste in our spirit, we would have the sweet oneness. The oneness is in the spirit and in resurrection. The church is also in the spirit and in resurrection.