The church is the subject of Ephesians. Chapter 1 covers the initiation of the church, and chapters 2 through 6 cover the practical living of the church. In chapter 1 the apostle’s prayer is related to the initiation of the church, and in chapter 3, which is the kernel of chapters 2 through 6, the apostle’s prayer is related to the living of the church. It is one thing for the church to have a beginning, but it is quite another thing to have the church life. In a similar manner, it is one thing to begin a marriage with a wedding, but it is another thing to live a married life. In the book of Ephesians there is a revelation of both the initiation, the beginning, of the church and the living of the church.
The key points of difference between chapters 1 and 3 are highlighted below.
The human spirit as an organ,
needing wisdom and revelation
and receiving power,
resulting in the Body.
The human spirit as a person,
the inner man,
needing to be strengthened,
resulting in the new man.
For the initiation of the church in chapter 1, the organ of our human spirit needs wisdom and revelation, but for the living of the church in chapter 3, the person of our spirit, our inner man, needs to be strengthened. For the living of the church, our spirit must progress from its function as an organ to being our person.
The difference between the spirit as an organ and a person can be illustrated by the difference between an electrical motor and a human being. When a motor is plugged into an electrical source, it will begin to run because it is receiving power. Nevertheless, it is only a machine, an instrument, which is different from a human being. Even though a human has power that comes from life, a human is superior to a machine because he has a personality in addition to power.
In chapter 1 our spirit—a spirit of wisdom and revelation—is spoken of as an organ. However, in chapter 3 our spirit is referred to as the inner man. As an organ, our spirit needs wisdom and revelation, but as the inner man, our spirit needs to be strengthened. Hence, knowing our spirit as the inner man is more advanced than knowing our spirit as an organ. In chapter 1 we can experience the power of Christ, but in chapter 3 we can experience the person of Christ. As an organ, our spirit needs the power of Christ, but as the inner man, our spirit needs the person of Christ.
Even though sisters know that their husband is a person, they often wish that their husband would automatically and obediently respond to their requests and suggestions as if he were a machine. However, whereas machines do things automatically and even “obediently,” husbands do not. When a person touches the keys on a typewriter, letters are automatically printed on a piece of paper, but when a wife asks her husband to wake up at six thirty in the morning, he may not wake up until eight o’clock. Every wife would like to be in control of her husband’s daily schedule, including when he goes to bed, when he wakes up, when he works, and when he comes home, but husbands are persons not machines. When a wife tries to touch a “key” on her husband, often nothing happens. She may remind him to come home at five thirty, but he may not come home until six o’clock. If she again reminds him to be home at five thirty the next day, he may not return until midnight. Even though wives would prefer that their husband follow their every instruction, their husband is not a machine; he is a living person.
Once when I was visiting a church in China, a married sister came to speak to me about her unbelieving husband’s lack of response to her reminders. Although she had tried to touch his “keys” in many ways, he would not respond. She asked, “What should I do with my husband?” Although I had not seen the light concerning the Lord being our person, the Lord had mercy on me and gave me a word of wisdom. I replied, “Sister, you need to change the source of your regulations. Do not touch him according to your regulations, but according to his regulations.” She responded, saying, “But my husband does not have any regulations; that is the problem I am trying to correct.” Then I said, “Even if he has no regulations, you should accept that as your regulation. Do not set a rule that he has to be home at ten thirty or even at one thirty. Just let him come home when he comes home, and no matter when he comes home, do not scold him. When he enters through the door, you should welcome him and even say to him, ‘Some tea is ready. Please enjoy.’ No matter when he returns, you should be waiting to receive him properly.” She responded, “This truly will require the Lord’s grace.” I then reminded her of the Lord’s sufficient grace, and she received my word. Shortly thereafter, her husband was saved.
We need the power of Christ, but even more we need the person of Christ. Our spirit is an organ that enables us to experience the power of the Lord. However, our spirit is also our inner man; it is a person. Since our spirit is a person, we can experience more than the Lord’s power; we can experience His person. When we experience the power of Christ through our spirit as an organ, the issue is the church as the Body of Christ. When we experience the person of Christ through our spirit as the inner man, the issue is the church as the new man.