Then God gave the Jewish people certain spiritual knowledge in the Old Testament, revealing His law and will, with the intention that these Scriptures might be a help for them to know God's plan in Christ. But Satan has utilized even the Old Testament to distract the Jewish people from Christ. If we read the four Gospels carefully, there is a clear illustration of how the scribes and Pharisees were distracted from Christ by the Scripture. In John 5:39-40, the Lord told them, "You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that testify concerning Me. Yet you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life." They were distracted to the Scriptures and away from Christ by the subtlety of the enemy. So not only have the Gentiles been distracted from God's eternal purpose, but even the Jews, the chosen people of God, have been distracted.

When we come to the New Testament, there is something more. Satan utilized even the doctrines of the New Testament and all the gifts given by God to distract people from Christ unto the so-called gifts and teachings. If we look at the whole situation, we will realize that everything prepared and given by God for the purpose of fulfilling His economy has been utilized by the enemy to distract people from God's economy.

The so-called Christian churches of today have the Old and New Testaments, and they claim to have so many gifts, but if we have the heavenly vision of God's eternal purpose for the church, we will weep over the situation. Not just the Gentiles and the Jews, but even Christian people are distracted from Christ and His Body unto something else. Even fundamental Christianity tells us only that God loves us and sent His Son to die on the cross in order to save us from hell. If we believe in Him, we will be saved, our sins will be forgiven, and one day we will go to heaven. This is right in a sense, but have you ever heard a message telling how God's intention is to work Himself into us through Christ as the Spirit, that Christ might be expressed through His Body and head up the whole universe under His headship? Such a concept is not even found in fundamental Christianity. All most Christians know is that God loves us; and if we believe in Him, some day we will go to dwell with Him in heaven after we die. It is really pitiful! Some Christians who say that this is not enough are looking for the manifestations of gifts to prove that God is powerful. But they still neglect God's central thought. I do not believe that they have ever seen the vision of God's economy.

I realize that we need food, water, housing, jobs, and transportation, but we are not for these things. These things must be for us! If we seek God's kingdom and His righteousness, God will take care of all of these things (Matt. 6:31-33). All of these things must be for us, and we must be for God's purpose. We can testify after many years of experience that if we will take care of God's purpose, God will take care of our needs. He is so faithful in this matter. If we will take care of His interest, He will take care of us. Also, the Scriptures and the gifts are for God's economy. All the teachings and ministries must be for God's purpose.

In Ephesians, the major Epistle concerning the church, there is no mention of material things, knowledge, or gifts. In the fourth chapter, the gifts mentioned are the gifted persons, such as the apostles, prophets, evangelists, and shepherds and teachers. Tongues, healing, and other so-called spiritual gifts are not mentioned. This book does not tell us of material things, knowledge, or gifts, but of the unsearchable riches of Christ, who is the Spirit. This is not an outward Christ but an inward Christ, because He must make His home in us.

Ephesians 3:17 says, "That Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith." He has to be our life, and we must be His home. It is not our body that is to be His home, but our heart. The heart is composed of all the parts of the soul and one of the parts of the spirit, the conscience. Therefore, the heart includes the mind, emotion, and will, plus the conscience. Christ is now in our spirit, but He is seeking to make His home in our heart. Then we will be filled unto all the fullness of God. It is not material things nor knowledge nor gifts nor any outward manifestations, but the fullness of God!