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THE TRAINING AND THE PRACTICE OF THE VITAL GROUPS

AN INTRODUCTORY WORD

THE VITAL GROUPS AND THE OVERCOMERS

Scripture Reading: Gen. 2:9; Eph. 1:23; Gen 3:24; 6:3a, 17; 19:24-25; 12:7; Exo. 3:8a; Num. 14; Josh. 13:1-7; Judg. 2:11-15; Matt. 21:43; John 3:16; 1 Cor. 1:9; Eph. 1:23; 3:19b; Gal. 1:6; 4:9; Matt. 13:33; Col. 2:20-21; John 15:2a; Rev. 5:6; Phil. 1:19b; Eph. 4:12-13; Rev. 2:7b; 3:12; 2 Tim. 2:12a; Rev. 20:4, 6; Matt. 25:21, 23, 30; 24:51a

OUTLINE

  1. God’s move on the earth for the accomplishment of His eternal economy:
    1. Through the Adamic race:
      1. With the tree of life as the center and the goal-Gen. 2:9.
      2. God’s intention:
        1. To be taken by man as life.
        2. To be one with man in an organic union.
        3. To have a Body in humanity as the corporate expression of the Triune God-Eph. 1:23.
      3. Man’s failure:
        1. Distracted from God’s ordained line of life-Gen. 3:24.
        2. Becoming flesh-Gen. 6:3a.
      4. God’s judgment:
        1. Firstly by water, and then by fire-Gen. 6:17; 19:24-25.
        2. To destroy the fallen race.
    2. Through the Abrahamic race:
      1. With the good land as the center and the goal-Gen. 12:7; Exo. 3:8a.
      2. God’s intention:
        1. To have a people on the earth to be one with Him.
        2. To carry out His economy that Christ might be brought into humanity through incarnation.
        3. To take, possess, and enjoy the good land as a full type of Christ before Christ came to be a man.
      3. Israel’s failure:
        1. Not entering into God’s goal-the good land-Num. 14.
        2. Not taking and possessing the good land by destroying the Canaanites-Josh. 13:1-7.
        3. Not remaining in the enjoyment of the good land by walking with God-Judg. 2:11-15.
      4. God’s judgment:
        1. Wandering in the wilderness.
        2. Oppressed by the remaining Canaanites.
        3. Captured and subdued by the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans.
        4. Scattered to the nations throughout the world.
        5. Given up by God-Matt. 21:43.
        6. To keep them away from the enjoyment of the good land.
    3. Through the church:
      1. With the unique Christ as the center and the goal-John 3:16; 1 Cor. 1:9.
      2. God’s intention:
        1. To bring forth the church as the Body of Christ for the corporate expression of the processed Triune God-Eph. 1:23; 3:19b.
        2. For the consummation of the New Jerusalem.
      3. The church’s failure:
        1. Distracted from the enjoyment of Christ-Gal. 1:6; 4:9.
        2. Becoming mixed Christianity-Matt. 13:33; Col. 2:20-21.
      4. God’s judgment:
        1. Condemnation on the fallen church.
        2. Cutting the deformed church off from the enjoyment of Christ-John 15:2a.
        3. To let the overcomers rise up.
    4. Through the overcomers:
      1. With the pneumatic Christ as the center and the goal (Rev. 5:6; Phil. 1:19b) in the recovery of:
        1. The participation in the processed Triune God.
        2. The rich enjoyment of the all-inclusive and all-extensive Christ.
        3. The full experience of the consummated compound Spirit.
        4. The absolute living by the eternal life.
        5. The building up of the Body of Christ.
        6. The practice of the churches on the local ground.
        7. The keeping of the oneness of the Body of Christ.
      2. God’s intention:
        1. To consummate the building up of the Body of Christ-Eph. 4:12-13.
        2. To usher in the New Jerusalem-Rev. 2:7b; 3:12.
      3. The overcomers’ success:
        1. To be vital-living versus the deadness of Sardis and active versus the lukewarmness of Laodicea:
          1. 1) In saving sinners to become the members of Christ.
          2. 2) In feeding the newborn believers in Christ.
          3. 3) In perfecting the saints.
          4. 4) In building up the churches for the building up of the Body by prophesying-speaking for God.
        2. To overcome the degradation of the church.
      4. God’s judgment:
        1. The reward of the full enjoyment of Christ in the kingdom:
          1. 1) To reign with Christ in His glory-2 Tim. 2:12a; Rev. 20:4, 6.
          2. 2) To partake of the joy of Christ in His kingdom-Matt. 25:21, 23.
        2. The salvation of the soul from losing Christ in the age of righteousness:
          1. 1) To be saved from being cast out into darkness in the age of discipline-Matt. 25:30.
          2. 2) To be saved from being cut off from the full enjoyment of Christ in His glory-Matt. 24:51a.
  2. To consummate the New Jerusalem for the fulfillment of God’s desire.

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