CHAPTER THREE

LIVING THROUGH DYING

Scripture Reading: Gal. 2:20a; Rom. 8:13b; Gal. 5:24-25

OUTLINE

1. The important items in God’s New Testament economy being fully accomplished facts:
   1. The Triune God having become flesh—John 1:14.
   2. Christ having accomplished the all-inclusive death—Heb. 9:26, 28; Rom. 6:6a; Heb. 2:14; John 12:31; Eph. 2:15; John 12:24.
   3. Christ having accomplished the resurrection which produced the firstborn Son of God and the many sons to be the church—Acts 13:33; 1 Pet. 1:3; Rom. 8:29; Heb. 2:12.
   4. Christ having accomplished the ascension which made Him the Christ, the Lord, the Head, and the Savior—Acts 2:36; 5:31.
   5. Christ having accomplished the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the producing of the church—Acts 2:33; 1 Cor. 12:13.
2. Receiving the accomplished divine facts by faith.
3. Living out Christ through dying together with Christ—Gal. 2:20:
   1. Knowing the resurrection of Christ—Phil. 3:10a.
   2. Being conformed to the death of Christ—Phil. 3:10b.
   3. Crucifying the flesh and the lusts of the flesh—Gal. 5:24.
   4. Putting to death by the Spirit the practices of the body—Rom. 8:13.

The title of this chapter, “living through dying,” is a very peculiar expression, and the significance is very profound.

HUMAN PHILOSOPHY BEING
TO LIVE THROUGH SUFFERING

Human philosophy, including the ancient Greek philosophy and the Chinese Confucian philosophy, are confined to teachings concerning the refining or improving of the self. Hence, there have been many instances of asceticism and self-infliction. Similarly, various kinds of religions such as Buddhism and Catholicism also stress this kind of practice. This is because from man’s viewpoint, human beings are degraded, having sinful lusts, and the only way of salvation is to live through suffering.

The Word of God shows us that the fall of man began with the transgression of Adam and Eve. They ate the fruit forbidden by God. As a result, sin came in and brought the whole human race into degradation. Through this, Satan’s evil nature and corrupted elements entered into man’s constitution. From that time on, there has been an evil constituent or element within man. Now there are two kinds of elements within the man God created: one is the good element which came from God’s creation and bears God’s image; the other is the evil element which came out of the evil one Satan and bears the evil nature of Satan. Within man there is not only the good created by God but also the sin injected by Satan (Rom. 7:17, 20). This sin is also called evil. It is sin itself and is the transfiguration of Satan within man.

There are only two sources in the universe; one is God and the other is Satan. God is good (Matt. 19:17) and Satan is evil (Rom. 7:21). Due to the fall of man, the evil nature of Satan was injected into the good man created by God. Therefore, there are two kinds of nature within the fallen man: the good nature and the evil nature. This was why within Chinese Confucianism there were those who advocated man’s inherent good nature and those who advocated man’s inherent evil nature. Actually, according to the biblical view, there is a basis for both schools because both good and evil are within man. Many philosophers throughout the ages came up with the thought of asceticism through their observation and realization of fallen mankind. They considered that the evil lusts within man could be eliminated only through the exercise of self-suppression. Hence, in their consideration only suffering could restrain man’s evil and cause him to behave, to do good, and to be delivered from the sorrows of life.