First Corinthians 2:10 says, "The Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God." According to the context of this verse, the depths of God refer to the deep things of God, which are Christ in many aspects as our eternal portion, foreordained, prepared, and given to us freely by God. These deep things have never arisen in man's heart but are revealed to us in our spirit by God's Spirit. The Spirit of God explores the depths of God concerning Christ and shows them to us in our spirit for our realization and participation. Hence, we must be spiritual in order to partake of them. We must move, act, and live in our spirit so that we may enjoy Christ as everything to us.
To know only that Christ is the Savior who died on the cross for our sins is superficial. But to know the depths of God, that is, to know Christ in many aspects as our eternal portion, is deep and mysterious. Christ, the all-inclusive and extensive One, is the center of God's economy, the wisdom of God in a mystery, predestined by God before the ages for our glory (v. 7). He was God incarnated to be a perfect man. Through His death on the cross He terminated the old creation and released the divine life that it might be imparted to all those who believe in Him. Now, in resurrection He is the life-giving Spirit who indwells our spirit and who has become one spirit with us. In our intimate fellowship with God, when we love Him and our entire being becomes one with Him, through His Spirit God will reveal in our spirit all the secrets of Christ as our allotted portion. Thus, we not only realize but also experience, enjoy, and fully participate in the deep and hidden things of God.
First Peter 2:21 says, "Christ also suffered on your behalf, leaving you a model so that you may follow in His steps." Here, the Greek word for model literally means "a writing copy, an under-writing (used by students to trace letters and thereby learn to draw them)." The Lord has set His suffering life before us as an under-writing so that we can copy it by tracing and following His steps. This does not refer to a mere imitation of Him and His life but to a reproduction of Him that comes from enjoying Him as grace in our sufferings, so that He Himself as the indwelling Spirit, with all the riches of His life, multiplies (reproduces) Himself in us. We need to become a reproduction of Him as the original writing-copy, not a mere imitation of Him by taking Him as our outward model.
Hebrews 12:2 says, "Looking away unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith." The Greek word for author may also be rendered "originator," "inaugurator," "leader," "pioneer," "forerunner." Jesus is the Author of our faith. He is the Originator, the Inaugurator, the source, and the cause of our faith. In our natural man we have no believing ability. We do not have faith by ourselves. The faith by which we are saved is the precious faith that we have received from the Lord (2 Pet. 1:1). When we look unto Jesus, He as the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45) transfuses us with Himself, with His believing element. Then, spontaneously a kind of believing arises in our being, and we have the faith to believe in Him. This faith is not of ourselves but of Him who imparts Himself as the believing element into us that He may believe for us. Hence, the Lord Himself is our faith.
Once Christ has originated this faith within us, He will finish it. In this verse, the Greek word for perfecter may also be rendered "finisher," "completer." Jesus is the Finisher, the Completer, of faith. He will finish what He originated. He will complete what He inaugurated. He cut the way of faith and, as the Forerunner, He took the lead to pioneer it. Hence, He can carry us in His footsteps through the pathway of faith. He is the Originator of faith in His life and in His path on earth, and He is the Perfecter of faith in His glory and on His throne of glory. As we look to Him, turning away from other goals and gazing on Him with our full concentration, He transfuses and even infuses us with the faith that He originated and perfected until He will finish and complete the faith that we need for the running of the heavenly race.