First let us read a few verses from the Bible. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” There are two important terms in this verse: the Word and God. Verse 14 says, “The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us...full of grace and reality.” This verse adds three more important terms: flesh, grace, and reality. Chapter six, verse 63, says, “The words which I have spoken unto you are spirit and are life.” This verse also adds two important terms: spirit and life. Chapter twenty, verse 22, says, “And when He had said this, He breathed into them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit.” In this verse there are also two important terms: breath and Holy Spirit.
From these four verses in the Gospel of John, we have noted eight important terms: the Word, God, flesh, grace, reality, spirit, life, and breath. You need to memorize these eight terms.
By remembering these eight important words, you will see the light. These eight items can be divided into three groups: spirit, life, and breath are one group; the Word, God, and flesh are another group; and grace and reality are a third group.
This morning I am giving these eight terms to you who are attending the training. After the training is over, when you go out to preach the gospel, you may preach eight messages consecutively with one message on each term. You need to tell people what is the Word, what is God, and what is the flesh. It may seem that these three items—the Word, God, and flesh—are very concrete; yet they became the abstract Spirit, life, and breath. The issue is grace and reality. If a person has the first six of these items, it is guaranteed that he will have the last two items of grace and reality.
In the universe, what could be better than grace? Neither could there be anything in the universe better than reality. You should enjoy grace and reality every day. How did grace and reality come? The source of grace and reality is the Word, God, flesh, spirit, life, and breath.
When we call “O Lord Jesus! O Lord Jesus!” that is our spiritual breathing. This is the reason we practice calling on the name of the Lord. This calling is the best spiritual breathing. We can either breathe deeply or in a shallow way. When we call “O Lord Jesus!” there is fresh spiritual air coming into us. In this calling we are breathing, and we are resting as well. How sweet and how fresh it is! Moreover, the result is spirit and life.
The Gospel of John is a profound book. According to the letters, this book is very simple, but according to the philosophy it contains, it is the most profound. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us...full of grace and reality” (John 1:1, 14). These words are very simple, so that even little children can understand. However, the philosophy they contain is very profound, beyond description. If you have received something of the Lord’s grace, you may be able to understand a little. Even so, you may have no way to utter what you have received, and you may not be able to utter it thoroughly.
The Lord Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life,” and, “I am the light of the world,” and again, “I am the way” (John 11:25; 8:12; 14:6). These expressions could not be more simple, yet what He was talking about in those instances is so profound that no one is able to understand fully. Therefore, you do not need to try to understand. You only need to say unceasingly, “The Lord is life, the Lord is resurrection, and the Lord is the way.” Then you will receive something within.